Best field sharpener?

I carry a small folio-style leatherbound notebook as my 'wallet' in my back pocket, in which I also carry my DMT Coarse, Fine & EF 'credit card' hones. They're with me wherever I happen to be. Nothing more portable or versatile than that. :)


David
 
I really like to Falkniven DC4 for field and travel use. Small and Light with combo Diamond/Ceramic sides. I also use the leather pouch as a strop. I just leave to stone in the pouch and use the non logo side to strop.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I carry a small folio-style leatherbound notebook as my 'wallet' in my back pocket, in which I also carry my DMT Coarse, Fine & EF 'credit card' hones. They're with me wherever I happen to be. Nothing more portable or versatile than that. :)
David
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Same here except just an eze-lap coarse.
 
AntDog said:
^I'm going to have to get one of those... What's the grit like? Pretty fine? I find myself needing a pretty fine grit out and about just to touch up, unless I do something somewhat dumb.
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Its a medium grit, doesn't put a fine edge on but will put one that will cut when you get it dulled.
 
Seriously guys, that smith double sided diamond rig is a bargain at 15 bucks. 325 and 750 grit really covers whatever you need for a quick touch up in the wilds. How can you lose? 15 dollars is a martini and a tip, pretty cheap introduction to diamonds.
A couple of famous makers here on BF including Joe Calton use smith hones and they work quite well...
15 bucks..... come on guys, give it a whirl.

Russ
 
mycough said:
Seriously guys, that smith double sided diamond rig is a bargain at 15 bucks. 325 and 750 grit really covers whatever you need for a quick touch up in the wilds. How can you lose? 15 dollars is a martini and a tip, pretty cheap introduction to diamonds.
A couple of famous makers here on BF including Joe Calton use smith hones and they work quite well...
15 bucks..... come on guys, give it a whirl.
Russ
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I can't find one with a continuous surface. The 6x2 Smith's 750 grit I have with an interrupted surface does fine until the tip of the blade, which gives me problems there. I'm sure it's just something I'm doing wrong.
 
The tip must trail the rest of blade by a lot. I used to have the problem till David (obsessed with Edges ) told me about the trailing tip routine.
Smith and dmt don't make a folding hone with continuous surface. I don't know about eze lap or the others.

Russ
 
I am all over the place with sharpeners but for me the best field sharpener is the sharpener that I use at home. Of course I would not take 3,4 JWS, strops etc. on a trip into the woods but for some devices, it works quite well.

My current favourite tools to take with me if I think I have to sharpen my knife on the go are those two:

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O.K., not the smallest but relatively light! They can do just about anything I need, maybe not repair a major chip or reprofile but everything else. The DMT coarse gives me an excellent working edge geometry on all steels (soft touch needed on some) and the Balsa strop with 0.5u diamond makes a nice, burr free and flat apex. I can use the DMT as file on an axe etc. as well. I can hold them in my hand or put them down on the ground. You don't have to be too concerned about cross contamination of grit and the issue with rain/snow on the Balsa can be solved with a ziplock for instance.

That would not work well for a scandi grind unless you only use the strop or apply a microbevel with the DMT.

Alternatively I could shrink this all down to a DMT coarse credit card and a same size balsa if size (and weight) is really an issue but the small size and thinness has it's disadvantage in use.
 
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This one! It is the best and most versatile for its size and cost!
 

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DMT Magna-Guide or Aligner, brings precision to field sharpening. And DMT makes some of the best (if not the best) diamond stones.
 
DC4 or DC3 or c/f DMT diafold for me. I am getting the Shapton combo 500/2000 pocket waterstone, so will evaluate that. Should be great for my convex edges, as well as the rest. Usually strop w/ Bark River white compound on cardboard or paper, wrapped around my stone.
 
I guess we are all over the place with this. "In the field?" Other than breaking down a deer, moose, or bear and hitting a few bones, I really don't need much in the way of a field sharpener. Even on a longer camping trip 90% of the time a strop will suffice. Like I stated, I will bring a two sided diamond along but I rarely need it.
Are we talking zombie apocalypse? I could carry all my supplies for sharpening in my ram or my side by side and it would not take up too much space. This thread is becoming a bit of a ramble and I hope it is still helpful to the OP.

Russ
 
mycough said:
I guess we are all over the place with this. "In the field?" Other than breaking down a deer, moose, or bear and hitting a few bones, I really don't need much in the way of a field sharpener. Even on a longer camping trip 90% of the time a strop will suffice.
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So true, in reality, I don't need a sharpener at all for a day trip or even a one nighter. But then, I may not even need a knife. I take stuff with me because it's fun too and just rambling about this is an interesting thing to do.
 
I carry the DMT Mini-Sharp Sharpener EF when I go traveling or backpacking
I use it to touch up the blades
Folds closed so it does not get other stuff dirty
And it weighs close to nothing, so I do not mind adding to my gear
 
awestib said:
So true, in reality, I don't need a sharpener at all for a day trip or even a one nighter. But then, I may not even need a knife. I take stuff with me because it's fun too and just rambling about this is an interesting thing to do.
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You are correct sir, so far, I have never needed my glock 29, but it keeps coming along with me. I didn't mean to be a fun Nazi and i apologize.

Russ
 
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