Never Could Sharpen a Knife.

[2lumpy]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-28-14 AT 08:21PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Nov-28-14 AT 08:19?PM (MST)

I've owned wet stones, oil stones, files, Lanskey, steels, ceramic rods, etc. etc.

I own a Havalon, I love it and I love the concept. It has earned it's place but it certainly hasn't and can't replace my other knives.

I have a drawer full of kitchen butcher/fillet knifes, and other drawer full of hunting knifes and a third full of various and sundry pocket/utility knives.

A coupe of years ago I purchased a Work Sharp, it works as advertised and I like it well enough, it puts a good working edge on all my knifes, and it does it better than any of the other tools I've owned. The Work Sharp may not be the best tool for everyone, especially if you have the "knack". Which I clearly don't. I suppose a good stone, in the hands of a patient and skilled craftsman might put the very best edge on a blade, but that's been beyond me.

HOWEVER, about a year ago I purchase a knife from R. Hatfield, a custom knife maker and a gentleman. He posts here on MM, on occasion. Then Mr. Hatfield sent the knife I purchased, he included a very inexpensive hand sharpener made by EZE-LAP, (apparently EZE-LAP manufactures a number of different sharping products). This little 6" by 1" tool is, without a doubt, the most efficient sharpening tool I have ever owned. It is simply a piece of plastic with a 2" strip of diamond metal tape glued on one end. It couldn't possible weigh an ounce. In one minute or less, the "Fine" EZE-LAP will take any knife I own, that has been sharp but lost it's edge due to normal use, and take it back to hair shaving sharpness.

I've never tried the EZE-LAP "Course or Medium" tool on really dull knives but this little "Fine" tool is perfect to keep a tight edge on a hunting or a kitchen butcher /fillet knife, if the knife hasn't been over used and so dull it needs heavy metal removal.

It's Thanksgiving today, and beside building me a beautiful hunting knife, I wanted thank RELH for introducing me to a great little tool, a tool that I use on one knife or another, nearly everyday. I'm passing this little tidbit along to the MM community because I believe it might be a great addition to you and your families/buddies hunting/fishing gear. (maybe a good stocking stuffer for your sons and daughters)

This image is off on of the on-line companies. I believe the EZE-LAP can be purchased at many different retailers.

Thanks a lot Robert, and all to MMers, I hope you all had a great day today!

DC

 

[txhunter58]

I too love my work sharp, but like you say, when you have one sharp and is a little dull because you just gutted a deer and you need to do a minor tune up before you skin and quarter, sounds like this might be just the ticket. Will have to try one. Thx

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[deadibob]

If your knife went a little dull after gutting a deer you need a knife with better steel.

A good quality knife should gut and skin several deer before needing a touch up. It's either that or you are putting the wrong angle on the edge.

 

[Foreman4x4]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-28-14 AT 11:24PM (MST)[p]Havalon, problem solved.

 

[eelgrass]

Havalon might be the answer, but it's a matter of pride

Some type of mechanical device to maintain the correct angle, and some practice with the correct abrasive materials and anyone can sharpen just about any knife, at least well enough to handle field dressing and skinning.

Eel

It's written in the good Book that we'll never be asked to take more than we can. Sounds like a good plan, so bring it on!

 

[sageadvice]

Like many, i carry a pocketknife wherever i go and it's never "dull". It seems to me, the older i get, the harder it is for me to do a lot of things i once thought easy and sharpening a knife with a stone is one of them. My good knives get the special treatment but for the many utility, work, and kitchen knives i have with questionable steel, i use one of these gadgets. A buddy gave it to me along with his high opinion.

Again, i won't use it on my good stuff but with it, i can take a cheap steak knife from dull to extra sharp, in seconds.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"

 

[cannonball]

Lumpy, Call Jim Holt there in town. He is the best knife sharpener I have ever seen. I'm sure he would give you some advise and may even sharpen your knives.

 

[RELH]

2lumpy, thanks for the nice comments. I always include that Eze-Lap diamond stone with my S30V knives. Reason for that is I heat treat that steel to a hardness of 60RC and most hunters have a hard time getting that hard steel sharpen with a common oil stone. That steel is very abrasive resistant then most other steels and because of that the edge will stay sharp longer, but it is a bugger to re-sharpen.
Most of my customers that buy the S30V knives will see to it they are sharp before hunting and re-sharpen after coming back from the hunting trip even after field dressing and skinning out several deer or elk. I have several reports of 2 elk being done and knife still sharp enough to do a deer. One customer from back East stated he skinned out 6 whitetail deer for him and his hunting buddies and did not have to touch up the edge. A lot depends on how you use the knife.

Myself I can feel the blade starting to drag a little after doing 2 deer. I am one of those guys who do not like to work blind inside a deer's chest and I will use my knife to rip open the rib cage with 2-3 pulls and that bone cutting will dull the knife faster then the guy who is careful about making hard contact with any bone.

The "worksharp" belt system is also another good knife sharpener to use on hard steel. It puts the same "convex" edge on the knife that I do in my shop and I prefer it over the straight "V" edge you get with most sharpeners.

RELH

 

[txhunter58]

LAST EDITED ON Nov-30-14 AT 07:08AM (MST)[p]

 

[txhunter58]

>If your knife went a little
>dull after gutting a deer
>you need a knife with
>better steel.
>
>A good quality knife should gut
>and skin several deer before
>needing a touch up. It's
>either that or you are
>putting the wrong angle on
>the edge.

Ok, so I didn't give my first post enough thought before posting. I was really just trying to say, "thanks for the tip". Lets try again. After gutting, skinning, and quartering several deer or elk, you might need a touch up. Is that more to your liking??

