Bring sharpener for fixed blade or ditch it for a Havalon?

[Macintosh]

I use a SV30 knife and should not need to touch up the blade. In case I do want to touch up, for example to cape out a head, I made a small strop. It is about 1" by 6" leather glued on 1/4" plywood and treated with diamond slurry. Small and light but will dress even a blade of the tougher to sharpen steels.

Glue a sheet of 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper to the other side of that plywood and you have yourself a complete sharpening system!

 

[Hnthrdr]

Is this the one you guys are talking about? It weighs 4.6oz. At that weight, it seems easier to just bring a second fixed blade.

Guided Field Sharpener

The ultimate companion for those seeking razor-sharp edges in the great outdoors. Engineered with precision and packed with features, this sharpener ensures optimal blade performance wherever you roam. Angle guides create a consistent 20° edge on coarse and fine grit diamond plates, with 25°...

www.worksharptools.com

That is the heavy duty one. They have a much lighter one without the fishhook sharper, 3 honing rods, and the strop. It’s just a coarse, medium, and fine. I hope they still make them they are great

https://a.co/d/6Xo2FXA

This is the one. 1.6 oz for ya

 

[tt_johnsclist]

There is something very satisfying about sharpening and butchering with a good fixed blade.

I’ve always wondered, what do people do with the discarded disposable blades? Pack in a sharps container and pack them out?

 

[SirFellowShrimp]

Keeping an edge on a blade at the proper angled is a skill that takes time and practice. Some guys can never use a stone or steel. They just can't hold the angle in both directions. Depending on your experience on sharping is what you will use. Over time you will get comfortable with a method to process your game. You just need to find it. I'm old school with Buck fixed blades. They have worked for me for decades. I also carry a Wyoming saw. Good luck and Happy Trails.

This is so true. I got into freehand sharpening on a larger stone this year and it was a lot harder than I anticipated and was for a time frustrating. But I stuck with it and have been able to achieve pretty good results with the one diamond stone and a strop. I'm sharpening my friends kitchen knives now as gifts to them.

I reckon the Morakniv's angle would be pretty straightforward to maintain with a small diamond hone since it's a scandi grind. I'm maybe grabbing one of THESE and will practice before taking it into the field.

 

[SirFellowShrimp]

Anyone ever tried to sharpen one of the blades on the Outdoor Edge knife when they got home?

 

[5MilesBack]

I’ve always wondered, what do people do with the discarded disposable blades? Pack in a sharps container and pack them out?

Put them in the package that the new blade comes out of and put them and the gloves in a ziplock and into the pack.

I love skinning with my Havalon, which is most of the work on breaking down a bull.

 

[TxxAgg]

I’m surprised how many people are saying you push through a whole animal and sharpen at home. I touch up my blade probably 6-8 times when I’m taking apart an animal. Only takes a few seconds, just a few quick swipes with a steel or similar. I like working with a reasonably sharp blade. I use one of these currently.

View attachment 772725

I do the same thing. Keeps it super sharp and it's cheap, easy insurance.

 

[fshaw]

I like knives so am not a replaceable blade guy. A good knife, fixed blade or folding, with a 3-3.5" blade will easily quarter or bone out a deer without sharpening. I've not shot an elk, but have butchered pigs and helped on a cow. For an animal that size the same knife would work well also but may need a touch up. If you want a sharpener, I'd recommend a single sided DMT Diafold or Mini Sharp in fine grit (red). They will do any of the hardest steels and the handle helps you keep your hands away from the business parts. Buy a cheap knife like a Victorinox paring knife to practice on. The paring knife makes a fine bird and trout knife after you're done practicing on it. You'll be surprised how fast you can get an edge back on a knife. A couple minutes (2) would be taking your time.

Shameless plug, but I have a BAC Alpine Hunter for sale in the classified that is very light weight and would do any buck you get without a touch up of the edge. It'd be just the thing for a long trip in and the price is good.

That knife is in hard M4, if you don't like that knife I'd highly recommend M4, S30, S90, and Magnacut among the newer "super steels". Nothing wrong with older standards like ATS 34, CPM 154, D2 or any of the better high carbon steels. The high carbon (non stainless) knives require a bit more care to prevent rusting but have been getting it done for over a century.

Feel free to PM Me if you have any knife questions that I can help with whether you want my knife or not.

Good luck on your hunt.

Frank

 

[cumminsbassguy]

I've always used a fixed blade and always had a diamond rod to touch up the edge. I now have the DMT mini sharp stone in Blue (coarse ) and red (fine) I would recommend the diafold due to a bigger work area and easier to handle. But they work wonders. For years I've used a 3" custom blade I inherited from my grandpa, and an old timer sharp finger I found on the ground, many a deer, bear and my moose with those. Now I carry a viccy 4.5" paring knife, Chicago cutlery 72S game and fish knife ( curved boning knife ) and a cutco serrated drop point hunting knife for the mooses and bears. There's also a mora on my bino harness and a opinel #7 in my pocket on every trip

 

[welkin]

I like having both fixed and replaceable. For switching out the blades, I use the leatherman pliers always as that is when you are most likely to cut yourself badly.

