How to sharpen a Damascus steel knife. Sharpening hunting knives: accessories, sharpening angle

There are many ways to restore the sharpness of a blade. You can sharpen knives by hand or using special devices. Blade processing tools are divided into automatic and semi-automatic. With their help, damaged blades are restored, or cutting edges are simply corrected.

IMPORTANT! We should not forget that with each sharpening, the amount of metal on the blade decreases.

We will help owners of cutting tools figure out how to properly sharpen knives in any of the proposed ways.

Processing a blunt tool on a machine

The industry produces various electric sharpeners for.

The whole mechanism is in the case, which makes the work on the machine completely safe. No effort or special skills are required, so any housewife can easily cope with this task.

The electric motor rotates the axis, on which there are several circles for various purposes. From rough for giving the primary shape or restoring the geometry of the blade, to polishing, which is used for final finishing.

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 the knife.

Types of hunting knives

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

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

They are also divided according to the type of blades and sharpening of the upper edge. It is straight and rounded. Hunting knives are especially original in their execution. self made.

Choosing a hunting knife

We currently offer a wide range of hunting knives from manufacturers different countries. Russian manufacturers also do not concede on quality and a variety of offered copies. Their design is quite simple: a handle and a blade. The blade has a cutting part, which is called the blade and is subject to periodic sharpening. In order to comply with safety regulations and ensure safety, a case made of durable and soft material(usually made of thick natural leather with a wooden or plastic insert). It must have a safety strap to prevent the weapon from falling out of its scabbard.

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

1. The shape of the knife should 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 the carcass. It can be located as a continuation of the blade, and at an angle to it. They make it from various materials: wood, metal, birch bark, ceramics, plastic. To prevent slipping out of the hands, it must have a limiter.
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 Damascus and damask. For hunting knives, 50 to 60 HRC (Rockwell) is considered optimal. The steel must be anti-corrosive.
6. Blade length and width. The optimal length is considered to be 12-13, width is 3-3.5 cm.

Ways to sharpen 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:

• whetstone;
• musata;
• a set of tools;
• special pocket sharpeners;
• (mechanical, electrical);

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 bone - 15 degrees.

As a rule, grinding machines are used at manufacturing plants and in special points for sharpening tools. But very often hunters do it on their own, using the other devices listed above for sharpening hunting and

Sharpening a knife with a bar (stone)

Consider how to properly sharpen a hunting knife with a bar at home. When sharpening a knife in this way, it is necessary to choose a flat wide bar with a length of at least 25 cm with a non-rough structure. In this case, you must follow the sequence of actions:

1. The bar must be fixed on a flat and fixed surface.
2. Lubricate with oil (vegetable, technical) or soapy water so that the metal chips do not stick to the bar, wait a few minutes.
3. With smooth movements, start sharpening with a moistened bar, pulling a knife under pressure along it along the entire length of the blade. We perform this action on both sides in turn. In this case, it is necessary to observe 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 edge on both sides.
5. Then the bar is changed to a fine-grained stone and polished without pressure, with light sliding movements.

For a more comfortable fit grindstone you can make a frame right angle and fix the bar in it in an inclined position. Can be used special device for fixing emery with an adjustable slope.

To control the quality of sharpening hunting knives, you can try to cut a newspaper sheet in a vertical position in one motion. The sharpening angle can be checked by in a simple way with ordinary scissors. It is necessary to take them in hand, insert the blade between them, gradually squeezing the blade of the knife. At the same time, for better visibility, direct them to a bright light (lamp) to make sure that 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 off on both sides section, which has a handle. For its manufacture, very hard steel or diamond-coated ceramics are used. Musat is usually only corrected by not too dull blades. In this case, the cutting edge is not damaged even with repeated use. If the knife has completely lost its cutting properties, then you cannot sharpen it in 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 (away from ourselves and towards ourselves) along the entire length of the blade (first from one side, then from the other side). Such repetitions must be done from 4 to 6. When using ceramic or diamond musat, one time is enough.

Sharpening a knife with 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 fixing angle. The color of the handles distinguishes the graininess of whetstones. Using this method blade sharpening is perfect.

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

The dependence of the sharpening method on the steel grade

For various brands steel, not all sharpening methods are equally suitable. For example, very popular knives from damascus steel cannot be sharpened electrical machines because it has a heterogeneous 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 such steel should be sharpened by hand, gradually changing the grain size of the stones in the direction of decreasing.

Damascus steel is characterized by increased hardness. Knives from it must be sharpened long time. In this case, electrical and machine tools. It is necessary to start with coarse-grained stones moistened with water, gradually approaching fine-grained ones.

It should be noted that with the automated method of sharpening, it is not possible to achieve sharpness and accuracy, which is ensured 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 steel grades. Therefore, it is recommended to sharpen them by hand.

We conclude: the correct sharpening of hunting knives is very important process to save appearance and durability. This hunting prop should be used only for its intended purpose and should not be forgotten to be kept clean, periodically lubricated with oil (both blades and wooden handles) to prevent loss of luster and drying out.