I actually still use a german made 3.5" folding knife that I got when I was a senior in high school (in 1976) for 90% of my animals. It has very hard steel and once it is sharp, I can skin, quarter, and bone out an elk with just the knife and no touch up and no saw (I don't gut elk).

It also helps to have a steel handy for between animals to realign the edge. It is not always the sharpness that needs correcting. I have done many an elk with this knife without a touch up, but it is nice to run it across a steel with a few strokes now and then.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[2lumpy]

cannonball I've heard Jim does an excellent job. I could take my stuff over to him but I'm too stubborn. I keep wanting to "do it myself". Like eel said, "it's a matter of pride.

As if using Work Sharp can satisfy my prideful side!

As RELH explained, in so many words, "a one armed chimpanzee can put an edge on a blade with the Work Sharp".

Truth is, I'm so talented I ground a big section out of one of my good Case pocket knifes the first time I used mine, that's how smart I am. Practice on the best stuff you have, that's my standard behavior.

DC

 

[RELH]

2Lumply you are supposed to practice on the wife's kitchen knives before touching your pride and joy that you use for hunting. Just make sure the wife does not have a $800.00 set of fine kitchen knives. If you screw them up, you might need 6 of us for pall bearers.

RELH

 

[2lumpy]

A lot of good that does me now! She nearly put me under for grinding up the $79.00 set. Long ago she adopted the, "we can't have nice things" attitude. After 43 years, she's fully aware of my juvenile nature.

DC

 

[RELH]

We must be married to sisters. After 45 years and raising two sons. We married them off and out of home. Now my wife tells our two daughter in laws she still has one kid at home and can't get rid of his juvenile antics.

RELH

 

[2lumpy]

Atta-boy Bobby. They say there is a special place in heaven for children, we're going to get to find out!

DC

 

[John_The_Bastard]

This is a very useful post. The sharpeners seem a great idea and will also make inexpensive useful gifts for fellow sportsmen. I will order some. I would like to hear more comments and advice on changeable blade knives......ones with disposable blades. Are there more that 1 manufacturer and are there different versions. Thanks!
J_T_B

 

[jeffreykooken]

I am going to buy an Eze-Lap. This sounds like a great tool. I love the Work Sharp belt sharpener. Ive sharpened everything I own including the cheapist china made knives that people and oganizations keep giving me. I seen a YouTube video just yesterday that the person sharpened his knife with the edge of the window of his truck. Good idea in a pinch, although Im not usually near the truck when I need an edge. I like the Havelon knives, and used mine a lot. Problem is the blade pops off if I turn it wrong. I use a knife called a Z-Blade knife, from pfimold.com which I seen advertised in Eastmans several years ago. Same blade as the Havelon #60, only this is encased in a plastic handle. Only drawback is the plastic handle cant be left in the field. I always pack it out. Dangerous sharp.

 

[2lumpy]

John--. I did a Google search on "disposable blade knives" and it looks likes there's quite a variety of disposable blade systems but not a lot of folding disposables. If I remember right, there are at least two styles of Havelon knives, the regular and one with a longer blade that I think they suggest for fish filleting kinds of work. I've not had a Havelon blade pop off my handle but they are very easily broken if you put any sideways pressure on the blade. They're thin and brittle and I break them on a regular basis. I carry three or four replacement blades in the scabbard when ever I take mine out. They don't break if your careful, we've gutted a bull moose with mine, without breaking a blade but you can do it easy if you start twisting and pressuring them against anything hard. Havelon's are pure flesh cutting tools and nothing more, in my opinion. If your trying to get through sinew, gristle or bone, use something else. I don't even use mine for skinning, too sharp and when I'm skinning I don't want to be as worried about slicing a finger off. They're basically a razor blade with a knife handle attached. I love mine, it's nearly weighless and it's earned it's place on my belt.

DC

 

[DW]

Hey john I've got 3 havalons:the piranta (I carry in my pocket), the bolt-same blade bigger handle, and the barracuda-fillet knife which I haven't used yet. The piranta and bolt will take 60a blades which are a little stiffer than the 60XT blades my piranta came with. U can skin, quarter and bone an elk with a single blade provided u let the blade do the work as lump said. I love em! Blades are relatively inexpensive, bought 100 60xt's for $30, 60a's are slightly more. Once u use em on an animal or two you'll wonder why u didn't buy 1 sooner!

 

[DW]

http://www.knifecenter.com
Try these guys john. Best havalon prices I've found.

 

[muley505]

+1 on the Havalons. I've said this on here before, but I've used them for 4 or 5 years now on just about everything from grouse to Oryx, and you just can't beat them. I've gone through dozens and dozens of blades over the years, and I've only broken two. The new 60A blades are stronger, but the knife is still not meant to be used to pry anything and shouldn't be treated as such. They are absolutely the sharpest knife you will ever use, and you have to be very careful because they will slice you wide open without you even knowing it because they are so sharp and cut so cleanly. And when they get dull, you just swap the blade, and you're razor sharp again. When light is fading or it's getting hot out, I don't want to take five minutes to get my knife fairly sharp again; I want it razor sharp in a moment, and that's what you get with the Havalon knives. They weigh almost nothing, they are super sharp, and they are razor sharp in a moment. Get one, and you'll never turn back. This is not an ad =); I just really like my Havalons. They have greatly streamlined my process of getting my game into the freezer.

 

[Deerlove]

+1!

 

[John_The_Bastard]

Thanks for the comments and knowledge. I have a couple under the tree and really appreciate the comments on actually using the knives and being careful.
J_T_B