When hunting or even cooking your dinner, it is essential to use a quality knife and, most importantly, a sharp one. But why do you need a sharp edge and not a blunt one? Sharp knives are better than dull ones due to several reasons.
Last update on 2023-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
When you cut yourself, a dull knife causes the wound to heal more slowly than a sharp one does. A blunt knife also requires more power to use, increasing the possibility of damage if it escapes your hands. A dull blade makes a knife more difficult to control, which reduces its effectiveness.
That’s why when it comes to hunting, skinning, camping, cutting, survival, etc., people tend to prefer a sharp edge over a blunt one.
How sharp should a hunting knife be?
It is common knowledge that a hunting knife can only be useful if its edge is razor-sharp. If you want to get the best usage out of your hunting knives every time you use them, you must maintain them in good condition since precise cutting is necessary, particularly while skinning an animal.
What is the best knife sharpening kit?
Sharp Pebble Premium Knife Sharpening Whetstone
There are many knife-sharpening kits, but this is our top suggestion if you are okay to make the effort to use a whetstone.
The Sharp Pebble knife sharpener kit has an aluminum oxide (corundum) double-sided (#1000/ #6000) premium quality whetstone, a knife angle guide, a bamboo base, a simple instruction manual, and a detailed ebook with a lot of tips and tricks you can use.
This highly durable and long-lasting water stone can sharpen any blade, including kitchen knives, hunting knives, pocket knives, scissors, fish hooks, razor blades, and even an ax! For your safety, the knife sharpening system includes a silicon base for holding the stone inside the base and the base on the surface.
The angle guide will help you apply consistent pressure while sharpening the knife edges.
The whetstone kit is simple to use. It doesn’t need a special honing oil, just make sure that you have applied some water beforehand. It doesn’t make a mess while working and could be easily cleaned with water.
With dimensions of 7″ x 2.25″ x 1.13″ and a weight of 2.1 pounds, this top pick sharpener knife system is completely portable and suitable for indoor and outdoor use. It comes with 30 days money-back-guarantee that covers possible defects.
This undoubtedly makes it the best hunting knife sharpener water stone system on the market.
Are knife sharpeners any good?
To be blunt – yes, they are. But it depends on the sharpener.
Generally, you could divide knife sharpeners into two categories – manual and electric. Both of them have their pros and cons. Let’s look into some of them.
Some outdoor men believe that it is crucial to have control over the sharpening speed and pressure. In theory, the electric sharpener can be too aggressive toward the blade. On the one hand, manual sharpeners are gentler, easier to store, and less expensive than electric ones, and they are also better for quick touch-ups.
Electric knife sharpeners, on the other hand, require minimal effort. Therefore the same task can be done with just a fraction of the energy and the time. An electric sharpener offers more features and can allow you to sharpen all your hunting knives to the required degree.
In this article, we will discuss both manual and electric knife sharpeners, comparing their features, technical details, and other characteristics.
How to use a knife sharpener?
First, you need to check the sharpness of your hunting knife because it is not apparent by the way it looks. The simplest way is to cut vegetables or meat with it. That way, you will get an idea of how sharp it is.
Nowadays, there are several varieties of hunting knives available, including those with hook blades, serrated blades, and others. All of these knives need to be maintained in excellent condition when used for skinning, dressing, and other tasks.
It might be challenging to maintain a suitable angle when sharpening your hunting knife by hand, especially for novices. To prevent harming both the blade and the sharpener, you must first moisten the manual sharpener with a specific oil.
If you don’t have the oil, you could use water, but dry sharpening is usually not recommended.
Then you slide the blade carefully along the entire surface of the hone and repeat several times until you feel it’s enough.
Electric sharpeners are easier to use, especially for beginners. Just plug them in, a couple of swipes on either side of the belt, and you’re done. For the finish, there is often a ceramic rod or a special fine grit belt – just swipe the edge blades several times on it, and that’s all.
What is the best knife sharpener?
This is a difficult question, the answer to which depends on many things – there are various types, versions, methods, and brands available on the market. But one thing is sure – you need to keep your knives sharp because having sharp knives is crucial.
