Keeping A KNIFE SHARP - What a DECADE of BIG GAME GUIDING Taught Me
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- Опубліковано 9 кві 2024
- Cliff shares his expertise on knife sharpening for hunting and camping applications. He discusses the challenges hunters face with dull knives in the field and offers practical solutions, including the concept of micro beveling. He also covers how to increase the longevity of your knife's edge in real-world hunting situations.
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Below you will find Amazon Affiliate links to products discussed or used in the video. I make a commission from your use of these links, but using the link will not affect the price you pay for any items.
Work Sharp Field Sharpener
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Kershaw Link Knife (Slightly updated model to the knife in the video)
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Pull Through Sharpener
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DMT Sharpening Paddles
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Ceramic Rod - The thicker one I mentioned. (Way to big for the backcountry)
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Kershaw Ultratek Compact Sharpening Rod
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Corona Tool Sharpener
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Victorinox Beef Skinner Knife (Skinning knife in thumbnail)
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Victorinox Boning Knife (I use this knife a lot on game animals)
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Victorinox Compact Ceramic Field Sharpener Mentioned
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00:00:31 The Hunter's Dilemma
00:01:25 The Danger of Using a Dull Knife
00:03:09 Replaceable Blade Knives
00:04:23 Factors Dulling Knives
00:09:49 Avoiding Uneven Sharpening
00:10:31 Proper Sharpening Techniques
00:12:49 Understanding Knife Sharpness
00:13:31 Stripping the Burr
00:15:42 Micro Beveling Knives
00:16:35 Honing Soft Steel Knives
00:18:52 Using Ceramic Rods for Micro Beveling
00:19:34 Benefits of the Work Sharp Field Sharpener
00:31:18 Final Knife Sharpening Process
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As a knifemaker and having worked 17yrs in the commercial seafood industry cutting fish daily for hours. Fish cutters sharpen their knives every few fish every few minutes to maintain the edge filleting fish as you are cutting through the scales the majority of the time they don't have the luxury of time to sit as scale the fish like a casual fisherman would after a weekend fishing. Also a fish cutters knife cutting edge is not even on each side one side is say 10⁰ the other will be 18⁰ as a rough example because if it's a even cutting edge bevel whilst cutting at speed, the aim is to skin the fish with 1 pass if possible with as litle waste as possible. With a even cutting edge bevel you find the blade gets caught and will bite and you end up slicing through the skin part of the way through or you end up with alot of the flesh still remaining on the skin you removed. The uneven bevel actually gives you a sharper edge although not as pretty as it being symmetrical it allows the blade to glide through between the flesh and skin and not bite.
Very interesting. Thanks.
A few nights ago I had to use a really stiff big Buck Knife to clean a red drum/redfish because I forgot my knife and my buddy had the Buck. I figured it would destroy the fish. I was totally wrong. That thick blade was awesome for getting through the scales and I didn't lose a bit of meat on either side or when I skinned the filets. I was very surprised. I have always used a filet knife and now I want a stiffer fixed blade for fish like that. I fish for flounder all summer and the flexible knife is probably better for cutting off the meat, but the center cut and skinning might be better with a thicker blade.
You have me wondering how to sharpen a knife like you described with different angles.
@comfortablynumb9342 Just my thoughts I have no practical experience with multi angle edge but I'd reckon for practice you could buy a chisel ground knife and carefully work it up to whatever you want while the other side is already started at 20 or 18!?
@@TheBudgetguy_K.T It should be possible to put 2 different angles with a Lanskey knife sharpening kit by using 2 different holes in the frame/guide part.
To be honest we never actually checked what degree the angles were as we would free hand sharpen so you don't have to be exact
Yeah, I’ve noticed this myself. My hunting knife has a 15 degree side and an 8 degree side and it works surprisingly well on both animals and wood
I don't have this problem because I can't even find animals. Chess not checkers gentlemen.
I feel this, having these problems is a good thing, lol.
I’m the biggest JINX at our deer/ bear camp! All works out! Hahahahaha. They say that I dress like a hunter! LOL Peace Be The Journey!
You can find em nice and neat at the grocery store lol . That’s where I do all my fishing .
Pin this comment. 🥳
😂 i feel u.
