Review: America Stone

October 23, 2012

As the husband of a loving prepping and homesteading wife, I don’t receive neckties and shaving kits for Christmas and my birthday. I don’t remember the last time I got soap-on-a-rope as a gift. Instead, Laura and the kids give me things like books and videos on survival, multi-tools, and bug-out bags. I have a wonderful family.

Several years ago, I unwrapped a new knife sharpener. It was called The America Stone.

I wasn’t familiar with the brand and as I freed it from the packaging it really didn’t feel like anything all that special. It was a relatively small, 3 inches long and approximately 7/8 of an inch wide. Lightweight. It’s made from a ceramic material that’s slightly off-white in color. Imprinted on the side is America Stone. It came with a nylon carrying pouch.

Laura told me that she’d done some research and found this sharpening device to be one of the better ones that should could find online.

Learning to Use It

The literature that came with The America Stone encouraged me to watch an online video to learn the proper way to use the sharpener. I’m glad I did.

Each of the three edges on The America Stone are used for a different purpose. The pointed surface should be used on severely nicked or highly worn surfaces of the blade. It will help to smooth the damaged edge of the knife and return it to a more useable form.

The round edge on the stone is used to polish the blade. According to the video, most knives can be sharpened using this edge. It’ll produce a knife that is sharp enough for most purposes.

The final edge, the flat surface of the stone, is used to give a “super sharp” edge to the blade.

Again, according to the video, just a dozen or so strokes on each side of the blade should be sufficient to sharpen the knife.

My Experience

I’ve used the America Stone for a couple of years now. I’ve used the stone to sharpen a variety of knives made from different hardnesses of steel. Some, such as my BK2 Companion, are made from 1095 Cro-van steel which is considered to be a pretty easy steel to sharpen. The stone put a very fine edge on the blade, leaving it remarkably sharp.

Other knives were made from stainless steel, such as AUS8. Although it seemed that a few more passes were required, I’ve found the America Stone has done a good job on the stainless steel as well.

After all of the sharpening I’ve done with it, I can’t see that it’s any worse for the wear. After a while, the sides will begin to darken as it picks up tiny metal particles from the blade. Washing the stone with soap and water, perhaps using a scrubbing brush, will return the stone to it’s original color and performance.

At just under $30 (which includes shipping), the sharpener is a good deal. I’ve enjoyed mine. It’s probably the best sharpener that I’ve used. If something ever happened to this one, I’d definitely buy another.

By the way, we’re not affiliated with the America Stone company in any way other than being a customer.