Best Compact Sharpeners for Fishing Knives???

blacktail519 · 12-02-2003, 12:11 PM

Couldnt have said it better myself!
I too use the smiths wich too has worked very well for me as well. It also has ceramics in it for sharpening scissors as well. But cagey is not kidding, If you press to hard, you will soon have nothing more then a knife handle because it will shave it down to nothing.They are very inexpensive, you can get them at walmart for less then 5.00 bucks.the best carbide sharpener for the money in my opinion. Good Luck!

fishbait · 12-02-2003, 12:19 PM

my 0.02 worth. To solve this problem I made a leather "wrapper with pouches" that holds my big sturgeon kife and two fillet knives and my sharping steel. That way they are always together and I have my steel handy. I just use a good about 13 inch steel that I got at a knife store. This seems to work well for me. I do prefer a steel ofer a good stone, but use the stone a few times a year to dress up the edge. Looks like I need to check out the "smiths" unit...

blacktail519 · 12-02-2003, 05:24 PM

Fish bait has the right idea in wich i forgot to mention,
The smiths is used to sharpen and put the edge on the knife. The steel is what you will want to use to roll the edge back if needed, Like i mentioned earlier the smiths is a carbide sharpener wich will remove metal wich does a very good job of sharpening the knife. To many people dont understand that your knife can still be sharp with the edge rolled over making it appear to be dull, A few swipes of the steel your as good as new. CHOP CHOP!

Bluetick · 12-02-2003, 06:46 PM

Look at it this way your knife is a pyramid with a string on top that rolls over when being used. If your knife is sharp all you have to do is steel it with a really smooth steel, when it becomes dull and skips across your fingernail it has broken pieces across that string, thats when you put a stone to it or a diamond steel which is my favorite.
In this order
stone, diamond steel, smooth steel to finish. ceramic is good but breaks easy.
Hey just about my first post "Newbie fry member" and ex meat cutter.
Jeff

BodegaDave · 12-02-2003, 11:41 PM

Looking for advise & opinions as to what compact sharpener works best for sharpening fillet knives, etc. in the field. There are many out there and I have yet to discover one that will quickly and consistently put a keen edge back on my knives while doing a marathon albacore or rockfish filleting session. Thanks - Dave

[ 12-02-2003, 12:47 PM: Message edited by: BodegaDave ]

CAGEY · 12-02-2003, 11:47 PM

Try one called "Smiths". It is in a very light plastic handle and is simple to use. It will litteraly shave metal off of your knife if you press to hard. Have used it for hunting and fishing for several years and i love it.

BodegaDave · 12-04-2003, 04:41 PM

Hey - Thanks to all for the replies and advice!

Has anyone used or heard anything about the MeyerCo Sharpen-It? It has a set of Tungsten-Carbide wheels to sharpen dull knives and a set of Ceramic wheels to polish and touch-up an edge plus it also has a tapered honing rod for serrated blades. Here's a link to the sharpener and below is a review by a Professor of Knifeology :-) http://home.att.net/~highperformancecutlery/meyer.htm

"There is one class act in every category, and the Meyerco Sharpen-It is it for slot gadgets. Designed by Custom Knifemaker Blackie Collins to be so simple that it could be used on horseback, the Sharpen-It features tungsten carbide wheels for the first stage and fine ceramic wheels for the second. The ceramic is so hard and fine-grained that it is more like using a steel. With this combination, the Sharpen-It performs well at both sharpening and honing.

Unlike other slot devices, the Sharpen-It adds a third wheel to each set, giving two slots, and shapes them so that they sharpen one side of the blade at a time. This setup allows you to vary the bevel angle somewhat. Drawing the knife through at an angle decreases the bevel angle and gives a more razor-like edge. Since it is assembled with tamper-proof screws, I could not measure the bevel angles, but this information is less important because you won't have to use it with another sharpener to get complete results.

Also unlike others, the Sharpen-It can be used equally well left-handed. It is so compact when closed that it can be carried in the watch pocket of your jeans. The unit is well built and sturdy, and features a tapered hone for serrated blades. A less expensive model is available without the tapered hone."

[ 12-04-2003, 05:44 PM: Message edited by: BodegaDave ]

Little Dipper · 12-04-2003, 05:44 PM

I use a accusharp knife sharpner it is hand held and puts a quick edge on it.I've Use it for gutting elk to fileting halibut, and for sharpening my leatherman tool. Everyone should own one.The tool itself is a white body with a blue hand guard. Can be purchased at your local hardware store.Tried others but the best luck with this one.

BodegaDave · 12-08-2003, 06:37 PM

A fellow member of Coastside Fishing Club sent me a Accusharp sharpener & it works prett darn good. It looks just like the Smith's sharpener that was recommended by some of you in this thread. I think I will still pick up one of the MeyerCo Sharpen-It sharpeners and will report back down the road on it.

Thanks to All

Dave