Best pocket size sharpener

T

TFin04

Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
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We've all seen em, the little hand held sharpeners with two stones at a pre set angle you just drag your knife through.

I'm looking for one with a 40* bevel (total) with medium grit stones. Anything of quality out there like this?
 
I can't find anything that has the angle listed, but my Smith's Pocket Pal works pretty well. I keep it close when working. Cutting boxes daily is hell on a knife...
 
knifenut1013 said:
Your better off with a DMT dia-fold http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/s...eqCATE CODEdatarq=dmt&eqKEYWORDdatarq=diafold

They make a little angle guide for it too.
Click to expand...

Those look nice but I'm just looking for something basic and lightweight to add to my pack. I use a Spyderco sharpmaker for at home jobs.

I never use my knives enough that they need sharpened in the field, but if that day every comes I dont want to fiddle with fancy sharpeners. I just want good stones in a pre set angle that I can bring some type of edge back to the knife.
 
I carry a double sided diamond plate in my minimalist survival kit. They sell at Ragnar's for $17 and are very capable for so light a sharpener. Here's the description:

Two Sided Diamond Plate

If I were starting over, and buying a single tool to sharpen my knives, this is what I would get. It has a medium surface on one side and a fine surface on the other. It's 4" long, 1 1/4" wide, and less than 1/16" thick (.055"). The plate and it's plastic sleeve weigh about 1 1/4 ounces. Made in the USA. ($17)

and the link:

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SharpeningCatalog.html
 
I love the DMT Mini-sharp. Small and weighs next to nothing :D


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DC3/4

I've tried those credit card sized diamond plates, Fallkniven DCX sharpeners are far better.
 
Those ones with the preset angles are often a bad choice. They often use carbide while capable of doing a so-so job, you a much better off with something else. Have a look at the Gatco key ring one. Its a triangular stone similar to that of the Sharpmaker but shorter with little rubber feet at each end. On the rubber ends there a flats on it so when rested on a flat surface it is propped at the right angle. Little hard to explain so take a look at the pics here - http://www.tadgear.com/x-treme%20gear/triseps.htm

Also comes in diamond and ceramic.
 
i have the credit card DMT but don't like them too much because you can't hold them so that your fingers are below the sharpening surface...basically this means that i'm always in danger of clipping a finger tip off while sharpening.

if you have a good way of holding them or glue/tape them to a base they work great for such a small size, and the shape makes them great to toss in a wallet for a backup.

i love the altoids tin sharpener that rescueriley sent me and i have made about 15 of them since (and gave them all away). they are more cargo-pocket sized sharpeners, but everything is all contained inside the tin and you can carry any grit you want.

disregard the bit on top about selling them, i changed my mind.

link

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I saw a video where Ray Mears used a couple of nails to secure a thin diamond stone to a log for sharpening. That keeps fingers out of the way, although you might nick the nail with the blade.
 
Closest I've ever found to a "small" sharpmaker is A.G. Russell's Field Sharpener. The angle is 30 degrees, though. I think the rods are at the utter lower limit of useable length.

http://www.agrussell.com/a-g-russell-field-sharpener/p/AG3750/

When it comes to pocket stones, I also like the Spyderco ProFile ceramic files:

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=93

They work as well as any ceramic and have a nice combination of round and flat surfaces. I can get the benefits of freehand sharpening on a round rod but not round off my points (by sliding over to a flat as I sharpen down to the point).

Bear
 
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