Ive started carrying the Havalon knife with replacement blades-lightweight, sharp enough for caping and cheap to replace blades. Several versions available. I do have a couple fixed blade knives for heavy work and a bone saw.
I have my knives professionally sharpened when I get home.
I am about 50/50 on my knives. All of the convex edges get stropped between black, green, and white compound.
For pocket knives and kitchen knives, I use mostly Spyderco and the Sharpmaker gets them shaving sharp quickly.
I use a folding diamond coated double sided sharpener.
It lives in my hunting cruiser and has sharpened everything from my carry knife, kitchen knives, my leatherman and even my home made panga during road clearing last year.
Made by Cold Steel. Probably under $20 if I remember rightly.
Likely the cheapest knife sharpener I have ever bought and it works like a charm.
I have the lansky stones and I have wet stones and still this cheap sharpener works well, and it’s the easiest to get a good sharp edge.
Ideal for hunting as it is small and compact yet effective.
I bought mine a while ago and is a combination of the 350 and 600 grit.
I use a silicon carbide two sided stone for the kitchen knives with water. I had a nice stone from my dad in a box my grandfather made but my sister purloined it. I also have a lanky which I use on my sheath knife but I don't own any decent blades, I have lost/ had a few stolen. So I buy reasonable knives(cheap). I learned to sharpen on a whetstone and will do that for quick sharpening but use the lanky to reset my angles and for my sheath knife. I also have a lanky pull through sharpener in the kitchen and a work sharp equivalent in my pack. They don't need any skill or feel and get a workmanlike edge in a couple of seconds.
Tundra: I’ve used devices like this to get an edge back on an extremely dull knife - but Never to maintain that edge. They take off too much steel (in my opinion). Although it takes longer I get my finest edge on stones - 1000 to 3000. Sometimes, while watching TV, I will touch up and hone several of my better knives - it’s “relaxing” but admitt it takes time. There are many people that can hone a keener edge on a knife then I can - but most use fine grade stones as has traditionally been done for many years
Ive started carrying the Havalon knife with replacement blades-lightweight, sharp enough for caping and cheap to replace blades. Several versions available. I do have a couple fixed blade knives for heavy work and a bone saw.
I have my knives professionally sharpened when I get home.
FIREBIRD: You have your knives “Professionally sharpened”? While your honesty is to be commended…Be careful with such admissions (many of us sharpen our own knives and the rest at least “Say they do”)
I’m an idiot when it comes to sharpening knives! I just could not get the knack using wet stones and my grandfather, a trapper, patiently showed me how to no avail.
I carry several little pocket sharpeners with the crossed sticks, fine and coarse, only for touch up when out in the field skinning an animal. At home, I found the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker easy to use even for a dummy like me. I’ve always believed in the KISS principle and it is that!
I do like the Havalon and Outdoor Edge replaceable blade knives but only in addition to supplement my skinning knives. They are not great for boning out meat or any turning and flexing will pop out the blade, but for skinning the hide off, they are great.
Worksharp depending on the steel ( some steel needs a diamond stone and simple carbon steel a regular stone)
then use a strop with a diamond compound for maintenance or a butcher steel
usually only need the work sharp once every year or if a blade is abused .
There are plenty of unpowered guided sharpeners that will do an even better job with a bit of learning and practice. Edge Pro and Hapstone are a couple. Start with a set of diamond plates, which will handle any knife or steel made.
Learning to freehand is not hard and a good skill to learn. Atoma diamond plates, plus an India combination stone or Arkansas stone covers a lot of different knives and steels.
South Africa used to mine a nice sharpening stone known as a Zulu Gray. That might be worth looking for.
I've tried a variety of manual sharpeners I have a silicon carbide stone that does the job but I went down the rabbit hole of buying numerous stones of various grades, and a few honing steels
Does anybody have any input on Fat Belly steels for honing?
Been using this knife for 2 years and it’s been razor sharp since I bought it. Good for general hunting & camping duties. Lifetime guarantee on the edge that I can send back for touching up. Might be the knife that goes on my next safari…to use cutting chicken at dinner.
Most of the time I’m reaching for my Havalon with a few spare blades and a leatherman for hunting . So simple and always sharp. Great for traveling light while turkey/duck/goose hunting where the amount of gear can be a burden.
In short what I’m saying is that when it comes to my hunting knives, I’m lazy. LOL. Fine kitchen knives get the Lansky diamond stones. Utility blades and garage stuff gets the Work Sharp. I also have a couple of the pull through honing tools in the kitchen.
I use a number of different sharpeners for different knives. I use a Lansky with stone and or diamond blades as appropriate. I also used a Ken Onion to sharpen a group of Cold Steel Master Hunters. For field use I use a "Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener," they cost about $35 and are readily available.
Saw a good looking knife you posted a pic of with the watermelon. Can I ask the make? Looks like you hunted with Guav Johnson? We overlapped in the Save once. Would like to hunt with him one day..
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