Hook Recycling/sharpening

[tonyt]

When a fly has caught a fair few fish and is well past its sell by date so to speak, I take a craft knife to it and strip it down to reuse again if the point is in good condition.

I was just wondering if other people do the same and how many times they recycle a hook. Also if they sharpen them, what tools they use to bring them back a good sharp point?

Hooks are expensive, so the more we can reuse them the better.

Many thanks
Tony

[richardw]

Originally Posted by tonyt

When a fly has caught a fair few fish and is well past its sell by date so to speak, I take a craft knife to it and strip it down to reuse again if the point is in good condition.

I was just wondering if other people do the same and how many times they recycle a hook. Also if they sharpen them, what tools they use to bring them back a good sharp point?

Hooks are expensive, so the more we can reuse them the better.

Many thanks
Tony

Boots sell a nail file that is a piece of steel with tiny industrial diamonds encrusted on each side. It is slim so you can get it inside the smallest hooks and it only needs a few draws to resharpen a dulled hook or take the step off a debarbed fly when the barb breaks instead of folding down. They cost £1.79 and come in a black plastic sheath so you don't stab yourself if you keep it in your pocket.

I've used these since they first came out in the 1960's when the trade name was "Diamond Deb" but the generic ones are just as good and cost less.

A word of warning! Chemically etched/sharpened hooks are not restorable. Once the point is dulled on these the hooks are scrap.

richard

[rudolf hukka]

Once a hook has been sharpened a couple of times it may lose it's
protective bronze coating so be aware it might rust Tony !

All the best,

Rudolf

[tonyt]

Thanks for the link Richard, I will certainly buy one of those.

Originally Posted by richardw

A word of warning! Chemically etched/sharpened hooks are not restorable. Once the point is dulled on these the hooks are scrap.

That's a golden nugget of info, I would have been trying to sharpen these otherwise.
I know Kamasan's are chemically sharpened not sure about others (TMC, Partridge, Grip Varivas etc.).

Unfortunately I've tied a lot on Kamasan hooks, these wil have to be trashed once the point has gone.

Rudolf, yes rust is definitely something to watch for when a hook is sharpened.

Thanks for the advice.
Tony

[emerger1981]

Originally Posted by tonyt

When a fly has caught a fair few fish and is well past its sell by date so to speak, I take a craft knife to it and strip it down to reuse again if the point is in good condition.

I was just wondering if other people do the same and how many times they recycle a hook. Also if they sharpen them, what tools they use to bring them back a good sharp point?

Hooks are expensive, so the more we can reuse them the better.

Many thanks
Tony

depends what hooks your using.. kamasans are about 7p each so reusing one is pointless
partridge and the likes are a rip off, if its getting a bit expensive best advice is find an alternative..
not worth loosing a fish for the sake of a blunt hook.
kamasans and try phil on here (flytying boutique)