Jun 27, 2026 5 min read

I have seen some ugly knife blades in my time and have owned just about every novel and exotic configuration manufactured. Still, I am amazed when someone produces the likes of a knife which I have never witnessed.

As soon as I finish evaluating the package, I am immediately drawn to the condition of its blade. Some appear to have been dragged across a rock … and indeed they have. Others appear to have been recently removed from their packaging even after 50 years of daily carry. The carrier does not always match the condition of the knife. One can’t necessarily judge a knife by its cover. Slobs with really sharp knives exist like the Sasquatch. Squared-away dudes with butter-knife-dull cutting edges are more prevalent than one might think. Cost does not seem to factor into this equation.

I am always fascinated by how well equipment, especially knives and guns, can be preserved by a careful user. By the way, I am not one of those guys. As soon as I look at a shotgun, bluing begins to fall off the gun metal surface like Saul’s eye scales on the road to Damascus. Scratches materialize out of nowhere. The same goes for knives except that I just lose them. Oftentimes I don’t even get the satisfaction of sharpening steel for the first time prior to misplacing it.

Knives should be innately sharp in my humble opinion. The sharper the edge the more effectively they serve, at least to a point. Still, I manage to slice my fingers on a regular basis but my cuts are always clean because my blades are always sharp – razor sharp. As far as hunting knives are concerned, I’ll double down on that sharpness philosophy. Which leads me to ask: To what sharpening school do you subscribe?

The most basic flavor of knife sharpeners adhere to the Arkansas whetstone method. This is more or less a freehand method of sharpening, free of any guide or template for holding the edge in place. It is, or at least was, the most popular practice for hundreds if not thousands of years. Effective and practical, it is prone to human error and takes years to master the technique. Even in the hands of a master, the imperfections and mistakes that result are in my eyes, not preferred, possibly because I do not possess this particular skill set. The edge tends to wander, especially in the hands of a novice sharpener resulting in a meandering bevel line. Use of sharpening oil is messy and makes sharpening tasks slippery. The degree of sharpening angle or “cant” is roughly 30 degrees for rough cutting chores down to 15 degrees for razor work. I find holding that exacting angle during the sharpening process is best done with some sort of guide or template in place rather than left up to my journeyman talents. That being said, when the only game in town is a whetstone, it is indeed a rather useful skill set to possess. Admittedly, I wish I was a better whetstone man.

In my early days I encountered a modified stone alternative produced by the Lanski Corporation. A simple knife vise held the blade in place and a progression of multiple coarse to fine stones was guided into place by holes in the vise. Small rods were inserted into the stones and in turn, through guide holes, keeping the angle precise. A drop of oil on the stone was all that was needed to reduce friction on the blade. Although it was time consuming, the resultant edge was precise, clean in appearance and most of all, sharp. In essence, the Lanski method made for a prettier sharpening. Many variations were introduced over the years and some even worked. For success, ease and simplicity, I chose this route.

In recent years, I have taken to a series of “pull through” sharpeners. Such sharpeners lay down a utilitarian edge in short order. The knife is held in place by a vise or by hand on a table or counter top. The sharpener, which is really a big handle encasing the crossed carbide or ceramic sharpeners, is pulled over the blade in a series of strokes that remove a fine layer of blade metal with each pass. While it takes a bit of practice to master the pressure needed to achieve an even edge, especially on the curved portion of the blade, I find it key to never let a knife get super dull in order to restore its edge quickly and efficiently. My sharpener is always in my pack and whenever I find my edge waning, I lay down a few strokes from the pull through and voile’, super sharp again.

The final stage of any sharpening process is removing the microscopic burrs from blade’s edge. I use an old leather belt because I don’t possess a strop. Whereas sharpening goes against the knife edge, stropping is rubbed with the knife’s edge, fine tuning the blade for use.

Different types of steel make for an easier or more difficult sharpen. Hardened steel makes for a more difficult sharpening but holds an edge longer. Milder steel gives up its edge more readily but can be brought back to life more quickly and with greater ease. Finding middle ground is a bit of a life quest but once you find your sweet spot, you are golden. Acquiring your preferred style and configuration of knife combined with your desired degree of blade hardness is rainbows and unicorns type stuff. No wonder we guard our prized knives with such fervor.

Replaceable razor blade box knives are the ultimate in laziness but they serve their purpose. They are a folding affair which contain disposable box cutter blades that are flipped, then discarded when dull. Real sportsmen laugh at the prospect. I own two.

Dave Bates writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter. He can be reached at alphaomegashootingsolutions@gmail.com