Can I Sharpen My Serrated Bowie Knife?

Bowie knives have undergone numerous transitions and modifications down the long years since they first debuted. The have been made larger and smaller, with gut hooks and with serrated blades. If you own a Bowie knife with a serrated blade, such as a "survival" model, then you have a very capable blade. However, you also have a problem. How do you sharpen that serrated blade? Eventually, your serrations will dull, if you use the knife at all. Can they be sharpened?

While you can use a whetstone or a rod system to sharpen the length of the standard blade, what are your options for sharpening a serrated blade? Can you sharpen the serrated portion on the blade of these Bowie knives? The answer is yes, but not as easily as you might think. A serrated blade is made up of individual teeth. Therefore, a traditional whetstone will not work. With that said, you do have some options open to you. What are these?

One of the simplest, least expensive options is to use a round file for the job. These are the same files that you might use to sharpen a chainsaw blade. They work because you can use the file to sharpen each individual tooth of the serrated portion individually. You can most certainly sharpen Bowie knives with this type of tool, but be prepared to spend some time at it to achieve your desired sharpness.

A rotary tool can be an excellent option for sharpening the serrated portion of your Bowie knife blade. Using a rotary tool with a sharpening bit on the machine can help ensure that you are able to sharpen each individual serration without the physical effort that comes from using a round file for each individual tooth. This can be a great timesaver for your needs, and can also ensure that you are able to get the serrations as sharp as you would like. However, make sure that you hold the tool at the right angle.

A final option for sharpening Bowie knives with serrated blades is a rotary tool. You might be more familiar with the name Dremmel, though there are many other brands out there. With the right bit, you can use these tools to polish, clean and sharpen almost anything. Serrated blades are no challenge here. The benefits of using a rotary tool to sharpen a serrated blade are manifold. First, it is much faster than using a round file or a strop. Second, you can achieve any level of sharpness you might desire, in that same short timeframe.