How Do I Sharpen a Bowie Knife?



Posted: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

by
BuyLighters.com

Sharpening Bowie knives need not be a frustrating procedure. In fact, while these are certainly larger than many other types of knives, you'll find that you sharpen the blades in much the same way. How should you go about doing this? What should you do or not do in order to ensure that you are able to achieve a clean, sharp, straight edge on that knife? Here, you'll learn a bit more about the knife sharpening process, as well as what not to do when sharpening Bowie knives (or any other knife for that matter).

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.

Using an all-in-one system, all you really have to do is position the angle guide, and then pull the knife through the device. Some of these systems rely on grinding your knife in circles, with an upright supporting the knife at the proper angle, though.

Once you have a solid burr along the blade, you'll need to switch to a finer stone. You can even use a strop here. The purpose of the second grinding is just to remove the burr and polish the edges of the blade a bit. This will ensure a clean cut each time (as the burr will catch during the cutting process, leaving ragged cuts). When removing the burr, it's best to go heel to tip on the knife.

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.

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