Best field sharpener

[maximus83]

I've used two:

• DMT diafold (coarse/fine). This is my favorite and I use it everywhere, not only field/hiking use, but even at home. Yesterday I put a large machete in a vise and worked it over with my diafold, much easier than using bench stones on a very large blade.
• DMT credit card. More portable option than diafold.

 

[adamlau]

I have a Sharpmaker in the truck with CBN and medium tri-angles for quick field work. For international travel, I carry a single medium tri-angle preconditioned against #220 SiC.

 

[fivesense]

I think that carrying a knife without something to sharpen it is like carrying a pistol without an extra magazine. It is usefulness is limited. You make a club out of your pistol and a blunt prybar out of your knife.

There are several improvised ways to sharpen, hone or strop your steel. Rocks, bricks, ceramics, carglass, cardboard, leather belt or wallet, newspaper,... All these are fun to experiment with and great in an emergency, but as always it is best to avoid an emergency.
I keep the knives I carry sharp, I strop them on my belt after use but I has occured that I needed sharpness while the knife lost it (cleaning fish,...). Also when visiting or working with friends and using one of their blunt knives I wanted to be able to sharpen them. Just honing or stropping wasn't enough, I needed something coarser. Some are fine for carrying in a (back)pack, others in a vest and some in the pocket.

I owned some pocket sharpeners before and purchased some especially for this test.
Pictures here: http://s304.photobucket.com/user/RowanMcDirk/library/Pocket Sharpeners?sort=3&page=1

-Handysharp Mini:
9 g, 3.4cm W(ide), 4cm L(ong), 0.4 cm T(hick), carbide/no grit
Very light, can be carried on a keychain without noticing. A pocket knife can be sharpened to a paper cutting sharp(PCS), a thin paring knife can be sharpened to (armhair) shaving sharp(SS). A very light passing over the edge is used, it can be used on small (up to 10 cm/4") and large blades. The carbide is harder than steel and can resharpen really dull knives. I think I only create a sharp microbevel with this but I have made friends and collegues happy (and astonished them) by bringing sharpness to a really dull knife. Is a fantastic striker for a ferro rod. It is good for an emergency but would take to much steel of the edge when used all the time.

-Lansky Puck:
222g, 7.6 cm W, 7.6 cm L, 1.5 cm T, ceramic 120 and 280 grit
Quite heavy, is better suited for larger, rougher blades, machetes and axes. A pocket knife can be sharpened to rough PCS. The two grits can bring a dull knife to life again but it'll never be SS.

-Genuine Arkansas Oilstone:
47 g, 7.4 cm L, 3 cm W 0.7 cm T, natural stone grit 400-600
Light, comes in a plastic box for protection. I usually used with oil but can be used with water (if you never used oil before). Great to bring the edge back to SS. Not good when the knife is totally dull. It might work but it would take a very long time. Most comfortable to sharpen a small knife. There is a slightly larger version of this stone, 10 cm L which will be more comfortable to use.

-Lansky Mini Dog Bone Sharpener:
16g, 10,5 cm L, 0.8 cm T, ceramic, grit unknown
Light, comes with rubber caps with angle guide. Brings an edge back to SS, not good for resharpening a dull knife. Most usefull for a small blade (move the knife over the rod) but can be used for larger blades (move the rod over the knife).

-Fontenille Pataud Honing Steel:
14g, 10.5cm L, 0.3 cm T, hardened steel.
This honing/butcher steel is perfect for straightening a burr, bringing back a SS edge that was just lost. But that's the only use.

-Eze Lap (Eze Edge) Sharpening Bar:
31g, 10 cm L, 2.4 cm W, 0.3 cm T, diamond stone, grits 400 and 600
Light, comes a with a plastic sheath. Perfect to sharpen a dull knife to a SS edge. Most comfortable to sharpen a small knife.

-Fallkniven DC4:
103g, 9.8 cm L, 3.2 cm W, 0.5 cm T, diamond and ceramic, grits 600 to 1000-1200(?)
Medium weight, comes with a leather pouch that can be used for stropping. Good for bringing a knife to SS but the knife shouldn't be too dull. 600 is a large grit to start with. Most comfortable for small knives.

-Generic Ceramic Sharpening Rod:
19 g, 11.2 cm L, 0.8 cm T, grit unkown
Light, comparable to the Lansky Dog Bone. Brings an edge back to SS, not good for resharpening a dull knife. Most usefull for a small blade but can be used for larger blades.

-Handysharp:
21 g, 12 cm L, 2.2 cm W, 0.5 cm T, carbide.
Light, larger but easier to handle than the Mini. Comes with a straight carbide and a pull through sharpener. I never use a pull through sharpener on a knife. You put an edge on your knife but don't create a burr so the sharpness is not what it should be. Pocket knife can be sharpened to PCS, a thin paring knife can be sharpened to SS. A very light passing over the edge is used, it can be used on small (up to 10 cm/4") and large blades. The carbide is harder than steel and can resharpen really dull knives. Is a fantastic striker for a ferro rod. It is good for an emergency but would take to much steel of the edge when used all the time.

