Sharpening a Fillet Knife

[Special]

OK what do you do? Resharpen the blade or just go buy a new one for 5 bucks? I'm been torn. I just can't get it as sharp as a new one.

[Crappielover89]

get a worthog sharpener it is the best out there and can do all your knifes!!! $5 adds up after a few fish.

[Ramp 23]

Lansky sharpening kit, & a good knife. I have some Buck ocean pro`s for many years, fantastic knifes.

[Special]

Using a leather strap has anyone ever done this. Old school but I seen barber shops using them on there shaving blades getting that close shave? Anyone ever tryed?

[Rebelss]

Five bucks? Spend some money, get a good one, and a good honing stone or hard Arkansas stone, some honing oil, and a steel or a strop, and learn how to use them. You'll have razor sharp knives for life.

[Whopper Stopper]

Five bucks? Spend some money, get a good one, and a good honing stone or hard Arkansas stone, some honing oil, and a steel or a strop, and learn how to use them. You'll have razor sharp knives for life.

           X2

          WS

[Lobes]

Lansky sharpening kit, & a good knife. I have some Buck ocean pro`s for many years, fantastic knifes.

I use a GATCO sharpening system. Works just like the Lansky, just a different brand. Makes all knives (even serrated) sharper than new.

                                                           
NBG

[jeepinjeffxj]

I have an old smiths tri-hone, nothing gets a knife sharper if you know how to use it. Its hard to find an old one but my grandfather had a like new in box backup he gave me. He bought 2 of them years ago and in 40 years hes worn the blades off of several good knifes with it... and it will likely outlast him two times over and the man uses it almost daily. It can be tricky keeping the right angle, but I have made some razor blades out of old saws-all blades for practice, time consuming but a good way to learn and kinda cool. I wrapped the handle of one in para cord and it makes a decent survival saw/knife! 

[bobberbill]

A butcher's steel keeps the edge honed. If the edge gets too worn, then a stone or ceramic sharpeners should used. I touch up my knife several times when i clean fish.

[frozengator]

I use the edge maker, 4 step process for really dull knifes. If I just maintain a good edge on my fillet knife I just use the last step. 8 or 9 swipes and its pretty sharp.  http://www.edgemaker.com/sections/tutorials/FourStep.aspx

[Skipper]

Five bucks? Spend some money, get a good one, and a good honing stone or hard Arkansas stone, some honing oil, and a steel or a strop, and learn how to use them. You'll have razor sharp knives for life.

+1.... And I would like to add....

Fancy sharpeners have their place, in a trash can. Youtube has several thousand how to videos, watch them carefully. You will need a few different stones from coarse to fine grit, a leather strop (any leather belt will do) and some water or oil. When you learn how to do it properly and effectively, you will be the most popular guy around. It is easy to get any quality knife to a shaving edge, you will be picking up "junk" for free or little cost and brining it back to life. The best part, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A RAZOR SHARP KNIFE TO USE!!! IT IS A SKILL WELL WORTH LEARNING! There are no shortcuts though, the old fashioned way is still the best.

I should add that many filet knives like the Martiini Rapalas, Mora, and others will have what is called a Scandi grind... this is important. It is very common with knives from Norway, Finland, and Sweden. You may want to google that. 

[dbike988]

Electric knife...cheaper the better and they like a raped ape

[rugby ice]

can't beat a wet stone!! Remember the old man sitting at the kitchen table w/ a cup of coffee and that wet stone on his thigh going to town and you could shave with that old timer pocket knife!!

[Borion2]

A butcher's steel keeps the edge honed. If the edge gets too worn, then a stone or ceramic sharpeners should used. I touch up my knife several times when i clean fish.

My son and I took a knife skills class and one thing I learned is that sharpening steels a specific to the knife maker.  The hardness of the steel and the hardness of the knife blade are critical.  A good knife can be ruined by the wrong sharpening steel.

[pike4some]

I have normally used one of the stick sharpeners that comes in many kitchen knife sets. Seems to work pretty good for me any way.

[fishfighter]

Lansky sharpening kit, & a good knife. I have some Buck ocean pro`s for many years, fantastic knifes.

I could never master using the straight file or using a flat stone.  I use the Lansky system on my hunting knives also because it's fool proof once you've got the angle right.  When running our butcher shop, I use those ceramic sharpeners that you pull the knives through because it's quick and our hands are usually too messy to do any other way.

[harry]

For quick touch up i like the little red rapala sharpener works great leeps real sharp if used regularly. The steel and leather strap both realign the edge for lack of words the edge gets out of whack like fingers from both hands sticking up thru each other with palms facing each other the strap and steel push them inline again. Hope ya get the analogy lol

[pike4some]

I would love to have one of those Norton brand ones. We had one at work one time and a guy I worked with would sharpen them so sharp for me. They have an oil resevor for oil to be stored in and you just spin the stones to which one you want to use at the time and the oil is already on it for you.