Nobody says pull through sharpeners don’t work. We just say they are trash.
I use the work sharp guided field sharpener. Super cheap. Super fast. Super accurate.
Use it a couple times when I’m field dressing.
Highly highly recommend.
Facts. The WSFS makes this long video pointless. I couldn't imagine doing this video unless it was requested 😂😂😂
Also destroy your blade.
I'm not carrying a full work sharp or lansky sharpening system afield. I will simply carry a 2nd or 3rd knife. If both my partner and I are carrying our primary blades and a backup - well I haven't killed a game animal that needed more than 4 blades to get through
@@ChronicalsofAl you’ve never seen the worksharp field sharpener then. It’s really small. Check it out. They are cheap. If you don’t like it you’re out maybe $30
@@TeensierPython that's fair, I thought it was like a lansky
Got three decades of deer and hog hunting under my belt . I use two knives when I’m processing . One for gutting and one for skinning . I also switched over to CPM stainless steels for the excellent edge retention . Contrary to popular opinion they’re a breeze to sharpen with the correct sharpening tools .
This is the correct advice, most modern steels will stay more than sharp enough to skin an animal
Why one just for gutting?
@@clintwestwood3539 I prefer a slightly longer heavier blade for splitting the sternum and gutting .
Have you tried the EKA Swingblade?
@@PeterPan-lo1ci
I use one of those. Very handy.
Holy crap…get to the point!
I thought the explanation was excellent..
Ball danglege is an important factor to consider.
this is also the same guy who doesnt hunt or guide with expensive knives, so he uses shit ass steel knives and complains that they dont keep an edge..
@@genin69 Even our shit-ass steels of today are orders of magnitude better than what the average was 100 years to 1000+ years ago. Don't diss the steel quality, even on budget knifes.
A properly Sharpened shit-ass-steel knife can and Will outlast ANY top-steel knife (like s10v) that is half-assed sharpened and/or not properly stropped.
IMO the OP seams more to me like the guy that buys a 200$+ tool and has no patience to learn and to sharpen it properly and complains that it dulls fast and is shit. Partially because lack of maintenance know-how, partly in fact BECAUSE higher grade steels (harder steels) are tougher to sharpen than budget knifes and being tougher to sharpen< takes more time < impatience kicks in... You get the point 👍
I personally carry 2 to 3 high quality knives and they usually get me through an animal in field conditions. I use a knife until the edge goes away then put that knife in my pack and grab another. When I get back to camp I have all my sharpening tools and work over the knives. It's always worked well for me but I've never guided.
I keep two Case Trappers in my pocket specifically for skinning. I only hunt whitetail though.
@redd8456 case steels are stuck in the 80s, get a nicer knife with better steel and you would only need to carry one
It would best serve you to have a quality knife that will not go dull so fast. It is NOT quality knife if it goes dull halfway through a deer
I do exactly the same thing. I always carry at least three knives in my hunting pack.
Those pull through sharpeners work until they have removed enough steel that the blade edge is too thick and then it doesn't work worth a shit.
Those pull thru sharpeners damage your edges because they take off metal parallel to your edge greatly weakening it, get a good sharp edge and strop it on leather as needed and it will stay sharp.
Correct
This ^ just sharpen correctly, then strop as needed. Carry a spare. 2 is 1.
absolutely correct thankyou 🤝👍
You don't hunt.
@tolt1776 what do you mean?
The best method I have found is to not carry a knife and borrow yours. If I do get caught with my own knife, I use it as a throw flasher as soon as we see a cuda, then borrow yours
Bwhaha that is a damn good strategy.
I honestly never have any issues with my knives. Always stays sharp the whole hunt. But I never end up getting a deer or elk.
I’ve had that same issue many times.
Only just started hunting. Moved to rural Australia a year ago. 6 weeks ago didn't own a hunting knife or even knew how to load a rifle. 6 weeks later 2 fallow does down. Shot, Gutted, skinned and butchered all by myself....feel fantastic but was very daunting. Takes me awhile but I'm learning how to keep knives sharp but it does take me awhile with a wet stone
I’ll save you some frustrations here in Australia. First don’t bother with wet stones. Spend a bit of money right up and get Sharpal ceramic stones 1000 and 6000. Get a half decent coarse stone from DMT. Learn to use the coarse stone first to get your angle management right and use a sharpel angle triangle to help you. The 1000 and 6000 will get it shaving sharp. Get a sharpening jig that lets you flip the knife. Use this to reprofile if you you make your edges too convex or get a chip. Do this and you will be set and in the end you will save a lot of money not buying junk for a total less than $400.
