Knife Sharpening, Necessary Life Skill?

[bikerector]

It's like having a rifle and not knowing how to at least bore sight and zero it in. If you carry and use a knife, it would behoove you to know how to sharpen it as well. Just my own opinion, that's all.

Happy New Year!

All of the people I've hunted with, paid to have a rifle bore sighted, or it was provided, when purchased from a shop and then we went from there. We didn't really target shoot at all, only hunted. This is another interesting skill that I would not have considered using/needing unless someone else suggested it.

 

[22-rimfire]

If you are interested in knives, I think some basic knife sharpening skills are certainly advisable. I don't think it's a requirement however. Do you need to learn how to strop? Probably not....

I recall my Dad visiting with one of my distant uncles. He offered to do some chores around their house, handyman stuff, as my Dad was very capable. Asked for a hammer and got a fairly blank look..... own a house and don't own a hammer? Trip to the hardware store solved that. But it illustrates a point. My uncle was affluent enough to simply pay someone to do whatever needed done around his house and had zero interest in doing anything himself. With knife sharpening, I think the same applies for the most part... either you are interested enough to at least try to learn a skill or you aren't.

A lot of folks here are pretty anal about sharpness with their knives. For me, if I have an acceptable edge for cutting, I'm generally fine with that and don't usually seek a hair popping edge.

Bore sighting a rifle.... another something to learn. Good skill. It is something I learned to do when I was in my teens.

Mounting a scope on a rifle.... another one. The last rifle I scoped I had it done at the store I purchased a number of rifles. But I have installed scopes many times. I was just feeling lazy.

Skills.... I was at my sister's for Christmas and went to open a door out onto their deck where they feed birds. The door knob just pulled right off. I just smiled. Then I remembered that it has been like this for years. I told my sister it was very easy to replace a door knob and she just looked at me like "I have no idea..." Anyway, next time I visit, I will take a door knob with me to install on that door and show her how it's done. Yes, I'll take tools just in case with me.

Changing the oil on a car.... changing a tire.... low skill requirements. But many don't even try to do it any more themselves unless it's an emergency. Then they call AAA if they have a flat tire.

 

[plumberroy]

You don't test shoot your gun preseason? I
I wouldn't think of hunting with a gun not used in a year without shooting to make sure it is still sighted in. I take extra ammo for testing and sighting in if I travel long distance to hunt.

All of the people I've hunted with, paid to have a rifle bore sighted, or it was provided, when purchased from a shop and then we went from there. We didn't really target shoot at all, only hunted. This is another interesting skill that I would not have considered using/needing unless someone else suggested it.

 

[22-rimfire]

I grew up in a family of hunters. We generally didn't target shoot high powered rifles as the ammunition was too expensive. A box of shells (20) would probably last 4 successful deer seasons with leftovers. We traditionally shot three shots (Dad shot "one" shot.) to make sure the scope was still "on" before the season started at 100 yds behind the house. Always worked. It was only when I started shooting 22's a lot that target shooting for fun started as a hobby.

At the time, we sighted rifles in for a purpose; hunting. One could liken that to knife sharpening and only sharpening their knife before hunting season.

 

[bikerector]

You don't test shoot your gun preseason? I
I wouldn't think of hunting with a gun not used in a year without shooting to make sure it is still sighted in. I take extra ammo for testing and sighting in if I travel long distance to hunt.

Many of the older guys would just grab the gun and go. And what I meant by target shooting was more about the practice of training regular like at a range or similar. Some target practice was common but it was pretty limited and I know my grandpa didn't target practice before going out.

Generally, I would shoot a half-dozen rounds at a paper plate and see how it went. Hit the plate and you're good to go. Shooting much more was considered wasteful at that time in my life. I haven't hunted for probably a decade as it's something else not needed for sustenance... and hunting around the city is a lot harder than walking out the back door to a hundred acres or more of fields and woods.

For shot guns, never practiced before hunting unless it was for fun, not really to make sure stuff was working or sighted in. A bit different though since you have the BB spread and we didn't use slugs.

 

[Sergeua]

Lets talk a bit of survival to put the meaning of what you say when you mention "life" skills, into perspective.
You want your knife to be usable to make kindling for fire and everything else you going to use the knife or axe or other edged tools for in a situation when all you got is yourself and you have to take care of other people.
Just last week I had to sharpen my "bush" knife as it got dull in the field. Its a scandi ground 1095 steel knife I got recently. It was sharpened at home first and I was out practicing some fire making skills out in winter here. After a couple of hours it had a bit of a chip or roll and the the whole edge deteriorated significantly. I had hard time making same feather sticks as earlier.
Luckily for me, I sharpen at home with a stone in my hand and it was easy to bust out my pocket stone and sharpen the knife up. Later I did it one more time and when I got home my knife was crisp to go out again. Anyways...
So yes, I would definitely call it a life keeping skill when it gets to it and you gotta be able to do it without KME, edgepro, wicked edge and so on.
Also, don't use a pull through sharpener like your buddies do that pay to get their sights adjusted. There is a difference between a knife that you can work wood with and something somewhat sharp that can tear through meat.

