At what angle do you sharpen your skinning knives?

[DigMe]

Anyone? Especially for those of you who have a Lansky sharpener.

I've asked for a "proper" hunting knife for Christmas (Bark River) but I've always used either my SOG Pentagon or a pair of game shears before. I use the Pentagon simply because I don't use it for anything else so I know that I won't dull it doing EDC type things, however, It doesn't hold it's edge all that long during skinning and I was thinking about changing the angle and keeping it as a backup.

brad cook

 

[Sharps Shooter]

I use the 25 degrees hole in my Lanski.

 

[Skoghund]

I use the 30 degree hole gives a not so sharp edge but it lasts a long time.

 

[DigMe]

I use the 30 degree hole gives a not so sharp edge but it lasts a long time.

That's kinda what I'm leaning towards.

brad cook

 

[Kingcreek]

my MadPoet custom skinner has a thinner edge but the hard D2 steel holds it well.
IIRC the Bark River knives are convex edge, no?

 

[Art Eatman]

I use 30 degrees on knives that will be used for field dressing. Same for the butchering, particularly around the hip joints.

On skinning, though, I've found it doesn't seem to matter. I've used an old Solingen pocket knife on a whole bunch of deer, and I guess it's maybe a 20-degree edge. And, I've used 30-degree knives. Whatever's handy and sharp.

One nice thing about the desert: My Wellington-type boots accumulate enough fine sand in the surface that they make fantasmagorical strops.

Art

 

[redneck]

I've got very limited experience skinning, but lots of experience sharpening knives (since I make them )
I always put as thin an edge on as I think will hold up. Good steel, heat treated properly will hold up to reasonable use with a very thin edge. And the thing I like about a thin edge is it will cut at just about any angle you hold it against your work. You can almost lay the blade flat against your arm and it will still shave hair. An blade sharpened to a more obtuse angle always has to be held at a steeper angle to get it to cut, which gives you a much smaller range of use between scraping and cutting.


Bark river knives have a very good repuation, you ought to be very happy with one. You should find out for sure whether they are sharpened with a convex edge, or just have a convex grind, before you try to sharpen it. If its a normal edge on a convex grind, your lansky will be just fine. Don't ask me what angle though, I sharpen free hand and would have to say "bout like this....."
If they have a convex edge, you will want to see how you like it. If you do, then you will want to learn how to sharpen a convex edge so that it stays that way. If you don't like it, then you can put it in your lansky and grind out a conventional edge on it.

 

[sumpnz]

Redneck - what do you charge for a general purpose hunting knife?

 

[Atticus]

Here's a couple pics of a "Redneck" knife. Sorry bout the funky pink -just trying to be creative. Matt does good work and is a good guy.

 

[redneck]

Redneck - what do you charge for a general purpose hunting knife?

Generally start around $75 now for a basic full tang knife with wood or micarta scales. Prefer using O1 tool steel, but can also work with 440C. Feel free to email me sometime if you'd like to talk about one.


Thanks for pics and the kind words Dave
I need to make a few knives like that one again, I liked that pattern. I've gotten some new tools and came up with a few new designs since then. Here is one I came up with shortly after that that has been pretty popular

Kind of funny. I intended it as a hunter/field knife also, but have had about as many end up in the kitchen as anywhere else

 

[DigMe]

If they have a convex edge, you will want to see how you like it. If you do, then you will want to learn how to sharpen a convex edge so that it stays that way. If you don't like it, then you can put it in your lansky and grind out a conventional edge on it.

Been reading a bit about that on Bladeforums. I'll probably order one of those leather-on-wood strops and some of that Veritas honing compound from Lee Valley.

brad cook

 

[redneck]

Been reading a bit about that on Bladeforums. I'll probably order one of those leather-on-wood strops and some of that Veritas honing compound from Lee Valley.

brad cook

That should set you up real nice. If it ever gets too dull for stropping, all you need is a little wet dry sandpaper and a mouse pad or something soft like that for a backing.
I need to play around with convex edges a little bit myself. I occasionally use a slightly convex edge but always finish on stones. Need to see whats its like when you do it right.

 

[belton-deer-hunter]

this is where i am differnt from most i sharpen my knife like you would an axe flat on the rock it gives the overall blade a edge and takes down the width which seems to me to be the one problem with hold the sharpness of the blade thin knives get very sharp

 

[wolf_from_wv]

Everyday knife usually gets 17, maybe 20.

Skinning knife a 20.

Buck Nighthawk gets whatever edge it will take. Have been able to shave hairs with it...

Fillet knife gets 17, polished and stropped. Usually get razor burn trying to shave with this one. Kitchen knives get a shallow angle too.

Axe gets whatever edge it will take - probably 25 or so.

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

I've been trying the Bark Rivers for this past season, both for gutting and skinning. I found they don't hold an edge all that long (one blacktail or 3/4 a boar), but they sharpen up very nicely and easily in the field with a rod. I've been using about a 20-25 degree angle, but it's freehand, so it's really whatever angle it came with.