That's great! I hope you have a long and awesome life there!
I typically carry 3 lightweight knives when I’m backpack hunting. One is a replaceable blade knife which I use for caping/ skinning cuts, one is specifically used on cuts going around joints and dirty areas, and the other is used for everything else. I do carry a small worksharp sharpener, but rarely have to use it in the field. I prefer to sharpen my blades and do a quality job back at camp.
I feel like much of this is essentially understanding profiling, sharpening, polishing and honing. They are all different steps that accomplish different things.
I always have either a ceramic rod or small diamond plate. Also a quality steel helps.
Correct
dc3
Just wanted to shout out and say how helpful your videos have been. Believe it or not, I am a first time hunter at 61 years old. Applying for big game draws in the western states. Training hard and learning to prepare for this upcoming season. Awesome videos that are very helpful.
Thanks
Thanks man! Good luck
I respect the fact that you are starting something new and a challenge. I started riding a dirt bike at 54 as something my son wanted me to do. Been hunting big game for decades and at times, I feel like I don’t know anything. Good luck this season.
After cutting meat for 15 years, Hunting for 40 years, It is not unreasonable to clean and skin more than one elk or deer with one knife, To many people think they know how to sharpen yet still have no idea how to maintain their edge. First who uses the blade to fully skin? Use your hand and skin while the animal is warm (fisting the hide off). Use a knife with a gut hook as well. Make your initial cuts with the gut hook. They hold an edge forever. But the only thing you really need is a quality set of stones to sharpen your knife. Norton tri stones work for every custom slaughter house, Grocery store, Big packing houses, All use them. It is the only system I use on hunting knives. Also edge angle, 22 degrees for boning, 25 for skinning. 25 for some reason handles the hair and dirt and doesn't dull as fast.
Thanks for the information and your time!
Good advice.
I’ve found that having more than one knife is helpful too. I use a small folding knife with serrated edge just for cutting the hide. This saves a lot of edge life on the primary knife.
Another great video. Thanks for the mico bevel tip.
You're correct on everything in this video. Thanks for the content!
I hunt occasionally, but I'm a farmer I butcher about a thousand pounds of meat a year. I have two knives made by a local knife maker. one with a 8inch blade and one that is about 3in. I sharpen on a whetstone and use a leather strop.
Great video, spend the money on a good knife fellas
I have a smal medium/coarse stone and a lansky dogbone ceramic rod in my pocket when hunting, but almost never need to shapen knife during gutting, has taken out deer, skinned and take of head and legs with same knife, I use the same guideline as you tog Keep blade sharp longer, greetings from Sweden.
Thanks Cliff. I've really enjoyed using a quality knife (Argali Serac) with S35 steel, and the Worksharp sharpener (a fantastic tool that has taught me angles). Always make sure it is sharpened upon return, so never dull when walking in field. Your bang on around bones/angle of blade when working on animals. Great tips about how to better do this without rubbing on bone. Like the notion of "feathering" through backstraps etc. I've also caught myself thinking this is sharp enough at step 2 (diamond sharpening) on the Worksharp - but have always worked through the steps, your points around bevel sharpness were great! Carry Baby Wipes with me, so can clean the blade if it needs a touch up in field - which has been a no so far. Thanks. Great tips!
Thanks man! I know several folks that like that Argali!
Everything you said in this video is what I've been telling hunters/outdoorsmen for decades.....but they just don't listen, maybe you'll have better luck.
Good video on issues that occur on the field
I learned a while back that replaceable blade knives are the way to go, then pleasantly they keep getting more popular and getting more innovation
Excellent explanation.Excellent Video! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👏🙂 Thanks.
Finally someone explaining things were I can understand now I know why my knife won’t stay sharp
Some good points there man. Imagine having to re-pressure flake your obsidian edge to keep it sharp.
Always carry a pull through sharpener in my pack, handy, small and light.
