Sharpening the gut hook on a fixed blade

[Species8472]

Who's done it? What's your technique?

I have a 4 stage Lansky system that works great for blade sharpening and even removing chips/reprofiling. It will put a shaving edge on any of my knives no problem. It does not however work for a gut hook. My current gut hook is going on 25+ animals with the factory edge and is getting a bit jerky and i notice i have to pull harder.

Any tips appreciated.

[oaknut]

I've heard of lots of guys searching for the proper size round file then finishing with a stone.

I don't use a gut hook but have sharpened a few for others. I use a narrow buffing wheel on a drill and jewelers buff. The jewelers wax contains diamond abrasives and will put a very fine edge on a knife. Use a permanent marker to mark the bevel so you can see what you are actually hitting with the wheel as you could grind the edge too shallow and round it off.

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[Fisherman]

If you can find the round stone on a pen type handle for sharpening fish hooks, it will do the trick. They also have have round diamond ones. https://knifeworks.com/eze-lap-sport...d-round-shaft/ and https://knifeworks.com/lansky-tactic...harpening-rod/

[happy]

It sounds like you are only touching up the edge, I use 400 and then 800 wet sand sandpaper on a wood dowel and then buff using green rouge.
It comes up very sharp. Sometimes just buffing on a leather strop with green rouge is all you need to bring back the edge.

[Ahuntr300]

I use the Spyderco sharpening system/tool. I tried a lot of sharpeners including the IMO complicated Lankys system with the oil and clamps and stuff, and for me nothing comes close to the Spyderco for quickly giving your knife a razor edge.

To sharpen the gut hooks I use the triangle edge of the spyderco stones - works real good for me.

[trimmer21]

I used a fine grit chainsaw file that seemed to work OK. Probably,any round fine grit file that fit the slot would work.

[Snowwalker]

Fine grit sandpaper over a wooden dowel or round rod of the right diameter. You can move to finer and finer grit as you sharpen..