A novice question that may get overlooked sometime

[BTH284]

When sharpening hooks how does everyone go about it. Is there a way/practice that is spec'd in some sort of 'hook sharpening for offshore applications manual' or does everyone do it differently.

I tend to sharpen the hook by coning the point from 4 directions and sharpen the knife point as well on knife point style hooks.

Is this right or wrong??

[Deep C]

I was gonna over look this but

Mustads I do on a little diamond grinder and work them into a triangle. If they don't sctach my fingernail with just the weight of the hook they're not sharp enough. I try not to run too long of a point as they seem to get brittle. I also try to no let them heat up when sharpening as they lose temper and can break too. I finish them with black magic marker.

Coated hooks like owner, gamakatsu, etc. I don't touch them up. Just go straight from pak to water toss out when they look rough.

Stainless I will not ever use... Thats an argument I'll elaborate on some other day...

[Murph]

I just let the cockpit monkeys deal with it.

[BTH284]

O.K so what if your a full time cockpit monkey or just play one from time to time. What is your primate preferred hook sharpening process and why?

[In_Pursuit]

Here is a link with pictures. Oh.. I like pictures.

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fis...sharpening.pdf

[JD5652]

If you can ever get Brian (aka the Beast) to show you how to sharpen a hook, you're set!.....maybe he'll chime in here??????

[frankypettolina]

I try to sharpen the back side of the hook with a ******* file, working towards the point. Someone told me years ago that sharpening the knife edge side will lead to cutting a bigger hole when penetrating. That being said, sometimes you need to swipe the knife edge side to get the point going the way you want, and to add a bit of sharpness to it. Dragging the hook on your thumb should be a good indication of readiness.

[Chilli]

From a cockpit monkeys point of view, I get to sharpen a lot of hooks. For the mustads, I will work the knife edge just a bit to smooth it out. I will then roll the hook over and lay the ******* file on the bight of the hook so it is touching the bight and the tip at the same time. I hold this line as a guide and stroke twards the tip...(no comments here... I don't care how you stroke your own )... This puts a triangular edge on the hook. I then roll the hook over 90* and lightly touch each of the sides. Not to much work here just a little bit. This really brings out the point.

As far as Gami's and owners go... Don't need to touch them... use em and pitch em when they give up the ghost.

[Squidnation]

What Franky said. I was priviledged enough to be in the presence of a great conversation about hook sharpening sometime around 1983 with some of OC's finest. It was Captain Al Swain, Capt. Dale Brown, Marty Moran (shoot Marty wasn't even chartering then or just started), Mark Sampson (then manager of bahia) and a bunch of others were standing around the picnic table (NO Fish Tales Bar and Grill back then) discussing hook sharpening. The consensus was to sharpen the back of the hook. It would penetrate the flesh but not continue to cut through the flesh as the penetration continued. They were also able to show how they believed the hook penetrated the fish and at what angle. I wish I had had a video camera back in those days because the knoweldge that was shared around that picnic table would rival ANY forum. So would the bullsh*t. Man I miss those days.

Captain Dale use to have this trick that I heard he performed Many many times but I never saw myself. When a billfish would pop up he would flip the senator in free spool and turn around and have a 10 second conversation with the crew. They would be freaking out and the he would turn back around and throw the clutch. Hooked UP.!!!!!!

[Murph]

O.K so what if your a full time cockpit monkey or just play one from time to time. What is your primate preferred hook sharpening process and why?

I do play one time to time but I have messed up my fair share of hooks. I started using some others from Andersson that are nearly impossible to sharpen, fortunately they are nerely impossible to dull. And at $12 each, you want to worry about the rigging more then the point.

Anthony's Ark has a handful of them he is taking to Brazil in a few weeks, I am hoping he has some interesting feedback when he returns.

Until then take the advice of these guys on sharpening.