Fillet knives

[Nastymind]

Hi Guys,

I'm buying myself a decent Svord filleting knife and need a bit of advice.

I used to work in the meatworks and learnt a little bit about sharpening, but fillet knives have different characteristics to the blades that i am used to.

Example (and my main issue): no shoulders on the blade

Can anyone tell me how to best sharpen a quality filleting knife without spending hundreds of dollars on multi texture stones and steels?

Is a cheap, 'swipe through' sharpener the way to go?

Should i buy a single soft stone and steel?

(although, then i'd be putting a shoulder on it)

Should i be putting a shoulder on it when i sharpen it?

Thanks in advance.

Michael

[werewolf]

I use one of those "cheap" swipe through sharpeners that I got from Anaconda. I find it works a treat, but I don't have super expensive filleting gear either. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has better ideas:S

[Nastymind]

The swip through sharpeners are fantastic for pocket knives.

They leave no shoulder and sharpen really well.

Especially when you don't have enough blade to stone with.

[shortie]

A stone and a steal is the best way for the best results. After you have finished wtih the steal use a long piece of finishing leather. Run it over the blade as you would a steel.

[Nastymind]

shortie wrote:

A stone and a steal is the best way for the best results. After you have finished wtih the steal use a long piece of finishing leather. Run it over the blade as you would a steel.

So moulding a shoulder onto the blade isn't a bad thing to do then?

[Leighton]

Im with Shortie, its almost therapeutic sharpening a knife on a stone

[werewolf]

Okay, sorry for the noob question, but what is a "shoulder" on a knife, and what does the leather trick do?:dry:

[shortie]

THe leather takes off any of the fine burrs that are left from the steal. This is called stroping

Gazza would probabally be the person to talk to, i think he is the knife expert.

Richard.

[Nastymind]

werewolf wrote:

Okay, sorry for the noob question, but what is a "shoulder" on a knife, and what does the leather trick do?:dry:

The shoulder is where the flat bit of steel (the blade) has an angle to it.

That's the only way i know how to describe it.

Boning knives have it and filleting knives don't seem to (or perhaps aren't supposed to)

[werewolf]

I think I know what you mean. Is that the same thing as being "hollow ground" ? I might have the complete wrong term...

[Nastymind]

No.

I think 'hollow ground' is a type of manufacturing pattern of the blade.

I could be wrong, but you can tell a hollow ground blade be looking line markings on it????

[username_taken]

speaking of knife sharpening, does anyone know of a good place to take kitchen knives for a proper sharpen. I've got a furi that desperately needs more than a run through my el cheapo sharpener.

[benno573]

i use a diamond steel on mine and have had very few problems. try getting a pro to do it the first time and then it is easier to maintain. there are heaps of knife sharpeners around, check the white pages.

[Feral]

Fir fishing knives just use a elcheapo drag through sharpener with hard stainless bladed knives..

When I used to be a roo shooter, I used to spend ages sharpening black steel knives properly, not worth it for fishing knives, fish bones scales etc take the edge off (read nicks and cuts) to quick to bother with a good soft knife.

[jeff f]

Nastymind wrote:

No.

I think 'hollow ground' is a type of manufacturing pattern of the blade.

I could be wrong, but you can tell a hollow ground blade be looking line markings on it????

hollow ground means exactly what it says. the side of the blade has a hollow ground into it these are hunting knifes designed for stabbing things. you twist the blade slightly and the hollows on either side of the blade make the suction of the flesh release and you can pull the blade out easier

blades with a pattern on/in them are damascened blades(damascus steel) the pattern is caused by the metal being heated then folded over then beaten solid again over and over. tradition has it that the more folds the the better the blades wil hold an edge.

the japanese did it with samurai swords

[uglyfish]

sharks blunten knifes real fast...i use a diamond stone u can bye different grades and there only about 20 or 30 bucks...leather does work a treat to finish,used to do that to the pocket knifes when casterating calfs back home..

[jeff f]

if you want to make a proper leather strop you have to impregnate the leather with graphite(valve lapping paste) or jewelers rouge

[uglyfish]

never had to do that cutting calfs jeff...it was just plain old dressed leather...worked bloody good to..

[jeff f]

works 10 times better this way

this is what barbers use for straight razors

and leather carvers use for swivel knives

[uglyfish]

maybe mate...but like i said normal finished leather works well..as you can imagine u need a extremly sharp blade to cut calfs,for humane reasons

[shortie]

jeff f wrote:

works 10 times better this way

this is what barbers use for straight razors

and leather carvers use for swivel knives

Yep jeff thats how i was taught by a farmer who uses to kill his own animals to eat.

.

[uglyfish]

most stations ive worked on in the gulr territory and the kimberlys just use a finished piece of leather..we killed our own beef as well..

[rayke1938]

I have a Furi sharpening kit that I find works ok for me. It has a drag through for the initial shaping then a coarse and a fine diamond hone blades.

I then just use a steel to keep the edge conditioned and about once a year on the fine diamond blade.

When doing sharks I have to hone more frequently.

I have never used a strop so cant comment.

Cheers

Ray

[Nastymind]

rayke1938 wrote:

I have a Furi sharpening kit that I find works ok for me. It has a drag through for the initial shaping then a coarse and a fine diamond hone blades.

I then just use a steel to keep the edge conditioned and about once a year on the fine diamond blade.

When doing sharks I have to hone more frequently.

I have never used a strop so cant comment.

Cheers

Ray

Thanks Ray.

Some very helpful information there

Cheers,

Michael

[Feral]

shortie wrote:

jeff f wrote:

works 10 times better this way

this is what barbers use for straight razors

and leather carvers use for swivel knives

Yep jeff thats how i was taught by a farmer who uses to kill his own animals to eat.

.

We just used a chainsaw,a special one though, bought new specifically for cattle slaughtering. Never had any oil in the blade oiler!

Cut it into 1/4's froze the quarters and used a band saw on the frozen meat to turn her into steaks!

[ellicat]

That method might be a bit harsh on the fish though:P