How to sharpen a hunting knife

How to sharpen a hunting knife at home? — Big fair

    No matter how high-quality and sharp a knife is, sooner or later the question of sharpening it arises. It will be useful for a beginner to know that it is mandatory to check tools and weapons before each trip. In most cases, sharpening a knife in the field ends with noticeable damage to the blade, which even an experienced craftsman is powerless to rehabilitate.

   In general, self-sharpening of expensive knives should be approached with extreme care and caution. Before sharpening a hunting knife at home, it is recommended that you not only familiarize yourself with the basic rules of sharpening, but also try to practice your skills on an inexpensive tool, such as a kitchen knife. Fortunately, detailed information on how to sharpen a hunting knife in various ways is freely available.

Types of sharpening tools

   Progress does not stand still, and modern manufacturers carefully offer a variety of accessories for sharpening knives. However, are all options suitable for hunting equipment?

• The sharpening stone has remained a faithful companion of the hunter since ancient times, despite the development of civilization. For high-quality sharpening, professionals recommend purchasing two bars with different degrees of grain: for the process of sharpening itself and subsequent grinding of the blade. Modern synthetic stones can have two different sharpening sides: coarse and fine. The hardness of the block must match the quality of the knife steel.
• Musat is intended for straightening the cutting edge of a blade. Often sold as a set with kitchen knives.
• Mechanical sharpeners are inexpensive and do not require special skills, but they are strictly not recommended for use on hunting knives due to the poor quality of sharpening.
• Electric sharpeners were previously used only for professional purposes, but the demand for them is constantly growing, thanks to the fast and high-quality sharpening of knives of any class.

    As you can see, the choice is not very large. If you are not ready to purchase expensive equipment, you will have to master the science of how to sharpen a hunting knife using a sharpening stone.

Practical algorithm: how to sharpen a hunting knife at home

• 15-20 minutes before starting work, moisten the whetstone with water, machine or vegetable oil - this simple action will significantly extend the life of the sharpening stone. Before you start sharpening, securely secure the sharpening stone on a flat surface.
• The most important point of high-quality sharpening is the correctly chosen angle at which you will hold the knife. You cannot deviate from the selected value during the process, as the blade will be hopelessly damaged. Try to accurately determine the angle of the original factory sharpening and do not try to change it. The average value for sharpening hunting knives is considered to be 20-35 degrees. Knives with a smaller sharpening angle can only be used for the lightest tasks. Keep in mind that decreasing the angle will make the blade sharper, while increasing it will help maintain the sharpness for a longer period of time.
• Use special devices to fix the knife if you are not sure that you will be able to maintain the correct sharpening angle.
• Make sure that your movements are always directed perpendicular to the cutting edge.
• Do not use unnecessary force: act confidently but smoothly. Lift the handle of the knife to sharpen the curves of the blade.
• Sharpen the blade until you feel a fresh, shiny streak form on the cutting edge. After this, turn the knife over to sharpen the other side of the blade. Make sure that sharpening is done symmetrically. You can also sharpen both sides in parallel: to do this, perform a criss-cross motion. Try to avoid unnecessary fanaticism. A hunting knife is a practical survival tool, and making it razor-sharp is not necessary.
• Finish: Repeat the above steps on a finer-grain whetstone to polish the cutting part of the knife.
• Editing the blade to perfect condition can also be done on a special belt or piece of leather. Experienced hunters in the field use sheaths for this purpose.
• You can check the quality of sharpening by touch, effectively cutting a sheet of paper with a sharp movement, cutting soft vegetables or fruits.

    To ensure your own arsenal is in perfect condition, you should arm yourself with a reserve of patience: developing the skills to sharpen a hunting knife and a steady hand will come with time.

Source: https://nash-bazar.com.ua/articles/132441-kak-zatochit-ohotnichiy-nozh-v-domashnih-usloviyah/

How to sharpen a knife correctly!

It is believed that the sharpness of knives in the kitchen is directly proportional to the skills of the owner of the house. But in fact, the range of applications for products is much wider: they are used for hunting, fishing and picnics, for repairing small things and even for creating objects of art.

“How to properly sharpen a knife at home?” – this is not an idle question, because a blunt instrument is unlikely to become a reliable assistant. Achieving razor sharpness is not difficult, the main thing is not to remove a lot of steel from the blade, and also to achieve a lasting effect.

Rules for sharpening knives and secrets of mastery

Before studying the technology, it is important to choose the right auxiliary device: a sharpening stone, a machine tool, a roller knife, a sharpener, a mechanical or electric sharpener. Each device has its own characteristics and advantages, so it is better to give preference to the option that is convenient for you.

Learning how to properly sharpen a knife is necessary with the help of high-quality devices of medium level and above. In this case, it is not worth saving - you may not achieve the required level of sharpness and even ruin the point.

The most popular method is to use bars with different grain sizes. Start with the roughest one, then sharpen the knife until a burr—a narrow strip of metal—appears along the entire length of the tip. Next you need to move on to using a fine-grained device. Excellent sharpening requires at least half an hour, and sharpening a long forged knife to achieve ideal geometry can take up to 20 hours.

When performing work, consider the following rules:

• It is better to place a stone or block on a stationary surface - this will provide control over the process. The length of the device should be at least one and a half times longer than the blade.
• To avoid scratches, the entire blade except the cutting edge should be sealed with tape, and the block itself should be moistened with water.
• The tip is positioned at a right angle - this way the sharpening will be uniform. Walk along the whetstone with the blade forward, while trying to move perpendicular to the cutting edge.
• You need to maintain the selected sharpening angle. It depends on the intended purpose of the product. 15 degrees is ideal for slicing bread and vegetables, 20 degrees is for medium-heavy everyday work. Boning and cutting tools are processed at an angle of 25-30 degrees. Don't know how to properly sharpen a hunting knife ? Perform processing at an angle of 35-45 degrees, and you will be pleased with the result.
• Be sure to consider the type of steel. For example, damask steel is highly hard and requires a three-stage approach: the tool is sharpened first on a roughing stone, then on a fine-grained analogue, and the process is completed by processing on a ceramic surface. Damascus steel involves careful hand-crafting with coarse-grained and fine-grained whetstones “by hand” along the cutting edge. Moreover, it is necessary to polish the slopes and also cut down the nicks before sharpening!
• The final stage of the procedure for any knife is finishing, which not only removes burrs and makes the edge smooth, but also increases the length of time the result is preserved. Sanding is done using a very fine grit whetstone.

