Taking care of your camping gear, and making sure they’re in good condition is very important for any camper. Below we will be talking about how to sharpen a knife with a sharpener.
The importance of sharpening your knife
There is nothing more frustrating than your own gear failing you when you need the most. The same can be said about your camp knife.
Less injuries
Surprisingly, a lot of camp related accidents occur when using a dull knife. Because of the blades dull edges, the knife requires more force to cut. Which leads to a high chance of slipping and causing injuries.
More efficiency
Making shavings, splitting small logs and even doing some carving projects is one of the main uses of a camp knife. That is why, having a well sharpened knife is a time and energy saver. You can do your camp shores more efficiently with a lesser chance of accidents and hiccups.
Wood carving made easier
One of the best uses of a great knife is woodcarving. Using a sharp knife makes cutting and shaping wooden components a lot easier and faster. Also, a sharp edge can be used for finer detail work.
Check Wood carving instructions for beginners here.
How to sharpen a knife?
A lot of people avoid sharpening their blades by themselves as they’re afraid they are going to mess up the blade. The good news is, it is not that hard and anyone can do it.
Using a whetstone
Whetstones are sharp stones used for knives and other sharp cutting tools. Ideally, sharpening requires the use of various grit whetstones. You should start with lower grits going to higher and higher grits. The higher you go up the finer the sharpening gets.
First, you need to prepare your whetstone. Soak it in water for a few minutes, to improve the stone’s ability to sharpen.
Next, lay the blade flat on the whetstone. Then, put the edge of the blade against the stone at the desired angle. Typically, most knives have an angle of roughly 20 degrees.
Start pushing the blade down towards the end of the stone. Do that while maintaining the same angle and putting some light pressure to the top of the blade. The motion should start from the base of the blade and work towards the tip.
Repeat the same process six or seven times on each side.
Once you have finished the sharpening process on that side of the whetstone, flip it over to the finer grit side.
If the stone begins to dry off you can add a few drops of water and finish sharpening.
Check Sharp Pebble Premium Knife Sharpening Whetstone.
Using a honing rod
A honing rod, sometimes referred to as sharpening rod, is a rod of steel used to sharpen and remove dullness of steel blades.
This method is used mostly for kitchen and home knives. However, it can be one the ways of keeping your knife sharp.
The technique is quite simple. All you need to do is place the near edge of the blade against the base of the steel. Then, slide the blade away from you along the steel while moving it down. This should be done with the blade held at an angle to the steel, usually about 20 degrees.
Repeat the process on each side at the same angle, between five to ten times per side.
Using a Grinding wheel
Grinding wheels are basically whetstones on steroids. They’re ten times faster and twice as efficient.
Also, similar to whetstones, grinding wheels have a variety of grits. However, it is advised to use them with caution or let leave it to the pros.
Basically, the grinding wheels are placed on a spinning wheel. Then, the user places the blade in a certain angle and starts sharpening the knife while the wheels are in motion.
Using a Knife Sharpener
A lot of people avoid sharpening their own knives. That is why, casual knife sharpeners are probably one of the easiest methods of sharpening your knife. They are easy to use, available everywhere and way more less intimidating.
Usually, knife sharpeners have two slots.
The technique is fairly simple. All you need to do is place your blade on one of the slots and pull towards you. Do that for a few times, and then move to the second slot.
Check SIMPLETASTE Knife sharpener.
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