Sharpening Your Hunting Knife

The knife has come a long way since its invention. The hunting knife is one of the oldest weapons. The older hunting knives were originally made of very crude stone and sometimes bones. The hunting knife has evolved towards using a blend of metals for the blade. Even thought they changed the composition of the knives, they did not change the fact that they are still sharpened on stone. The methods that were used by the Japanese and the Westerners are still evident today. We still use many of the techniques that our predecessors used because they withstood the test of time. Sharp knives have always had a place in a hunter’s arsenal. A dull blade is dangerous and can ruin your harvested meat faster than you can say “dull blade.” Every blade will dull after repeated use. Some hunters claim that they are able to harvest their kills up to six or seven times without having to sharpen their hunting knives. How do they achieve a consistently good knife? You will get what you pay for when it comes to hunting knives, because the cheaper they are, the quicker they will dull. If you learn how to sharpen your life, you will be able to improve the lifespan of your knife, or improve its quality. It should only take between fifteen to thirty minutes. Sharpening your hunting knife only requires a few tools that are easy to pick up. A whetstone is what you will be sharpening your blade with; the steel is what you will be finely tuning your sharpening with, and oil or water will be needed, depending on the type of whetstone you purchased. We will say that you purchased a whetstone that works with oil for this explanation. You place a small amount of oil on the whetstone to cover the entire surface lightly. Look at the bevel on your knife blade and try to stay consistent with that angle. If you cannot make out the bevel, try to hold the blade at a 30-degree angle. Make sure to push the full length of the blade across the diagonal section of the whetstone. Use this technique on both sides and then clean off the excess debris with a damp cloth or a sponge. Try to cut through a tomato to see if you are satisfied. If it needs more sharpening, repeat the process described above until you get your desired sharpness.