The best knife sharpening devices:

1. Sharpening stone requires perseverance and certain skills. The most budget option, especially when buying not a diamond stone, but a standard device. Due to their fine grain, natural stones are used for final sharpening. While artificial ones are considered universal, since they have different indicators on both sides.
2. A circular machine with an abrasive disc is an excellent solution for large-sized products.

   This is a fast and effective method of sharpening, but it is not without its drawbacks: the machine is large in size, and due to excessive heat, the tip can be easily damaged. Therefore, it is recommended to use the unit with a rotation speed of up to 150 rpm, regularly cooling the contact area with water.

3. Mechanical or electric sharpener - such devices quickly and easily sharpen household tools. True, they get dull much faster.

   If you are concerned about how to properly sharpen a knife without reducing its service life, this method will not work. Even high-quality and expensive models remove a lot of metal from the cutting edge, thereby reducing the durability of the product.

4. Musat is often used to treat kitchen appliances at home and in restaurants. This device resembles a file, which is ideal for maintaining the sharpness of the blade: it is used both before and after using the knife.

   Not suitable for capital sharpening.

How to restore the sharpness of a knife in nature

Even if you don’t have a professional tool at hand, you can straighten a dull point using a smooth river stone, car glass, or a hard mushroom growing on a tree. A piece of sandpaper, a nail file, or even the bottom of a ceramic mug can be used as a sharpening device.

In addition, when asking the question “How to properly sharpen a knife while traveling?” Experienced hunters recommend restoring the sharpness of the tool by rubbing the blade on the back of a second knife. After twenty to thirty energetic movements, you will notice changes for the better.

You can remove burrs from the blade using a leather or nylon belt.

And remember the main thing - the ability to save results. Knives should be stored in individual cases, similar to those in which goods from “Kuznechny Dvor” are supplied. Then your purchase will serve you faithfully for many years, requiring minimal maintenance and sharpening!

07/15/2017, 2990 views.

Source: https://kuzdvor-rf.ru/stati/kak-pravilno-zatochit-nozh/

How to sharpen a hunting knife: angle, device, useful tips

• November 18, 2018
• Equipment
• Ivan Gresko

Every novice hunter knows that choosing a real hunting knife is not easy. On the modern market there are many models of cutting products produced by various companies. When choosing a knife for hunting, a number of aspects are taken into account.

For example, of no small importance is how long the manufacturing company has existed, how well known it is, the uniqueness of the shape and the cost of the product itself. Before purchasing a knife, you should familiarize yourself with its stated technical characteristics. A well-chosen blade is a source of pride for the owner.

However, over time, the cutting edge will become dull, and the owner of the product will have a question, how to sharpen a hunting knife? According to experts, it is not worth working with such a blade, since you can get injured or break the blade. Of course, it can be sent to a service for professional sharpening. In this case, hunting knives are more expensive for owners.

You can save money by doing it yourself. You will get information on how to sharpen hunting knives at home from this article.

Where to begin?

Before sharpening a hunting knife, you should study the design of the blade. In short, there must be one bevel on both sides of the cutting part. Professionals often call this bevel a chamfer. It is presented in the form of a decreasing plane, which stretches from the butt part to the tip of the tip.

By reducing the thickness of these chamfers, the cutting edge is given the required sharpness. Read more about how to properly sharpen knives below.

About the most important parameter

Very often, beginners ask the question: what is the sharpening angle for hunting knives? And not in vain, since the accuracy and quality of the cut made by it will depend on which blade is sharpened. Therefore, before sharpening a hunting knife, you should know at what angle to position the blade relative to the surface being processed. Due to the fact that the angle for both sides is considered common, in order to determine the degree for a separate chamfer, you need to divide the entire value in half.

What sharpenings do different blades have?

Each specific cutting product has a certain angle. For example, a razor needs to be sharpened at an angle of 8 to 12 degrees. In this case, the product is convenient for cutting hairs. At the same time, the chamfer turns out to be too thin to handle any other materials.

Fillet blades should be very thin - up to 15 degrees. Kitchen cutting products can have an angle of 15-20 degrees. For machetes and other heavy knives, this figure can vary from 30 to 50 degrees.

You won't be able to cut bread with this knife, but cutting trunks and vines will be no problem.

How to sharpen hunting knives correctly? First of all, you need to decide exactly what tasks such a blade should cope with. According to experts, these cutting products are mainly used to skin and debone animal carcasses. The optimal sharpening angle for hunting knives is from 20 to 25 degrees. This blade will be convenient for working with soft products.

In addition, the blade will not become dull if it happens to deal with wood or bones. Some manufacturers produce knives with sharpening up to 40 degrees. Judging by the reviews, such blades have lower cutting properties, but are indispensable when you need to open a tin can. There is a certain classification of hunting knives, which is based on the sharpening angle.

Depending on this indicator, a blade is selected to perform a particular job. For example, with knives sharpened to 30 degrees, the skins of hunted animals are cut and deboned. In other words, these blades do rough work. A blade with a 20-degree sharpening is considered universal because it is suitable for a variety of tasks. With the help of blades with an edge of 15 degrees, neat, thin cuts are possible.

If there is a need to separate cartilage and bones, experts advise using these knives.

About abrasive stones

The blades are sharpened using special sharpening stones. Depending on the level of grain, they are coarse, medium and fine. This indicator has a digital designation that indicates how many grains are provided per unit area.

In coarse stones there are from 200 to 350, in medium stones - from 400 to 500, in fine stones - from 600 to 700. There are also very small sharpening stones with 1200 grains. They are used when you need to give a surface a mirror shine.

How to sharpen a hunting knife?

You can sharpen the blade by following these steps. First you need to place the whetstone on a flat surface. It is advisable to secure it so that it does not slip. Next, the surface of the stone is moistened with vegetable oil. Then you should determine at what angle the edge of the blade will be located.

The knife is sharpened by crossing, lingering movements of the blade towards itself along the stone. In this case, apply a little pressure on the knife. First one side is processed, then the other. If the cutting edge has an even shiny stripe, then now you can take a block with a smaller grain size.

Many home craftsmen prefer to sharpen using special homemade devices. Read more about how to make one of these designs below.

What will you need for work?

To make a device for sharpening a hunting knife, you need to acquire the following:

• Plywood or laminated chipboard.
• Threaded steel stud. The diameter can be from 0.6 to 0.8 cm, length - 3-4 cm.
• Textolite or ebonite bar. Solid oak or beech wood will also work.
• Aluminum plate. Its thickness should be no more than 5 mm.
• Fastening elements: bolts and wing nuts.
• Magnet.

How to assemble the device?

The first step is to make a frame. The basis for it will be plywood. The bed should be placed on legs at an angle of 15-20 degrees. Its lower part will become a place for a hairpin.

