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Tormek

Hunting & Outdoor Tools

Sharpen knives and axes for hunting and outdoor

Sharp Tools - Better Experiences

For those who love to hunt, fish or just spend time outdoors, it’s vital to have sharp tools. A sharp knife or axe is easier to use, more fun to work with and reduces the risk of injuries. By sharpening your own tools, you create the best conditions for a good wilderness experience.

Prepare for nature

In hunting and fishing the knife is probably one of your most important tools. With a sharpening machine from Tormek, you can sharpen a wide variety of hunting and fishing knives for many years to come. Our machines are user friendly and ensure that you get a top result every time. A hunting party could well share a machine so that everyone can benefit.

Sharpen Your Gut Opener

You can easily sharpen all straight or curved knives with the Tormek water-cooled sharpening system. For recurved knives such as gut openers, we don't have a specific jig, which makes them harder to sharpen, but it’s possible to sharpen them freehand on the edge of the grinding wheel. Please note however, that we cannot guarantee a perfect result with freehand sharpening.

Sharpening Class - Hunting & Outdoor Tools

Wolfgang and Sébastien from Tormek demonstrate sharpening of a bunch of different outdoor knives and axes. Of course this is done on our green machine, the Tormek T-4 Bushcraft. It comes equipped with everything you need to be able to prepare your tools for your wilderness adventures!

Knife jigs which give the same top results – every time

KJ-45 Centering Knife Jig gives you full control and repeatability when sharpening. This means that you can easily restore the knife blade to its optimal edge angle or create a different edge angle if required. The Tormek knife jigs make it possible to keep an exact angle towards the stone which leaves an even bevel across the entire length of the blade. You sharpen the knife until you feel the burr on the opposite side; then you turn over the jig with the knife to sharpen the other side.

Maximum sharpness

To get the highest possible sharpness, it’s important that you finish the sharpening process by honing and polishing the knife on the leather honing wheel. This process will remove the burr that occurs during sharpening and give a razor-sharp knife for a long time ahead.

If you are outdoors and need to touch up the knife, you can use a whetstone or sharpening steel. However, keep in mind that the angle will unintentionally increase each time, which means that you will need to sharpen the full bevel to its intended edge angle again after two to three times.

Knife steel qualities

Different types of knife steel have different qualities in terms of hardness and strength. The most common knives for hunting and fishing are made of stainless steel or carbon steel. These are perfect to sharpen with a Tormek although you may notice different rates of steel removal and size of burr.

Sharpen outdoor and bushcraft knives

Regardless of whether you're going to split wood, prepare game or make a fire, the outdoor knife is a useful tool. And as you know, the sharper the knife, the easier it is to use. To sharpen your outdoor knife you use the KJ-45 Centering Knife Jig which is included in the Tormek T-4 Bushcraft.

If the blade of your knife is too small to fit in the clamps of the knife jig, you can add the SVM-00 Small Knife Holder, and use it with the knife jig. This makes it possible to maintain an even, durable bevel and control over the edge angle. The holder is perfect for small pocket knives, sheath knives and scout knives.

Set the edge angles for hunting and outdoor knives

The ideal edge angle depends upon the type of knife and its intended use. A small edge angle (25°) will cut easily but it will also be more sensitive to wear and damage, while a larger edge angle (40°) will give a stronger and more durable edge.

The edge on an all-round hunting knife generally needs to be larger because it should be tough and durable, preferably between 30-40°. With the WM-200 AngleMaster, it’s easy to adjust the angle of the edge according to your own use and needs. You can also use the EM-15 Edge Marker to color the existing bevel, which makes it easy to find and repeat the existing angle.

Repeating the edge angle using Tormek Marker Method

The easiest way to repeat the edge angle on hunting and outdoor knives and axes is to use the Tormek Marker Method. By following three simple steps you can quickly get the correct angle.

  1. Colour the bevel with a permanent marker.
  2. Place the bevel of your tool against the grinding wheel and rotate it by hand.
  3. Adjust the height of the Universal Support until the grinding wheel removes the colouring from the entire width of the bevel.

Sharpen your axe with Tormek

The axe is a fundamental tool for outdoor life. Many people are surprised to see how sharp an axe becomes after being sharpened with the SVA-170 Axe Jig, which is also included in the Tormek T-4 Bushcraft.