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Author
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Topic: sharpening a hunting knife
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 19, 2015 11:30 AM
This is some random thoughts about something every hunter uses, a blade. Specifically, a few comments on types, and shapes, and advice on how to sharpen a hunting or skinning knife.
First of all, I am partial to a drop point, I gravitate to the style known as a "Caper". But, everybody has an opinion up to and including the "Tanto" style.
Just about all these exotic alloys are extremely difficult to sharpen. Therefore, some will want to use a belt sander. However, you can sure use up steel by grinding a knife blade and you must be careful with the heat. On the other hand, it's quick and results in a decent edge, which you can dress with a steel. You can also use one of those with the carbide inserts but sometimes you can get a wavy edge because it's difficult to maintain even pressure. Anyway, it's quick and dirty and unless your knife is extremely dull, you can get a serviceable edge with little to no skill.
This brings me to sharpening stones and diamond impregnated steel. The first thing I would say, especially with diamond sharpeners, is you need three "grits". You may not always need the course stone but it does save a lot of time if the blade is really dull.
The question always comes up, how do drag your knife across the sharpener? Personally, I like the slice motion. Some people like to draw the blade across the stone and some people like a circular motion.
There are those that use water as a lubricant and those that like honing oil. This depends on the stone. I have washita and hard Arkansas stones and a black surgical stone. The last one is just for a razor sharp edge and although I still like a slicing motion, pushing the blade away from me, in some cases, the circular motion will produce a fine edge.
One thing with all these, you need a stable stone, maybe (carefully) clamped down or in a vice, but you need to use heavy pressure on the edge, otherwise, you are wasting your time and getting nowhere.
With every graduation, I like to count the strokes, ten on one side and then ten on the other. Then I count down, nine strokes on each side and so on down to one stroke. When I get to the one stroke, I alternate, ten strokes once on each side. By this time you should be ready to advance to the medium grit and do the same routine, followed by the fine grit and the same method.
At this point, you should have a halfway decent blade. Of course, you can get very anal with sharpening or just indifferent.
You can buy a commercial razor strop on line, or just impregnate an old belt with JB paste and hone the hell out of it. But a very sharp edge gets nicked very easily....depending on the quality of your steel. And, a hollow ground blade is easier to hone, if you know how to do it.
And, by the way, the angle you use on the stone is important and you need to be consistant, which is a good reason to use one of the Lanksky sticks. But getting back to the razon strop, forget about an angle, it's better to hold it flat against the strop: personal opinion. You may disagree and that's fine.
I welcome any additional comments and suggestions. I'm by no means an expert, but I have sharpened a lot of blades over the years, fixed and folding.
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31462 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted April 19, 2015 02:17 PM
I took my stone and set it on a piece of wood. Traced the outline and inletted it with a chisel.
Glued a piece of rubber drawer liner to the bottom and it grabs the bench & doesn't move.
Also, I use WD-40 for stone lube. When I'm done sharpening I use the WD-40 to `pressure wash` all of the fine grit out of the stone.
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 7580 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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TOM64
Knows what it's all about
Member # 561
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posted April 19, 2015 04:29 PM
I bought these two from Gene Ingram and they are the best knives I've ever used. Made of S30V or some such steel.
When they get dull I use a USPS priority mail box and send em back to him.
Yes I can make a knife sharp but Gene makes these things pop and the edge lasts forever. I do touch them up with a steel and have only needed to send them off once after I skinned 2 frozen bobcats with the skinner. I sent the other one just because.
Now for my regular knives, I use a diamond stone or stones, I have a diamond Lansky kit but truly hate the thing. Use diamond stones dry, rocks with oil and the old gray sharpeners with water. Washing all 3 with a brush, soap and water will revive them well.
Posts: 2283 | From: okieland | Registered: Feb 2005
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cornstalker
PACKS AROUND WAY TOO MUCH SHIT, AND ADMITS IT
Member # 4593
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posted April 19, 2015 05:45 PM
I like drop point skinner design blades. Also like using capers. S30V is my favorite steel so far. I have been hearing so much about CPM3V for bushcraft that I am gonna buy that next time.
My sharpening history...
