Sharpening a Bowie knife is much the same as sharpening any other knife. However, you will need to know how to go about the process in order to achieve optimal results. What process should you follow? Actually, you will have some choices to make before you even get started with the sharpening process. What is your first decision? First, you will need to determine what sort of sharpening system you want to use. Do you want to use a system that offers you edge guides? On the other hand, you might prefer to use a simple whetstone and control the angle of the edge yourself. This is an important consideration and should not be rushed.
However, because Bowie knives are quite large, you might find that many of the all-in-one sharpening systems are not ideal for use. In fact, your knife might not even fit the slots of these gadgets. That said, you can find all-in-one solutions for larger blades, you just have to look a little harder.
The process of sharpening a knife is all about removing metal from the blade, but doing so in a controlled pattern. The angle at which you hold your knife will determine some of how much metal is removed, as will the duration of the sharpening process. If you choose to use a sharpening system, make sure that it offers several different angles in the guide, so that you can achieve the sharpness and blade shape that's right for your knife.
Holding one side of the blade against the stone, draw the knife either heel to tip, or you can grind it in circles over the stone (some knife owners prefer to use two stones, a coarse one and a fine one). Once you have raised a burr on the blade's edge, you should flip the blade over and repeat the process until there is a burr along the entire edge of the knife blade.
Once you have ground down one side of the blade and raised a burr, you will need to flip the knife over and grind the other side. This will raise a burr all the way down the blade (including the tip of the blade). Once the burr has been raised, you should use a fine whetstone or a strop to remove the burr and reveal the true edge of the blade. Further stropping or honing will polish the edges, as well. - 31499
However, because Bowie knives are quite large, you might find that many of the all-in-one sharpening systems are not ideal for use. In fact, your knife might not even fit the slots of these gadgets. That said, you can find all-in-one solutions for larger blades, you just have to look a little harder.
The process of sharpening a knife is all about removing metal from the blade, but doing so in a controlled pattern. The angle at which you hold your knife will determine some of how much metal is removed, as will the duration of the sharpening process. If you choose to use a sharpening system, make sure that it offers several different angles in the guide, so that you can achieve the sharpness and blade shape that's right for your knife.
Holding one side of the blade against the stone, draw the knife either heel to tip, or you can grind it in circles over the stone (some knife owners prefer to use two stones, a coarse one and a fine one). Once you have raised a burr on the blade's edge, you should flip the blade over and repeat the process until there is a burr along the entire edge of the knife blade.
Once you have ground down one side of the blade and raised a burr, you will need to flip the knife over and grind the other side. This will raise a burr all the way down the blade (including the tip of the blade). Once the burr has been raised, you should use a fine whetstone or a strop to remove the burr and reveal the true edge of the blade. Further stropping or honing will polish the edges, as well. - 31499
About the Author:
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knife store featuring sog bowie knives. Additionally, Dylan is also the President of a specialty butane lighters store.