No replaceable blades for me, just more gear to loose and carry.
Good points
Pull throughs are fine as long as they are the round rod type and not the carbide ones. I use those on a lot of thinner knives with softer steel. My hunting and camp knives are all thicker 60+ RC crucible steels with convex grinds, so they get hand sharpened and stropped.
The cheapest, lightest and easiest knife to sharpen in the field is an Opinel! Can skin and break down the biggest carcass no problem, you don’t need a strong thick blade if you know what you’re doing.
A buddy had the Worksharp up at camp this past Nov., I liked it and forgot what it was called, thanks to you reminding me, I just ordered one from your link, I hope you made a couple cents on the sale and thanks.
Short Rapala classic wood handle filet knife is one of my favorites to cary hunting. It’s the lightest. Weighs nothing. Super cheap. Hones back quickly because it’s soft. Super sharp point for getting inside the hide quick. One of these and a red pull through sharpener from same company is the lightest best combo I’ve found. The steel is so soft you can even use the case for the knife to strop it sometimes if you just need minor touch up. I have lots of knives and was a butcher for a long time.
35 minutes well spent! Peace Be The Journey!
On my very first hunting trip, my dad taught me how to sharpen a knife. I used an old diamond sharpener that my grandpa gave my dad and I learned how it’s been passed down to me and one day. I’ll pass it down to my kids and teach them know how to sharpen a knife. It’s an easy skill to learn.
Say what u will. Cliff knows his stuff. I have a twist on what he said about replaceable blades. I use them but I also save them and resharpen, best system around for western hunting for me cause I dont have to worry about whether or not im getting the animal back to camp. I can always worry about a dull blade later
Crock sticks for honing knives has been my favorite by far.
Have you tried the Lansky crocksticks? They have 4 holes. One set of two holes gives you a 20 degree angle, the other gives you a 25 degree angle. You get coarse and fine ceramic rods with it. They also make the same product with a set of diamond rods. Spyderco also makes these and their angles are 17 and 20 degrees. You can get very fine, fine, coarse, and diamond rods for them. If you've never used them, all you have to do is hold your knife blade perpendicular to the rods and swipe down. Very easy to do. Been using crocksticks since the 70s and they work great. Clean with an eraser. Most of my knives are either scandi ground or convex ground, but that's a different story. :)
I'll admit I use multiple blades when dressing big game when I hunt or go with someone else who were. I have as my dressing knives an Ulu, Chinese cleaver, fillet knife, westcott ceramic box cutter knife, and Mora as well I don't see how when processing that a variety of blades/style isn't more common. This doesn't include some of the other blades on myself as well that I've rarely used. A good trick to remove the burr on the blade is that you can strop with paper (clipboard and few binder clips). I normally use diamond plates and leather/paper strops when home to put on, maintain, or repair an edge. I'm also okay with draw sharpeners as well though I recommend put very little pressure to preserve the steel vs pushing it through hard like most do.
Thanks Cliff! Great video in true one ball one lower than the other style. 😆 Are we chefs in performance or guys and gals in the field gettin the job done? Learn some skills and sharpen and often. I keep my steel handy and sharpen my inexpensive knife probably 4 or 5 times on an elk. Agreed, a dull knife is a dangerous knife.
Great video, just found your channel, i subbed
Well said.Multiple knives exponentially increases all of your techniques.
I don't care about the heritage of resharpening a bloody knife. I just want to get the job done well. I carry multiple knives & replaceable blades
that's awesome man. we all have different personalities... I like knowing how to sharpen and know that all I need is one knife.
I've noticed on certain steels and when cutting certain materials, it's better to have a coarser grit finish like a 600 grit. This appears to create some micro serrations like a saw blade and gives the edge that "bite". K30 for instance gets a bit too glassy for me at higher grits and doesn't seem to work great or hold an edge. Then I'll go to a 600 grit and bam. Also, the heat treat and geometry is more important than the steel often times. I have a sog with cryo d2 that blows through any of my Chinese " super steels". You simply cannot get a great heat treat when mass producing these things and keeping the price low. No Chinese company is going to put the knives in the oven and then take them out and let them completely cool, then put them back in and quickly quench in the proper medium, then dip in liquid nitrogen, then temper, then temper again at a different temperature, then make sure they keep the blade cool while grinding and sharpening. They simply wouldn't make any money. Just keep that in mind when buying super steels. Go spyderco or custom if you really want to see the potential of a steel. Look up the recommended heat treat protocol of a steel and see how complex it is before going cheap. Cpm3v for instance is tough to do right and the wear and tear on the ovens and belts makes it very tempting to take shortcuts. Just something to think about.
