How to Sharpen a Hunting Knife

Every hunter hopes for a successful season. We put in the work to prepare and hopefully it all goes as planned so we can take our prize home with us.

I carry two knives with me when in the field. A folding knife clipped in my pocket for general tasks like cutting rope, paracord, opening food, etc. I also carry a fixed blade to process my animal pending a successful harvest. 

Prior to the hunt, I make sure both my knives are sharp. I sharpen both to the same angle, so I know exactly how I am going to resharpen them in the field. I also make sure that the angle is complemented by the sharpener I am carrying with me. I don’t want to have to do an angle change to a more acute angle in the field. That’s unnecessary work and frustration that will take more time to accomplish. I typically sharpen to 20° per side at home and then carry the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener to sharpen and hone at 20 and 25 degrees so I keep a sharp edge.

While field dressing, pay attention to how your knife edge is cutting. When you notice that you need more pressure on the knife to make a cut or your cuts are starting to look sloppy or jagged, it’s time to hone your edge. This is important because a sharp knife requires less force to make the cut which results in a more precise cut, less wasted meat, and less chance of an injury.