How to Sharpen a Skinning Knife Properly | Step by Step

Having a sharp knife helps to make slicing, dicing, and cutting effortless. Frequently sharpening your Knife is a good practice to employ now and then because every Knife is bound to get blunt eventually. Skinning knives are expensive and, as such, require more special and delicate care to keep it in good condition for longer. So, knowing how to sharpen a skinning knife is an act to learn. In this article, our focus is to brief you with a simple and straightforward way to sharpen skinning blades.

How to sharpen a skinning knife

Be it for outdoor use or indoor use, having a sharp skinning knife goes a long way in making things a lot easier for you. Here are two ways you can sharpen skinning knives in a step by step procedure.

1. V-shaped Pocket Knife Sharpener

A V-shaped pocket knife sharpener consists of two sharpening rods held in at an angle to form a V-shape. A pocket knife sharpener is quite useful since it is portable and you can carry it along with you when going hunting or fishing. Moreover, you will find this Knife sharpened useful when you need to quickly increase the sharpness of your skinning blade for a quick cut. Note, the Angle for sharpening skinning blades and the type of material used in making the sharpener are important. The Angle of some V-shaped pocket knife sharpener is adjustable, giving you the flexibility to adjust it to an Angle that offers you that razor sharpness.

Step 1: Look at the Edge of your Blade

The first thing you should do when you want to sharpen a skinning blade is to look at the edge of the blade. The edge of the blade determines the Angle you are to set the sharpener for sharpening. Moreover, some skinning blades are only sharpened at one side. If your skinning Knife is not sharpened on both sides, you obviously can’t use the sharpener’s V-shaped part but the rough edge on the sharpener to sharpen your blade. However, whatever the case may be, always take a look at the blade’s edge before you proceed to sharpen.

Step 2: Adjust the Angle of the Sharpener

Adjusting the sharpener’s Angle is where many people often make a mistake when sharpening their skinning knives. The lesser you the Angle, you set the sharpener, the sharper it would hone your skinning Knife. For sharpening a normal knife, you can set the Angle between 36 degrees and 40 degrees. For sushi knives, and skinning knives set the Angle to about 16 degrees or less. The Angle you are sharpening your Knife is half of the Angle of the cutting edge of your Knife.

Step 3: Use the Right Grit

Although using a pocket knife sharpener is very easy and convenient, using the right grit matters if you want to have a razor or coarse sharpness. Some sharpeners come with diamond blades, ceramic blades, titanium blades, and so on. The grit ranges from around 400 grits to more than 2000 grits. Higher grits give you a smoother and finer hone. When sharpening, it is an excellent tip to use the coarse blades to sharpen first, then use the fine blades to finish up the sharpening to get that razor sharpness.

Step 4: Sharpen Away

In this step, while applying slight pressure, drag your Knife through the V-shaped blades. Ensure you do not apply too much pressure, so it doesn’t damage your Knife. Using slight pressure helps you to get a consistent sharpness.

Step 5: Test the Sharpness

After passing your Knife through the sharpener a couple of times, then test the Knife’s sharpness. You can test the knife sharpness by trying to cut a piece of paper. If you are satisfied with the sharpness, you’re good to go, but if you are not satisfied, you can adjust the sharpener’s blades angle, and pass your skinning knife through it a couple of times. You can repeat this step a couple of times until you are satisfied with the sharpness of your skinning Knife.

2. Sharpening Stone

Sharpening stones like the whetstone is another very useful way you can sharpen a skinning knife. A sharpening stone is quite efficient when using it to sharpen skinning knives, especially when it is sharpened at one side. However, it is quite bulky, but it is very durable and can be used for sharpening knives for a long time. Below are the steps to take to sharpen a skinning knife.

Step 1: Look at the Edge of your Knife 

As usual, the first thing to do is to look at the edge of your Knife. Determine whether or not it is sharpened on both of its sides or just one side. Looking at the edge will also give you an approximate angle you are to sharpen the Knife.

Step 2: Flatten the Stone

Next, to flatten the whetstone by wetting the stone with water and ensure it is completely wet. Some people prefer to use an oil stone. The difference is that you can wet an oil stone with oil, and water does not work on an oil stone.

Step 3: Sharpen the Knife

Use slight pressure while sharpening on a whetstone. First, rub your Knife on the whetstone’s coarse edge at an angle of about 5 degrees. It doesn’t matter what direction or stroke you use. You aim to sharpen the area around the edge of your blade.

Step 4: Test the Sharpness

When you are done, test the Knife’s sharpness by using the Knife to cut a piece of paper. You can also test the sharpness of the blade by cutting vegetables like tomatoes without squashing it. If you are satisfied with the sharpness, you are good to go, but if you are not, you can repeat the process by going a few extra strokes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, now that you know how to sharpen a skinning knife, you shouldn’t be faced with managing a blunt knife. Both ways of sharpening a skinning knife in this article are effective and easy to use. If you have any experience with any of this sharpener, kindly leave a comment in the comment section sharing your experience with other users.