Started with a whetstone, using 3 in 1 oil. Circular stroke. Did that for years and hated it the whole time. Bought a Lansky diamond set and used it for years, also hating it. I have ceramic sticks and a steel for touch up. I don't hate them so much, but they are good for a quick touch up and that's it.
I used to sharpen my boning/butcher knives too much until a pro butcher taught me that my knife wasn't dull yet, just had fat buildup on the edge. He showed me to backscrape the edge on your apron periodically and voila, slicing like a champ again.
By far the best thing I have found for sharpening is a belt grinder. Once you have the edge "roughed in" you don't have to take a lot of material off to touch it up unless the edge is chipped or dinged. I bought a little baby belt grinder called a "Work Sharp" and absolutely dig it. A quick zap with two different grits and strop with jewelers rouge and you have a durable, hair splitting edge.
Now the dirty truth... I have also been liking the Havalon knives. Sharpen, shmarpen. Just switch the blade out and go. They lack the style and sentiment of a fine blade, but they are extremely practical. The blades are a little flimsy, but they get the job done as long as you are not batonning with them.
Posts: 35 | From: Colorado | Registered: Mar 2015
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KaBloomR
Knows what it's all about
Member # 4252
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posted April 19, 2015 06:34 PM
+1 on the Havalon. I haven't seen my stones in years.
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"It always gets a helluva lot worse before it gets any better"
Posts: 302 | From: Utah | Registered: Nov 2012
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 19, 2015 07:22 PM
Don't know what a "havalon" is? Guess, an app for the iphone?
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31462 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted April 20, 2015 05:05 AM
Havalon; Think Exacto Hunting Knife.
I've looked at them but never bought one. They're kind of neat but I need more knives like Custer needed more Indians.
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 7580 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 20, 2015 05:50 AM
Yeah, same here.
But, like a friend told me once, (as he gave me a nice Buck knife) "The Indians say you can't have too many knives". I dunno? But, I'm getting there.
I'm trying to think of a knife that a lot of guys use, popular, fairly cheap, more like a paring knife? Red plastic handle? You can buy a half a dozen, like a set of steak knives. But, same thing, you can straighten the edge with a steel and get back to skinning. Somebody help me out?
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31462 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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cornstalker
PACKS AROUND WAY TOO MUCH SHIT, AND ADMITS IT
Member # 4593
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posted April 20, 2015 05:52 AM
Mora?
Posts: 35 | From: Colorado | Registered: Mar 2015
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booger
TOO BIG TO FAIL
Member # 3602
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posted April 20, 2015 07:01 AM
As I have matured, I have been able to reconcile to myself that there are some things I simply suck at—sharpening a knife is one of those things.
When I am not shooting or hunting, I am carving basswood into snowmen and Santa Clauses. I not only have a bunch of hunting knives, but my addiction also spills over to carving knives. Fortunately, I have found a guy in Ellenville, New York that used to work for Schrade. He purchased one of the commercial sharpeners from their liquidation sale several years ago. He charges $3 per knife, plus shipping, to put an edge on a knife that is unbelievable! He does all of my pocket knives and hunting blades.
I also use a sharpening service to put an edge on my carving knives if need be…it usually runs around $2-$3 each plus shipping as well.
The edge on a multi-purpose hunting knife and a carving knife are two vastly different things, and I acknowledge I don’t have the skills to make them sharp enough for my liking.
I have a Havalon knife as well.
Last year, I had another ‘Merry Christmas’ to me moment, and purchased a machine from a carving outlet called the ‘Ultimate Honer and Sharpener’. It is basically a re-purposed 1” belt sander. The company that makes them reverses the polarity of the electric motor so the belts run clockwise, and they have slowed down the RPM’s so you are less likely to burn the metal. It comes with 80, 120 700 and 1,200 3M belts, as well as a thick leather belt for honing.
I am just still learning to use it, and am doing very well on honing, and touching up edges here and there with the 1,200 grit belt. The problem is that you can burn the edge pretty damn easy with the finer grits even with the slower RPM’s.
Still going to use the sharpening services if I really need an edge re-done, but I am looking to wean myself in the years to come with my new machine!