 

[leghog]

Many of the older guys would just grab the gun and go. And what I meant by target shooting was more about the practice of training regular like at a range or similar. Some target practice was common but it was pretty limited and I know my grandpa didn't target practice before going out.

Generally, I would shoot a half-dozen rounds at a paper plate and see how it went. Hit the plate and you're good to go. Shooting much more was considered wasteful at that time in my life. I haven't hunted for probably a decade as it's something else not needed for sustenance... and hunting around the city is a lot harder than walking out the back door to a hundred acres or more of fields and woods.

For shot guns, never practiced before hunting unless it was for fun, not really to make sure stuff was working or sighted in. A bit different though since you have the BB spread and we didn't use slugs.

When you hunted how did you put an edge on your knife and touch it up?

 

[AntDog]

I guess it's not essential, but it's damn handy to know how. It also builds self confidence and self reliance. Some folks these days value neither.

It makes me chuckle more than a little when I bump into a guy who doesn't know how to sharpen a knife, change a tire, change his own oil, stuff like that. I guess maybe "man skills" are going the way of the dodo.

If you need me, I'll be in my cave roasting some meat.

 

[22-rimfire]

When you hunted how did you put an edge on your knife and touch it up?

I always used stones akin the the Norton India stone back then. There were no super steels and I avoided Buck knives because of the hardness. My knife was almost always sharp, so I really didn't need to sharpen it up for "deer season". At that point I would have been using it regularly for small game season and perhaps archery season before that if I was successful. My archery successes were rather limited.... recurve bow and pretty much stopped when college time rolled around. Compound bows appeared while I was in college, but I never got one.

Sharpening knives was never really a chore as you could do it at the kitchen table in any weather condition. Sighting in a rifle or checking the scope was a different story and something I did usually in September or October. I did usually buy new ammo every year after I started working as evidenced by the partial boxes lying around.

 

[BladeScout]

Im glad, that this is a knife forum and not a gun/hunting forum

All of the people I've hunted with, paid to have a rifle bore sighted, or it was provided, when purchased from a shop and then we went from there. We didn't really target shoot at all, only hunted. This is another interesting skill that I would not have considered using/needing unless someone else suggested it.

I grew up in a family of hunters. We generally didn't target shoot high powered rifles as the ammunition was too expensive. A box of shells (20) would probably last 4 successful deer seasons with leftovers. We traditionally shot three shots (Dad shot "one" shot.) to make sure the scope was still "on" before the season started at 100 yds behind the house. Always worked.

'High powered rifle' - Do you mean large caliber rifle?

For shot guns, never practiced before hunting unless it was for fun, not really to make sure stuff was working or sighted in.....

You don't test shoot your gun preseason? I wouldn't think of hunting with a gun not used in a year without shooting to make sure it is still sighted in. I take extra ammo for testing and sighting in if I travel long distance to hunt.

This and ditto.
Went to Africa and brought many more rounds for test firing than I actually used hunting.

To each his own but I must admit, that just as with knife sharpening, it would be inconceivable for me to have others sight my scope for me. Just as it would be inconceivable to not test fire a firearm prior to each hunting season (but then I shoot thousands pf rounds a year, so easy for me to say).
Its our duty as hunters to ensure a swift demise for what ever animal, we are hunting and to not take unnecessary risks in that regard.

I realize that in some countries its not the law and that many dont test fire each hunting season. To each his own and all that (we do have a moral obligation how ever - see above). IMO it borders on almost criminal neglect to not do so. I said 'borders' and 'almost.'

Back to our regular scheduled (knife) programming

 

[leghog]

I always used stones akin the the Norton India stone back then. There were no super steels and I avoided Buck knives because of the hardness. My knife was almost always sharp, so I really didn't need to sharpen it up for "deer season". At that point I would have been using it regularly for small game season and perhaps archery season before that if I was successful. My archery successes were rather limited.... recurve bow and pretty much stopped when college time rolled around. Compound bows appeared while I was in college, but I never got one.

Sharpening knives was never really a chore as you could do it at the kitchen table in any weather condition. Sighting in a rifle or checking the scope was a different story and something I did usually in September or October. I did usually buy new ammo every year after I started working as evidenced by the partial boxes lying around.

The question was to bikerector, who asked of the necessity of knife sharpening ability.

 

[AntDog]

I always zero my own rifles. Usually takes me no more than 3 shots. If that amount of ammo can't be spared for sighting in, you are probably shooting a caliber that is beyond your means to feed.

