Blade sharpener

Abstract

A blade sharpener and method of sharpening a blade, where the blade sharpener has a base with opposed walls extending transversely therefrom to form a cavity. A plurality of sharpening members extend into the cavity from the opposed walls and cross each other, preferably in an interleaved manner, within the cavity.

1 . A blade sharpener comprising:
 a base with opposed walls extending transversely therefrom to form a cavity; and   a plurality of sharpening members extending from the opposed walls into the cavity;   wherein at least one sharpening member extends into the cavity from each of the opposed walls and crosses at least one other sharpening member from the other of the opposed walls in the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members comprise fingers. 
     
     
         3 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members extend at an angle towards the base. 
     
     
         4 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members extend towards the wall that is opposite the wall from which the sharpening member extends. 
     
     
         5 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein when the blade sharpener is orientated with the opposed walls extending upwardly from the base, the sharpening members extend downward into the cavity from an upper end of the opposed walls. 
     
     
         6 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members overlap along a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sharpening members comprise a plurality of pairs of sharpening members that are interleaved along a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members are rigid. 
     
     
         9 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members have free ends located in the cavity adjacent the base of the blade sharpener. 
     
     
         10 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein a V-shaped trough is formed by the sharpening members crossing each other, the V-shaped trough being configured to receive and sharpen a blade of a knife, utensil, or tool. 
     
     
         11 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members comprise a resiliently flexible portion adjacent the wall. 
     
     
         12 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the sharpening members comprise one or more abrasive surfaces. 
     
     
         13 . The blade sharpener of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more abrasive surfaces are made abrasive by the application, embedding, and/or encrusting of one or more abrasive materials. 
     
     
         14 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the blade sharpener is integral and formed from a single piece of metal. 
     
     
         15 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the base is planar and comprises an aperture configured to receive an anchor. 
     
     
         16 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the walls extend substantially perpendicularly from edges of the base. 
     
     
         17 . The blade sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity formed between the base and walls is open ended and has a longitudinal axis that is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the base. 
     
     
         18 . A method of sharpening a blade, the method comprising placing a portion of the blade into a cavity of a blade sharpener and drawing the blade through the cavity along crossed sharpening members that extend into the cavity from opposed walls. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising placing a proximal end of the blade into the cavity and pulling the blade longitudinally until a distal end of the blade has passed the crossed sharpening members. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the blade sharpener is the blade sharpener of  claim 1 .