Knives and Sharpening Method for Deer Butchering?

[Grmps]

Lansky works well for the money.

Once its sharp you shouldn't need more than a good steel to keep it sharp while butchering.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

At the house, I use the cardboard/fiberboard wheels mounted on a grinder. One has emory grit glued to it, the other gets some white buffing compound. There are several different brands. They can even be made if you so desire. I can make a butter knife shaving sharp in just a few minutes with the set. Eats a bit of steel over time, but I like inexpensive Moras and the for mentioned boning knives which are cheap enough to replace when needed. In the field, I carry a Lansky diamond paddle with med and fine grits, folds up like a butterfly knife. I rarely need it it as long as I stay away from bone and hair.

[Gunners Mate]

Old Vintage Buck Skinner caper and zipper kept sharp with a Ruby Stone

[fiberoptik]

Gotta say one of the most beautiful sounds to me is the sound of a good carbon steel knife on my steel!


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[pashiner]

I don't butcher many deer, but I clean plenty of fish, and use a knife at work a dozen times a day or more. I believe I've found the cheapest, most expedient system for maintaining a scary-sharp, dry-shave comfortably edge through hard use. The key is a very slight convex edge...not a convex grind. The grind doesn't matter, just a slightly convex secondary bevel. I sharpen with an Arkansas stone, then finish with a Japanese water stone of the finest grit I can find. Day to day stopping is done on plain cardboard. I just keep an empty cardboard box nearby, or a small scrap in my pocket. At the first sign of reduced performance, or tell onset of boredom, strop a few times on the cardboard. After many months of this routine, the cardboard begins to become less effective, so ai touch up on the Japanese water stone unless I have edge damage, in which case I go back to the Arkansas stone and start over.

[Shawlerbrook]

Another vote for the Worksharp tool. Fast and easy !

[No_1_U_Know]

My wife and I skin and quarter with benchmades. But we butcher 100% start to finish with a Morakniv filet knife. A pair of those is all we use after the meat is off the animal. They are cheap, sharp, comfortable, stainless, and have a good amount of flex to them for removing fat and silver skin. I’ve given probably half a dozen of them as gifts. I think everyone that butchers should have one.

I use work sharp stuff to sharpen. If I’m away from home I use the guided field sharpener. I remove the plates because it becomes much lighter this way and gives easy access to the broad head wrench, which I use much more often. I don’t let my knives get dull enough to need the plates. I use the ceramic rod and leather strop exclusively, even after a whole animal, maybe two if you don’t hit much hair and bone. Never have come close to needing anything more coarse.

At home I have the knife and tool sharpener with the blade grinder attachment. It’s the belt sander style sharpener. I could honestly get by with just the guided field sharpener, but power tools are nice. The same level of sharpness is achievable with both once you’re proficient with the manual methods.


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@fightthenoise

Thanks for the tip on the Morakniv. Looks like they make a variety of filet knives: can you post a pic provide more info on the one(s) you use? Thanks!

[BRIARPATCH]

I use work sharp stuff to sharpen. If I’m away from home I use the guided field sharpener. I remove the plates because it becomes much lighter this way and gives easy access to the broad head wrench, which I use much more often. I don’t let my knives get dull enough to need the plates. I use the ceramic rod and leather strop exclusively, even after a whole animal, maybe two if you don’t hit much hair and bone. Never have come close to needing anything more coarse.




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I hope these Work Sharp gadgets are as handy as you all say because I just ordered myself one via good old Amazon Prime.
Now maybe the wife will quit fussing about danged old dull knives.

[AnthonyB]

I bought a Work Sharp Ken Onion for Christmas and then promptly bought one for all my kids. Best thing since sliced bread!
Tony

[tazman]

Good steels for keeping your knife sharp seem to be hard to find in this area. The majority that come with knife sets are so soft and rough that they are worthless.
I have found a couple of good, older ones at sales, that I keep in the kitchen for the cutlery there.
I need a short one that I can carry in the woods with me.
Any recommendations out there?

[OldBearHair]

This is what I did Tazman. Having several of the older steels, cut the tip off one three inches long and made a handle for it. Overall length is five and three quarters inch. Carry when Bowhunting to sharpen broadheads. Use the bigger one for shorter knives. The oldest steel I own is the fluted type and one of the newer ones has micro grooves running lengthwise that leaves a rough edge. I don't have any idea what steel is used to make the best steel. One could be forged with a little care applied.

[tazman]

This is what I did Tazman. Having several of the older steels, cut the tip off one three inches long and made a handle for it. Overall length is five and three quarters inch. Carry when Bowhunting to sharpen broadheads. Use the bigger one for shorter knives. The oldest steel I own is the fluted type and one of the newer ones has micro grooves running lengthwise that leaves a rough edge. I don't have any idea what steel is used to make the best steel. One could be forged with a little care applied.

That is an interesting idea. I am not sure I have the necessary skill or tools to make such a thing though. If someone makes a good one that is light and short enough to carry in a small pack, I would like to know about it.
Perhaps something about 6 inches long give or take.

[OldBearHair]

That is an interesting idea. I am not sure I have the necessary skill or tools to make such a thing though. If someone makes a good one that is light and short enough to carry in a small pack, I would like to know about it.
Perhaps something about 6 inches long give or take.

What I did was fairly easy. First cut off with 4 1/2 inch disc grinder. Smooth cut ends with belt sander. Found some aluminum tubing the correct size for a handle and used JBWeld to put it together. Use a rubber plug and store a few matches, fish hook, or flies and mono in the handle.

[tazman]

That sounds much easier than what I was imagining. Guess I will have to find another steel that I can convert.

[doulos]

I have some Victorinox and Chcago cutlery Knives I use for butchering. But I use a cheap set of butchering knives from a Field and Stream kit quite a bit. Ive sharpened knives with just about everything imaginable. Work Sharps, beltsanders, Lansky's , KME clamp systems.paper wheels , freehand on waterstones. But my favorite by far is the Edge Pro system. It is a non clamp system that really shines with longer knives. Yes there is a learning curve , but its short. I like to touch up with a ceramic rod and leather strops. I get better results than with a steel

[swamp]

I don't hunt anymore but my most used knife is a Old Hickory 7 inch butcher knife. Very useful in camp or kitchen. I did modify it a bit. Figured it was time to replace the old handle.
swamp

[wonderwolf]

I'm a fan of the EZ-LAP stones, I don't like jigs or widgets or rods or much anything else...good flat double sided stone. Fine/medium and ultra fine for just the touchups...rarely do I need to use anything courser unless its a tool that sees/seen abuse.

[fiberoptik]

That sounds much easier than what I was imagining. Guess I will have to find another steel that I can convert.

Grohmanns sells a steel about 6” long.
http://www.grohmannknives.com/index....ts/accessories


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[Tim357]

I don't hunt anymore but my most used knife is a Old Hickory 7 inch butcher knife. Very useful in camp or kitchen. I did modify it a bit. Figured it was time to replace the old handle.
swamp

Yep. What he said. IME, no better blade for the money

[Static line]

Japanese water stones and knowing the correct way to sharpen a knife is where it is at and not destroying your edge with a machine or steel.Also,know your edge and how you want it to perform.You may require an edge with a little bit of tooth and not so refined as to slide and slip over silver skin and fat.A cheap knife with soft stainless steel needs to go into the junk drawer because the edge just rolls from one side to the other and holds a burr or wire edge that is the pits to abrade off.