Bowie knives are as intimidating to sharpen as they are in most other respects. The blade on these knives is at least 6 inches long and, oftentimes, around twice that length. The blade is also heavy and curved, which presents additional challenges. Sharpening a Bowie, however, is really no different than sharpening any other knife.
There are several characteristics of Bowie knives that make sharpening them a tough job. They have long blades, which makes them unwieldy on a stone. They also have curved blades, which requires that the proper sharpening angle be maintained, for all intents and purposes, while turning a corner. The knives are also thick-bladed, which means they won’t fit correctly in many all-in-one devices. Because these knives oftentimes are made of very fine steel, they deserve to be maintained with the correct tools and the correct technique.
Some devices allow users to hold their Bowie knife in a vertical position while they sharpen it. These devices usually have slots that hold the blade in the correct position. Some of the devices use a mechanical apparatus to grind away the metal instead of the user drawing the blade against a stone. These devices sometimes produce good results, sometimes not. There is enough variation in Bowie knife design that a device may work splendidly for one particular knife and not at all for another.
Bowie knives need to be honed to get the best possible edge. This is done on a finer grit stone. Simply repeat the process and, with very little pressure, hone the burr down on the edge of the blade. With the proper angle, one will be left with a razor edge. If the knife is of a high-quality steel, the edge can be incredibly sharp, sometimes sufficient for shaving!
Remember to always use oil when sharpening Bowie knives on a whetstone. Without this lubrication, the blade can be completely ruined. If one has no experience sharpening knives, it’s best to practice on an expendable blade before setting to work on a high-quality knife. On some Bowie knives, there’s a notch at the hilt of the blade. This is called a “Spanish notch”. Many knife owners use this as the indicator of where to begin sharpening the blade. The easiest way to keep the bevel of the blade even is to draw the knife along the stone on one side and then repeat the process on the opposite side. Alternating in exact proportion ensures an even edge on the blade.
Dylan Sabot is the owner of an online bowie knives store featuring SOG bowie knives as well as humidors for storage.
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