The perfect hunting knife sharpeners are portable, easy to use, and transport. Moreover, a hunting knife sharpener should have zero chance of damaging the edge and surface of your hunting blades, which also makes it the chef’s choice knife sharpening tool.
Best Hunting Knife Sharpener
Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic
The Blade Medic 4 in 1 is like having a whole sharpening set in your very pocket. It is the first aid for field repairs on all kinds of cutting edges. Suitable for serrated blades, gut hooks, fish hooks, hunting blades, fishing blades, and more.
Consisting of a tungsten carbide sharpener, ceramic sharpening rods (1000 grit), a serrated knife sharpener, and a diamond-tapered rod (600 grit), it is guaranteed to sharpen your hunting knife in 3-4 strokes per sharpening element.
With dimensions of 8.5″ x 3.5″ x 0.1″ and a weight of 4 ounces, it is highly portable and light. That makes it a great knife sharpener hunting gear for your pocket.
AccuSharp 001C Knife Sharpener
The innovative AccuSharp 001C Knife Sharpener lets you sharpen most blades in around ten seconds, for example, straight or serrated knives, cleavers, axes, machetes, and many others. The sharpening blades are made of diamond-honed tungsten carbide and can be used reliably for years.
The quality material diamond plates are highly suitable for all kitchen knives in the world, which inevitably makes it the ultimate chef’s choice.
The ergonomic handle fits neatly in every hand. The full-length finger guard completely protects your fingers. The blades are reversible to double their lifespan.
The AccuSharp Knife Sharpeners can be cleaned with the mildest cleaning products. You can wash them with soap and water or put them in the dishwasher, and they won’t rust with time. Sharpening is oil- and mess-free. Put your knife on the table with the edge up and simply glide on top of it 3 or 4 times.
With dimensions of 5″ x 5″ x 5″ and a weight of just 2 oz, it is one of the smallest hunting knife sharpener picks in our collection.
Manufactured in the USA, this sharpener comes with AccuSharp’s lifetime warranty. Replacement sharpening blades are available, but customers claim that 5 or 10 years will pass before you need them.
Lansky Puck – Dual Grit Multi-Purpose Sharpener
The Lansky Multi-Purpose Sharpener pocket sharpener is perfect for all kinds of knives, machetes, lawnmower blades, shovels, spades, hatchets, axes, and many other tools with cutting edges.
Tip: Grip the tool firmly or lock it to prevent slipping. If you want, you could apply a few drops of honing oil to the side you intend to use. Grasp it firmly with your thumb and fingers, supporting it with the palm of your stronger hand. Move it in circular motions along the entire straight edge you want to sharpen.
Work the whole side of the blade, then repeat with the other. For better results, make sure to maintain a constant angle while sharpening.
For very dull blades, start with the coarse side of the sharpening stone and then continue with the medium. If your knife needs just a touch-up, you could skip the coarse grit and use only the medium.
The manufacturer provides a limited one-year warranty against defects in the materials and the workmanship of this simple yet reliable sharpener from the kind of oil stones.
Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition
The Onion Edition was co-engineered by the Work Sharp team and the world-renown knife maker Ken Onion. It is the optimum electric field sharpener for your knives and other tools with cutting edges. The adjustable angle guides, variable speed motor, and flexible belts make it the right electric sharpener for your hunting knives.
Unlike the other Work Sharp version, here you can adjust the guide angle between 15° and 30° per bevel, which gives you a range between 30° and 60° in total.
It comes with 3/4″ x 12″ replaceable abrasive belts for extra-coarse, coarse, medium, fine, and extra-fine honing. Highly upgradable, including a special kit of two belts with diamond abrasives – a 180 grit and a 1500 grit.
All this puts it among the best hunting knife sharpeners for advanced users.
As with the other Work Sharp sharpener, the Onion Edition comes with a year warranty for consumer use (excluding industrial use, commercial use, or abrasives). Just a bit bigger (10″ x 6″ x 5.5″) and heavier (3.1 pounds), it is suitable for work at home with a 110 V power source or outdoors with a 12 V inverter for cars, trucks, boats, etc.
Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener
Sleek and slim, this pocket multifunction sharpener is perfect for outdoorsmen who want to ensure that their blades are always sharp. Features a lanyard hole for carrying on your every hunting trip.
The Pocket Pal has pre-set carbide blades for repairing dull edges, a tapered round diamond-coated rod for serrated and standard edges, and specifically shaped ceramic stones for a razor-sharp finish.
The carbide blades, designed only for straight edges, can quickly set an edge on damaged or dull knives. The ceramic stones ensure a smooth, polished edge for already sharp knives. With 600 grit, it can be used on serrated or standard blades. The diamond-coated rod (400 grit) is suitable for straight and serrated blades.
Both the ceramic stones and the carbide blades are replaceable for extended anticipated life. The carbide blades are also reversible.
To use the slots, lay the Pocket Pal on a flat surface, put the edge in it at an angle of 90° to the sharpening blades or stones, then pull it straight back toward you. Repeat until the blade is sharp.
For serrated blades and other knife shapes, hold the diamond-tapered rod at 23° to the knife edge and move it back and forth through each serration with circular motions until sharp. Only sharpen the serrated side of your knife blade.
The company provides a 3-year limited warranty for all of its manual sharpeners.
Victorinox VN43323 Ceramic Knife Sharpener
Made in Germany by the best of the world’s multi-tool and pocket knife brands, the Victorinox Ceramic Knife Sharpener is a simple and elegant way to keep your hunting knife as sharp as on the day you bought it.
This elegant sharpening tool features a ceramic notch and a grinding stone packaged in a pen-size container. With its small dimensions (9″ x 0.7″), its weight of 1.4 oz, and a red pocket clip attached, it is the ideal pocket field sharpener. This is a hunting knife sharpener for a long-time field use.
Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener
The Work Sharp is the first electrical knife sharpener on our list. It can sharpen every blade easily and quickly and with repeatable results.
This knife sharpener comes with premium abrasive 1/2″ x 12″ belts: coarse (P80), medium (P220), and fine (6000), which won’t burn or damage your knife’s blade. It can also be used as a hand-held detail grinder.
The 40° kitchen knife guide (20° per bevel) and the 50° outdoor knife guide (25° per bevel) will help you effortlessly sharpen every blade you own. Its dimensions (5″ x 9″ x 5″) and weight (1.9 pounds) make it one of the highly portable hunting knife sharpeners, suitable for work indoors or outdoors.
Made by a company situated in Ashland, Oregon, that has over 40 years of experience in engineering sharpening tools in the USA. The company is a 4th generation family-owned business.
The Work Sharp comes with a one-year warranty for consumer use (excluding industrial use, commercial use, or the abrasives), valid for North American 110 V source applications. It can be run with 12 V inverters in cars, trucks, boats, etc. The use of 220 V power converters is not recommended.
Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System
Made in the USA, the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System has been in production for over 35 years. It is perfect for outdoor sporting, also for your kitchen, hunting, or survival tasks. The favorite sharpening system for DIY and cutlery enthusiasts worldwide.
Regardless of your sharpening ability, this knife sharpener kit will give your knife a professional, razor-sharp edge every time. It provides angle-constancy thanks to the original Controlled-Angle System.
The set includes 5 hones: extra-coarse, coarse, medium, fine alumina oxide, and extra-fine ceramic. The Controlled-Angle sharpening system provides you with 17°, 20°, 25°, and 30° angle options.
The handles of the five stones have different colors and finger-grooved safety holders. The kit also includes specially formulated high-quality honing oil, a precision-engineered knife clamp, and a custom-molded storage/carrying case.
With a weight of only 7 oz, it is light, portable, and ideal for sharpening outdoors or at home. One of the top-quality hunting knife sharpener kits on the market.
Final words
Having the right sharpener for your hunting knives is of great importance. Luckily, there are many high-quality hunting knife sharpeners on the market that can fulfill every need to sharpen your knife blades for an optimal experience.
It’s your choice whether to get a manual or an electric knife sharpener, a pocket tool, or a set. Don’t forget to use it regularly, though, to maintain your knife blade in top condition and avoid accidents.