Necker blade angle

After fleshing this morning from last season, it's apparent that the sharp side of my necker isn't. What's the factory angle to sharpen it? Thanks

Are you using your knife with the bevel up or down?
I use my knife with the bevel up so you can see It.
I use a real butchers steel and take a few strokes across the flat side of the blade. In other words the non beveled side. A hard smooth piece of steel will do the same thing.

X2 on what Beav said.


B

Bevel up, flat down

Well that's a start. Know you just have to put a edge on It. When your actually fleshing keep that knife blade just about flat. And don't push use a slicing motion.

Guillotine slice or crosscut saw motion? I'm used to selling green, so fleshing is new to me.

I'm right handed so I slice from right to left.

So with any beveled sharp edge fleshing knife Necker, Post, Caribou...etc you wanna only touch up with a steel on the flat side?

And when you touch it up do you push the steel towards the sharp edge or against the sharp edge as you would with a skinning knife?

Just curious I have been sketchy about putting a steel to my Post fleshing knife.

I push toward the cutting edge with my steel.
What your doing Is putting a slight up wards roll to the edge. Some where I saw a microscopic view of a sharpened knife edge. It was pretty rough but that's what gives you your cutting edge.

I was taught to do the beveled edge first to roll a burr down, and then hit the flat edge last to "roll" the burr up. Is that what your meaning Beav???

That will work.

I do the same as you late bite.
My knife was dull when delivered too. I had to buy a single sided sharpener to get a good edge.
I think the new NAFA beaver video gives a lesson on how to sharpen your fleshing knife.

I was waiting for someone else to post, and since they didn't, here goes.

You don't sharpen the flat side. You sharpen the bevel. Why do you think the bevel is there? It's the sharpened side of the blade. Sheesh...

I guess I'll keep doing It my way It seems to work.

You first need to roll up a edge from the flat side. And you can only do that by using your steel on the non beveled side. Then you shape It with a stroke or two on the beveled side.
Actually the bevel allows you to get under the fat and gristle a little easier. And acts like a snow plow rolling the fat and gristle up and away as your using that slicing motion.

I'm just even more confused now. What do I do with my hands?

Go on Youtube and type "Wow to flesh a raccoon." Then look for Coon Creek Outdoors. He does a good job and you can watch him flesh with the Necker. Or type in "Necker fleshing Knife." It'll show you sharpening and maintenace for the Necker.

I was a little let down when I first received my necker since I bought it to do beaver. It was pretty dull out of the box. I ended up clamping a lansky sharpener to it and worked it pretty good to get a good edge on it. Once I got it where I wanted it I hit the flat side once or twice with the smooth stone just to get the burr where I wanted it. It’s a good piece of steel. It’ll hold a good edge doing beaver with a little touch up here and there once you get it sharp.

I was wondering if the Lansky sharpener would work.

The problem with all these so called knife sharpeners Is you have to be skilled at using them. If your not then you might as well use a rock.

I lost the edge on my Necker a few years back and I took It to a pro. He put It back In shape where I could keep It sharp with a few licks of my steel.

I used a Work Sharp sharpener to sharpen my cheap fleshing knife before I got one from Lee, and i could shave with it when I was done.

I agree with putting a slight edge on the flat side, not bevel like a knife. I do the same with my lawnmower blades, just take the burr off.

Well that's the way I do It and It's worked for me for at least 20 some years.

How many of you use your knife with the bevel down?

First you need to toss that Necker in the trash and buy a better knife...lol...... Beav have you ever fleshed beaver or otter with a knife other then the Necker? Maybe your hands fit the Necker but I hated the round handles.

if you run steel on bevel edge it will roll edge down. This will cause knife to pull into the leather. This is why you do flat edge last.

2traps I've used that knife for as long as I can remember. I've done literally 1000s and 1000s of critters with It. I'm to old to change know. LOL

Bevel down to get excess off after bevel up. I used to love my Necker until I bought one of Lee Steinmier's parallel knives. My shoulders thank every time I use it...

I flesh bevel down. I learned that way and just doesn’t seem right any other way. I think it gives me better depth control but it could just be my imagination.

I flesh bevel down also with my Post. It seems to work so much better for me.

The only thing I can say Is. That with the bevel down It seems that It would be hard to control the angle of the blade. A little twist of the wrists and your changing the angle of the bevel.
With the flat side down It seems a lot easier to control the angle of your knife.

But I guess It's all about what you get use to.

There are so many aspects of trapping that is exactly as you said Beav, what you get use to/works for you etc...I see many times on here people arguing over the proper way to do things when in fact there is no one best way. I appreciate the many different opinions and approaches to achieving a desired outcome.