How to Sharpen a Karambit

Okay, so, you got your brand new karambit (If you don’t have one already, you need to seriously check out our website. They’re extremely handy knives.) and you’ve been using it and using it and using it. You’ve really put it through its paces and you want to keep the nice, sharp edge it came with. You know you need to sharpen it but aren’t quite sure what the best method may be. No worries. I did some research and came up with some information to help you.
As with any blade, the first thing you should do is make sure the blade is clean and free of debris. Wipe it with a dry, soft cloth. Take a hold of the karambit firmly but not too tight. You’re just sharpening the blade; not fighting for your life or anything. You want the act of sharpening to be easy breezy. Some folks even find it relaxing, which it won’t be if you’re white knuckling it. You need to keep your wrist flexible. Now, make sure that you keep the angle of your blade, in relation, to your sharpener, as small as you can because if you’re not careful, you could change the shape of your blade or damage it.
Before I go on about the process of sharpening your karambit, let me make a couple of suggestions on sharpeners that seem to work the best for karambits.

The Max Edge 5 In 1 Diamond Sharpener has gotten quite a few good reviews from different forums as to its effectiveness and ease of sharpening curved blades. The paddle design is the key to this sharpener’s success. Another quality sharpener is the Gatco's Arkansas Tri-Hone Sharpening System. It is a little more compact and the Arkansas stone is genuine.
Once again, you want the sharpening process to be easy so choose the sharpener that works the best for you and meets your specific needs. You want a system that includes a medium sharpening surface and a fine sharpening surface.
When you are ready to start, start with the medium grit and stroke the blade along the surface in one, smooth motion. Do it gently, keeping the blade pointed away from you. When you are using a system like the aforementioned, you will see how the triangular design makes it effortless. Make sure that you use the same number of strokes on one side as you do on the other. The goal is to have an even edge on both sides of the blade. Then, switch to the fine grit surface and repeat the process until you get the sharpness that you want. The fine grit will hone the blade to a razor sharp edge. When you are done, wipe your karambit’s blade again with a soft, dry cloth to remove the debris from the sharpening process.

You can use sharpening stones for your karambit but, because of the curvature of the blade, it is a little more difficult because of the angle of the blade. You will have to use a fine grit steel sharpening rod to finish the job so that you really get that razor’s edge you want. One that I would suggest is the Sharpen It Up Knife Sharpener. As far as sharpening stones, the Gatco's Arkansas Tri-Hone Sharpening System and the Lansky Tri-Stone Benchstone is really a great value.