Alternatives To Bench Stones
An integral part of being a responsible knife owner, whether you use a Bowie knife or something different, is knowing how to keep a blade sharp. A dull knife is a useless tool, but also a considerable danger. Dull blades can cause serious injury, and can ruin whatever it is that you might be cutting. Of course, not everyone wants to use a bench stone to sharpen his or her knives. What other options are out there, though? What systems are worth trying?
Rod Systems Work Well: While rod systems certainly do use stones, they are very different from your traditional bench stone. What do rod systems offer? To sum it up in a single word – guidance. Rod systems use a rod connected to a whetstone, which runs through a hole in a metal guide. Your Bowie knife is attached to the metal framework. This ensures that your knife is stable throughout the entire process, and that you do not create uneven edges. Why does this matter?
Consider the problem with using a standard bench stone. You have to hold the blade at the same angle throughout the grinding process. However, with a rod system, all you have to do is move the stone over the blade of your knife to refresh that edge. However, for some systems, larger blades, such as a Bowie knife, will require that you reposition your rod periodically to get the entire blade.
Guides for Bench Stones: If you prefer to use a bench stone, you can still alleviate much of the problem with getting the right angle for your blade. Guides attach to the spine of the blade, and you then run the knife across the whetstone. This can be an excellent way to sharpen a knife without having to worry that you will have uneven edges on your blade. Of course, like many other systems, there are drawbacks to using guides such as these.
Bowie knives can sometimes be sharpened with smaller stones by moving the stone along the blade rather than the conventional method, which employs just the opposite technique. This, however, is very difficult to do while maintaining a correct angle. If you do this, it’s best to sharpen the knife only as much as is necessary to restore any obvious damage to the blade, or to smooth over dull spots. If you’re in low-light conditions, you can use a candle or a flashlight to see if your blade has been restored to its edge. If it has, there should be no reflection visible off the edge of the blade. When a blade is sharpened correctly, its edge almost disappears.
Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knives store featuring combat knives.