I like to sharpen my own blade and seem to be good enough at it. What I want to know for all the guys like me, is there a chart or rule or something that tells you what angle you should hold the blade for the thickness of the blade? Just a thought, if there was it might help alot of ppl.

My case pocket knife say's to sharpen at a 22.5 degree angle but my thick bladed buck hunting knife has to be held at a steeper angle or I notice that its taking material off the top side of the bevel not off the cutting edge. I suppose if I sharpened it long enough at any angle it would change the bevel all together. I think each blade has a certain angle that will obtain the best edge.

Have at it!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/se...archid=6483454

Smith's Edge Stick Knife Sharpener @ MadCowCutlery.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REiPhSFh9OE

Rebel hog. Thats a nice looking set up by smiths. I have a little pencil gerber diamond stick that I like for my pocket knife. Boy they,ll cut after a few swipes and stay sharp. For my buck and a few other hunting knives I like to use my stone. It an arkansas oil stone. I can get them sharper than they need to be. The thinner knives seem to hold an edge longer with the diamond than with the stone.

Allot of people use regular hunting knives for skinning or gutting. When i killed my elk this year, my buddy laughed at me when i pulled my knife out. He grabbed a new knife he started using this year, havalon knives, and started hacking away at my elk. It was unbelievable how sharp the blade stayed and that if it got dull, he carried replacement blades in his pack. They worked like razor blades (havalon are basically surgical scalpels that are a little thicker than razors), and one blade did (skinned and deboned) my whole elk and skinned the skull.

This is why we started carrying them, it might not be something you are interested in but they are fair priced, blades are cheap for as long as they can be used and it is really nice not to be able to not have to spend a whole night sharpening it. Needless to say, i replaced my heavy knife with one of the new lightweight havalon.

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http://www.bugsnbullets.com/Havalon_...g_mid_102.html

Thanks for the reply casey but I like a fixed blade knife. If I wanted to use a razor I;d use a cheap $5 walmart utility knife. I still think I could skin a whole elk with one of my dads homemades and it would stay sharp. The size of the knife and the thickness of the blade is key. To thin Dulls easily. To thick, cuts good but hard to skin with. To long they are awkward. Use what you want but I think that a 3/16 buzz saw blade with a little curve at the end is the right blade for me. Stag handle of course. lol.

I use the KME sharpening system. Works well and puts a great edge on my knives. I use a 22.5 degree angle on my knives. KME comes with a couse, fine, and very fine diamond stones. I elk hunt and and usually carry two knives with me plus a Wyoming saw. It seems to do the trick.