by Jobie Weetaluktuk

Created on: April 10, 2007   Last Updated: December 29, 2011

A good knife is a sharp knife. Today there are a profusion of good quality knives but the majority of them have to be maintained to keep a good cutting edge. A knife was made to cut and the better it cuts, the better it is.

The most incredible knife thing I've seen is the renowned hunters of Igloolik, Nunavut licking their sharp knifes. Some of these men are known as walrus hunters. There are many classes of hunters, but bear and walrus hunters are revered as the great hunters.

The hunters of Igloolik habitually lick their blades when taking a meal. This cleaning habit is to prevent the grime of fat and meat from freezing onto the blade. Such a freezing will make the blade catch onto the meat and possible even stick. The men lick the blade to forgo any possibility of the blade becoming coated with frozen grime.

The hunter cuts his meat and gives his blade a quick and deft lick on both sides. Being something of a lesser hunter, I could not even attempt such a feat. These same knives are used for butchering walrus.

The walrus has a tough and thick hide. The hunter needs a sharp knife to do the job. Furthermore, he needs to keep maintaining the edge as he works. In winter, when he is working on moving ice, he needs to work quickly. His awareness is always sharp to the slightest change in air movement, never mind wind. Wind in moving ice is the breath of doom. That is why a sharp knife is his most important tool.

Wet or Oil Stone
Wet as in water or oil stones area  great, low-tech way to sharpen blades. These kinds of stones come in all grades of grit. Some are really coarse and good for sharpening metal lawn mower blades or axe blades. They also come in very fine grain to make a nice clean, finish on the blade.

As the names imply, water or oil can be used to lubricate the stones. Even though the abrasion between the blade and the stone does the sharpening, it is good for both objects to be lubricated. Japanese stones are made to work with water, so use water.

Lay the stone on a dishcloth on a counter. Run the blade at a steep angle, almost parallel to the stone and glide the blade over the stone. Apply a bit of pressure as you run the blade over. If the blade needs real sharpening, use the coarse side of the stone first and finish with the fine grain side. Sharpening with a stone requires some skill and patience.

The Hone
The cylindrical hone is a great tool for maintaining an edge. It is quick and easy to use. With one hand on a knife and the other on a hone,

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