[gerth21]

I use one of these http://www.worksharptools.com/sportsmans-knife-and-tool-sharpener/work-sharp-knife-and-tool-sharpener/flypage.pbv.tabs.tpl.html.

These things will put an amazing edge on any knife. Well worth the money.

[kevs]

Diamond stone to set the edge and then either ceramic or diamond stick(s) to maintain the edge. Or, go electric. After many years (36) of using fillet knives I finally gave electric knives a try. Tried a couple different brands and settled with the Mister Twister Piranha. Got both the 7" and 9" blades. Have cleaned 100's of gills, crapps, a lot of bass, walleye and pike. No sharpening. It took a little practice and time to get used to, now I get better fillets in less time.

[Lip Ripper Latini]

+1 for a good knife and a stone

[OTIS]

+1.... And I would like to add....

Fancy sharpeners have their place, in a trash can. Youtube has several thousand how to videos, watch them carefully. You will need a few different stones from coarse to fine grit, a leather strop (any leather belt will do) and some water or oil. When you learn how to do it properly and effectively, you will be the most popular guy around. It is easy to get any quality knife to a shaving edge, you will be picking up "junk" for free or little cost and brining it back to life. The best part, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A RAZOR SHARP KNIFE TO USE!!! IT IS A SKILL WELL WORTH LEARNING! There are no shortcuts though, the old fashioned way is still the best.

I should add that many filet knives like the Martiini Rapalas, Mora, and others will have what is called a Scandi grind... this is important. It is very common with knives from Norway, Finland, and Sweden. You may want to google that.

Skipper, can you suggest videos any in particular?  I fight with the many knives we have and just can’t seem to get then right.

[Gills-only]

Touch my rapala knife up with knife steel, really works good for me.

[perchice]

I am not very skilled with a flat stone and can never get a fillet knife sharp....Until I bought one of these....So simple a cave man can do it ..It loves the thin fillet knives, and you can sharpen 2 or 3 of them in under 3 minutes! They come out shave worthy! Never have a dull knife laying around anymore.
http://www.amazon.com/Chefs-Choice-320-Diamond-Sharpener/dp/B00005KJWZ/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1359656886&sr=8-10&keywords=chef%27s+choice+sharpener

I also have the gatco kit that I use for my thicker knives, but it does not work for me on a flexible fillet knife blade.
I agree the old fashion way is a great skill to have, I just don't have it, or the time!

[fish-kabob]

I use one of these http://www.worksharptools.com/sportsmans-knife-and-tool-sharpener/work-sharp-knife-and-tool-sharpener/flypage.pbv.tabs.tpl.html.

These things will put an amazing edge on any knife. Well worth the money.

that is a good pint on the sand paper but for a light fillet knife that would wreck the blade maybe it would work for a bubba blade


any ways here is a you tube video on how to shapen with sand papper my suggestion some thing 400+ grit up to 3000 grit trizac... this guy is useing wood ware i have seen pain glass used too for the holder for the sand paper. 

[esox slayer]

a scrap block of granite countertop the same size as a sheet of 1500 grit waterproof sandpaper.  all you need.

[backwoodswalker]

The biggest secret to a sharp fillet knife is not letting it get dull. I have many stones and a lansky sharpener that work great for hunting knives and butcher knives, But my fillet knives only see ceramic. The factory edge on all I see are pretty rough when you look at them with magnifying glass, But work pretty good. As a rule when filleting, Open a cold one and take a drink and start filleting. When you stop for another swallow, Touch your knife up on ceramic sharpener. Only 2 or 3 strokes. It stays razor sharp. When ceramic gets dirty just wash with dishsoap and water. Good as new.   Steve

[blood tracker]

Touch my rapala knife up with knife steel, really works good for me.

x2 on the steel, hold up your hand with fingers extended that is what a sharp blade looks like under a microscope, hold up your hand with fingers curled and that is what a dull blade looks like. the steel is used to straighten out the micro fingers on the blade. occasionally you need to hone the blade but the steel works good for keeping a sharp blade

[Drifter_016]

I use a GATCO sharpening system. Works just like the Lansky, just a different brand. Makes all knives (even serrated) sharper than new.

                                                           
NBG

Use a Gatco sharpener myself and I can get my fillet knives sharp enough to shave with.

If you're buying $5 fillet knives you're getting pretty crappy steel that won't hold an edge very long.
Spend a few bucks and get a decent knife.   

[bart]

Butcher steel