Great video, been microbeveling for years but I'm pretty sure my Spyderco in K390 at 12 DPS could field dress a dinosaur.
I'm wondering what kind of knives these people are using. I think any knife made by Spyderco with their typically superb heat treat and an excellent blade steel like K390, S90V, S110V, Rex 45 etcetera would hold their edges well enough to fully process several deer. I think they are just using knives by manufacturers who don't appropriately heat treat their blades and they get subpar performance from the knives as a result.
@@MisterDeetsI recommend virtuovice on this. He tested most knife steels (hunting deers in Japan) and talked about this topic extensively.
Seriously, my maxemet para 3 could do the same. Using cheap knives only get you so far.
A knife with high quality steel especially one made by a custom knife maker (Erickson Knife Works)is worth its weight in gold. Make sure it’s sharp before you go in the field. Have a honing steel and a ceramic rod. Use the part of the blade closest to handle to cut that dirty hair around the legs. When you have to cut the skin get under it and cut up towards the hair not down through the hair.
Correct
The truly scary situation with changing Havalon blades,etc. is- your exhausted, your hands are wet and probably cold and your fumbling around with a “razor blade” in the snow mud, etc. No thank-you. How many of the Havalon type knives blades are lost, thrown down, etc.! Just “waiting” to slice someone. I always carry an extra knife and a diamond honing rod-two is one and one is none!
Benchmade recommends sharpening their knives to 15-17 degrees. Would I notice a decrease in performance if I reset the angle to around 20 degrees so I could use the work sharp field sharpener?
No. It will work great
technically disposable or replaceable blades were the first to be used. we got our razor blades and knives first for obsidian stone. we would take one stone then chip it to have flecks that were just large enough to be held. then when those would dull or more likely break we would chip off more. but sharpening a steel knife is a good talent to have.
Excellent video.
I just say start the day with a sharp knife, a knife sharpened in the shed, workshop, or kitchen table. Most important are equal flat sides to the bevels and a finished apex with no foil bur hanging off it.
Then have a field system to keep a working edge, micro bevelled even, to get a long job finished. Use immediately the "popping sharpness" is lost.
My preferred field sharpness restorers are the DMT Diafolds butterfly diamond hones (red), and a white ceramic rod by Spyderco or Smiths. (These don't weigh much.) A little more pressure and slightly higher angle is fine, and it only takes a few wipes. Yes, I can do it in the dark. As only the edge is on the hone blood muck isn't an issue. I just want the working sharpness back to finish the task. Can't see, don't care, what the actual edge looks like, and all can be put back to "perfect" back home.
I freehand sharpen a lot, but have found the new Work Sharp Professional Precision Adjust is better than anything I can do to get "factory great" again.
I do like a medium thin blade rather than some thick stocked thing. However, larder knives, like Victorinox, are best for food prep, butchering, back at home. For that they are great.
There is more than one way to skin a cat. Take your time, and think each cut (twice), as that is faster..and safer too.
Some people have real talent at getting the natural bounty processed for the table. Professionals get more practice. Just think what you are doing, we have been doing it a long time, its not rocket science.
I’ve seen folks do a great job with a beat up old machete, it’s really the skills.
Hunted 30+ years hunting big game never only ever had to use a honing rod after gutting and skinning. I used a buck 192 alaskan guide for 25 of them.
I might not have the lightest pack but carrying a couple extra sharp knives is easier than fixing them in the field that is what midday at camp is for
I don't use just one blade for large animals, I have a Victorinox Hunter XT to start, and to deal with the initial rough work, gutting, some joint work, use the saw where required as well since Vic steel will roll instead of chipping, then I will switch to basically 3-4 thin fixed blades made of M2, one gets dull I'll use the next one...etc. No animal barring maybe an elephant would require more than 3 knives from M2 plus the Vic XT.
