Keeping Your Hunting Knives Ready To Slice and Dice
An outdoor knife blade that's as sharp as a marble is not something you're going to want to be carrying around with you on the next camping trip. If you are looking to sharpen your own knives, read this article to find out about 2 factors you'll need to have present.
Sharp utility knives are a clear necessity when performing certain jobs. There's nothing more frustrating then using a knife with a blade so dull that it forces you to have to tug, tear, rip, or pull at a fishing line, camping rope, or captured animal. Well, this article is going to point out to you 2 things you should consider if you are thinking about sharpening your own knives.
In case you didn't know, not all sharpening tools are made up of stone, even though they may be referred to as stone sharpeners. As a matter of fact, many sharpeners are made with materials such as ceramic. Others are encrusted with diamonds as the main material to sharpen the knife blade. And there's also a third group that are made of metal rods with almost microscopic sharpening edges.
Now, here's the thing: you don't want to use just any of these types of knife sharpeners for every single type of job. The degree of dullness of the blade is going to be the main thing to consider when selecting what to use to get the sharpening done. If the blade is completely dull, you're not going to want to use steel right off the bat. Steels are simply not the most effective for creating an edge on a blade that is extremely dull. In this type of situation, you're going to want to use stone or a set of stones that has varying grits (anywhere from 300-1200 grit).
The second thing you need to keep in mind is not only do you have to worry about the actual tools and materials you'll be using to get the job done, but also the angle and the even-ness of the blade. As obvious as it may sound, you have to make sure that you are providing an even angle all up along the actual blade, as well as on both sides of it. Also, a very good habit to get into is to count the amount of strokes you give each side so that you don't overdo one side by accident. As a rule of thumb, it could take 25 to 60 strokes per side to get it nice and even. Also, be sure to prevent or get rid of any burrs that could form.
So, if you are looking to keep your fixed blade knives ready to slice and dice at any time at your next hunting or camping trip, keep these two sharpening factors in mind.
In case you didn't know, not all sharpening tools are made up of stone, even though they may be referred to as stone sharpeners. As a matter of fact, many sharpeners are made with materials such as ceramic. Others are encrusted with diamonds as the main material to sharpen the knife blade. And there's also a third group that are made of metal rods with almost microscopic sharpening edges.
Now, here's the thing: you don't want to use just any of these types of knife sharpeners for every single type of job. The degree of dullness of the blade is going to be the main thing to consider when selecting what to use to get the sharpening done. If the blade is completely dull, you're not going to want to use steel right off the bat. Steels are simply not the most effective for creating an edge on a blade that is extremely dull. In this type of situation, you're going to want to use stone or a set of stones that has varying grits (anywhere from 300-1200 grit).
The second thing you need to keep in mind is not only do you have to worry about the actual tools and materials you'll be using to get the job done, but also the angle and the even-ness of the blade. As obvious as it may sound, you have to make sure that you are providing an even angle all up along the actual blade, as well as on both sides of it. Also, a very good habit to get into is to count the amount of strokes you give each side so that you don't overdo one side by accident. As a rule of thumb, it could take 25 to 60 strokes per side to get it nice and even. Also, be sure to prevent or get rid of any burrs that could form.
So, if you are looking to keep your fixed blade knives ready to slice and dice at any time at your next hunting or camping trip, keep these two sharpening factors in mind.
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