Bowie knives are essentially built for adventure. Adventure, of course, oftentimes means inconvenience. This sometimes means having a dull knife and no bench stone on which to restore its edge. You can still sharpen your knife, but it will take some technique and the right tools. You have several options for portable sharpeners.

The easiest way to provide yourself with a field sharpener suitable for Bowie knives is to buy a cheap whetstone. These come in very small sizes. Oil is usually used in sharpening, but this is not necessary. It will take longer to sharpen on a stone without oil, however, and you’ll have to wash away the metal flakes from the stone using something else. Any nearby water will do fine for keeping the stone clean of debris.

Some of the sharpeners that work best for Bowie knives are made out of composite substances. These may include ceramics or silicates. Generally, they are pressed into a small stone that can easily be carried in a pocket or a pack. These stones are usually a bit harder on the blade than are natural stones, and will pull away more steel with each pass. Be sure to use gentle pressure when sharpening on these stones.

There are also stones made out of ceramics and other materials which make find sharpeners for a Bowie knife. Oftentimes, these stones come with their own instructions and are more abrasive than a traditional whetstone. These stones can be used most anywhere, as they’re generally very small. Some knives come with such stones contained in an extra pouch sewn to the sheath. Be sure to use oil, if the stone calls for it, though many of these stones do not require as much.

Bowie knives can sometimes be sharpened with smaller stones by moving the stone along the blade rather than the conventional method, which employs just the opposite technique. This, however, is very difficult to do while maintaining a correct angle. If you do this, it’s best to sharpen the knife only as much as is necessary to restore any obvious damage to the blade, or to smooth over dull spots. If you’re in low-light conditions, you can use a candle or a flashlight to see if your blade has been restored to its edge. If it has, there should be no reflection visible off the edge of the blade. When a blade is sharpened correctly, its edge almost disappears.

Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knives store featuring combat knives.