Bowie Knife sharpening

[4 Ranges]

Newbie question:

own a factory second hell's belle, and I want to keep it sharp. HOwever, the only sharpener I have handy is the type that comes with a kitchen knife set (henckel's). You know the type. It is constructed like a knife (handle, etc.), but the "blade" is about 6 inches long, and rounded (blunt tip, and cylindrical in shape). Is this a sharpener that I could use to sharpen my knife? If so, could someone please describe the best method to do so.

If not, could you please recommend other sharpeners that I could use, and describe how to use them.

Thanks guys!

 

[Alberta Ed]

Sharpening is probably among the top five most popular topics here, so a search would turn up a lot of information on the subject. There are several very good books on sharpening (The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening), and also one from Lee Valley Tools (www.leevalley.com) that will tell you more than you need to know, probably. There seem to be two families of thought on sharpening: one prefers various jigs which hold the blade at a precise angle; the other is free hand sharpening on an abrasive of some kind. Diamond hones are popular but expensive, but last practically forever (IMHO); water stones from Japan require water as a lube, cut very well but are relatively soft. And there are all kinds of other hones in between, both natural and artificial. I prefer free hand sharpening and use mostly DMT diamond hones, along with a strop from Lee Valley Tools, loaded with their chromium oxide honing compound. Hope this helps.

 

[glockman99]

I think that one of the best ways to sharpen a large Bowie knife is to get yourself a large, good benchstone, and learn how to use it correctly (use both hands). The sharpening steel that you are talking about is ok for "finishing work", but a GOOD benchstone is what you need. As far as the various "clamp" sharpeners go (Lansky, Gatco), they really aren't much good for blades over 4-5 inches long. The "V" sharpeners such as the Spyderco Sharpmaker are ok also, but again, might be a problem with the very long blades.

 

[4 Ranges]

alberta ed:

thanks for the response and the links!

glockman:

thanks for the advice, but I'm such a newbie, so please forgive my ignorance, but...

what's a benchstone? how big is it? what does it look like? How much does one cost? and where can I find one? Also, how do I sharpen my stainless steel bowie with this?

thanks!