To make the connection stronger, it is advisable to use glue or sealant. Next, an aluminum plate is attached to the middle of the plywood, which is pre-equipped with a groove for the fixing bolt.

The choice of aluminum is due to the fact that this material is soft enough, as a result of which the master does not have to worry about damaging the edge of the knife.

The emery will be secured with two textolite bars. On one side, the stop is secured in the holder with a nut. So that the master can quickly change the sandpaper, it is better to install a spring block on the side where the knife handle will be. Then sandpaper, which can have different grain sizes, is glued onto the aluminum plate. The peculiarity of the design is the presence of a special hinge, for the manufacture of which two textolite bars are suitable.

One is located on a vertical stud and will be used as a rotary axis in the horizontal plane. With the help of this block, the master will be able to adjust the height of the lever support, namely, set the desired angle. You need to make a horizontal hole in the second bar and attach it to the first. This way the lever will move freely vertically. A magnet is suitable for fine-tuning the cutting edge. Its horseshoe is located flush with the tabletop.

The magnet sits on epoxy glue.

How to use?

After the structure is assembled, you can begin sharpening the hunting knife. To do this, it is clamped with a plate. To remove the first layer, experts advise using coarse sandpaper. Movements should be smooth. The abrasive should be moved along the entire edge of the knife.

Due to the fact that at this stage a strong load will be placed on the cutting product, it must be fixed very firmly. Otherwise, it will move and the sharpening angle will be inaccurate. When it is necessary to perform fine-tuning, instead of a plate, some craftsmen place the blade on a magnet.

When finishing, you should not lean on the emery; on the contrary, the effort applied should be minimal.

Finally

Judging by numerous reviews, there is nothing difficult about sharpening a knife for hunting. You can spice up the product at home. If anyone has doubts about the quality of sharpening, experts recommend checking it using a sheet of newspaper. If it is cut with a knife in one movement and without any effort, then the cutting edge is well processed.

Source: https://truehunter.ru/435977a-kak-zatochit-ohotnichiy-noj-ugol-prisposoblenie-poleznyie-sovetyi

Lansky sharpener: how to properly sharpen a hunting knife

The Lansky Sharpening System is the most modern for sharpening any hunting, kitchen, collectible, etc. knives. Lansky's patented system makes it easy to create the exact angle required to create a professional blade on every knife.

Kit includes:

• Tripod with holes to create a sharpening angle.
• 5 guide rods.
• Screw for securing the blade in the bracket.
• 5 honing stones with finger grooves.
• Blade bracket.
• Sharpening oil.
• Case for storing and transporting the kit.

User Instructions for Sharpening a Knife

Follow these simple instructions to achieve a flawless Lansky sharpened hunting knife blade.

1. Securing the blade
Loosen the top screw on the bracket using a coin or your finger to the thickness of the blade. Center the blade with its blunt edge in the bracket. Tighten the screw until the bracket securely holds the knife.

For small blades, use the groove in the bracket. Place blades of regular and oversized sizes directly in the bracket.

2. Assembling the honing machine.
Insert the guide rod into the hole of the whetstone so that the rod and handle form one straight line. Use your finger to tighten the screw on the handle to secure the rod. Test on a flat surface that the rod and sharpening stone touch the entire length of the surface. If the rod does not lie parallel to the stone, level it with finger pressure.

3. Sharpening Procedure
Before you start, please take a look at the photo to show how it is safe for you to hold the clamp and honing machine.

Starting with the coarsest whetstone, apply a few drops of Lansky oil to the surface. Insert the guide rod into the hole of your choice to create the angle of the blade. Keep the guide rod at the bottom edge of the hole.

Turn the knife over, grasp the staple correctly, and repeat at the same angle as you did on the first side of the blade.

Repeat the procedure with a medium-sized stone first, then the thinnest stone, lubricating them as you work and maintaining the same angle of inclination.

As you sharpen, you will notice that the stones will gradually begin to move more smoothly. This means that the pores of the stone can become clogged, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the stone. To avoid this, wipe the stone with a rag while sharpening. This is the only necessary way to clean it.

How to sharpen a hunting knife using the Lansky system

• Angle 17 is a high angle recommended only for razor blades, X-Acto blades or similar tools. Provides an extremely sharp yet very thin blade.
• Angle 20 is a widely used angular bevel with an increased degree for quality blades. Ideal for kitchen knives.
• An angle of 25 is the recommended angle for most knives when it is necessary to keep the blade sharp during extended use. Perfect for hunting or various types of outdoor work.
• A 30 angle is a common angle for hunting cleavers, knives used for cutting cardboard, other coatings, wires, etc. Designed for heavy duty work only.

Source: http://naoxote.com/tochilka-lansky-kak-pravilno-zatochit-oxotnichij-nozh

How to sharpen a hunting knife at home

Even a novice hunter knows that choosing a special knife for hunting is far from easy. In this case, we are talking not so much about the uniqueness of the shape, the cost of the tool, the popularity of the model or the time of existence of the manufacturing company in the world or domestic market, but first of all, the choice of knife for hunting is based on the individual preferences of the future owner, the stated technical characteristics of the product and those chosen for manufacturing materials.

Proper use and maintenance of a hunting knife

All hunting knives are made only from hard steel grades and sharpening them correctly is quite difficult.

I would like to note that the modern alloys used to make the blade are quite plastic, which allows the hunting knife to keep the cutting edge sharp for quite a long period, especially when the tool is used correctly.

A conscientious hunter will never leave his knife sticking in the ground, dip it in boiling water when cooking, open canned food with it, or leave the blade dirty after cutting up prey.

As a rule, sharpening a hunting knife is quite enough for sanding and deboning 1-2 large carcasses, but over time the blade loses its sharpness and the tool loses the quality and accuracy of the cut. And in this case, it is extremely important to sharpen the knife correctly, not to damage the bevels and cutting edge, maintain the sharpening angle, and prevent metal from chipping from the thin sharp strip of the tool.

Proper sharpening of a hunting knife is impossible without studying the design of its blade. The latter necessarily has bevels on both sides, which are also called chamfers. The chamfers are a plane of decreasing thickness from the butt to the blade and a sharp edge of the cutting part of the knife, which must be sharpened.

The angle of the straight and narrow cutting edge determines how sharp the blade is. This sharpening angle is in the range of 15-30° for all hunting knives, and the quality and accuracy of the cut of this tool depends on how accurately it is observed when sharpening the blade. Thus, sharpening hunting knives begins with determining the angle of the cutting edge.

Hunting knives are characterized by a certain classification of products depending on the angle of the cutting edge, on which the specification of work on processing prey depends.