More importantly are you trying to reinvent the wheel? Micro bevelling is just a fancy way to say convex, lol. Do a good convex and you only need to touch up the apex in the field.
My pops got a replaceable blade knife and it sucked trying to change out blades with fat, blood, dirt and hair on your hands . Went back to my walmart outdoor edge fixed field knife and kept hitting it with the cheap carbon sharpener seemed like every 5 minutes. 3 elk last season in Arizona.
I carry two skinning knives when I deer hunt. One to get through fur and to make initial cut....one for inside clean up. I've also found smaller blade knives are ideal. Like 3.5 " blade
That’s a great approach
Words of wisdom
Thanks for real life field issues. Took a minute to make your case. As a butcher, shop work and field work are different as are the knives, game and sharpening technique. 10 days in the Alaska backwoods 3 fishermen, 1 fillet knife, 300 pounds of salmon and a light weight Corona sharpener took care of that and more. If you like something else, do it! But please don’t touch my personal knives.
Thanks for info. Will look up the other video you mentioned.
I like the look of that knife in the video with the bigger belly.
I had gone the route of Changeable blades but I find that they are surgical sharp and cut to easily if this makes sense. A wider belly knife seems to skin much better. Found one up hunting in a tree and then shot a elk. Used that knife to skin out and liked it way better. I actually ran into the hunter that left it in the tree. He was very happy. His name was on it. Not happy that I shot the bull tho.
Thanks for sharing
M
First knife guy that knows what is going on when a knife is used. Talking about Elk and deer, what about hippo and Giraffe. Thanks, there is a difference between gadgets and what works for the outdoors man.
We don't have hippo or giraffes here but I'd really like to know what you use to process hippos and giraffes. Hippo skin has to be super thick, i would think!
The LT wright large northern hunter, small northern hunter and winker hunters axe will make quick work of dressing/quartering game. I keep a small strap and ceramic rod in my kill kit for touch ups. No issues. To each their own. Nothing wrong with replaceable blade knives. I would not say incapable, I’d say more convenient to some. Simmer down big guy.
Correct
Great advice. No joke though, Mora companion sharpened on 1000 stone then a 6000 stone followed by leather strop was able to gut and skin my deer and debone it. For a cheap knife it has pretty good steel and is razor sharp with a mirror finish.
yeah man it's a great knife
Replacement blades are quick to use and quick to replace. Scalpel sharp takes time in the field. Unless u use a replacement scalpel.
I like the micro edge. When the bead forms it is because the steel is unable to hold that thin edge. After i get the bead, i remove it by inceasing the angle.😊😊😊
Firshermen with dull fish hooks is one of my pet peeves.
Hone before actually dull, and you'll get longer use before needing profiling, sharpening or polishing. Also, maybe consider having multiple knives... A skinning knife, boning knife, slicing, chopping, etc...
Carry a couple of knives, no big deal. I've never made a big deal out of sharpening. I use a cheap 2 sided Norton tool stone, and sharpen my knives like you would an axe, bringing the stone to the knife. That's for hunting and bushcraft knives. Kitchen knives I use more involved method for finer edge. People who try to make perfect fine edges for outdoor knives are always unhappy and looking for the next super steel.
Great video! I think over the years I've just settled on an $80-120 buck knife and a pull through. Do you have any videos on skull removal? I always dull the hell outta my knife trying to get that skull off.
Pull through = no good
The reason why pull through knife sharpening is not recommended is, it creates grooves parallel to the edge. It will be sharp; however, it won't stay sharp for long. Grooves aligned towards the edge won't snap off as easily when cutting into a hard surface.
I love that explanation of the replacement blade a lazy hunters solution, it does the job its not an heirloom item that your gonna pass down to your grandkids. Id rather build skills than buy gear
Easier to sharpen often a little bit than beat it down for a huge project. Same with chainsaw.
When they stop cutting optimally take a few to edge it up.
Not a single youtube knife guy said the pull through sharpeners don't work. Not a single one
They do work, they just create a weak edge. It makes grooves parallel to the edge instead of aligned towards the edge.
So
Some points
Tbh, I couldn’t get through the video cause there is ALOT of rambling, and repetition
1. Outdoors55 did a video on pull through sharpeners, and steel rods
They 100% destroy your blade, and do not hold an edge well, because THEY DO NOT WORK
They create mini serrations, which does ACT like a sharpened blade, but because all of that serration is very very small, and based solely on burrs, it crumbles after just a little bit
2. I firmly believe that you have never used a knife with Vanadium or more then .7% of Carbon in the steel
Idk what steel you use, but something like 20CV/M390 (same thing, just different manufacturers) or something lesser like CPM 154 or VG-10
Will cut through rope over 200 times before going dull
You should be able to field dress a full elk, and still have a sharp knife
You might run into a situation of trouble if you have to do 3 dressings in a day, but at that point, you should really spend 15 minutes between dressings to sharpen your knife ANYWAYS
3. I don’t believe you are putting on a good edge for your purposes, a 20 degree angle is better for some things over 12 degrees, and in yet other situations you want something even less aggressive at like 27 degrees, but if you try to cut through thick hide and hitting bones and such, you should have around 18-21 degree angle
4. I don’t think you are using the right types of knives for the situation
A skinning knife with a hollow grind cannot be used as a butchering knife
Something like a convex or scandi grind is gonna give you hell with skinning
All things being equal, in a situation where you need to field sharpen, a double sided diamond plate and a leather strop, with about 15 minutes should get you from a 4/10 edge, to a 8.5-9/10 edge, even with “difficult” steels like m390 or s110v or M4
If you are running into a situation where you are constantly needing to sharpen your knife, then your edge is likely completely destroyed, and needs to be properly flattened, sharpened, honed, and zeroed
This isn’t guess work anymore
We have significant scientific white papers with evidence for all this
D2 with a 300 grit & 600 grit stone and a leather strop, set at 19 degrees, with a proper 59-61HRC heat treat should be able to go through 2 elk before needing to be sharpened to cut through paper
I never heard the concept of a standing burr. Wow
As an outfitter & guide we use replaceable blades because it saves time & energy. Also use different style blades for the various aspects of processing animals with the same knife. Sharpening knives & or blades is easy, can do it in my sleep. We process upwards of 40-50 animals between September & December, spending time sharpening a knife can wait until the meat is in the freezer & the cape is at the taxidermist. Work smart not hard folks!
Nothing like telling the truth good job.
What are your thoughts on the work sharp mini
Sorry I mean the pocket I guess it’s just a smaller version of the one you showed on the video. I have this one I use now but looking at the pocket sized one for out in the field to touch up
This is great. Sure , if I want to shave my arms, I want my diamond stones. But, you are so right - if you need sharp NOW, those pull throughs are great. Does it "ruin" your knife? Maybe, but my tools work for me, I don't work for them. I also like carbon steel over the super hard stainless steels.
Idk I'm tapping out before this goes any further. Work sharp field sharpener works like a charm without pull thru plus there's many more this is starting off weird 😅
Those pull through sharpeners you say every one hates, I use those and give them away as gifts especially to people that don't know how to sharpen a knife. But, I tell them that it does not sharpen a knife well. What it does well is keep a sharp knife sharp.
That is because most UA-cam knife people do not actually use their knives. I carry a sharpener with me at all times, even in the city. One of the best knives I have found to use is the Victorinox Rabbit knife. Simple steel, easy to sharpen to a high sharpness edge, great blade geometry, ergonomic handle. Best $30 I have spent on a knife.
FINALLY, a knife instructional that addresses the issues we pros deal with! Thank you, Sir!
I carry a small stone or small diamond stone, weight is an issue. I have gone a field with a good, well sharpened knife and Not had to sharpen. I try to do as little as possible with a knife in the mntns as possible. I don’t want to cut myself, again, while quartering elk.
Any thoughts on the spyderco sharp maker? I’ve found it to be effective in the field and getting through animals.
Good but not for a very blunted or a damaged edge. Touch ups are fine
It works fine as long as your cutting angle is less than the sharpmaker. If the knife has a steeper bevel it doesn’t work at all. I used a sharpmaker for two decades, ditched it for an edge pro.
One of the most frustating things for me is learning to sharpen a knife. Been trying to do it for 5 months now and I'm not at the point I really wish I was. The most problematic thing for me is finding and keeping the right angle. It takes me so much time and atention that I question if I would be able to do it in the field.