With the help of a knife, we cook food, cut food and perform other household chores. Therefore, it is very important that the blade of the knife always remains sharp. Theoretically, there is nothing complicated in sharpening knives, but in practice it turns out that not everyone can sharpen a blade well. To have an idea of ​​how to sharpen knives and how to do it correctly, we advise you to read our article.

Before you start sharpening a knife, you need to find out what material it is made of. There are several types of knives:

• Knives from carbon steel- the most affordable, made of an alloy of iron and carbon, easy to sharpen and remain sharp for a long time. Among the shortcomings, it can be noted that the oxidation of the knife blade from interaction with food or an acidic environment, because of this, rust and stains appear on the knife, and the products acquire a metallic taste. Over time, after the formation of plaque on the blade, oxidation stops.



• Low carbon stainless steel knives are made from an alloy of iron, chromium, carbon and in some cases nickel or molybdenum. Stainless steel knives are inferior in hardness to carbon steel, so they dull quickly and require regular sharpening. The advantages include - resistance to corrosion.



• High carbon stainless steel knives are a higher class of knives, with a higher carbon content and additions of cobalt or vanadium. Due to a higher quality alloy, this type of knife does not require frequent sharpening and is not subject to corrosion.



• Damascus steel knives are mainly made as edged weapons, but there are also kitchen options. The Damascus steel knife is a multi-layer blade made of different high quality alloys. The disadvantages include the high cost of knives.



• Ceramic knives have gained popularity because of their sharpness and ability not to dull for a long time. But apart from the benefits, Ceramic knives have a significant disadvantage, which lies in their fragility when falling from a height and poor resistance to fracture.

Sharpening tools

Touchstone (whetstone)


Whetstones are available with a different number of abrasive grains per square millimeter. Therefore, for rough sharpening and finishing grinding, it is necessary to use bars with a minimum and maximum abrasive content. In the whetstones foreign production information on the number of abrasive grains is on their marking. Grinding bars of domestic production have to be chosen "by eye" or ask the seller which whetstone to use for primary and which for finishing sharpening.

Mechanical sharpener


Mechanical sharpeners mainly used for sharpening kitchen knives. The sharpening process, although it happens quickly, but the quality leaves much to be desired. For this reason, for hunting and sporting knives, it is recommended to use other sharpening methods.

electric sharpener


Modern models electric sharpeners, allow you to achieve high quality sharpening, due to the built-in function, automatic detection of the angle of the blade. The electric sharpener is perfect for both domestic use and for sharpening knives in catering establishments. The lineup electric sharpeners are presented in a wide range, so the price may be different, but if you want your knives to always remain sharp, then buy more "advanced" and expensive models.

Musat


Musat - designed to maintain the sharpness of the edge of the knife. In shape, musat resembles a round file with a handle. Musats are included in knife sets, and many owners often confuse them with a tool for full-fledged sharpening of the blade. Please note that with the help of musat you will be able to maintain the sharpness of a sharpened knife, but if the knife is completely dull, it will not work to sharpen it with musat.

Sharpener "Lansky"


This sharpener is used for sharpening small and medium-sized knives. The design of the sharpener allows you to sharpen the blade at your chosen angle. Sharpener "Lansky" consists of a rod with a removable whetstone and two corners connected to each other. The corners simultaneously serve as a vise for the knife and a scale for selecting the sharpening angle. The sharpener also comes with ANSI marked whetstones in various grit sizes.

Sharpening and grinding machines


Sharpening machines are mainly used in production, for high-precision sharpening of blades of rotating shafts. In addition to high-precision machines, there are abrasive wheels with electric drive and rotating grinding discs. Sharpening knives on such machines should only be done by an experienced craftsman, because due to the speed of rotation of the circle or disk and the high heating temperature, with any unsuccessful movement, the knife blade will become unusable.

Self-sharpening blades

Sharpening a knife with a whetstone

The sharpening of the blade, made by a whetstone, is considered the highest quality, of course, provided that it was produced by an experienced craftsman. To sharpen a knife on a whetstone, do the following:




How to sharpen a knife with a whetstone, see also the video:


Sharpening a hunting knife on a Lansky sharpener

Hunting knives are made of hard steel, so their initial sharpening requires whetstones with a low content of abrasive grains.




How to sharpen knives in a Lansky sharpener, see the video:


Sharpening scissors

Sharpening scissors must be done on a special grinder. Sharpening blades with the help of improvised (sandpaper, the edge of a glass, etc.) can temporarily improve the sharpness of scissors, but not for long. If you do not have the opportunity to sharpen scissors from a professional, then you can try to do self-sharpening about the abrasive stone. When sharpening, you need to follow a few simple rules:




When sharpening scissors, do not rush, patience in this matter will be your ally.

How to quickly sharpen scissors, you can also see in the video:


Sharpening plane and chisel blades

Sharpening the blade of a planer and a chisel practically does not differ from each other. Therefore, the sharpening process described below applies to both tools:




In addition to manual sharpening, the chisel can be sharpened on a machine with a rotating abrasive disc:




Do not forget that when sharpening products on the machine, a lot of sparks and small particles are formed that can get into your eyes, so be sure to work with safety glasses. And in order not to injure your hands on a spinning disk, wear gloves.

