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Box cutters are a handy tool to have around the home. They make it easy to open those hard-to-open boxes, and they can also be used as a last resort if you need to break down cardboard for recycling purposes. But how do you keep your box cutter in good working order?
There are a few different ways that allow you to sharpen a box cutter blade without having to spend much money. In this article, we will discuss 5 different methods on how to sharpen a box cutter!
Can Box Cutter Blades Be Sharpened?
Box cutter blades can be sharpened, so you can use them for years. The blades are usually made of very tough steel, and the cutting edge is not easily damaged by sharpening. However, if your box cutter isn’t making a clean cut through corrugated cardboard or other material anymore, it might be time to sharpen it.
5 Ways On How To Sharpen A Box Cutter
1. Using a Whetstone
This is the most traditional and common way to sharpen your box cutter. First, you’ll need to soak it in water for about an hour then wipe the blade across the stone at a 20-degree angle away from your body until desired sharpness is achieved, or almost all metal has been removed from that side blade.
Be careful not to let the blade become too hot as you are sharpening it, or else your metal will lose its hardness and strength. Also, be very gentle with this method of sharpening a box cutter because if you press down on the edge while pushing it across the stone, then eventually, all that pressure can cause chipping on both sides of your knife.
2. Using an Electric Sharpener
Another way to sharpen your box cutter is by using an electric sharpener. It’s a bit less time-consuming and safer than going at it with a whetstone, but you have to be careful because some of these sharpeners can actually take too much material off the blade if used incorrectly, which will result in your metal being way too thin.
3. Using Sandpaper or Metal Files
This method is probably one of the hardest ways to sharpen a box cutter, so we would definitely recommend practicing on another knife first before trying this out on your actual box cutters.
To start off, wrap wet sandpaper around both ends of a broomstick handle until there isn’t any exposed wood left then secure that with electrical tape or rubber bands.
Next lay down two strips of 150-grit sandpaper side by side and lay your box cutter flat on top of them. Then, using a smooth motion with your wrist only, push the blade along the paper strips until you feel it’s sharp enough or has reached its desired sharpness level (which will be about two swipes).
4. Using a Belt Grinder
Using a belt grinder is probably one of the best ways to sharpen your knife if done correctly. Not only can you do so in less than five minutes, but this method also ensures that both sides are uniform, which means there won’t be any wobbling when cutting things from now on!
However, don’t just jump into using something like this without reading up more about how to properly use one first because doing so can result in some pretty dangerous accidents.
5. Using a Waterstone or Oil Stone
Just like with the electric sharpener, be careful of putting too much pressure on this type of stone when trying to sharpen your box cutter because you could end up thinning out your blade if not done correctly! To start off, soak both sides of your Waterstone or oil stone for about twenty minutes, then place them flat side down on top of an old towel.
Then secure it in its spot by laying another wet towel over the top and placing something heavy enough on top to keep everything from moving around while working on it.
After that’s all taken care of, pull out one side of the box cutter with two fingers being extra careful not to let it fall while doing so, and then gently drag the blade across both sides of your stone until you feel that sharpness is achieved or desired.
It’s important to know that different types of box cutters have different blades, so sharpening them with the same exact method won’t always work. With these 5 easy ways to sharpen a box cutter, you can rest assured that your blades will be just as sharp and effective as before.
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