Can you tell me how to sharpen my hooks?

When it comes to sharpening hooks, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Not only are there old wives tales that recommend sharpening your hooks as soon as you buy them, there are also various articles advising against the practice. So which one is closer to the truth?

While it is advisable to check your hooks after purchasing them but before using them, it is also very rarely necessary to sharpen them immediately. However, that’s not to say that you cannot sharpen them at all! There are ways and means to sharpen your hooks whenever necessary, but make sure that it is necessary first before getting the file out!

The first thing that you should remember when sharpening your hooks is that it is a delicate process that can go badly wrong. If your hooks are chemically sharpened or laser sharpened then you might have to leave them because the heat they are put under during manufacturing can actually weaken them. if they are sharpened again after that then it is likely they will break, but hooks that are manufactured using a file or similar are stronger and can be sharpened. Just be careful because every kind of sharpening will heat the metal and this can cause them to break.

You can purchase hook sharpeners from fishing stores and online. Be sure to invest in a good one that will last for years. They are usually the more expensive ones! When you have your file, use it in a sweeping motion against the hook itself, and do not change direction. Only apply a little pressure, because too much will snap the hook completely. 

A backward motion will sharpen the hook effectively but will also make sure that you take your file away from the hook in between sweeps to give the metal time to breathe.

Check the hook after ever two or three sweeps to check whether or not it is sharp. As soon as it is, leave the hook alone. Be sure to file around the point so that there are no weaknesses, and then they should be good to go!   

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