You can also learn how to sharpen tools from the video:


Tips for quickly sharpening the blade with improvised means

A rock

To quickly sharpen a knife on a hike or on a picnic, you can use an ordinary cobblestone. Use any stone lying on the ground instead of a whetstone and run the blade of a knife along its surface. You will not achieve razor sharpness, but you will return the knife to working condition.

Second knife

It is quite possible to sharpen two knives at once, without sharpening stones and accessories. To do this, you need to take a knife in both hands and start sharpening the blade of one knife on the blade of another. After 5-10 minutes of this work, the knives will become sharper than before.

glass items

The blade of a knife can be sharpened slightly on the rough edge of glass or ceramic objects. For example, about the bottom of a glass or edge tiles. The main thing is that the surface is rough.

Leather belt

A leather belt is more suitable for finishing and giving a knife blade razor sharp than for coarse sharpening. But if there is nothing at hand except for the belt, then you can try to sharpen the knife on it. To do this, you need to give the belt a stretch and start to drive along it with a blade, you may not achieve strong sharpness, but you will polish the knife to a shine.


By learning how to sharpen knives and tools yourself, you will acquire a skill that will be useful to you throughout your life!

Getting out into nature, and even more so, before hunting, you always need to make sure that the knife is not blunt. 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, besides, you need to take into account the type of steel from which the tool is made in order to effectively sharpen it.

exquisite knife

You can sharpen knives using the following tools:

• Grindstone

Sharpening bars vary in material and grit. The most durable whetstone is with diamond abrasive, which sharpens knives faster than other materials. There is also a ceramic whetstone, and "solid". By graininess, they differ in fine, medium and high degree. It is impossible to sharpen knives with high quality using a stone of only one degree of graininess, you always need to alternate them. To prepare a stone for work, it is necessary to remove small chips from it, which remain on its surface after sharpening. To do this, moisten it with water from a spray bottle. Diamond whetstones always require wetting.

• Grinding machines (electrical and mechanical)

The tool is sharpened on 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 handy tool. She herself selects the desired sharpening angle, suitable for any type of blades - scissors, knives, screwdrivers, etc. With it, you can sharpen fragile ceramic knives.

• Musat

This 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 musat must rest against wooden surface. The knife must be pressed with a blade at an acute angle to the musat near its handle, then lowered with an energetic movement to the end of the musat. The same should be done with the other side of the blade. Movements are made in an arc, sharpening from the handle to the end of the blade. It should be borne in mind that sharpening a blunt blade with a musat will not work, with its help you can only level the edge of the gun.

• Sharpening set

Sharpened knife with a bar

How to sharpen blades from various steels

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

Damascus steel

Damascus steel knives cannot be sharpened using sharpening machines. Should only be used manual sharpening, because otherwise the tool will lose its unique properties, which are due to the mixing of solid and soft varieties became part of it. Before sharpening the blade, you need to determine its hardness: the sharper the edge of the blade, the harder metal. You need to sharpen a Damascus knife only along the blade, using a fine-grained whetstone with a gradual transition to “velvet” sandpaper.

Damascus steel

A blade made of damask steel should be sharpened with a wet whetstone, first coarse grained, then fine, in the final finishing is carried out on ceramics. The correctness of the process of sharpening damask steel can be seen in the video.

For sharpening hunting blade exists various ways. Let's consider two of them:

1. To implement the first method, you will need: a whetstone, a finishing belt and polishing paste. The surface of the sharpening bar must be positioned at an angle of 10-15 degrees with respect to the side surface of the knife blade. This will help 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 the teeth of a saw, the dimensions of which will be directly proportional to the abrasive of the whetstone. When sharpening the blade, it must be done slowly, starting from the handle to the end of the tip and back. Both sides 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 bar more strongly at the beginning of the process. As the required sharpening angle is reached, the clamp changes to a weaker one.

After that, it is necessary to give the blade even more sharpness. This will require a belt and polishing paste. The blade is applied with its entire surface to a highly tensioned belt, then reciprocating movements begin so that the belt is perpendicular to the direction of holding the knife.

Sharpening on a stone

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

Before you properly sharpen 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, with a weak pressure, the file will simply slide along the blade, and with a strong pressure, it will cling to the steel a little.

Next, you need to take a few grindstones with different size grains (usually three to five of these stones are used). During sharpening, all whetstones are sequentially used, starting with the coarsest and ending with the finest. In order for the knives to be sharp, you need to choose the correct sharpening amplitude. The movement of the whetstone should be directed against the sharpening of the blade, maintaining a medium angle.

The final polishing of the blade is done sandpaper. The blade is polished with a “away from you” movement across the marks left sharpening tool. Grinding is carried out until even the slightest traces of sharpening become invisible. Again, it is important to maintain the correct sharpening angle. After that, the blade is rubbed with lemon peel to give strength to the surface of the knife.