Maybe look into a 30-30. The ammo isn't all that much, and has probably killed more deer than anything else out there.

Also, not much need to buy new ammo every year. I'm still shooting WWI-WWII surplus stuff through many long guns with no problems at all.

 

[stabman]

If you like knives, you should know how to sharpen them.
If you don't like knives, then why bother?

 

[22-rimfire]

.... 'High powered rifle' - Do you mean large caliber rifle?
<snip>
I realize that in some countries its not the law and that many dont test fire each hunting season. To each his own and all that (we do have a moral obligation how ever - see above). IMO it borders on almost criminal neglect to not do so. I said 'borders' and 'almost.'

Back to our regular scheduled (knife) programming

Many people simply don't have a convenient place to shoot their "high powered" rifles. Any center fire caliber was considered "high powered". I always checked my rifle before deer season for function and sight-in/sights. For years it was a 243 shot all summer long wood chuck hunting and later a Remington Model 700 270 win (deer only). But when I was a kid, for Dad this often didn't happen and he almost always got a buck with ranges from 25 yds to 200 yds. It was all a matter of cost back then. I loved to shoot, but I couldn't afford to shoot center fired rifles for fun. Honestly, it's fun to look back at things. To this day, I will not rattle off 500 rounds of 223 just for kicks whether I can afford it or not regardless of how much ammo I have stashed. This sort of stuff does not happen in my life.

"The question was to bikerector, who asked of the necessity of knife sharpening ability." I know, but I understand where he's coming from with regard to hunting and checking rifles and so forth.

 

[stabman]

To this day, I will not rattle off 500 rounds of 223 just for kicks whether I can afford it or not regardless of how much ammo I have stashed. This sort of stuff does not happen in my life.

You really should.

 

[BladeScout]

I grew up in a family of hunters. We generally didn't target shoot high powered rifles as the ammunition was too expensive. A box of shells (20) would probably last 4 successful deer seasons with leftovers.

I always zero my own rifles. Usually takes me no more than 3 shots. If that amount of ammo can't be spared for sighting in, you are probably shooting a caliber that is beyond your means to feed.

Maybe look into a 30-30. The ammo isn't all that much, and has probably killed more deer than anything else out there.

Also, not much need to buy new ammo every year. I'm still shooting WWI-WWII surplus stuff through many long guns with no problems at all.

Reloading would solve some of the economical aspects.

Its your choice and your rifles but dont shoot old wartime vintage ammo in expensive and/or rare rifles (and dont do it unless you have your meticulous cleaning regimen down).

Old (surplus) ammo can have corrosive primers, which will/can wreak havoc on your bore amongst other issues.

 

[AntDog]

You really should.

Absolutely! I do every chance I get.

 

[knarfeng]

Knife forum Folks.
The shooting forums are two doors down on the right.

 

[AntDog]

Reloading would solve some of the economical aspects.

Dont shoot old wartime vintage ammo in expensive and/or rare rifles (unless you your meticulous cleaning regimen down).

Old (surplus) ammo can have corrosive primers, which will/can wreak havoc on your bore.

In addition to knowing how to sharpen a knife, change a tire, change my own oil, etc., I know how to clean my guns.

I even have a few black powder guns which are definitely corrosive and get cleaned with windex, mainly.

ETA - Sorry, Frank. No more about guns from me.

 

[bikerector]

When you hunted how did you put an edge on your knife and touch it up?

It came with an edge that I used. Never sharpened it. I never even sent it into buck for sharpening and it was lowly 420HC.

In truth, I probably grabbed something from the kitchen after bringing the game home most of the time. Most of the knifes were sharp enough, I guess, or had the prepared chef sharpen sheath things though I wasn't really allowed to use those for rabbits or squirrels, which was 90% of what I cleaned. Not including fish. Never sharpened a fillet knife either. Probably just replaced it if it ever god dull enough but I think we just thought everything was sharp back then. Push harder and slice more times until the meat separates. I "know" differently now but everything seemed to work fine then too.

Most of my family's "life skills" can be attributed to figuring things out vs knowing a lot of different skills that we brought together. For example, using a hack saw to clean fish when the knife wasn't handy. Not traditional but it worked. I know we used the hack saw on deer a lot too but that's not too creative since they have bone saws, but we didn't know there was such a thing. Honestly, probably used saws and scissors for a lot more than they were designed for instead of knives. Can't say my step dad ever sharpened his 110 in the decade or so I hunted with him either. I don't know if he did something with it at work but I never saw a sharpening stone around. Maybe he hit it on the bench grinder?

Edit: I know my grandpa had some type of electric sharpener, no skill required. He now uses one of the dealies that's integrated into the back of the can opener. Guy can fix a car with a hammer and a beer but never saw him with a whetstone.