FOLDING pocket sharpener idea

DaveH

DaveH

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Messages
12,249
I like the diafold sharpeneds that have the plastic covers that swing around to expose the sharpening medium.

My idea is that spyderco make a folding pocket sharpener along somewhat similar lines. The new part is that there is actually three hinged pieces.

A center piece that serves to keep the pieces locked closed, but swings down 90 degress to act as a handle. Then the stones can be separated and they snap into position at 20 and 30 degrees. My vision is that the whole package doesn't exceed 1.5 by 3 inches folded up.

Is this a new idea or am I just recylcing an idea I saw elsewhere but forgot that I saw it elsewhere?
 
Kind of like a mini-sharpmaker? I think thats a great idea. Still not quite envisioning how you are describing it though.
 
Like this one?

dmfw.jpg


It would be cool if it was real Spyderfly-ish. Flippin yer sharpener. :rolleyes:
 
Like that but not quite.

See the one with the blue handle? Now imagine the handles that are blue are the sharpeneing stones, and the stone part is really the handle. (Actually in my idea the handle swing out to the side so you are not inline with the center part of the "V".)
 
Spyderco made the "duckfoot" sharpener some time ago. It was quite portable, but it didn't catch to the public :( But so was the Calypso jr. when it made its appearance.
 
i'm diggin' it, and more importantly, i'd buy it. good idea, Dave. i've never heard of it, but it would be cool.

abe m.
 
Hi Dave. Interesting idea.

We do have drawinigs and a sample of a folding field sharpener. Bigger than you describe, but folds and clicks into place. Can't say much more.
we do appreciate your sharing concepts with us. Shows you're thinkng about us. :)

The Duckfoot is actually still in the works. We were never able to make a run due to plating requirements. We're still hoping to produce the piece.

sal
 
Dave, exactly where did you get the idea that you are not crazy?
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Dave. Interesting idea.

We do have drawinigs and a sample of a folding field sharpener. Bigger than you describe, but folds and clicks into place. Can't say much more.
we do appreciate your sharing concepts with us. Shows you're thinkng about us. :)

The Duckfoot is actually still in the works. We were never able to make a run due to plating requirements. We're still hoping to produce the piece.

sal
Click to expand...

Is the folding field sharpener still coming?

And I can't find anything about a duckfoot anywhere...what is it? When may we see it?
 
I would also be interested in a more portable sharpmaker. Lanksy and others make some portable units, but I want stones with flat sides.
 
Mr. Glesser you know I am totally sold on your products. However I do have a constructive criticism to make. The guy makes a good point about having a top quality field sharpener and I am very glade to hear that there is one on the drawing board. But I do still think that the only thing missing out of all of your sharpening gear is some kind of stone ( Ceramic or Diamond) that would be rated as "EXTRA COARSE". When I get a blade really banged up I like to reprofile the blade with a stone that removes stock more rapidly than the gray stones of the 204 Sharpmaker. Why can't you guys come out with an extra coarse stone with like a 225 grit or thereabout.

When I am up in our hunting cabin with no electricity it would be so nice to have an extra coarse stone to shorten the time it takes to re-profile an edge on my favorite Spyder. I know of at least 2 other fellow collectors who have shared the same sentiments that I have about an extra coarse stone. You could even make it available in the 701 Profile series. I know you are going to tell me about the Diamond stones that come with the 204. I have them and they are still not coarse enough to get the dings out quickly. I mean this suggestion to be helpful. I hope to see it come to pass. JD
 
Sal, what's the minimum effective length for a sharpener that's still able to comfortably and effieciently carry in your pocket and sharpen a decent size blade?

Personally, the longer the stones the easier it is to accurately sharpen a blade.
 
Hi JD. Profiling very hard/tough steels does take some effort. There are quite a few very coarse stones available at fairly cheap prices. It would not be practical for us to compete. Out diamonds are 400 mesh and do a good job, but they are expensive for many. I've used a Norton "Triple Flip" for profiling, but I can't say it's faster than the diamond sticks.

Hi T.Erdelyi. I personally prefer no less than 5" in sharpener length. Most prefer to carry something smaller, but I question the effectiveness. Both the "Duckfoot" and the folding unit use 5" abrasives. We'll test at that length and see the market reaction. We've offered stones in 3", 4", 5" and 8" but nothing has sold well. I understand that some companies do well with 3" diamond stones?

The market likes something that will "disappear" in their gear, but I've found very few that can get a "good" edge with a very small stone. Many buy these little "travel" stones, but IMO, they end up "in the drawer" with the other gadgets that "sell well but work poorly".

Anybody out there carry, use and get good results with a very small stone? What do you use? and how do you use it?

sal
 
Sal Glesser said:
Anybody out there carry, use and get good results with a very small stone? What do you use? and how do you use it?
Click to expand...

I think the Sharpmaker instructions say to always do the whole edge with each stroke (IIRC), but if we "enlarge" the example and use a Sharpmkaer with a very large knife, maybe a machete (rather than a small 3" sharpener with a standard knife), doing that makes the grind lines almost parrallel to the edge, which means a not-quite-so-sharp edge. It is actually better to just do a small part of the blade with each stroke, progressing a little each time to cover the whole blade. Covering the whole blade in a single stroke gets closer to using one of those little "drag through" sharpeners, which are limited in final effect because the stones are moving the wrong direction.

(EDIT: If anyone wonders why this is so, look at the edge enlargement in the sharpmaker manual, which shows the up-close appearance of the edge after sharpening in the correct direction. Imagine what the very edge would be like of the strokes were 90 degrees to that).

I have used some 3" flat stones. One is a very old Norton I was given, and I kept using it because it worked better than a lot of larger stones that were not beyond what I wanted to pay. Another was a small EZ-Sharp diamond stone.

My method for the small flat stones is to move the knife in short strokes across the stone, perpendicular to the edge, so the resulting grind lines still point the right direction. Each stroke does not cover the whole blade, but rather I keep moving the blade back and forth and very slowly drift the blade to eventually sharpen the whole edge. If I hade a 3" sharpmaker-like device rather than a flat 3" stone, I would do something similar.

In addition, I balance the stone on the edge of my desk and let it rock as I move along the blade. MUCH easier to establish the angle desired when not using an upright V-style device.
 
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