You get the best of both worlds when you go out in the wild.
As you hunt for a game to catch, you will be surrounded by the relaxing and natural sounds of the wild. The birds’ chirping and the rush of water in the stream will soothe your soul.
However, once your ears detect the sound of a moving game and your eyes set on them, adrenaline comes crashing. Like a switch turned on, you are ready to hunt!
Make sure to have all your hunting tools ready and your knives razor-sharp for a sure catch. Good thing we have here all the details about hunting knives and knife sharpeners—just the information you need!
Hunting Knife Sharpener Options and How to Use Them
To begin with, here are the different hunting knife sharpeners you can use to make sure you can puncture or skin a game once you catch it.
Whetstone
Visit a chef or an avid fan of cooking, and you’ll see this sharpening tool in their kitchen. If they do not have it yet, it is the best gift you could ever give them as it is a professional hunting knife sharpener choice.
Whetstones are a classic kitchen knife sharpener, and you can also use this for your hunting knives. Pick a whetstone that is not too big so that you can easily slip it into your hunting backpack. Choose accordingly from coarse grit, medium grit, and a finishing hunting knife sharpening stone, depending on your needs.
Sharpening and honing rod
Another handy tool you can use to sharpen your hunting knives is a sharpening or honing rod. Rods have different sizes, which perfectly match short and long blades alike.
You will see longer sharpening and honing rods in a knife set, but there are also rods specifically made for hunting knives. The rods are either attached to a pocket knife sharpener or sold separately. Either way, both are easy to carry, perfect for your hunting adventures!
Pocket manual sharpener
One of the prime characteristics you want for your hunting knife is portability. Knives with sheaths are also a good choice as you can readily hang them around your belt. Having carry-around blades ensures that you have a tool to catch a game as soon as you spot it.
In the same way, there are also pocket-sized sharpening tools. Aside from being highly portable, they are also compact and come with a ceramic blade sharpener, tungsten carbide blade sharpener, sharpening rod, fire starters, and a whistle!
Electric hunting knife sharpener
If you are looking for an electric hunting knife sharpener, you will come across three types.
- Electric sharpener with rolling abrasive belts
- Electric sharpener with coarse and fine grits where you’ll thrust the knife
- Electric tool sharpener with a rolling whetstone
For convenience, sharpen your hunting knives at home before taking them to the wild. With this, you do not have to worry about where to plug the sharpener. You can also choose battery-powered sharpeners.
The Best Hunting Knife Sharpener for Specific Hunting Knives
What is the best knife sharpener for hunting knives? The answer depends on the type of hunting knife you have.
Are you using the right sharpener for your knife? Let’s find out!
Camp knife
Camp knives have a classic look, and they vary in blade lengths. They may also have a drop-point or clip-point blade. Because it is traditionally single-edged, you can use any sharpening tool available for camp knives.
Bowie knife
You can use any sharpening tool for a bowie knife. Just ensure that you hone and sharpen each side with equal strokes. Remember that a bowie knife has four sides as it is a double-edged knife. Your efforts in sharpening will pay off because you will have a sharp blade with which to puncture an animal.
Boning knife
A boning knife and a fillet knife are often interchanged because they look almost the same. Nonetheless, the specific use of a boning knife is for deboning or removing meat from bones.
You will often see hunters sharpening their boning knife with a sharpening rod after every use, but you can use any sharpening tool for a boning knife.
Caping knife
Do you also save the head of the animal you caught as a trophy? You’ll need a razor-sharp caping knife for this task. A caping knife is short, so it is better to use a whetstone for it so that you can sharpen it with more control.
Buck knife
A buck knife will come in handy if you need a knife that can perform all-around tasks for game preparation like gutting, skinning, deboning, and meat slicing. This knife comes in a fixed or folding blade design, which you can sharpen using any sharpening tool, whether it’s a manual or an electric knife sharpener.
Skinning knife
After catching a game, skinning it will take up a huge part of your time and energy. Having a sharp knife will allow you to skin your game perfectly.
Hunters keep a sharpening rod handy so that they can sharpen the knife they use after each skinning. Nonetheless, you can use any sharpening tool for this knife type.
Serrated hunting knife with and without a gut hook
Finally, we have the hunting knife with or without a gut hook. Most hunting blades are designed to be short to assist the hunter with intricate cuts. The gut hook, in particular, ensures that you will not puncture the gut when opening up a game. Use short sharpening rods to sharpen the hook and the serrated blade.
Why You Should Sharpen Your Knife Regularly
Who likes a dull knife? Even collectors keep the knives they display behind cabinets sharp; what more when it comes to hunting knives you often use? After all, plenty of tasks in hunting and camping require sharp knives.
To catch your game
In hunting, you can catch your game in different ways: by using guns, arrows, and knives. Nonetheless, even if you use a gun or an arrow, you’ll still need a knife to puncture the animal’s heart. Do it in one stroke using a razor-sharp hunting knife.
To gut and skin your game seamlessly
Using a sharp hunting knife with a gut hook, open your game without puncturing the animal's innards to avoid contamination. Then, use honed skinning and boning knives for the tasks they are meant to do. At the end of game preparation, you’ll be pleased with what you’ve done with the help of sharp knives.
To prepare meat and other ingredients
After a long, tiring day of hunting and preparing the game, you deserve to enjoy what you caught and make a tasty meal out of it. Slice the meat and prepare the ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, and herbs using whetted hunting knives. You’ll slice every ingredient like butter.
To perform all-around camp tasks
Aside from game and meal preparation, campers and hunters also use hunting knives to cut small wood, make a fire, set up tents, and cut ropes whenever needed. While these are tougher materials, a sharp hunting knife can handle these tasks not only because of the robust material they are made of but also because they are well-sharpened.
For self-defense/survival
You’ll never know when you’ll come across a bear, a big cat, or a boar in the wild. If you are lucky, they’ll pass by and leave you alone, but to be sure, you should have sharp knives you can use for self-defense.
In Closing
Enjoy every camping and hunting trip by having the right tool to help you catch and prepare food and protect you in case of any wild attacks. For this, make sure that you sharpen your knives with the help of hunting knife sharpening tools. While a whetstone and a manual or electric sharpener can sharpen most knives, a sharpening rod is best for sharpening a gut hook or a serrated knife.
If you want your hunt to go smoothly and safely, keep your hunting knife sharp. That way, you have a trusty tool in your hand whatever you face in the wild.
August 16, 2022
