How to Sharpen a Tracker Knife

The tracker knife was invented by survivalist Tom Brown Jr. He designed the knife after realizing that other knives available on the market were not suited to the survivalist needs. One of the things that make this knife unique is the fact that it has three different kinds of cutting surfaces on one knife. No matter how amazing the knife, however, without proper sharpening any knife is useless. Even the tracker knife has to be sharpened on a regular basis.

Things You'll Need

• Tracker knife Water Whetstone Metal steel Meat or tomato

Instructions

1. Draw your tracker knife slowly out of its sheath. Handle the blade carefully. Even though your knife is not its sharpest right now, it can still cut deeply. Some of the worst accidental cuts happen with a dull knife.

2. Drop a few drops of water onto the whetstone. The top of the stone should be visibly damp but not soaked. The water prevents the knife from creating sparks and also helps it glide more smoothly across the stone.

3. Hold the whetstone in your "off" hand. This is the hand that you do not write with. Keep a good grip on it, but make sure that none of your fingers wrap around the top of the stone. You can easily slice your fingers while you are sharpening the stone! Always keep an eye out for where your fingers are placed.

4. Place the flat side of the tracker knife against the stone. Hold it at a 35-degree angle. This will give the sharpest edge. Point the edge of the blade away from you. Maintain a light pressure while slowly pulling the knife across the whetstone. Draw the blade across the stone in a kind of arch.

5. Repeat the stroke for the opposite side. Continue to sharpen opposite sides while keeping your fingers well away from the sharp edges! Reapply water to the whetstone as it dries out. It should take about 100 strokes or so (or 50 per side) to get the best sharp edge. It could take more or less depending on how sharp your tracker knife was to begin with. Draw the knife across the steel a few times on each side to keep the blade straight after sharpening.

6. Test the blade by cutting raw meat or some other object. A tomato is actually a great tool to use to test the sharpness of the blade. The reason for this is because the skin on a tomato is actually quite hard to cut with a dull knife. The sharp knife will be able to cut an extremely thin slice of tomato.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice sharpening other knives in your household before tackling the tracker knife. This will allow you the best skill level for the tracker knife.