Knives sharpened at 30° are suitable for rough boning and cutting work, at 20° - universal, for work of varying complexity, at 15° - for thin, neat cuts when sanding prey, separating bones and cartilage. The angle of the cutting edge is common to both sides.

Thus, to answer the question: how to properly sharpen a hunting knife , you need to divide its size in half. The result obtained will be the answer to what angle each side should be sharpened at and how exactly to position the knife above the abrasive surface or place the sharpening device above the tool.

Sharpening a hunting knife using manufacturers' tools

Sharpening a hunting knife is carried out with a variety of devices. Thus, most knife manufacturers offer to purchase an additional special sharpener when purchasing them. Often, a hunting knife sheath contains a convenient compartment for such a sharpening device. Pocket mechanical sharpeners are especially suitable for field conditions.

They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are always made from the best materials to bring back the sharpness of your cutting tool with a few simple strokes.

In addition to the included instructions, you can also find training videos on the Internet on how to use a particular sharpener: sharpening a hunting knife video , which shows the entire detailed process of working with this device.

If we talk about the shape of factory sharpeners, they can be in the form of round light rods (like musat), up to 15 cm long and several cm in diameter. Such devices are in convenient protective plastic cases and have fasteners for placing the sharpener in a sheath or on hunter's belt. Tools of the same type can also have the form of plates. Cylindrical devices are made of ceramics, flat ones are made of diamond abrasive.

Also, pocket sharpeners from the manufacturer can be a small tool that fits in the palm of a round, oval or rectangular (with smoothed corners) shape. In them, miniature plates of ceramic or carbide stones are located in special recesses in a plastic case at an angle specified for sharpening.

For those who are concerned about the question: how to sharpen a hunting knife , presented in an assortment of different models with different blade shapes and sharpening angles, the answer is that it is best to take advantage of the manufacturers' offers and purchase a knife sharpener case.

With its help, sharpen a hunting knife on a special clamp with numbered adjustable sharpening angles, using multi-colored sharpening stones, where each color indicates the size of the abrasive grains, and the special oil that is included allows you to achieve perfect sharpening sharpness. This set of sharpeners is not pocket sharpeners. It is ideal for teaching beginners who can start by sharpening, for example, kitchen knives and gradually master the processes of sharpening other cutting products.

It is worth noting that pocket sharpeners are best used directly while hunting, and the tool should be thoroughly prepared for it at home.

Sharpening a hunting knife yourself

How and what to sharpen a hunting knife before hunting? — The most affordable and fairly effective way is to sharpen a hunting knife with your own hands using abrasive stones. Almost all hardware stores offer a wide range of such bars, but specifically for a hunting knife, options with a perfectly flat and wide surface, up to 25 cm in length and a dense medium and fine-grained structure are suitable.

Sharpening the cutting edge is carried out in the following way:

• a device with a medium-sized abrasive grain is located and preferably fixed on a completely flat surface;
• a knife blade is placed on a block moistened with any vegetable oil and held with both hands at the calculated desired angle;
• the blade under pressure is pulled across the surface with crossing movements towards itself several times on one side and so on by itself on the other;
• the process is repeated until a new shiny strip is obtained in place of the cutting edge, identical and even in width on both sides;
• the timber is replaced with a fine-grained analogue and the latter is used to fine-tune the sharpness of the blade with a couple of sliding movements without pressure;
• for the ideal condition of the cutting edge of the blade, it is edited on the back side of the leather belt 10 times on both sides;
• checking the quality of sharpening consists of lightly cutting a vertically placed newspaper sheet in one motion.

Source: https://MyTooling.ru/instrumenty/kak-natochit-ohotnichij-nozh-v-domashnih-uslovijah

Principles for determining the sharpening angle of a hunting knife

No hunter will go hunting without a massive blade that can be used to perform various tasks. However, over time, the universal tool will become dull, which will require its owner to resharpen to restore the sharpness of the cutting edge. To perform this procedure, it is necessary to take into account the sharpening angle of the hunting knife so as not to damage the blade.

Possible defects on knives

Not every hunter uses a blade correctly. Because of this, various defects appear on the surface of the cutting edge. These include:

• burrs, microcracks;
• tip breakage;
• chips, nicks.

Strong impacts can break the handle, shank, or bend the blade. Since high-quality hunting knives cost a lot of money, the owner of such a tool wants it to last as long as possible. To do this, you must adhere to the rules for using the tool and be able to sharpen it.

Types of knives

Before you start sharpening a blade, you need to understand what materials it can be made from. Types of material for making blades:

1. Low carbon stainless steel. It is made on the basis of iron, to which chromium and carbon are added. Additional components include nickel and molybdenum. This material has a lower hardness index compared to carbon steel. Due to the chromium content, stainless steel has an increased corrosion resistance.
2. Ceramic - this material is rarely used for making hunting knives. This is due to the fragility of the material.
3. Carbon steel. They are considered popular due to the optimal price/quality ratio. Made from iron and carbon. The cutting edges are easy to sharpen and remain sharp for a long time. The main disadvantage of carbon steel is its susceptibility to corrosion. Due to exposure to an acidic environment, rust begins to spread quickly.
4. High carbon steel. Knives made from this material are of a high class. To achieve improved technical characteristics, vanadium and molybdenum are added to the material. Such tools dull slowly and retain their edge for a long time.
5. Damascus steel. High-end blades are made from it. It is a multi-layer blade that has an unusual texture on the metal surface. The downside is the high cost.

Considering the material from which the knife is made, you can sharpen the edge more effectively, avoiding its damage. On average, one turning process is enough to remove one skin and debone 2 large animal carcasses.

Sharpening angle

To sharpen a knife for hunting, you need to maintain the correct angle. This is due to the fact that the tools are made of hard steel, which is difficult to sharpen.

The sharpening angle of a thin edge is from 15 to 30 degrees. Knives with a turning angle exceeding 30 degrees are designed for rough work. The universal angle is 20 degrees. To do fine work, you need to sharpen the edge at an angle of 15 degrees.

It is important to consider that the angles on both sides of the cutting edge must be the same.

Sharpening tools

To sharpen a blade, different tools can be used:

1. Mechanical sharpener. Used for fast edge turning. However, the quality of work is low. Used to restore the sharpness of kitchen knives. Not suitable for hunting blades.
2. Sharpening stone. They have different grain sizes. Therefore, they are suitable for repairing serious metal damage. Suitable for sharpening different types of knives.
3. Musat is a ceramic rod that is used to correct simple burrs and nicks on kitchen blades. Not suitable for complex sharpening or correction of serious defects.
4. Electric sharpener. Automatically calculates the optimal angle and performs edge turning. Used to correct various defects.
5. Professional machines. Grinding discs of different grain sizes are used for turning. The equipment is installed in professional workshops and enterprises.
6. Lansky sharpener. A device with which it is convenient to set the optimal angle. The kit includes bars of different grain sizes and oil for lubrication.

