A dull knife is a dangerous knife. In fact, cuisine schools teach their students that a dull knife is the most dangerous piece of equipment in any kitchen. When the edge of a knife is dull, more pressure is required to cut through meat or other materials. The person handling dull kitchen or hunting knives must therefore use more exertion to complete each cut.
Sporting knives are especially dangerous when they are dull, since hunters cut through tough ligaments and sometimes even small bones as they clean their kills. A dull knife-edge makes it much more likely that an accident will occur.
No matter what those "miracle knife" infomercials claim, every sporting knife will eventually become dull. There are certain ways to slow down the dulling process, such as practicing proper knife storage and washing knives by hand, but all sporting knives will become dull eventually.
Dulling occurs at a microscopic level, when the slim edge of the blade is folded over. The blades of hunting knives will fold over slightly after every use. Over time, a knife edge is folded in different directions, dulling the blade and making it more difficult to cut. Sometimes a sharpening rod can fold a knife's edge back into place. Chefs and others who regularly wield knives use sharpening rods to keep knife blades sharp on a daily basis. However, regular wear on the knife will eventually cause such extreme dulling that more intense sharpening is required.
If you own sporting knives, know that you must sharpen them regularly - at least once a year, depending on how often you use them. Read on to learn about your three basic options for sharpening your hunting knives: sharpening them yourself, buying a mechanical knife sharpener, or taking them to a professional knife sharpener.
Sharpening Sporting Knives By Hand
If your sporting knife isn't extremely dull, you should be able to sharpen it yourself. You will need a sharpening stone that is at least as long as your longest knife. It's best to have several sharpening stones of different grits. For millennia, humans used natural sharpening stones, but today's stainless steel blades are often too hard to be sharpened by natural stones. Instead, you should use a sharpener featuring manufactured abrasives or industrial diamonds.
To sharpen a sporting knife, run its blade along the sharpening stone at about a 15-degree angle. A sharpening guide can help you achieve this angle. Be sure you're running the blade against the rough side of the sharpening stone, which may also have a smooth side.
As you pull the blade across the sharpening stone, avoid pulling the knife down toward you. If you do this, you will miss good chunks of the blade. Instead, pull straight across the sharpening stone. Don't feel like you need to move quickly. Instead, focus on maintaining a consistent angle and sharpening the entire blade. Once your knife is sharp, finish the job by running the blade along a leather strop.
This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as sharpening your own hunting knives goes. There are various manual knife-sharpening systems; some feature ceramic rods, for instance. A number of people recommend dipping the knife blade in water first; others drip water onto the sharpening stone to keep the blade from overheating. You can spend a lifetime perfecting your knife sharpening tools and techniques. Or you could always purchase a mechanical knife sharpener, as described below.
Mechanical Sharpeners for Hunting Knives
Mechanical knife sharpeners are more efficient than manual sharpeners. With a mechanical sharpener, you will be able to sharpen all of your hunting knives quickly and effectively. There are many different types of mechanical sharpeners available today; the most common variety is called an electric grinder.
Electric grinders, with their abrasive wheels spinning many times each minute, may actually ruin a knife's blade if it becomes too hot. For this reason, many avid knife sharpeners say the best grinders include a drip system to keep the temperature of the blade's edge low. If you choose to purchase a mechanical sharpener, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for use.
Professional Sharpening for Sporting Knives
The final option for sharpening your hunting knives is to take them to a professional sharpener. Although you may need to shell out more money over time by taking your knives into a shop, you will also enjoy peace of mind knowing that your knives are extremely sharp and therefore safe to use.
As you can see, you have several options for sharpening your hunting knives. Between sharpening sessions, you can keep your knife sharp by running it along a sharpening rod once or twice.
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