There are a couple of sharpening systems around. Expensive but they do a good job. Scary Sharp looks like the better one and I can't recall the other one. It's a little flimsy looking but they work well - be great if I could remember it though

Hi Snapfish, filleting knife. The blade is a Felix Solingen 4166 X50 CrMoV15. Yes, I only use Kleva Sharp for bait knives. On the original edge it did at least 70 fish or more.

Every time I saw the kleva sharp advert on TV I used to cringe.  You could see the bits of blade being shaved off, certainly not something to use on a quality blade.

Lanskey is the system I was thinking of!

I have found these Eze lap sharpeners to be the goods, plus i find maintaining a knife easier also, after every couple of fish just give it a quick once over to keep the edge instead of letting it get dull.

Its always nerve racking hunting for the knife in the dirty dish water!

check them out

http://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/hunting-shooting/knives/hunting-knives/auction-1104619822.htm

I get mine sharpened at House of Knives in Mt Eden Rd.

All great advice and main thing is you have a sharp blade whatever you use. If you wanna buy knives go to Dunninghams in Penrose as they are the cheapest suppliers around and have full range- also gloves, steels etc.

Its always nerve racking hunting for the knife in the dirty dish water!

LOL learnt that lesson a long time ago... now when washing my knives i never let it go.

to be honest and this is far from purists who like butter smooth edges. i like my blade to have a bur on the edge, so it deals with snapper scales with ease.

i use Eze Lap, best value diamond steels imo.

I have a 600 grit which is as fine as I will go, takes a brr off. Get at least the 10", the 5" is fine for the boat. But if you are sharpening at speed its  a bit short. Learn what angle you need and a tip, you can start by learning the distance from the blade to the stone/steel with your thumb, muscle memory almost.

http://eze-lap.com/products/oval-diamond-sharpeners/

But usually I will stop at 250 grit which leaves the blade feeling a little like a very sharp saw, it will slice through paper still with ease. I also have the one with the groove for fish hooks.

http://eze-lap.com/products/diamond-stones/pocket-stones/

I just to be into stropping and Japanese wet stones and hey if I had expensive knives like a $500 chefs knife Id still go super fine. But I find sharp but with a rough edge great for fish skin. Just my 2c.

I use nothing but Victory knives, keeping the money in NZ is the only way our economy will survive the housing bubble when it bursts. Plus I like them a lot. Perfect amount of carbon and steel to make easy to sharpen but strong enough to hold the edge for a decent period of time.

Thanks guys, lots of good tips and info there. I've had a look at some of the suggestions online and wow some are expensive. Decided to go with the option of sending my filleting knife to the wife's cousin Lloyd in Kuaotunu (custom knife maker) for a sharpen.