What are you guys using for sharpening your blades?
Worksharp and a steel to touch it up. For gutting I have a variety of knives I use, mostly for sentimental reasons. For cutting meat I use Dexter butcher knives and a couple other similar brands of commercial butcher knives none of them are very expensive and they hold an edge well. Big cutting boards, meat totes etc. finish out the ensemble. Good LEM grinder, the best you can afford. Bags to grind burger into and a tape dispenser thing. We have a plastic folding table that we put PVC pipe "stilts" on to raise it so we don't get back fatigue. It's an absolute must if you ask me. 20-22" I think is all it took.
For fish I use a Mr twister electric fillet knife, replace the blades every year, you can only sharpen them so many times.
I also use a white cotton glove when cutting game or fish, soak in peroxide and wash after with the laundry. Helps with your grip or if the meat is froze it really cold. Plus provides a little protection if you bump a blade.
That's what I use start to finish on a critter and it serves us well. Easy set up, easy take down.
Sorry, that might be more info than you were looking for
Beware of any old man in a profession where one usually dies young.
Out in the field I have used Helle, Victorinox folder with a saw blade, Ingram, Buck, Oldtimer, Gerber, to name a few,
Lately my favorites have been Ingram's I have a couple B&T's, and his take on a modernized puuko in D2 and S30V.
I am a knife whore with store bought knives. my EDC's now are with D2, S30V,S35V and lately S90V steels.
For WT dear I'll just grab a 4" fixed blade with a synthetic handle. For small game, I use whatever I have in my pocket that day.
For the working knives I've been using the Chef'sChoice manual diamond hone sharpers. They make one for fishing and hunting knives. Quick and easy way to dress up an edge.
Gun Shows are almost as comical as boat ramps in the Spring.
I have used a lot of knives over the years, but for pure practicality most times now I have a Victorinox Hunter for in the field. It has a locking main blade and a gutting blade, so I can open and gut a deer or whatever, and it also has a multiplicity of other uses as it has a really good saw, an awl, screwdriver etc. It is a good size too.
Once I have the animal back to camp I have a knife roll in which I have a Victorinox boner and skinner, steel, and folding gambrel. I think it is had to beat the knives the blokes in the meatworks use, who make a living at this.
I use much the same thing on fish - SAK to gut, Victorinox flexible boner to fillet.
About 30 years ago when my daughter was little she gave me that Buck protege for christmas, bought at Kmart. That knife has done for a bunch of animals in the field, still does. The henckels and victorinox bird beak paring knives are great skinners. For elk I'll take the extra knife usually.
Butcher knives I have Dexter, Victorinox, Henckels stainless in various boxes... and a bunch of carbons in an old butcher box. I have even more up at the place in the mountains and the camp trailers.
I like the carbons to butcher with but mix it up to justify keeping all these knives. They all do the job just fine.
That was the first 'hunting' knife I ever purchased and I cut the hell out of my palm opening it up. Not from the blade- form the stupid plastic package. Mine is a clip point and I don't really use it for hunting anymore (found drop points) but still love the grip and keep it as a gen purpose truck knife.
One amazing thing about it I had used it to clean a deer at my sisters place and lost it. Found it over a year later buried in mud by the barn- not a spec of rust on it. .
When a country is well governed, poverty and a mean condition are something to be ashamed of. When a country is ill governed, riches and honors are something to be ashamed of . Confucius