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If we ever forget we are one Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under--Ronald Reagan
Posts: 911 | From: Bob Dole Country | Registered: Apr 2010
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 20, 2015 08:28 AM
Thank you, Tom. That's the one I was thinking of, but I thought they had red handles? Anyway, this is a very decent option for a working knife. They will never replace a legit hunting knife but you can figure the steel is quality, similar to what they use in Swiss Army Knives.
Good hunting. El Bee
edit: full disclosure. My current everyday pocket knife is a Swiss Army model. I have several different pocket knives I carry from time to time but right now, (ever since I found it under the driver's seat) this is the one I'm packin'.
[ April 20, 2015, 08:31 AM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31462 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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knockemdown
Our staff photo editing Guru, par excellence
Member # 3588
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posted April 20, 2015 11:32 AM
Got a Spyderco Sharpmaker for Christmas, last. I friggin' SUCK at sharpening knives too, but that thing seems to do a pretty good job when ya follow the directions to the "T".
I've only ever touched up my EDC SOG and Syderco Wave, haven't wanted to risk fucking up a nice custom, yet. Maybe with a bit more practice...
Posts: 2202 | From: behind fascist lines | Registered: Mar 2010
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jimanaz
2nd Place RICHARD FARNSWORTH LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST
Member # 3689
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posted April 20, 2015 07:49 PM
My taxidermist buddy is all Havalon these days. Guy knows knives and knows how to put an edge on them. Says more time cutting and less time sharpening means more money.
Not very romantic, but makes sense, and in my case, probably far less frustrating.
Posts: 940 | From: AZ | Registered: Oct 2010
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UTcaller
NEVADA NIGHT FIGHTER
Member # 8
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posted April 20, 2015 08:40 PM
For alot of years I used the Knives of Alaska. The bear cub was my favorite for skinning Coyotes. But I have to say that the last few years I have used the Havolan knife and now that's all I use. They are slick to use.I have about 40 extra blades and changing the blade takes about 3 seconds. I think you can buy a 10 pack of extra blades for about 5 bucks. Beats sharpening all the time.
Posts: 1612 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2003
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 21, 2015 06:42 AM
I had to finally google Havalon because I am so disappointed in a few of you guys. Then I find that it's been around for 25 years! Where have I been? But, slick or not, I'm a little turned off by this (so called) knife. No, not really because I would buy the scalpel App. (get it?) lol I assume you can download it?
What's you gonna do when they come for you, Bad Boy!
Still seems a little sissified, to me?
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31462 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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UTcaller
NEVADA NIGHT FIGHTER
Member # 8
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posted April 21, 2015 04:45 PM
Sissy or not skinning is easier and faster these days. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posts: 1612 | From: Utah | Registered: Jan 2003
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booger
TOO BIG TO FAIL
Member # 3602
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posted April 22, 2015 11:31 AM
Havalon has been around for so many years as they made surgical blades under the Havel name as their main business.
I had mine given to me as gift and use it primarily to trim meat for the grill. It is also the cat's meow on getting the silver skin and fat from deer meat prior to processing.
One of my favorite knife patterns is the trapper, and my favorite skinning blade is the spey blade...have used that blade type to castrate hogs and skin deer.
Havalon's parent company makes an autopsy blade, #Aut-70 that is basically a spey blade.
I had to modify the blade a bit to get it to fit my Havalon knife, but it is slick.
If any of you guys want to try one, send me an email and I will send you one. I paid $40.00 for 100 through Van Dyke's Taxidermy supply...$70.00 per hundred if you get them from a medical supply house--go figure.
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If we ever forget we are one Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under--Ronald Reagan
Posts: 911 | From: Bob Dole Country | Registered: Apr 2010
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Fur_n_Dirt
So. Ariz. Zone Tech. Expert
Member # 4467
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posted April 22, 2015 09:24 PM
I've been using the skinning knives that have replacable blades .. The purests must hate those, but I love them..
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--- It's all simple if you know what you are doing ---
Posts: 437 | From: Tucson | Registered: Sep 2013
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted April 23, 2015 05:29 AM
They do.
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31462 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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