How To Clean Bowie Knives Properly

Bowie knives are beautiful, useful tools. They can be the centerpiece of a knife display, or they can be utilitarian tools that help you accomplish numerous mundane tasks. If you find that you actually use your knife, it's quite possible that the blade will become soiled (it's expected, actually). However, in order to keep your knife in the best condition possible and to prolong its useful life, you need to know a bit more about care and maintenance. How do you go about cleaning your knife?

First, it's important that you understand why you should care for your knife properly. You might be under the impression that Bowie knives need little or no care at all. This is not the truth. Like any other knife, these blades must be maintained in order to avoid rust, discoloration, dull blades and other problems. This is true even if you have a knife with a blade made of surgical stainless steel. Without the proper care, you will find that your blade becomes an eyesore, rather than something of which you can be proud.

Next, when cleaning Bowie knives, you might be tempted to put your blade in the dishwasher. Never do this, as it can actually harm your knife. You need to make certain that you use a cleaning paste devised specifically for knife blades and a clean, soft cloth. Work the paste down the blade, from the hilt toward the tip. Be very careful near the edge of the blade, an incautious touch can result in a serious injury.

Once the blade has been cleaned, you might decide to polish it a bit. A polishing compound and a soft cloth are all you really need here, though a rotary tool with a buffing pad can also be used to great results. Regardless, make sure that you always clean the blades of your Bowie knives to avoid any rust spots getting started on the knife.

Finally, when it comes to storing Bowie knives, there are two different schools of thought. Many people assume that keeping the blade stored in a leather sheath is sufficient. While this will work fine for ordinary use, where the blade is cleaned on a regular basis, it is not the right option if your knife will not see use for some time. In this case, you should store your blade in an airtight container to avoid moisture seeping through the leather sheath.

Sammy Sabot has expert knowledge of the bowie knife, combat knives and camping lighters.

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How To Skin A Deer Using A Bowie Knife

For many hunters, the joy of bringing down a deer is only part of the thrill of hunting. The other part of the enjoyment comes from actually eating what you kill. However, before you can begin considering what you want to do with the venison, you will need to know how to skin a deer. For this task, it's best to have a good, sharp knife. You can use a skinning knife, certainly, but you can also use a multipurpose blade, such as a Bowie knife. How do you skin a deer? What is the right way to go about it?

First, you will need to hang the deer up; you can choose to hang it head up or down. Having a sharp Bowie knife here will help ensure that you do not make any wrong cuts when skinning the animal. Begin your cut just above the genital area, and move up toward the ribcage. You can cut through several of the ribs at this point if you choose, though it is not necessary. If you cut through the ribs, make sure you make your cuts to the side of the sternum. Do not cut too deeply during this step, or you will puncture organs or the animal's intestines.

The next step is to cut around the neck. You should connect this cut with the earlier incision made in the stomach of the deer. Once you have a good cut, begin pulling the hide away from the flesh underneath and work your way down the animal. You might find that you need to stop and use your Bowie knife to cut tough portions where the flesh is particularly well adhered to the hide as you work. Cut it away, rather than pulling it here, or you can cause problems.

Once you have worked your way down to the shoulders, use your Bowie knife to cut off the animal's legs just above the knee area. You can also use a hacksaw here (this is recommended). Bring your knife down on the inside of the deer's legs and connect the new cut with the central cut.

Continue working the hide down the animal and you will eventually come to the tail. You can simply cut this off with your Bowie knife. Keep working the hide down the animal until you reach the tarsal glands, where you will need to cut off the deer's back legs. You should now be able to work the hide free.

Sammy Sabot has expert knowledge of bowie knives, hunting knives and camping lighters.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sammy_Sabot