How to Sharpen a Knife with a Dremel

Keeping your kitchen knives sharp and ready to use is essential to maintain your blades properly. While you can use a Dremel tool to get the edges sharp,

WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING ALTERNATIVE METHODS THAT ARE BETTER FOR THE DURABILITY OF YOUR BLADES.

How to test knife sharpness should be related to things like a honing steel sharpening stone. However, we still think it is a good idea to include the steps just in case you are stuck with no alternative.

Reasons to NOT use a Dremel Tool to Sharpen Your Knives

• Dremel tools produce a lot of heat that can warp the blade’s edge and body.
• Maintaining angle consistency and pressure with a Dremel tool is challenging, resulting in divots or warped angles along the entire blade length.
• The Dremel tool can easily slip and ruin any decorative patterns from Damascus steel or other materials.
• If there are any chips in the blade, the Dremel tool could vibrate or “shock” the chip into a long fracture which can ruin the knife’s integrity.

If you do decide to still use a Dremel tool to sharpen your kitchen knives, we have prepared a guide below to ensure you get the best possible outcome. It will all come down to how much pressure you use and if you can keep everything steady during the process.

Tools for the Job

Here are a few items you will need to sharpen a kitchen knife while using a Dremel tool. Again, try to keep everything as steady as possible, so you lower your risk for any slippage or damage to the edge.

• Dremel
• Vise Grips
• Safety Goggles
• Aluminum oxide grinding stone
• Mandrel  optional½” felt polishing wheel optional
• Polishing compound (must be safe for kitchen knives)

We also highly recommend you wear a thick apron and perform the work away from any sawdust where sparks can lift off the steel and cause a fire.

Steps for Sharpening a Kitchen Knife with a Dremel Tool

You must take your time with each step. This is a slow and steady endeavor to ensure your blade’s integrity.

step 1 – vise grip:

Insert the kitchen knife into the vise grip and tighten it, so the edge is held securely.

step 2 – proper angle:

Insert the grinding attachment to your Dremel tool securely, so it gets the proper angle you want when sharpening.

step 3 – Begin at the base of the kitchen knife’s edge:

Begin at the base of the kitchen knife’s edge, closest to the handle, and slowly move the Dremel along the edge at the desired angle.

step 4 – Wait for the metal to cool:

Wait for the metal to cool before attempting a second pass on either side of the kitchen knife.

step 5 – clean up:

Use the felt pad, mandrel, and any polishing compound on the blade to clean up the sharpening work and get a brilliant reflective shine.

Remember that the Dremel is going to be moving at a rapid speed. If your knife is not securely fastened into the vice grip, you risk the blade flying out in different directions.

Best Dremel Kit for Knife Sharpening

Dremel tools (sometimes called rotary tools) are extremely useful in your workshop. They offer great versatility with drilling, sanding, cutting, grinding, polishing, and more. In addition, there are numerous attachments you can find for practically any need around the house or in a professional shop.

The Dremel 8240 12V Cordless Rotary Kit is one of the best-reviewed options available on the market today. You get anywhere from 5,000-35,000 RPMs of high-powered performance to design everything from sleek woodwork to slicing through metal in an automobile. The easy-to-grip ergonomic handle makes for a smooth transition between jobs, and you get a long-lasting battery life with LED indicators for when it is time to charge. This premium kit consistently ranks at 4.7-4.8 stars out of 5 on most review sites.

Conclusion

While we at Knives Academy do not recommend using a Dremel tool to sharpen your kitchen knives, we also want to fulfill our goal of being an excellent resource of knife information. That is why we provided the steps above, so you get the best possible outcome of your sharpening experience. If you use a Dremel tool, be sure to pick up the Dremel 8240 12V Cordless Rotary Kit, as it provides practically everything you will need. Be patient and take your time. Good luck!

Alternative Methods to Sharpening Your Kitchen Knives

A Dremel tool will work to sharpen your blade, but you must maintain consistent pressure and angle to get good results. Even then, you could further damage your blade from the heat and rotation produced. Some better options for getting quality sharpness on your kitchen knives include: