A new answer to an old question?

I have been on the prowl lately for thee best...(and simplest to use)...........KNIFE SHARPENER. What do you think is the best and why?

I use the good quality, but plain, white-handled filet knives for most work. Mostly Dexter-Russels on the boat as they are readily replacable. I will not filet a fish or anything else with a dull knife so I am sharpening edges a lot of the time. And....I am always glad to hear of a better way of doing things.

I have a pretty good collection of sharpeners to date.

So far, I like the regular diamond-dusted steel darts to keep an edge on the knives, also this combo metal/ceramic V-setup in the photo below, but it is a little awkward at times in close quarters and rocking seas. Lansky's are another favorite.

What's YOUR best method and choice of sharpener?

[Edited on 12-30-2006 by Summanus]

Those "V" sharpeners will eat a blade up in a hurry. I'd go with a stone, then a leather strap. Some things are best done with a knife that's somewhat dull, such as skinning a filet.

Thanks much for the tips, but I have done all the things mentioned many times over...I am looking to add something new to my knowledge.

Skeet..I have owned and sharpened those old bolo-like knives made out of spring steel for 30-odd years. Also use the stone frequently. I have a couple in leather sheaths as wall decor in my den.

I must politely disagree, Cypress...It has been my experience nothing will cause more injuries than a dull knife...especially when filleting/gutting many large fish with tough skins, for which a dull knife is useless. Not to mention the other chores for which a sharp knife is required. My experience has been that the combo V-sharpener I am using in the photo works very well for many sharpenings. I don't feel it uses up the steel as quickly as a large hone. Perhaps you have used a different element.

Diver, I will contact and yak with the knife whisperer...he/she sounds like a kindred soul.

I don't even talk in my sleep about where our deer camp is, skippy. IF you were told, I would have to field dress you...or my hunting buddies would!

Seriously, some favorites are Ft. St. James, BC, Powder River SE Montana, Badlands Little Missouri ND , high desert NM, and fresh burns almost anywhere..especially near high desert. I don't mind traveling to hunt...on this continent from the Sonora desert to Alaska to NW & Central Canada (a neighbor hunts on Prince of Wales Island..maybe close to your area of Coffman Cove). Hyder area for me. Mulies are my choice for most hunting...whitetails in the bottoms . I avoid any place east of Old Miss.

Those little Florida whitetails are kind of overrunning the neighborhood, aren't they? I hear they will eat your lawns overnight and have your flowerbed for breakfast. Lots of PETA members moved in, huh?

What's your favorite tool and method for a quick, in-camp, sharp edge?

Skeet...we'll invite him to our deer camp.

An old Baja hand fits in with us. Thanks for the Shrade tip. A good blade.

One of our northern camps. Think of it as Baja with glaciers.

Gotta agree with the Skeeter man, even if he can't spell "Schrade". I'm still using a Schrade Uncle Henry that I "won" when I registered a 9 pt. Whitetail at the Eldorado store in the Uwharrie NF, central NC, back in 1985. Have skinned many, many critters of all sizes, never used anything but a stone and it's still in fine shape. But then, I ain't very sophisticated about such things.

Oso, I was being polite when repying to Skeet's Shrade/Schrade reference. He had the brand right, just can't spell worth a darn.

Those little Uncle Henry blades are okay for those puny rabbit-deer back east, but we have to use machetes out west just to cut some backstraps for a snack.

George...yes, that is my Uncle Norm with the horns. Born that way, as most of that side of the clan was when Granny was taking all that thalidomide. The one on the ground is cousin Rufus...shot dead by a city slicker and laid out to stiffen a bit 'fore we planted him near the rose bushes. Waste not, want not ..is our motto.

'Bout those knives for skinning deer etc., Buck or Case, folding blades. A good saw is a must.Fileting fish? The jury is still out on that. Use two knives. One to cut the filet, very sharp, another to shave the skin from the flesh, not quite as sharp.

Oso, nice to meet another Nomad hunter. We have enjoyed outdoor hunting sports all our lives... before it became 'off-topic', so to speak.
Best not go there..I fear we are outnumbered!

I agree on those lottery or bid hunts...for oil shiek-geeks or mega-rich trophy hunters. There is private place in New Mexico where 4 permits are bid on per year....not a thing I want to do. We are free-lance in most everything and used to doing things for ourselves, including a lot of Baja-related activities. I, too, prefer using the smokepole for close stalking and finding the mark within 100 yards or less. Glad you sensed the humor on eastern whitetails..big they are, but crowded.

I grew up bow-hunting with a Browning Magnum recurve 62lb. short bow in some of the best mule-deer and antelope ranges in the west. I would get out long before dawn ..sit quietly in the woods and become one with nature. I would sit so still the squirrels would steal the peanuts from my vest pocket. My wife often says I have not forgotten this skill. Are you married or can you do pretty much as you please?

Plenty more deer, elk, antelope, turkeys, etc. these days than ever before in US history...thanks to our Game & Fish departments and sportsmen's efforts. But..we have far too many roadkills around our place, too. When you are out driving here, those 'eyes' show up too often...keep alert! That fine hair drifting in over the radiator always makes my nose itch.

The return from hunting in Sonora is a real pain in the burro.

Hey, y'all turn up that there dueling banjo music, grover! Or better yet, play Ravel's Bolero for old time's sake...ah, that brings back memories!

stir..stir...stir

Quote:

Originally posted by Cypress 'Bout those knives for skinning deer etc., Buck or Case, folding blades. A good saw is a must.Fileting fish? The jury is still out on that. Use two knives. One to cut the filet, very sharp, another to shave the skin from the flesh, not quite as sharp.

I agree, Cypress. Bucks have always been a carry-along for me. Case was my childhood folder. Remember those mumbley-peg times! Watch out for the toes!

But for filleting fish: Some skins are super tender, like brookies, cuts, lakers, walleyes, sierra, pintos, etc...some are real hides, like sharks, pargo, triggers, etc. I know what you mean about using a duller knife 'sometimes' to get the skin off a filet, but after literally doing thousands of fish over my lifetime commercially and as a sportsman, I can say that MOST OFTEN a sharp blade will win the day. We agree to disagree..and nice to yak with you about fish.

I'll bet my fishing buddy below wishes that he had used a sharper blade!

(I didn't cut his head off to protect his identity, it's just because he is SO dang ugly.)

For skinning triggers- a good pair of pliers.

Grover, my furry blue friend, I much prefer Rathergood's "We like the moon".

Speaking of backstraps; My neighbor just gave me some from one of those Sonora muleys. Any good recipes? I'm tired of worcestershire sauce, thinking about Italian dressing and in the oven a short while or would the grill be better? I'm guessing somewhere between 1 to 2 lb.

On a different note, Customs is really peeing a huge load of people off with exaggerated and purposefully slow inspections, at least here at San Luis and Algodones. Old farts (older than me) who can't depend on "Depends" are losing their places in the 3 hr. pedestrian line when they have to bail out to attend to physical necessities. The vehicle line hardly moves at all and stretches back all the way through town and down both sides of Mex 2. Many are complaining that they are treated "like terrorists" just for getting a few meds at the farmacias. Algodones dentists are crying about the loss of business. This is BS.

Oso-----

FINALLY they are beefing up the border inspections!!!! 50% of the folks want the border checks more stringent and thorough, and the other 50% want them more liberal.

Who is right??? Well, if some terrorists slip thru the border guess who is going to howl the loudest????? Yep, the lefties, that's who.

I vote for stiffer border inspections, and I am willing to put up with the inconvenience (or not go down there at all).

(You brought it up)

Barry

Yeah, can't be too careful about all those octegenarian, blue haired suspicious characters with their walkers and Hawaiian shirts. Likely Al Qaeda indeed! Heaven forbid we should engage in -gasp- racial profiling!

If that's the way you feel about it, tocayo, be prepared to sit in line for several hours and bend over for the finger wave. Oh, and be ready for $10 lettuce. If you only go to Baja once or twice a year, maybe you can deal with that. Those of us who live along the border think this is bullchit. Our farmers are paying $9/hr for labor and plowing under fields of prime crops because they can't get enough hands to pick it.

There's a "catfish skinner" on the market, been available for years, looks sorta like plyers, but is made specially for skinning fish.
About that backstrap! A little butter or olive oil is all you need.

Oso-----

Border watch...Northern Division

US/CANADA MINUTEMAN SNIPER

Those dang Canucks will NOT get all our mall's good bargains home!

back to knife sharpers

Well, okay, if we must...here's some tips on the sharpening process.

The mistakes commonly made in sharpening are uncontrolled edge angles, failure to establish a new edge, and leaving the edge too rough.

The keys to success are:

1) Use an angle guide to control the edge angle,

2) Sharpen until you raise a burr, and

3) Hone or polish the edge smooth.

Some stones I have seen state that you should hone like 'trying to slice a thin layer or a decal off the stone.' This is bad advice, and here's why: most people won't hold a constant angle this way. the sure-fire way is to use a guide to maintain edge angle.

Is that dude sitting up behind my house?

Sharpeners for the boat or camp

Oso..Lansky makes a handy folding ceramic rod sharpener called Fold-A-Vee. It folds for easy carrying and features two angle settings for filet and hunting knives. This may be the best camp/boat sharpener out there that I have found, but is not as handy in a boat or campsite as the following two.

There are gimmicky hand-held V-sharpeners that are mostly junk, but one or two are okay in a pinch. You put the blade against a gunnel or bulkhead... edge-side up and carefully, but firmly, draw the sharpener down it's length. A quick-fix.

The first is a very good one handheld for only $2 at most sporting goods stores. The Normark knife sharpener is a slot gadget that really works...and at 2 bucks everyone should have one or two. It has two sets of ceramic rods set at 20 degrees. The medium gray rods sharpen and the fine white rods hone. I have used it to restore a slightly dull blade to shaving sharpness. At $2, it surely is the Best Buy. The Normark's 20 degrees is perfect for touching up a filet knife where the initial edge was 17 to 18 degrees.

There is one class act in every category, and I think the Meyerco Sharpen-It is it for these slot gadgets. Designed by Blackie Collins to be so simple that it could be used on horseback, the Sharpen-It has tungsten carbide wheels for the first stage and fine ceramic wheels for the second. The ceramic is so hard and fine-grained that it is more like using a steel. With this combination, the Sharpen-It performs well at both sharpening and honing.

Drawing the knife through at an angle decreases the bevel angle and gives a more razor-like edge. Also unlike others, the Sharpen-It can be used equally well left-handed. It is so compact when closed that it can be carried in the watch pocket of your jeans. The unit well built and sturdy, and features a tapered hone for serrated blades.

Well, that's not as fun as joking about snipering our buddies up north, but it's follows the thread!

Because I use these two sharpeners a lot, I will post their pics. First is the cheap Normark..a good buy.

second..the MeyerCo sharpener

p.s. they run about $30.

[Edited on 1-1-2007 by Summanus]

Summanus-----

Many thanks for the Suggestion and recommendation.

I just ordered the "Meyerco Sharpen-it" on line from "Knife Works" for $20 plus S&H----total about $28.

Once more the NOMADS have helped me out------------NEAT

I'm calling BS on this one

Quote:

Originally posted by Oso Yeah, can't be too careful about all those octegenarian, blue haired suspicious characters with their walkers and Hawaiian shirts. Likely Al Qaeda indeed! Heaven forbid we should engage in -gasp- racial profiling! If that's the way you feel about it, tocayo, be prepared to sit in line for several hours and bend over for the finger wave. Oh, and be ready for $10 lettuce. If you only go to Baja once or twice a year, maybe you can deal with that. Those of us who live along the border think this is bullsh-t. Our farmers are paying $9/hr for labor and plowing under fields of prime crops because they can't get enough hands to pick it.

Big Al------

additional cost

3 Nomad Thread-jumpers found wounded in lettuce field!

3 thread-jumpers were found lying wounded in a lettuce field near El Centro last night.

Barry A., Oso, and Big Al were admitted to an area knife-trauma clinic for treatment of wandering from the thread.

They had multiple wounds...corkscrews to the head, nail files to the chest, and tiny scissors cuts to the kneecaps....obviously had some sort of run-in with either the Swiss or Russian Army.

[Edited on 1-3-2007 by Summanus]

Well deserved

Summanus--------

Big Al-----

-----I use a CUTCO filet knife and it is awesome, but really expensive (I got it as a gift from my son).

Cutco

Al-----

Just an old classic, but damn good, knife...

You can't go wrong with one of Rapala's fillet knives for your boat or fishcamp. The 7 1/2 inch model is the best for Baja. Barring that I would simply buy the ones I mentioned in the other post...commercial grade 7"- 12" white rubber-handled Dexter-Russels. Neither one of these brands will break your fishing budget.

..And..you can cut lettuce with them.

OOOH, that corkscrew is uncomfortable

I'd be glad to continue the Agro-Economics discussion elsewhere, like off-topic or we could just drop it. I'm good with either way.

BTW, a real lettuce knife, for the field not the kitchen, looks almost like a big putty knife or chisel. It's made to sever the root stem with a pushing motion. Harvesting lettuce with one of those skinny little Rapalas would be even more murderous on your back.
http://www.ontarioknife.com/indagr.html

Oh for Neptune's sake's, OSO...I was kidding about the lettuce knife!! I KNOW what tools to use in the field...grrr. Don't make me get out my spatulas and what-all.

By the way, isn't it time you bears were hibernating?

Enlighten us, Great Bear!

We're drowning in information and starving for knowledge.

Besides, one can only say so much about knife sharpening.

[Edited on 1-4-2007 by Summanus]

lechuga

The view from my deck.

Free Letuce

Reaction

Correctamundo

Good point. I don't know why they don't either. I could be wrong but apparently they unpack the boxes that are packed in the field and use the perfect heads. Me, I don't like that prepackaged salad. With all the e. coli scares lately, I want to wash and cut my own. All the farm labor buses now tow trailers with porta-potties and hand washing stations. But, sometimes they can be a long walk away...

OK, now I'm really off the subject. This was triggered by lettuce or knife sharpening or...?

The South Park kids are in the 5th grade...

NOW - checked this thread again, to see what is it, that can be so interesting about KNIVES. Let me see: beside knives, I know now about SALAD and prices -plus harvesting it; then about Cajon's hoarhouse, and the OT namecallings of 5th graders. I love this Forum - you never know what to expect when opening a thread!!

OKAY Question: - can the knife you use for filleting fish, also be used for filleting MEAT? Seriously - never could figure it if there IS adifference or not.I just use in my kitchen whatever knife I get hold of, and seems sharp enough.

FARASHA (..geez...using all CAPS, I feel like I am shouting..)

No, a fillet knife makes a poor choice for cutting meat in the round. Not all knives are created equal. WHEN WILL WOMEN GET THIS THROUGH THEIR HEADS!!...arrghh...sigh.

What are you using that knife for? It is important to select an appropriate knife for the task to be performed.

This will be for MEATS.

Without betting into a very lengthy discussion here, a skinning knife, boning knife, and steak knife will fulfill most needs.

Generally, a skinning knife is used for sticking and skinning farm animals.

The boning knife, which can be used for sticking, is most frequently used for muscle boning, trimming meats, slicing small cuts, and cutting a chicken carcass. Sometimes this knife is used for trimming vegetables and slicing cooked meat if appropriate knives for these tasks are unavailable.

The steak knife is most frequently incorporated in the slicing of larger meat cuts and may be used for the separation of a carcass into smaller cuts, carving, and even slicing other foodstuffs, if the appropriate knives are unavailable.

Well, I hope that help your choice, Farasha?...(..and see how much softer your cute handle is without the caps?)

happy slicing and dicing....

watch out <f>

Farasha...

Your Dad's tool was most likely a very popular 'rod sharpener.' Great for putting an already angled edge back on a blade in a hurry. This is used by a lot of butchers and chefs. Hang onto it, it will be of use...and it IS a keepsake, after all.

Did it look like this one?

Lansky's is great product.

I couldn't agree more, msteve. I think Lansky's makes one of the most popular sharpening kits around. Good for a lot of hunting, fishing, and home uses. Great prices and quite a variety of choices.


Farasha, that keepsake rod sharpener should be okay still...give it a try if you feel like you should be using it. If not, make or buy a nice display case and hang in your kitchen as a memento from your father and grandfather. I've done the same with some objects from my father's use, also. But then, I am an incurable romantic.

Its Just A Mans World!!!!!

Yesterday, on the advice of previous posts, I splurged and bought the Lansky system. I'm afraid I can't say I am really happy with it. Of course I am never happy with my knives unless they leave little bald spots on my arm when testing for sharpness. Looks like I will have to spend even more now to get the Ultra-fine stone. In frustration I dragged out my old Spyder Co. setup which had lost it's effectiveness over the years. I scrubbed all of the stones with Barkeeper's Helper and Voila, Good as new!

So to answer the origional question without getting into the harvesting and marketing of lettuce, the Spyder Co. System IMO is the fastest and easiet way to restore an edge and a good Forschner steel to maintain it between sharpenings.

A chainsaw file will put an edge on a knife quick, but it will also eat a lot of metal.

LA Times Food writer sold on Edge Pro