Professionals agree that it is best to sharpen hunting knives with sharpening stones. They are finished using GOI paste.

How to properly sharpen a hunting knife?

To restore the sharpness of the blade and not spoil it, you need to learn how to use a sharpening stone. Step-by-step instructions for sharpening hunting knives:

1. Secure the block using a vice or other device.
2. Set an angle of 20 to 25 degrees on the blade relative to the working part of the abrasive stone.
3. It is important to use the entire cutting edge.
4. Movements are performed only in one direction, holding one angle.
5. After 3-4 passes, change sides and repeat the procedure.
6. When burrs appear, you need to change the grit to fine and repeat the procedure.

After completing the work, check the sharpness of the knife at home.
To do this, you need to cut a sheet of paper or thin rope. Hunting knife and its sharpening

Principles for determining the sharpening angle of a hunting knife Link to main publication

Source: https://metalloy.ru/obrabotka/zatochka/ohotnichego-nozha

How to sharpen a knife correctly

When going out into nature, and even more so before hunting, you always need to make sure that the knife is not dull. You won't get far with a blunt weapon, but you still need to know how to sharpen a knife properly. This process takes some time, and you also need to take into account the type of steel from which the weapon is made in order to effectively sharpen it.

How can you properly sharpen a knife?

Exquisite knife

You can sharpen knives using the following tools:

Sharpening stones vary in material and grain size. The most durable whetstone is diamond abrasive, sharpening knives faster than other materials. There is also a ceramic whetstone, and a “hard” one. They vary in grain size into fine, medium and high.

It is impossible to sharpen knives efficiently using a stone of only one grain size; you always need to alternate them. To prepare a stone for work, it is necessary to remove small chips from it that remain on its surface after sharpening. To do this, you need to moisten it with water from a spray bottle.

Diamond sharpening stones always require wetting.

• Sharpening machines (electrical and mechanical)

Tool sharpening is carried out on a special machine with abrasive discs. The blade should be evenly pressed against the abrasive wheel at an angle of 25-30 degrees at minimum speed. It is problematic to do such a procedure at home, and if you use the machine ineptly, you can ruin the knife.

A special electric sharpener is a very convenient tool. She herself selects the desired sharpening angle, suitable for any type of blade - scissors, knives, screwdrivers, etc. It can be used to sharpen fragile ceramic knives.

It is a sword-shaped, cylindrical instrument with a handle, made of metal, ceramic or diamond-coated. When sharpening with this tool, you need to hold it correctly, namely: the grinder should rest against the wooden surface.

The knife must be pressed with the blade at an acute angle to the musat near its handle, then lowered with an energetic movement towards the end of the musat. The same should be done with the other side of the blade. The movements are made in an arc, sharpening from the handle to the end of the blade.

It should be taken into account that it is not possible to sharpen a dull blade with musat; it can only be used to straighten the edge of the weapon.

Sharpened knife with a whetstone

How to properly sharpen blades made of different steels

Knives made of the best metals - Damascus and damask steel - are sharpened differently than tools made of ordinary metals. But how to sharpen such knives correctly?

Damascus steel

Damascus steel knives cannot be sharpened using sharpening machines.

Only hand sharpening should be used, since otherwise the tool will lose its unique properties, which are due to the mixture of hard and soft steels in its composition.

Before sharpening a blade, you need to determine its hardness: the sharper the edge of the blade, the harder the metal. You need to sharpen a Damascus knife only along the blade, using a fine-grained sharpening stone with a gradual transition to “velvet” sandpaper.

Bulat steel

A blade made of damask steel must be sharpened with a wet whetstone, first with a coarse grain, then with a fine one, and finally the finishing is done on ceramics. The correct process of sharpening damask steel can be seen in the video.

How to properly sharpen a hunting knife

There are various methods for sharpening a hunting blade. Let's look at two of them:

1. To implement the first method you will need: a sharpening stone, a finishing belt and polishing paste. The surface of the sharpening block should be positioned at an angle of 10-15 degrees relative to the side surface of the knife blade. This will help you achieve the ideal sharpening angle, which is 35-45 degrees for hunting blades.

Reciprocating movements are performed perpendicular to the direction of the cutting edge. In this case, the sharp edge of the knife will resemble saw teeth, the dimensions of which will be directly proportional to the abrasive of the sharpening stone.

When sharpening a blade, you need to do it slowly, starting from the handle to the end of the tip and back. Both edges of the blade are sharpened in turn. If the blade has not been sharpened for a long time or was sharpened unsuccessfully, it is necessary to press the knife with a block more firmly at the beginning of the process.

As the required sharpening angle is reached, the pressure changes to a weaker one.

After this, you need to give the blade even more sharpness. To do this you will need a belt and polishing paste. The entire surface of the blade is applied to a strongly tensioned belt, then a reciprocating movement begins so that the belt is positioned perpendicular to the direction in which the knife is held.

Sharpening on a stone

1. To implement the second method, you will need lemon zest, sandpaper with fine abrasive, and a sharpening stone.

Before properly sharpening a hunting knife, you need to check the hardness of the metal from which it is made. To do this, you can use a needle file by running it along the blade. The hardness of the blade is normal, if when pressed lightly the file will simply slide along the blade, and when pressed hard it will catch the steel a little.

Next, you need to take several sharpening stones with different grain sizes (usually three to five such stones are used). During sharpening, all sharpening stones are used sequentially, starting with the coarsest grain and ending with the fine grain. To keep knives sharp, you need to choose the correct sharpening amplitude. The movement of the whetstone should be directed against the sharpening of the blade, maintaining an average angle.

Source: https://pohod-lifehack.ru/kak-pravilno-zatochit-nozh/

Sharpening hunting knives: devices, sharpening angle. How to properly sharpen a hunting knife

It is very important to choose the right hunting knife. It is necessary to take into account many factors: length, width, shape, material of the handle and blade, sharpening angle. Much depends on the purpose of using the knife.

Types of hunting knives

With all the variety of characteristics of the offered hunting knives, they can be divided into two groups:

1. General use, used to finish off prey. Their blades are smooth, the handle is necessarily equipped with a limiter.
2. Special purpose (skinning, cutting meat from a bone, butchering an animal or poultry carcass).

They are also divided according to the type of blades and the sharpening of the upper edge. It can be straight or rounded. Handmade hunting knives are especially original in their design.

