How do you properly sharpen the tip of a knife?

[zimmerDN]

I tried the search engine here and tried using google. Please enlighten me as I've already dulled the tip of my mini-grip with D2. :grumpy:

 

[Lobo103]

If you haven't actually chipped or "popped" it all you need to do is slow down and pay attention to maintaining a constant angle and stroke. Its easy to get carried away on a sharpmaker or crock sticks and angle the knife downward, making the angle of the edge more acute at the base of the blade than at the tip. If you just slow down and maintain a constant angle and follow through the situation should improve. If the tip is deformed then you might need to shape it back up w/ a course stone and then reprofile the entire edge to even things out.

 

[Roadrunner]

The most important thing is not to allow the tip of the knife to slide off of the stone as you sharpen. This is true whether you're using a Sharpmaker, crock stick, Edge Pro, or freehand stone. You should lift the tip of the knife off of the stone at the end of the stroke, not just follow through to the edge. Tips are the hardest part to get right, it's taken me a lot of practice to keep from rounding off mine and I still slip from time to time. Go slow and concentrate. Best of luck.

 

[glockman99]

The best way to sharpen the tip of a knife is with a Spyderco medium, then fine, 302 benchstone...Keep the angle constant for both sides and take it slow and even.

 

[SteelDriver]

Let's say you're sharpening a certain point along the edge. Imagine a line tangent to that point on the edge. Now make your strokes perpendicular to that line. If the edge is straight, this means you sharpen with a stroke perpendicular to the edge, not at some other angle. When you reach the tip, simply imagine the edge continuing on and adjust your stroke angle accordingly. Also pay close attention to how much pressure you apply at the tip; it's easy to press too hard and widen your edge bevel or round off the tip.

The same principle applies whether you're sharpening freehand on stones, with crock sticks, or using a jig. You can use circular strokes for coarse hones, but always switch to a linear stroke when you get down to finishing.