Victorinox knives

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Jan 27, 2026
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Anyone else a fan besides me? If so what sharpening angle do you guys feel works best for the pocket knives
 
Big fan here. I sharpen my Victorinox blades freehand and therefore, I don’t know the exact angle that I use but it’s probably about 20 degrees per side.

They get plenty sharp at that angle and I don’t want to go too steep because I want a satisfactory combination of edge retention and sharpness.

The blade steel isn’t the greatest for edge retention but I feel that they will hold an edge better at 20 degrees than 15 and still cut well.
 
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Anyone else a fan besides me? If so what sharpening angle do you guys feel works best for the pocket knives
Very much so. 20 deg per side. IIRC Victorinox runs their pocket knife blades at ~55 HRC.

Moving to "Multi-tools & Multi-purpose Knives"
 
I sharpen mine to between 10 and 12° per side, with a zero to 90° guided rod sharpener ... or 65 ("Earth") years of muscle memory.
(I checked the edge angle using the guided rod sharpener and a digital angle finder. I wanted to c how close I was hand sharpening.
When I was taught how to sharpen when I was 5, both sides of the family going back to my great-great grandmother said 10° per side (20° inclusive) was ideal for pocket knives, "kitchen" knives, and cleavers. 24-25° inclusive for thick stock hunting knives, and 30° inclusive for axe, tomohawk, hatchet, froe, and adz.
 
Victorinox swiss army knife blades are relatively easy to sharpen
From the bottom of a coffee cup to the "icing" from the top of a car's window--- there's literally hundreds of useful tips and tricks to achieve a working edge
 
I got my first SAK in 1969 at a knife shop in Rothenburg Germany. I was in the army at the time and used to a pocket knife with a few tools on it like the issue 'demo' knife. So I got hooked by SAk's then. I've always free hand. sharpened so I don't know what angle I am at, but it's close to the original factory angle. Usually I use a small diamond home, but the past few years I've gone back other old "carborundum' stone. I like a slightly course edge for general cutting. I'm not shaving with my knife so I don't need a razor edge.
 
Love Swiss Army knives, and 15° per side is the only way to go, if you actually want to cut something with ease. Try whittling wood with 20, then 15, and you’ll see. I freehand. Been cooking for 42 years, so had to learn.
 
I like their little sharpener. Works quite well on SAKs.
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I convex the edge on mine freehand but they can easily be touched up on a small smooth river stone. That’s part of the minimalist beauty, you don’t need to carry heavy , bulky, fancy sharpening equipment in the wilderness.
 
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