Well, ive got a $15 generic fleshing knife that I got a few years back when I started trapping. I never had to sharpen it, untill I got the bright idea to this year. Since I sharpened it butchered every coon Ive got (all 3 of them). Now that the blade is sharp it just seems to have a mind of its own and cuts through the hide at will. Has anyone had this problem before? Any ideas of what to do other then just learn to use it? How sharp should it really be? Im thinking ig re-grinding it to make it 2 sided, one sharp and one not so sharp, like a 2 sided high doller knife. If i decide to do that how sharp should the sharp side be? Razer?
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving
Carl

The knife should be the same shape as your board. My first knife is a $15 or so and it has a bend only in the middle, so if you shape your board to your knife down the center and then go to the right or left you will be on the high spots, then cuts can happen.

I bought a Necker #600 at the Pa trappers and I dont think its sharp enough. I will go back to the $15. I know I'm going to like the 600, just take more time.

Unless you are rather good on the beam the curved inward side should be dull for pushing soft easy stuff off, and curved out side should be sharp, and i mean sharp, to slice or shave the tuff stuff off the neck and back, most cheap knives have sharp edges near the handles, grind those off at an angle and dull them or tape them, make sure where you have sharpened or are sharpening the blade that it is straight, no dips or swells, you can flesh with any kind of board and knife if you get used to it, round, part round, flat, does not matter, same with the knife, it can be rounded, straight, a little rounded, does not matter, just how you use it, i have fleshed alot of critters with a straight file, sharpened on one side and dulled on the other, a common old wood shave will do the same and was used by many for years, paul dobbins used an iold corn knife blade to flesh coon years ago.

I have one of the generic fleshing kinves that are being talked about here. I tried to flesh a couple coons, and I figured out it was dull and I would have to sharpen. My question - how should I go about sharpening a fleshing knife?

Possum is right read his post again

Dale

get a Zepf

thanks, I got 2 large coon this morning, well see how I can do! Thanks
carl