Making sure your knife has a long life-span in just three easy steps

Making sure your knife has a long life-span in just three easy steps

We expect our knives to be rugged and impervious to damage from the natural elements. However, some people make the mistake of thinking that rugged things don’t need care or attention. While it is true that your Bowie knife may not require as much care as your car, it still requires some attention, just to make sure it keeps working properly. Moreover, knives that are not cared for properly usually lose their look and their function in just a few years.

If you have a bowie knife or are even considering a bowie knife for sale in UK, knowing how to properly care for it is an essential skill. Bowie knives are made to last many years, but they can only serve their function properly, as long as they are cared for properly. In fact, being able to properly care for a knife is one of the most important part of being a responsible knife owner.

Step 1: Cleaning the knife

Cleaning the knife follows the same process for every type of knife. While stainless steel is easier to take care of, the cleaning process is pretty much the same for carbon steel knives as well. The ideal place to do this is at home, so make sure you prepare your knife every time before you take it to the wilderness.

Start submerging the blade inside a mixture of wash up liquid and warm water. After that, scrub the blade with a scrub pad for about a minute. By this time, any visible corrosion or dirt marks on the blade should be gone. Once you have made sure that the knife is clean, it is time to rinse it in warm water once again, and move on to the next step.

Step 2: Sharpening and oiling

Sharpening a knife is a pretty straightforward process if you have a sharpening stone. There are several youtube videos that clearly lay out the steps involved. Once you have sharpened the blade, it is time to oil your knife.

Gun oil is ideal for treating the metal parts of the knife. It drives away moisture, and would easily get rid of the stubborn stains left behind after the cleaning. However, we recommend using olive oil for knives that will come in contact with the food. The purpose of oiling the blade is to create a protective layer around it that will prevent corrosion. Toxins present in gun oil may get mixed with the food items you are cutting, and consuming these toxins can be extremely harmful.

Step 3: Storing the knife

Properly storing the knife is not only important from the knife safety point of view, it helps you keep the knife is good condition. If you have a plastic case for your knife, then you can simply store it inside the case. On the other hand, if you have a fabric or leather case, storing the knife inside the sheath might not be a good ideal. If the knife stays inside a leather or fabric sheath for a long time, it alters the shape of the sheath. This could be dangerous as the knife can potentially fall out of the sheath the next time you go camping.

If you have a leather or fabric sheath, it is best to store the knife and the sheath separately inside a cabinet.

Conclusion

Caring for the knife is the responsibility of the knife owner. While it is not a complex or time-consuming task, knowing how to do it properly is important for the upkeep of the knife.

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