Choosing a hunting knife

Currently, a large selection of hunting knives is offered from manufacturers in different countries. Russian manufacturers are also not inferior in quality and variety of offered items. Their design is quite simple: a handle and a blade.

The blade has a cutting part called the blade and is subject to periodic sharpening. To comply with safety precautions and ensure safety, a case made of durable and soft material (usually thick genuine leather with a wooden or plastic insert) is also very important.

It must have a safety strap to prevent the weapon from falling out of its sheath.

When choosing a hunting knife, you must be guided by the main characteristics:

1. The shape of the knife must correspond to the purpose of its use (the blade can be straight or curved).
2. Sharpening hunting knives depends on their purpose.
3. The handle should be comfortable when cutting carcasses. It can be located as a continuation of the blade, or at an angle to it. It is made from various materials: wood, metal, birch bark, ceramics, plastic. To prevent it from slipping out of your hands, it must have a stopper.
4. Method of attaching the handle to the blade. A handle attached with a nut is much stronger than with glue.
5. Blade material for hunting knives. The hardness of steel depends on the carbon content. The most valuable brands are damask and damask. For hunting knives, 50 to 60 HRC (Rockwell) is considered optimal. The steel must be anti-corrosion.
6. Blade length and width. The optimal length is considered to be 12-13, width 3-3.5 cm.

Methods for sharpening knives

Despite the hardness of the steel from which the knife is made, after a certain time its sharpness decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically restore this function. Sharpening hunting knives can be done in various ways using:

• sharpening stone;
• musata;
• set of tools;
• special pocket sharpeners;
• grinding machine (mechanical, electric);

It should be remembered: the smaller the sharpening angle of a hunting knife, the more delicate work it is intended for. For hunting knives it is 15-30 degrees. For example, for cutting and boning work - 30, universal - 20, when skinning and separating meat from bones - 15 degrees.

As a rule, sharpening machines are used in manufacturing plants and in special tool sharpening points. But very often hunters do this on their own, using the other above-mentioned devices for sharpening hunting and fishing knives.

Sharpening a knife with a whetstone (stone)

Let's look at how to properly sharpen a hunting knife using a whetstone at home. When sharpening a knife using this method, you need to choose a flat, wide block at least 25 cm long with a rough structure. In this case, you must follow the sequence of actions:

1. The block must be secured to a flat and stationary surface.
2. Lubricate with oil (vegetable, technical) or soapy water so that the metal chips do not stick to the block, wait a few minutes.
3. With smooth movements, begin sharpening with a moistened whetstone, pulling the knife along it under pressure along the entire length of the blade. We perform this action on both sides in turn. In this case, it is necessary to maintain the initial sharpening angle of the hunting knife.
4. The process must be repeated several times until a new edge appears on top of the old one on both sides.
5. Then the block is changed to a fine-grained stone and finishing is carried out without pressure, with light sliding movements.

To more conveniently secure the whetstone, you can make a frame in the form of a right angle and secure the block in it in an inclined position. You can use a special device to secure the sandpaper with an adjustable slope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxvks_LBjBo

To control the quality of sharpening of hunting knives, you can try cutting a sheet of newspaper in a vertical position in one motion. The sharpening angle can be checked in the simplest way using ordinary scissors. You need to take them in your hands, insert the blade between them, gradually squeezing the blade of the knife. At the same time, for better visibility, point them at a bright light (lamp) to make sure the compression is tight. Then carefully remove the blade and measure the angle between the blades of the scissors with a protractor.

Sharpening a knife with musat

Musat is a file with a round or cut cross-section on both sides and has a handle. It is made from very hard steel or diamond-coated ceramics. Musat usually only corrects blades that are not too dull. In this case, the cutting edge is not damaged even with repeated use. If a knife has completely lost its cutting properties, then you cannot sharpen it this way.

The process is carried out as follows:

• one hand holds the musat in a vertical position (on a non-slip surface);
• in the other hand we take the blade at an angle of 15-20 degrees, stretch it from top to bottom (from ourselves and to ourselves) along the entire length of the blade (first from one side, then from the other). Such repetitions should be done from 4 to 6. When using ceramic or diamond musat, once is enough.

Sharpening a knife using special kits and pocket sharpeners

The knife sharpening kit includes several stones with multi-colored handles, special guides and oil. The sharpening technology with these devices is simple and does not require special skills. Each compartment has its own fastening angle. The color of the handles determines the grain size of the sharpening stones. When using this method, the blade is sharpened perfectly.

Pocket sharpeners, offered in specialized stores, are small stones of various shapes (round, square, oval) that fit in the palm of your hand. As a rule, they are made from quality materials. They are located in special recesses made in a plastic case at a certain angle. These sharpeners are convenient to take with you when hunting or fishing, as they are compact and easy to use.

Not all sharpening methods are equally suitable for different grades of steel. For example, very popular knives made of Damascus steel cannot be sharpened on electric machines, since it has a non-uniform structure. It consists of alternating soft and hard layers, so the blade must be sharpened with extreme care, otherwise the edge of the blade will become ribbed and will crumble in the future. Knives made of this steel should be sharpened by hand, gradually changing the grain size of the stones towards a smaller size.

Bulat steel is characterized by increased hardness. Knives made from it need to be sharpened for a long time. In this case, electrical and mechanical machines are often used. You need to start with coarse-grained stones moistened with water, gradually moving towards fine-grained ones.

It should be noted that with the automated sharpening method it is not possible to achieve the sharpness and accuracy that is provided by manual work. The main advantage is the speed of this process.

Handmade hunting knives require a special approach when sharpening the blade, as they can be made from non-standard grades of steel. Therefore, it is recommended to sharpen them manually.

We conclude: proper sharpening of hunting knives is a very important process for maintaining appearance and durability. This hunting prop should be used only for its intended purpose and remember to keep it clean, periodically lubricating it with oil (both blades and wooden handles) to prevent loss of shine and drying out.

Source: https://FB.ru/article/321275/zatochka-ohotnichih-nojey-prisposobleniya-ugol-zatochki-kak-pravilno-zatochit-ohotnichiy-noj

Knives - all about knives: How to sharpen knives correctly | Sharpening hunting knives

Even a novice hunter knows that choosing a special knife for hunting is far from easy. In this case, we are talking not so much about the uniqueness of the shape, the cost of the tool, the popularity of the model or the time of existence of the manufacturing company in the world or domestic market, but first of all, the choice of knife for hunting is based on the individual preferences of the future owner, the stated technical characteristics of the product and those chosen for manufacturing materials.

How to make a hunting knife with your own hands at home: manufacturing and sharpening - Russian Hunting

A knife is a mandatory attribute of a hunter.

