How To Sharpen Tanto Style Blades on a Wicked Edge
Tanto-style blades can be easily sharpened on a Wicked Edge precision knife sharpener with excellent results. These blades feature two distinct edges—the primary edge and the secondary "tip" edge—which meet at a defined angle. This shape allows for powerful piercing and slicing but requires a slightly different technique when sharpening.
Sharpening a Tanto Blade: Step-by-Step
To get started, you'll want to understand the unique geometry of a tanto blade and how that affects your angle settings and positioning.
1. Clamp the Blade Securely
- Mount the blade in your Wicked Edge Vise using your preferred alignment method (Standard or Advanced).
- Use the marker method to find your sweet spot for each edge segment.
2. Treat Each Edge as a Separate Bevel
- Sharpen the primary edge (the longer flat edge) using your desired angle setting.
- Once finished, unclamp and re-clamp the knife with the tip edge aligned in the vise.
- Repeat the sharpening process for the tip edge, maintaining the same angle or adjusting slightly if needed to match the factory geometry.
3. Use Light, Controlled Strokes
- When sharpening the transition point between the two bevels, be careful not to round it off.
- Use controlled strokes and avoid sweeping across both edges in one motion.
Video Guide
For a complete walkthrough, check out our sharpening demo:
More Tanto Sharpening Tips
- Bevel consistency is key—check your bevels visually and with a marker often.
- If you use a digital angle cube, it can help you precisely match angles between the two bevels.
- Finish with leather strops and emulsion for a clean, polished edge.
Learn more about how to find your angle and sweet spot here.
Learn more about our Wicked Edge precision sharpeners here.