-Spark and Sharp:
43g, 12.5 cm L, 2.2 cm W, 2.2 cm T, carbide.
Medium weight, more comfortable to use than the Mini and Handy Sharp. Comes with a ferro rod. Comes with a straight carbide and a pull through sharpener. I never use a pull through sharpener on a knife. You put an edge on your knife but don't create a burr so the sharpness is not what it should be. pocket knife can be sharpened to PCS, a thin paring knife can be sharpened to SS. A very light passing over the edge is used, it can be used on small (up to 10 cm/4") and large blades. The carbide is harder than steel and can resharpen really dull knives. Is a fantastic striker for a ferro rod. It is good for an emergency but would take to much steel of the edge when used all the time.

Eze Lap Dual Sided Diamond Sharpener:
102 g, 12.5 cm L, 2.7 cm W, 1.2 cm T. Diamond, grits 400 and 1200.
Heavy, very comfortable to use. Good for bringing a knife to SS but the knife shouldn't be too dull. 600 grit is a large grit to start with. Comfortable to sharpen larger knives due to handle. There is another version with grits 250 and 600 which would be more usefull with a dull knife.

Marttiini Diamond Sharpener Pen:
43 g, 13.7 cm L, 1 cm W, diamond, grit unkown (between 400-600?)
Medium weight, easy co carry with pocket clip. Comfortable to sharpen a small knife (moving knife over rod), can be used for larger knives (move rod over knives). Good for bringing a knife to SS but the knife shouldn't be too dull. Has a flat side, round side and a groove.

Accusharp:
31 g, 14 cm L, 6 cm W, 2.2 cm T, carbide
Pull through/over sharpener. I never use a pull through sharpener on a knife. You put an edge on your knife but don't create a burr so the sharpness is not what it should be. It could be used to reprofile a really blunt axe, sword, machete and create the burr with a different sharpener. It'll work but it won't look nice.

Eze Lap 6" Diamond Stone:
204g, 15,2 cm L, 2.4 cm W, 0.6 cm T, Diamond, grits 150 or 250 or 400 or 600 or 1200.
Heavy. Comes with a leather pouch that can be used as a strop. Comfortable to sharpen small knives, reasonably comfortable to sharpen larger knives. You have to make a decision in the grit, depends of the purpose needed. A dual sided one would have been very usefull. There are also 3" and 4" models.

Conclusion:

When using and testing the sharpeners I always used my leather belt to strop the knives.
The ones I will carry.
Pocket: Handysharp Mini on my keychain to sharpen friend's really dull knives. Eze Lap sharpening bar to touch up the knives I carry.
Vest: Handysharp to sharpen friend's really dull knives. I was in doubt between one of the ceramic rods and the (Marttiini) diamond rod. The ceramic rods are lighter but can break. The diamond rod is a bit heavier but won't break. Although I might replace it with an Eze Lap sharpening bar when I get another.
(Back)pack: Spark and Sharp to sharpen really dull knives. A ferro rod might come handy. Together with the Eze Lap Diamond sharpener to touch up my knives. The one with grits 250 and 600 could replace the Spark and Sharp (I'd loose the ferro rod).

Holy cow. Great information- thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[fivesense]

If you're comfortable with a freehand option (I'm assuming so, since you'd originally asked about the Spyderco DoubleStuff), then the DMT Credit Cards or DMT Dia-Fold hones would likely fill that criteria easily. A Coarse/Fine combo in either would likely be the most versatile, in terms of simple touch-ups (Fine) and being able to repair and restore an edge that's more worn or damaged (Coarse), even on relatively large & heavy blades.

The Spyderco DoubleStuff is a pretty decent touch-up hone, but will be very slow in repairing heavier edge damage. It's not really aggressive enough in heavy metal removal for such tasks, and will also clog very fast in doing so, if it's used dry. Also more prone to burring issues, especially when they start getting loaded up with swarf. I have two of them, BTW, but haven't used them much in recent years.

I carry all three of the DMT Credit Card hones daily (Coarse/Fine/EF). They carry in my wallet easily, and will handle any sharpening task I find for them. If picking an alternate option, the blue/red Dia-Fold (Coarse/Fine) would be my next choice; it's a little bulkier for pocket carry, than the credit card hones, but still very versatile. I also have two of those, as well as their EF/EEF (Green/Tan) Dia-Fold.


David

Thanks David. I will probably pick up a Double Stuff at some point. Lots of great options mentioned in this thread. I am fascinated by the various possibilities as I do love to experiment with my steel.

 

[Bernoulli]

I define field as what I carry in the field. Old Timer Honesteel and Falkniven DC4. If I'm field dressing a deer, the Honesteel works well yo maintain an edge as well as acting like a chisel to go through the aitch bone.