The areas of its application are varied - finishing off game, protecting against attacks by wild animals, cutting up a carcass, skinning, solving everyday problems (for example, cutting branches or opening cans).

Some functions are performed by universal hunting knives, while in other cases you will need a special knife designed for a specific job. If you wish and have the skills, you can make a hunting knife with your own hands.

Types of knives

There are differences between types of knives in the geometric shape of the blade. The purpose of a particular knife depends on the shape. With some weapons it is more convenient to make piercing movements, and with others it is more convenient to make slashing movements.

Hunting knives have the following types of blades:

• straight edge at top;
• the upper edge (Drop Point) smoothly descending towards the centrally located tip;
• an upwardly extending edge and a blade located at the top relative to the axis of the tip (Trailing Point);
• a blade in the form of a Bowie knife, which has a straight, sharp upper edge with a steep descent at the tip (Clip Point);
• with a straight spine and a bent cutting edge (Skinner);
• with a double-sided wedge-shaped blade, like a dagger.

According to the type and size of the design, hunting knives are divided into the following groups:

1. Classic. Standard length - from 10 to 13 cm. Blade width - 3-3.5 cm. Weight - from 120 to 180 g. Blades of any type are allowed, except double-sided sharpened. The purpose of classic knives is long-term work on cutting carcasses and skinning.
2. Big ones. Size - from 13 to 17 cm. The blade can have any shape. Weight - from 180 to 300 g. A large mass must be accompanied by an appropriate guard and a thick handle. Large knives are used for slashing. They are not very suitable for other purposes.
3. Foldable. Sizes vary. Folding knives are equipped with one or two blades. They perform best when performing small, short-term work.

In order for the blade to gain sufficient rigidity, grooves are made in the metal. They also have another name - valleys. The presence of fullers not only increases the rigidity of the blade, but also reduces the weight of the knife.

The best option for a hunter is to have two knives. One is designed for finishing off large game and cutting up carcasses. It should be long and heavy. The second is for cutting small game and utility work (for example, cutting branches in the forest).

Materials for making a blade

Not all steel is suitable for making a good knife. The material must be strong but flexible, and also resistant to humidity and low temperatures. Carbon, alloy and powder steels are used in production. Bulat and Damascus steel perform well.

Blades made of Damascus and carbon steel are susceptible to rust. In this regard, special treatment after washing is recommended. The blades are wiped dry and then oil is applied to the metal. Corrosion does not develop on knives made of tool, alloy, powder and damask steel.

Materials and tools

To create a homemade hunting knife at home, you will need a set of tools and materials.

List of materials:

• carbon steel (blade);
• wood (overlays);
• sheet of brass (handle);
• pins (brass or steel);
• epoxy adhesive composition.

Tools:

• belt sander;
• orbital sander;
• grinder and discs (cutting, grinding);
• grinder;
• electric drill or drilling machine;
• drill;
• calipers;
• forge furnace;
• metal hardening oil;
• hammer;
• sandpaper;
• blade sharpening tool.

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

You can make a hunting knife yourself in several stages.

Cutting the base profile

We prepare the material from which we will make the knife and apply a template to it. You can find the template online. After scaling the drawing, we print it out on a printer. We cut out the resulting image.

Transfer the template to the material. We glue the paper stencil onto the workpiece. Next, cut the template around the edges. For this we use a grinder. During cutting, the workpiece must be securely secured using a clamp.

It's easy to cut along straight lines, but you'll have to tinker with curves. To cut out bends, we create transverse slits and remove metal in sectors.

Below are several sketches for making your own hunting knife.

VOX bowie knife drawing

Throwing knife drawing

Tracker knife diagram

First grinding

When the workpiece is cut, its contours need to be sanded. Let's use a sharpening machine to remove all excess from the blade. We will process the contour with a belt sander. Let's go through the bends with a drill. We use sandpaper as a nozzle.

Forming bevels

Creating bevels is necessary to make the correct sharpening angle of the blade. First, mark the workpiece using a caliper. We divide the blade into two halves to simplify the process of grinding off the metal on both sides. We draw the line with a drill of the same diameter as the thickness of the blade.

Use a file to mark the end of the bevel on the blade. Next, use a grinder with a sanding pad to remove the excess layer of metal. We process the surface with a belt sander, clean the bevel with a file and sand it with sandpaper. If desired, you can polish the surface.

Drilling holes

At this stage you need to make a hole for the pins in the handle of the blade. Their number depends on the handle - the wider it is, the more pins are needed. On average, holes for 5–6 pieces are needed. For large hole diameters, first use a small diameter drill. For hardened steel we use a carbide drill. The job will be easier if you apply lubricant to the drill.

Blade hardening

To harden the blade, a forge is required. If it is not available, a household hairdryer will suffice to fan the coals.

A sign of hardened metal is that it cannot be processed with a file. Next, we temper the metal so that it is not brittle.

Remove the oil from the cooled blade. We do this using detergents in running water. If desired, you can polish the blade with fine-grained sandpaper.

Making the handle

In this case, the handle will be combined - based on brass or wood. We start by creating brass trims. We need sheet brass, from which we will make 4 blanks: for the front and back of the handle.

Let's move on to making wooden overlays. We use small boards of suitable thickness. We cut pieces of boards to the required length and drill holes for the pins in them. We attach the pads with epoxy glue.

We use steel pins for the boards. Instead of pins, you can use regular nails. There is no need for riveting as we previously used glue.

We tighten the linings with clamps. We wait a while until the glue completely sets.

Handle grinding

The dry handle needs to be sanded. First, cut off the pins with a hacksaw or file. Then we grind the planes with a grinder. We also grind the handle along the contour.

There will definitely be areas where the grinder cannot reach. A drill with a sandpaper attachment will come in handy here.

Finishing

We install a polishing attachment on the drill and process the surface until a golden shine appears on the brass. In the same way we polish the blade along the contour. Not all areas can be polished, so we additionally go over them with fine-grained sandpaper.

We also process wooden overlays with a polishing machine. We apply oil to the finished handle, it will prevent the destruction of the wood. The oil will also protect the blade, since brass is not affected by oxidative processes.

Features of the sharpening angle

Sharpening the cutting section of the blade requires a lot of time and a set of sharpening stones with different degrees of grit. It is important to maintain the correct angle. It is the angle of sharpening that determines the further direction of use of the knife.

For different types of problems the following angles are used:

• 30 degrees or more - heavy work;
• 16–20 degrees – moderate work;
• 10–15 degrees - fine work.

We begin sharpening with coarse-grained stones. We are gradually moving to smaller grains.