I came up with a solution until I'm goot at sharpening: bringing in 3 knives with me. 4, if possible.
Oh, and an axe or two. These are for the ribs, bones and joints of the animal.
Lot of weight but I'm a strong guy. I'll handle it.
I use the replaceable blade knives. Only reason is convenience. They are perfect for hunting
I cut the hell out of fire each year. But I still can't hand file a chain.
The electric grinders save me, as I cut in the high sandy platos of N. Central of AZ.
But your right, in do need to learn to hand sharpen a 🗡.....
is your sharpening skill good and FAST and your sharpening untensil light weight,small volume go for it, if not... replaceable
blades seem absolutely a valid option even for people who can sharpen but just take longer due to inexperience or because of conditions
I'm surprised you don't go more into the metallurgy of the steel and what's the best steel. I would say somewhere in the middle S35VN or, better yet, S45VN. I was thinking yea just take an extremely hard steeled knife like 20CV, S90, S110, but then if that goes dull good luck field sharpening. I always imagine somewhere there's people with Maxamet steel knives field dressing multiple big game and it still wants more 😂.
M390 or similar? Stuck meat and stuff will make it feel dull. Clean it and it feels sharp again. This is coming from “if it can’t shave it ain’t sharp” and “ a sharp knife is a scar kine.” My all time favorite is an old marbles from the 60’s. Diamond paddles work great at the end of the night. Never used a steel. Used to clean several deer and or sheep with no problem. Gutting to skinning to butchering. Finesse is important. Personal Strength is not always the best. Technique and talent goes further. Rods to me are good. The best ones remove little to no metal from the blade. Gives a good touch up as dull field knives are basically rolled edges. I’m not an expert nor do I preach to be, but I have been around. Dont agree with everything said but some parts are good.
I'm a knife user, collector and reviewer and can fully sharpen my knives and even tools and chisels using whetstones, but I also have no problem just using a small pull through sharpener to get a quick edge, especially when I'm camping or especially with my cheaper knives where I'm less precious about them. Basically I don't really care how my knives get sharp, just as long as they are.
The issue with pull through knife sharpening is it won't stay sharp long, so you have to sharpen more often. It creates grooves parallel to the edge instead of grooves aligned with the edge. This is a weak point and will need to be sharpened constantly.
@@anonanonymous1988 yes I'm well aware, hence my explanation that I'm happy to do it for a quick edge, or on a cheap beater knife
@PMCKnivesAndTools I prefer just to sharpen my knives well and just use a strop occasionally to bring back the edge. I used to use pull through knife sharpeners, but I found a few videos on the topic and switched. I also switched to D2 steel, and it works well and is pretty inexpensive.
All of my hunter friends carry these pull through systems and they all have dull knives because they don't understand how to sharpen a knife.
Just carry a DC 4 and a CC 4 and call it done IF and I say again IF you need to sharpen during skinning and if you use a D2 steel you can get through about 3 bears before you have to sharpen or 4 elk.
Nice spear gun .
I dont have this problem. Make your first incision through hair. After that cut from underneath. When you get to joints etc if you know where to cut the right tendons and connecting tissue limds fall off easy.
This video is the equivalent to a Prius owner telling sports car owners that driving fast doesn’t matter. You should try it out sometime, it’s pretty fun.
Perfect comment!
@@RevHiker thanks g
I own a Prius in addition to my 1969 Chevelle, fast is fun, but so is getting 56 mpg.
Says the self proclaimed frontier man who doesn't hunt lol
@@tolt1776 what are you going on about?
A person could learn a lot from a grocery store meat cutter. A knife gets dull by the edge rolling over, a butchers steel would be a perfect tool in the outback.
Great information, Cliff. As a hunter and woodworker, I fully appreciate the need for sharp blades and the skills to keep them that way. One of the greats in the woodworking field is Ron Hock and his book “The Perfect Edge”. If anyone wants to do a deeper dive into this subject, I highly recommend this book.
I’ll check it out. Thanks John.
What’s the knife you’re holding?
7
Always bring two knives - one ultra light very sharp fixed in backpack and bring your go to carry hunting fixed. I never use them until i have animal dow. Common sense to have them paper sharp.