Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Knife Sharpening

I like ceramic sticks with a wood block. Should be able to get a set with 2 coarse sticks, 2 fine sticks, and the block should have a 20 and 25 degree settings.

When things are awful I use a Lansky or a WorkSharp to re-establish and edge then go back to the ceramics for maintenance.

You have to clean the ceramic sticks once and a while. A little Ajax or similar powdered cleaning compound will clean up your sticks so they can "cut" your knife edge again.

The rada weighs almost nothing and is small in the pack, easy to use, don't over think it.

Had a hunter kill an elk and pull out a havalin disposable blade knife and in a few minutes broke the blade off inside the cavity somewhere. If you want disposable buy a 5 pack of cheap paring knives, razor sharp and 2 or 3 will dress/skin an elk. Toss'm when done, weigh nothing.

Kent

I like that Spyderco setup.

The hardware store sells a little pocket/keychain version, I think made by Lansky. It has a carbide V on one side and 1/8" ceramic rods on the other side. The carbide is good for sharpening a hoe or shovel, in a pinch, but I only use the ceramic on my knives.

Heck, I often put a shaving edge on my pocket knife or a hunting knife using the unglazed bottom and then the glazed side of a ceramic coffee mug. But if one struggles to hold the appropriate angles when stroking the edge, the V sharpeners are fool proof.

added: google Lansky quick fix knife sharpener. I see one listed at $7

Thanks ya'll for reminding me. I have to run out to the truck and touch up my EDC on the window edge

Been using those since they were wood and yellow plastic, over 20 years.

I have stones, lanskey, belt sander.. mostly I use a steel to touch up and a rada to set the relief when needed.

Kent

Yep, this works great !

Home, stone & steel.

I use the Arkansas stones if i want a really sharp razor edge.

This can’t be beat for quick, easy, and lightweight.

I can sharpen almost any knife I own sharp enough to shave with and I've shown a lot my friends how I do it. Most of can't do it because they just don't have the patience. I use ceramic rods, Arkansas stones and a Smith diamond sharping pad (if the edge is real beat up) followed by a steel. I've given my SIL (who can't sharpen a knife) everything I have except I gave him a diamond plated steel instead of a Diamond sharpening pad. For his 50th birthday I gave him of these:

https://warthogusa.com/product/xtreme-edge/

I haven't used one of these but I saw a bigger model on the counter at McBrides gun shop and a customer was sharpening his knife on it. He said he had one at home and it's all he uses now. I don't know if SIL has tried his yet.

I use a Lansky and have for 30 years. Think I’m on my 4th set of stones. It works fine for blades about 5” or shorter and great for many broadheads.

this

on the stones, I might spend several hours sometimes.

I have the Smith's 50594 Diamond Precision Knife Sharpening System. When I first sharpen any knife I use the course diamond stone until I get a wire bead rolled over on one side and then work the other side until the bead moves over. Then I go to the medium diamond stone and work the bead back over both sides (it will be smaller this time). Then I work it back on both sides with the fine hard stone, then strop it on some leather. It is usually hair shaving sharp by this stage. Cheap or soft steel knives will never get a great edge and they won't keep an edge for long. A decent piece of steel may take more work up front but will hold the edge and will be easier to get back to sharp.

Yes, That is actually the type I have. A couple of them in the camper and in the kitchen. I failed to remember the brand name.

The Lansky quick fix mentioned above appears to be an equivalent replacement.

Geez. What kind of steel and what kind of stones? I am curious.



As for the OP you have a couple of choices. You can learn to sharpen on stones. Many good Youtube videos. Search for Cliff Stamp, Steel Drake, and Calton Cutlery. If you can't learn to sharpen from those guy's videos (which I doubt) maybe you just flat can't and need to move on. Up until youtube came along I could half azz sharpen on stones and used a Lansky jig. Then I learned the pieces of the puzzle I didn't know.

You can get a sharpening gadget. Jigs, mini belt sanders, pull throughs etc. Eventually you are going to need a way to "thin" or lay back the edge and some of these limit you on that. The better jigs are the KME and Edge pro.

Problem is that good sharpening stones and gadgets are expensive. So the third choice of something disposable could be just the ticket. I call em "glorified box cutters" but they certainly would solve your problem. Sell off your good knives, get a glorified box cutter and buy something else nice with the balance of the money.


A lot of knife makers offer a sharpening service. You can send a Buck in and they will sharpen it for you for a few bucks.....no pun intended.

When your stones wear and are.no longer flat, it's hard to get a fine edge. It gets more and more frustrating.
If the knives aren't high quality, then a cheap carborindum from a discount store will serve you well for practice and starting with a square flat surface .

There's umpteen instructionals on YouTube.
Lots of good advice.

Here's one. Cliff is a good farmer who likes all things sharp.
Do a search and you'll find one here on basic how to.
https://m.youtube.com/user/CliffStamp/videos

Do you have a family member who is a barber, meat cutter, machinist?
They will do it for you for buying them lunch.

Blessings,
Happy Camper

I bought a 1x30 belt sander from Horrible Freight, 40 bucks on sale. prosharpeningsupply.com has belts from 120 grit to 1000 grit, and leather strop belts. They also have a neat angle guide that fits that sander, makes it easy. Amazing edge.

I use a diamond stone or oil stones. It’s a feel thing. I can feel when it goes slick. I hit a couple licks on a piece of saddle girth. It rips hair off your arm.

The Rada thing is great for kitchen knives, but I wouldn’t use it on my good knives.

Warthog