 

[intunegp]

Anyone ever tried to sharpen one of the blades on the Outdoor Edge knife when they got home?

My extremely frugal grandfather used to ask me to touch up his Outdoor Edge blades...I would do it just to humor him, but at around $1.46 per blade I have a hard time justifying spending any time on it.

 

[Bugger]

I’m surprised how many people are saying you push through a whole animal and sharpen at home. I touch up my blade probably 6-8 times when I’m taking apart an animal.

It’s doable if you start with a really good edge and leave all joint/bone work for the end. The cheat code is the WEN rotary whetstone with the tormek knife attachment. Factory sharp edge at whatever angle you want in ~5 minutes.

 

[Antares]

It’s doable if you start with a really good edge and leave all joint/bone work for the end. The cheat code is the WEN rotary whetstone with the tormek knife attachment. Factory sharp edge at whatever angle you want in ~5 minutes.

I understand it's doable, it's just not my preference. I want to finish with my knife just as sharp as when I started. The best way to sharpen a knife is to not let if get dull.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I dont understand how yall are breaking blades on a havalon. Use it like a knife and not a hatchet and you will be fine. Also why do we need to change blades while cutting up a deer?

Those Mora's are pretty decent knives. If its sharp I don't see why you would need to touch it up while cutting up a deer.

All that said. Havalon doesn't weigh much. I keep one in my pack along with a fixed blade that I like. I do use the havalon the most though

 

[Steve300xcw]

Deer are small.

Sharpen your knife before the hunt. There is no real need to resharpen if it is a decent blade.

A mora is what $15? Just pick up a fresh one before season opens

 

[mtnbound]

I dont understand how yall are breaking blades on a havalon. Use it like a knife and not a hatchet and you will be fine. Also why do we need to change blades while cutting up a deer?

Those Mora's are pretty decent knives. If its sharp I don't see why you would need to touch it up while cutting up a deer.

All that said. Havalon doesn't weigh much. I keep one in my pack along with a fixed blade that I like. I do use the havalon the most though

Any time I break one of the blades, it is caused by me twisting the knife when I am deboning.

 

[5MilesBack]

I understand it's doable, it's just not my preference. I want to finish with my knife just as sharp as when I started. The best way to sharpen a knife is to not let if get dull.

Before I started using a Havalon I tested my S30V knife after I got home from an elk hunt and breaking down a bull. It still easily sliced shreds of paper. So my question would be, if it's still that sharp afterwards, how do you know when it needs a touchup during the process?

 

[flyfisher117]

Given it's your first time i would vote carry a Havalon, carry a good little fixed blade, and carry a small field sharpener. You will make mistakes, you probably will cut through hair and across bone and dull a knife. I'm voting for having both and learning and experiencing both.

I tried havalon knives. I absolutely hated replacing the blades and felt like I was one slip away from slicing myself. Even with the plastic tool. I did love how sharp and precise they were.

I tend to carry 3 knives. Usually a pocket knife or Leatherman in my pocket. Then I usually have 2 small knives in my kill kit. Weight and space taken up is minimal.

 

[Robobiss]

If you go the fixed blade route, this is all you need for a sharpener and they weigh next to nothing and take up very little space. You could pack 10 of these and not notice.

DMT Diafold Hardcoat™ Double-Sided Sharpener

Two stage sharpening with compact convenience. One of DMT’s signature products now outfitted with the proprietary Hardcoat™ surface for extra durability when used to sharpen ceramic blades. While all DMT diamond sharpeners can sharpen hard steels and ceramics, the HC™ surface provides for extra...

www.sharpeningsupplies.com

DMT makes very high quality stuff and it will likely last you the rest of your life. A bonus is that you can touch up broadheads, a hatchet or axe (the diamond essentially doesn’t wear out so you wouldn’t beat it up doing a big job like an axe with it), fishhooks, etc.

It may be a bit of a learning curve if you don’t *actually* know how to sharpen stuff, but it’s a skill worth learning. I have a couple of these in the truck, in my pack, etc and have a large 8-10” bench top model for the house that I use for my kitchen knives and all sharpening tasks at the house. Can’t go wrong.

 

[S-3 ranch]

No way in hell I would trust a havalon replacement blade
I carry a fixed blade carbon steel Moraknifv and a spyderco folder in s35vn or CPM 20cv and a small Lansky pocket sharpener ( just to keep razor sharp)
I don’t trust gimmick gadgets like replacement blade knives