Conclusion

It is possible to make a knife at home, but this task is not feasible for everyone. You will need not only materials and tools, but also considerable practical skills. It’s easier to order a ready-made knife in an online store or personally visit a hunting store to purchase.

Source: https://rys-ohota.ru/zhivotnye/kak-sdelat-ohotnichij-nozh-svoimi-rukami-v-domashnih-usloviyah-izgotovlenie-i-zatochka.html

What is the sharpening angle for kitchen and hunting knives, how to sharpen correctly

A good knife, which made me so happy when I bought it, eventually ceases to cope with its functions . Its surface becomes dull and the blade stops cutting.

If this happens to you, then hold off on buying a new tool. Every knife needs to be sharpened from time to time, and to do it correctly, you need to know what sharpening angle to choose.

Why does the knife get dull too quickly?

Even the highest quality steel products still lose their properties over long periods of use.

Knives become dull for the following main reasons:

• Wear during cutting . Over time, metal particles peel off from any knife, even the highest quality ones. As a result, the blade wears down and becomes dull.
• Asymmetrical load on the cutting edge . As a rule, people hold a knife not at a right angle, but at an angle. When faced with hard surfaces and cutting resistance, the blade gradually bends to one side. This happens most quickly on knives made of poor steel.
• Oxidation upon contact with water . Frequently washing the tool under hot water with a high content of metal-dissolving salts can lead to deterioration of the blade.
• Chemical oxidation when interacting with food . Steel knives react chemically with organic matter. As a result, steel may begin to rust over time, lose its sharpness, and become stained.
• Frequent knife sharpening . This makes the cutting edge thinner, and the blade becomes unusable faster.

Table of knife sharpening angles: how to sharpen correctly

When choosing a sharpening angle, the following points are taken into account:

• Purpose of the blade . Various knives are used for cutting meat, fish, slicing vegetables, bread, etc.
• Features of metal and its types . The sharpening angle of the knives must be determined based on the hardness of the alloy. Carbide will require a smaller sharpening angle. Soft alloy, on the other hand, needs to use the maximum angle.

A small sharpening angle makes the blade sharper. However, if you sharpen the knife at a greater angle, it will retain its sharpness longer.

The knife sharpening angle for different cutlery is given in the table:

Knife sharpening angle for different cutlery

Blade shapes

There are several blade shapes:

• Wedge-shaped. This knife has straight slopes coming from the butt. It copes well with cutting thick objects made of dense material.
• “Japanese” shape, chisel profile . The blade cuts well and penetrates not too thick materials. Tools with a chisel profile are easy to sharpen and are very common in Asian countries.
• Bullet-shaped. The knife is designed for chopping. Doesn't cut well. The blade has characteristic smooth slopes towards the tip, which is why it gets stuck in the material.
• Razor. The slopes to the tip are concave. The knife is tough and cuts thin fabrics well. It is easy to sharpen.

How to sharpen kitchen knives correctly?

The sharpening angle of the knives must be determined based on the hardness of the alloy

Simple instructions:

• Take a whetstone. You will need a medium grit stone, or “tooth.” Tools designed for fine work require an angle of 10 to 20 degrees. However, a utility knife can be sharpened at an angle of 25-30 degrees, since it often has to do rough work.
• Make conducting movements with the blade forward. Move the knife along the beam from the handle to the blade. Try to maintain a balance between excessively sharp movements and completely useless slowness.
• To ensure that each side is sharpened evenly, count the number of strokes on each side. Maintain the same sharpening angle for knives on each side of the product.
• Using smooth movements, complete the treatment on fine-grained stone.

How to sharpen a hunting knife correctly?

In the sheath of a hunting tool you can find a special compartment for a sharpener, which is often recommended to be purchased along with the product. Also popular are pocket sharpeners that you can take with you on hunting trips.

Be sure to read:

How to remove rust from a cauldron and clean carbon deposits

Mechanical sharpeners, designed to be carried in a pocket, are small in size. Their task is to quickly bring the blade into working condition.

Thorough knife care should be carried out at home, having all the necessary equipment on hand.

To sharpen at home, you will need an abrasive stone with a flat surface. Its recommended length is 25 centimeters. Make sure that the structure of the stone is as dense as possible. You will need medium or fine grit bars.

To sharpen at home, you will need an abrasive stone with a flat surface.

Step-by-step description of the process:

1. Secure the abrasive to a flat, horizontal surface. The correct geometry of the sharpening stone and its position in space will play an important role in processing.
2. Spray the bar with vegetable oil.
3. Take the knife with both hands and apply it to the stone at the desired angle.
4. Applying pressure on the tool, move the knife along the surface of the block, making movements towards yourself, crosswise. Several movements on one side, then changing the position of the hand and processing the opposite surface.
5. Repeat and alternate these movements. When a shiny edge of the same width is formed on each side of the blade, the bulk of the work is finished.
6. Take a block with a fine-grained surface. Move the blade along it, following the same principle, but without pressure.
7. To make the cutting edge smoother, you can secure the result using a rough surface on the back of the leather belt. Use it instead of a whetstone.

The optimal sharpening angle for hunting knives is 35 degrees. To keep your knife sharp longer, use a 45-degree angle.

How to determine the sharpening angle of a knife

If the product data sheet does not indicate the recommended sharpening angle or the documents are lost, use a simple and effective method for determining the required angle:

• take scissors and protractor;
• place the tool against the cutting edge;
• attach them to the trigger on the knife;
• fix the angle using a protractor.

This method is only suitable for large knives, and when used, significant measurement errors are found. In order not to risk an expensive and high-quality blade, purchase a special protractor.

Setting the sharpening angle of a knife on a sharpener is quite simple: move the hinge assembly to the desired position, then secure it with the thumb.

Device for setting the angle when processing a knife

There are different methods designed to correctly and evenly set the sharpening angle of knives:

• purchase a special clamp;
• use a machine with a barbell on a moving joint;
• take an ordinary wooden block with a cut at the desired angle;
• The Japanese place a couple of coins on the sharpening stone, and after fixing the hand at the desired angle, the coins are put aside.

Japanese knives that do not require sharpening

Any knife requires sharpening. The Japanese chisel knife is no exception.

However, some features of traditional Japanese kitchen knives greatly affect the service life of the product:

• the light handle helps you work longer without feeling any signs of fatigue;
• a high-quality alloy of metals used in the blade resists tool wear;
• the sharp single-sided blade does not require additional sharpening for a long time;
• the butt is lowered to the cutting edge of the knife, making the blade more convenient to process.
• The correct sharpening angle is usually between 10 and 20 degrees.

Knife sharpening tools

The most common types of tools used for sharpening are:

• moussat;
• whetstone;
• emery machine;
• disc and electric sharpeners.