Knife Sharpening Alternatives To Bench Stones

Sharpening knives can be a great way to get some mental space from the world

. It's also a great way to drive yourself crazy if you need to get it done in a hurry. To that end, there are numerous ways to sharpen blades quickly, even the large blade of a Bowie knife. The products used to do this encompass both grinding tools and guides. Both are important to making sure that you improve, rather than ruin, your blade.

Some old-timers sharpen their Bowie knife on a grinding wheel. Unless you have the sort of precision machining ability that comes with a lifetime of such work, you'll want to avoid this. What makes grinding stones so useful, however, is that they come in all manner of compositions. Some of the most convenient sharpening tools are made out of the same materials as are the most expensive and precision grinding tools on the market.

There are a variety of materials suitable for sharpening a Bowie knife which encompass many more choices than a bench stone. Some of the best are ceramic. Oftentimes, these sharpeners are two rods, which are mounted to a base of some sort and which, thereby, are kept at the correct angle to the blade. To sharpen your blade, you simply put it in between the rods and pull back on the handle. It's easy and fast, but be careful not to push too hard, as you can ruin the bevel.

There are also stones made out of ceramics and other materials which make find sharpeners for a Bowie knife. Oftentimes, these stones come with their own instructions and are more abrasive than a traditional whetstone. These stones can be used most anywhere, as they're generally very small. Some knives come with such stones contained in an extra pouch sewn to the sheath. Be sure to use oil, if the stone calls for it, though many of these stones do not require as much.

Your Bowie knife can definitely be sharpened in the field using these devices, but a good sharpening is usually done on a bench stone. Simply because the stone is mounted to the bench, it's easier to make sure that you're getting the right angle and pressure on the blade. You should practice, however, sharpening large blades on small stones, as you may well have to do so at some point when you're in the field.

by: Sammy Sabot

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