Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How do you sharpen your knife in the field?

I have just about given up.

For the life of me, I can't keep a consistent angle on any stone, diamond plate or steel small enough to carry with me in the field. I end up getting it sharp, then with the next stroke wiping out all of my progress. Even with a bench-mounted stone, I am one of the unfortunate "sharpening-disabled" that never gets the results others brag about.

When hunting, I either carry more than one knife with me or use a replaceable scalpel blade knife.

I did pick up a nice drop-point skinner with a S30V blade, but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. I figure that should last me through the season, except in exceptional circumstances.

How do YOU handle this problem?

I learned how to sharpen a knife by hand with just a
whetstone many years ago. I screwed up a lot before
I figured it out.
Not really any places where I hunt to plug in any
electric sharpening machines

The only advice I could give if one can't sharpen a
knife by hand with a whetstone would be to obtain
one of many replaceable blade knives now available
on the market. There wasn't any such thing years back
when I learned. I'd be all over it if I couldn't do what
I do.
One other thing is to stop whacking at the stone
as soon as I get a cutting edge. It doesn't usually
take but a minute or so to put things back in order.


Good Luck

If you can’t do it by hand with something like a DMT diafold (what I usually throw in the pack) try either a sharpmaker or one of the cheap Rada pull through sharpeners. I really like the Sharpmaker. Ive never used the Rada but it gets good reviews for what it is.

If you need to touch up your blade in the field, the top edge of your truck door window will have razor sharp with just a few strokes. Assuming it already has a good edge.

I know it sound odd to some, but what he'll is wrong with carrying more than one knife. I carry a small Gerber hatchet , came with a caping knife in the handle.
I keep it razor sharp, never use for anything but game. I carry a buck small blade fixed blade in the pack. And a Gerber gator half serrated on my belt. Holding the hatchet like an ulu, skinning becomes simple . I did my brothers elk and mine, never needed to sharpen it until after getting home. The small knives are gutting. Deer are extra simple, start at the neck when you have a good start, pull the hide off,,bumping harder spots with the gutting knife! Just my way others mileage may vary.

https://www.kroger.com/product/images/large/front/0002792519004


These are super light and quickly make a dull knife usable. Not quite like at home, but will keep you cutting. Just a few pulls on each side. Often just need the ceramic side.

I used to carry a $4 lansky mini crock similar to what iron bender posted above, to touch up Vicky parers in the field.

For years now, I’ve been using a havalon and never sharpen in the field anymore, just pop a new blade in. Pocket folder to pop joints or pop blades out of the havalon. Doesn’t get enough use to ever need sharpening in the field.

For skinning and gutting I usually have a knife roll with a Victorinox boner and a Victorinox skinner, together with a steel and a folding gambrel in camp, and use it for all the skinning and butchery. Steeling your knife regularly keeps the edge, without needing to remove metal, and you can do a lot of work before you need to actually whet your knife on a stone.

Out in the bush I have a knife to open and gut, and to do things like putting the foreleg through the tendon of the corresponding hind leg so as to make it easier to carry the deer out. A knife should do several before needing any work, if it is a good one. Just in case a knife should need a touch up I have for some years had a steel card, the size and thickness of a credit card, impregnated with diamond abrasive. It sits in my wallet with the actual credit cards, licences etc, taking up no appreciable room or weight. It does a good job. I don't remember the brand, but I doubt they are hard to get.

One other thing that may help you here is a knife with a Scandinavian grind. For these you can just sit the bevel of the Scandi grind flat onto the stone/sharpener to get the angle. You grind the whole of that wide bevel. I have a couple of Helles made this way, and they are definitely very easy to maintain the angle on. You could even colour the whole bevel with a Sharpie, and then use the stone to remove it evenly, to help you.

The Helle knives also come with a laminated steel blade, meaning that a very hard layer (for great edge retention) is sandwiched between softer layers (for better toughness). I remember once using one of these to gut, skin and butcher several deer in a row, without any need to touch up.

Keep two sharp knives with me, usually a Buck folder with S30V and a fixed blade. If they need touching up (not sharpening) I run them a few strokes over a ceramic rod. All done.
Really only reason to have two is if I have to clean something really sandy or muddy. Usually one will do it.

For deer One knife is enough, no need to sharpen even through a couple deer. In fact for years I had a western knife that was made of something like 440A steel and even that held an edge through a couple of deer.

I find it helps to have a second blade for a moose, between the skinning and getting through the knees one knife is marginal. Rather than field sharpen I just carry two. However i just bought a Outdoor edge razorlite replaceable blade knife and see how that goes next year.

Use a folding diamond stone, piece of saddle girth for a strop in my backpack. The strop is what really does the trick on my Buck 118’s

Only shooting and field dressing whitetails I've never had the need to sharpen a kinfe in the field as I don't even cut to the bone when gutting.

However, if I felt the need to carry a sharpener, it would be the same one I ust at home for kitchen kiives, fillet knives or any other knife for that matter.
A few strokes and you have your edge right back where it should be.

Accusharp

My hunting buddies hand their knives to me for sharpening. The key is to keep the knife at the same angle. I hone the knife at a slightly steeper angle. Last couple of hunts I've carried a replaceable blade knife along with my favorite knife especially useful with bigger game animals like elk. I like smaller knives than many - much handier, IMO. While I have large knives, I mainly use the larger knives when cutting up meat for the freezer or the grinder. I avoid cutting bone with knives - many people seem to feel the need to cut the sternum, I don't understand this need and have not done this for a many years. Also, when cutting skin, cut the skin from the inside rather than cutting through hair - as much as possible.
Happy hunting

Bugger

I always have a “diamond” sharpener with me when hunting! If you do not allow your knife to get too dull......the back side of a leather belt can bring it to near razor edge! I suspect that most of us wear a leather belt! memtb

Yup, Accusharp in a pinch.
Also have in my truck the Work Sharp Field Sharpener.

Usually dress 2 deer before I need to touch it up.

What are y'all cutting up elk/moose?

Get it sharp, keep it off of bone, rocks, dirt.

Carry a Havalon or something with replaceable blades..

Last month I field-dressed 4 deer with one of Dale Howe's knives and a Sagan Saw that I used to split the pelvic bones and the sternums. The blade is still sharp, but a few swipes across the ceramic sticks brought it back to close to razor sharp. I don't like to resharpen in the field if I can avoid it, as I don't like to get blood, fat, or hair on the sharpener.

I usually carry a spare knife in my field-dressing kit, often a Mora, a Cold Steel Pendleton Lite, or a serrated Victorinox paring knife.

A 1000grit Japanese waterstone hone.

hanco, what can I use for a strop, an old belt, piece of saddle leather.. I often wondered if that took a certain kind of leather..
Not long till you retire, enjoy.. It was wonderful..

When hunting I almost always have a second knife.... its like a NY reload. Be prepared. For deer and smaller game, its unlikely you will need to sharpen a knife, as long as it was sharp when you started hunting.