Hook sharpening

I’ve lost a few salmon this season to hooks that I thought were sharp.
Well, they weren’t. I’m still not sure what’s the best test, or how to get the sharpest hook, but I’ve done some initial experiments and wanted to share my findings. This is novice advice so take it with a grain of salt and please comment if you have any tips!

Tools: something to clamp the hook, a Luhr Jensen file, 1000 grit sandpaper, and a jewelers magnifying glass.

Method: inspect the hook under glass. Clamp it and try to fret on the tip as if it was a guitar. I found that the sharper it is, the better it would stick to your finger, and the harder it would vibrate, and hence the longer the sound it would make. New hooks barely make any sound.
They also don’t look sharp under the glass, but only after you file a good one and have a reference.
Work with the file on all sides except the inner. File away from the tip (imagine dragging the imperfections away from the tip). With skill, you can file the inner part.
Examine under glass and note which areas need more work. When satisfied do the sound test. Finally, remove from clamp and do a few passes along the sand paper. Start with the sides.
Because you sand away from the tip, there’s risk that the tip will pierce the paper. Hold the paper loosely and don’t apply too much pressure. Once the left and right faces are smoothed, use the fold in the paper to smooth the middle face.

I’ve also tried the nail test. It works, but after a while my nail is not smooth anymore and I don’t know if the following hooks stick because they’re sharp or because the nail is all scratched up.
I found that gliding the point gently along the tip of my finger is a good indication to whether a hook is dull or not. But it’s not enough for sharpness testing. The visual inspection is really reliable, but definitely not something I can do on the water. I also have a small diamond file that is good for field use, but I feel it’s not a replacement for the metal file.

One of the most amazing moments I had was when I inspected a hook that had a split in the tip. You could never tell by looking at it. I tried to show the difference in the photos below, but I think it didn’t come out right.

I used mostly Owner's hooks.  A little pricey but always super sharp out of the box.

I used mostly Owner's hooks.  A little pricey but always super sharp out of the box.

+1 for owner hooks they are the best.

I switch out and retie any used salmon rig after each trip.  Only hooks I might sharpen are my swimbaits.

I used mostly Owner's hooks.  A little pricey but always super sharp out of the box.

+1 for owner hooks they are the best.

I used to always use Gamakatsu hooks, but recently switched to Owner. Both are equally sharp out of the box, but in my completely subjective experience, Owner hooks seem to hold their sharpness a bit longer...

Not sure they're easy to find but the hooks coated with "ptfe" are nasty... teflon coated and slip into flesh kinda easy...

I like Gamakatsu Big Rivers. Super sharp, and though they are pricey I do tend to replace them pretty often. I've never had great luck with sharpening hooks.

I switch out and retie any used salmon rig after each trip.  Only hooks I might sharpen are my swimbaits.

I used to do that too; now I examine and if the line is ok, then I just sharpen the hooks.

I’m using Owner and Gamakatsu and they are sharp out of the box. I’ve experimented with them too and they can be made much sharper.

Is there a good hook-sharpening file one should have? I have a few, and either they don't work well or I don't know how to use them.

I used to sharpen my big river and no escape hooks, but noticed it takes some of the coating off and would make them more susceptible to rust over time. I now only use stainless steel hooks.

Is there a good hook-sharpening file one should have? I have a few, and either they don't work well or I don't know how to use them.

I have this diamond coated hook sharpen tool that have a rail designed for hooks.

I used to sharpen my big river and no escape hooks, but noticed it takes some of the coating off and would make them more susceptible to rust over time. I now only use stainless steel hooks.

I got some from VMC, finally. But they are small. I’ll be in the lookout for the bigger size. Out of the box, they  aren’t as sharp as Gamakatsu.

I used to sharpen my big river and no escape hooks, but noticed it takes some of the coating off and would make them more susceptible to rust over time. I now only use stainless steel hooks.

I got some from VMC, finally. But they are small. I’ll be in the lookout for the bigger size. Out of the box, they  aren’t as sharp as Gamakatsu.

I’m not sure how sharp straight VMC hooks are, but I do use hooks from a company that partners with them as well as Mustad, which are pretty good for SS hooks.

Thanks for posting this, I've been wanting to be able to sharpen my hook after watching a video explaining exactly what you saw, sometimes hooks aren't as sharp as they can be.  I did a quick search of amazon and bought this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082TPSSL6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Do not buy this, it is like 3 inches long and just doesn't seem to do the job. I'd love to sharpen hooks instead of toss them.

I used mostly Owner's hooks.  A little pricey but always super sharp out of the box.

+1.  Owners or gama hooks only for salmon.  Just avoid bulk ebay hooks and no need to worry about these things.  Some of yall got way too much time on your hands.