Sharpening - What angle should I sharpen my knife at?

When it comes to sharpening knives, nobody knows the business better than Smith's Abrasives. We carry the full line of Smith's sharpeners.

Common Sharpening Angles (degrees per side):  
Pocket Knives - 20 
Hunting Knives - 22
Euro/American Kitchen Knives - 20 
Asian Edge Kitchen Knives - 16 
Fillet Knives - 16
Tactical Knives - 23 
Custom Knives - Varies by Designer 

Brand/Series specific sharpening angles (degrees per side):                        

Chef’s knife:
Global - 17
Shun - 16
Wusthof - 14
Zwilling Henckel/Cronidur - 12.5
All other Zwilling Henckel - 15
 
Serrated Knife:
All Brands - Manual Sharpening; Serrated Slot ONLY

Santoku Knife:                   
Global - 17
Shun - 16
Wusthof - 11
Zwilling Henckel/Cronidur - 12.5
All other Zwilling Henckel - 15
 
Paring Knife:
Global - 17
Shun - 16
Wusthof - 14
Zwilling Henckel/Cronidur - 12.5
All other Zwilling Henckel - 15
 
Utility knife:
Global - 17
Shun - 16
Wusthof - 14
Zwilling Henckel/Cronidur - 12.5
All other Zwilling Henckel - 15
 
Boning Knife:
Global - 17
Shun - 16
Wusthof - 18
Zwilling Henckel/Cronidur - 12.5
All other Zwilling Henckel - 15

Everyday Pocket Knives/Multi-Tools (degrees per side):
Al Mar - 20              
Benchmade - 18-20
Blade-Tech - 20-22
Boker USA - 20-22
Buck - 13-16
Camillus - 23
Case - 19-22
Cold Steel - 23-25
Columbia River (CRKT) - 17-22.5(depending on designer)
KA-BAR - Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 15 degrees per side
Kershaw - 20-22
Knives of Alaska - 18-20
Outdoor Edge - 20
SOG - 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grinds
Spyderco - 20
Victorinox - 15-20
Winchester - Suggest using Smith's recommended angle for knife type

Hunting/Outdoor - Fixed Blade (degrees per side):
Al Mar - 20              
Benchmade - 18-20
Blade-Tech - 20-22
Boker USA - 20-22
Buck - 13-16
Camillus - 23
Case - 19-22
Cold Steel - 23-25
Columbia River (CRKT) - 17-22.5(depending on designer)
KA-BAR - Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 20 degrees per side
Kershaw - 20-22
Knives of Alaska - 18-20
Outdoor Edge - 20
SOG - 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grinds
Spyderco - 20
Winchester - Suggest using Smith's recommended angle for knife type


Hunting/Outdoor - Folder (degrees per side): 
Al Mar - 20              
Benchmade - 18-20
Blade-Tech - 20-22
Boker USA - 20-22
Buck - 13-16
Camillus - 23
Case - 19-22
Cold Steel - 23-25
Columbia River (CRKT) - 17-22.5(depending on designer)
KA-BAR - Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 15 degrees per side
Kershaw - 20-22
Knives of Alaska - 18-20
Outdoor Edge - 20
SOG - 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grinds
Spyderco - 20
Winchester - Suggest using Smith's recommended angle for knife type


Fillet Knives (degrees per side):
All Brands - 15-16
  
Tactical Knives: 
Al Mar - 20              
Benchmade - 18-20
Blade-Tech - 20-22
Boker USA - 20-22
Buck - 13-16
Camillus - 23
Case - 19-22
Cold Steel - 23-25
Columbia River (CRKT) - 17-22.5(depending on designer)
KA-BAR - Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 15 degrees per side
Kershaw - 20-22
Mil-Tac - Generally 25 for Folders and 30 for Fixed Blades
SOG - 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grinds
Spyderco - 20
Surefire - 28

Custom Knives (degrees per side):
A.G. Russell - 15
Chris Reeves - 18-20
William Henry - 17-22
  
NOTE:  Angle, as used in these instructions, refers to the angle at the cutting edge.  If your knife brand is not listed, please contact the knife manufacturer for specific angles.   
Information Source - Smith's Sharpeners.