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

I carry the skeleton type buck skinner, caper& a boning model along with that smith sharpener and a removable blade when hunting elk, sometimes we get more than one from a herd. Deer hunting a sharp 110 folder has always been adequate but I usually always have a sharpener. I had to resort to a rock in a stream to finish an old boar one time & would prefer not to repeat that.

If your knife gets dull just gutting an elk, next time sharpen it before you go hunting. Skinning, OHOH, will take the edge off. The trick is to keep the same angle. There are many sharpeners that are 15 degrees. Some prefer 20 but keeping it the same is what matters. I carry one of these Smith sharpeners. There are similar brands and Smith makes variation of this one but they all have a fixed angle, a diamond hone, and most work very well.

Forget the quick gadgets, the replaceable blades, and the for home high dollar waterstones. Honestly get yourself a good pocket knife or Swiss army unit and keep it sharp and in the pocket. Buy a couple Moras to use and practice keeping a scandi or convex edge sharp and maintained.

Next get yourself one of them folding DMT units with a med and fine side or get a Falkniven DC4. Then get a small strop. They sell these little strops pretty cheap. In a pinch you can use a leather belt afield.

This setup weighs little. A DC4 and piece of leather can keep my knives and axes in field maintained shape forever. Those disposable knives are actually really good if you dont want to learn to maintain your blade but they have an element of fiddlyness and fragility to them. They're good but a man with a good knife and the ability to maintain it is better.

Get those cheap tools and a couple Moras and go for it.

I carry some knives in a small bag and sharpen them at home.

Carry a Randall as a rule they dont need field sharpening.

if they do they come with small red India stone carried on the side of the scabbard that will touch one up.

$25 Forschner and a cheap steel. Keep the edge straight with the steel and I can process a lot of critters without having to actually sharpen.

When was guiding I carried two knives. Plus a third knife and my Gatco sharpening kit in my duffel bag back at camp.

I've got a couple of Doziers that will easily skin and quarter 4 deer before needing a touchup and will do an elk or moose as well without having to be touched up. Get them sharp enough to shave hair before going afield and don't worry about it.

Lol…….plus, mules kick when they get pizzed……

I'm with rockchuck. Simple Smith sharpener. Quick, easy, takes seconds to get the edge back.

super simple. Replace the blade. I've not seen a single moose/sheep/bear guide that I've worked with lately without that setup. I've used em for years. 1-3 blades on a big moose. Can't get any easier.

At home where I can access my paper wheels I'll use a couple of fixed blade.

while some enjoy sharpening, to me its work. Run on the cardboard wheels on the grinder and call it good.

Doing a few moose, a Randall won't quite do it all and IF you happen to dull it... VS so easy with havalon etc....the Randalls stay home or get used as an emergency survival blade these days.

McCrosky Custom Knives
520 S. Willis
Stillwater, OK 74074

405-624-9900

All this schitt will be over with on a hunt

Like to skin and butcher a couple of elk without ever thinking about touching a blade to sharpen....

How about skinning and butchering 4+ deer and never touch up the blade...

The real deal...not a bunch of BS

Mccroskeyknives.com

A lot of pretty schitt goes down the road after using a McCroskey knive, including everything made in Germany!

Freeking unbelievable knives!

I always used a Wyoming knife to start with and for the gut hook. Changed to a new blade and promptly left it on the shelf at home this year. Was upset about but it turns into a happy mistake.


I carry several knives in my back bak including a Bark River Canadian Belt knife that was luckily sharp. It made extremely short work of the doe my buddy took.

I use a short victorinox filet type knife for some delicate stuff nad a samll CRKT drop point but the belt knife got made most everything else unnecessary ( except a few seconds wiht the Victronix) and went through the rib cage easily.
Those little bone saws suck.

I have two type sharpeners plus a hone in my pack but like most have advised- having the knife already sharp goes a long way.. Should be part two of checking zero before season.

On the dry, bleached bones of my mortal enemies!

If you can sharpen freehand , a DC 4 and a ceramic rod is all you need.

I just buy good knives outta the gate, if I can’t work up a bull or a few deer, I’d just soon throw it over the hill

Are these American made?

I use a Gerber Big Game with replaceable blades. Screw that sharpening chore.

Where I hunt the deer wear Silica on their deer hair.

Cutting open the deer belly dulls the blade.

In 2021 I got 2 deer.

The Spyderco pocket knife was sharpened with this diamond hone.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06W9J9RTN

Just a couple gentle strokes is all it needed.