I can sharpen a knife but sometimes I scracht it in the process of sharpening with a sharpening stone.I use now a device I found at WalMart for less than $3.00 made by Smith. It is yellow plastic square about 2" square and has two sharpening V's, one made out of carbide and the other of ceramic rods. I can get the knives pretty sharp. Maybe I cannot shave with them but they are sharp enough to de any kind of cutting I need out of them. Besides it is so light and small that when I go hunting it goes in my pocket.