Let's talk field sharpeners.

[ROCK6]

Unless I'm using a machete (which I use a coarse/extra course DMT diafold sharpener), I prefer very fine grits/ceramics. You really don't need a course grit in the field unless you're planning on digging in rocky soil with your knife or you're chopping a lot of hard/knotted wood. For skinning, I've touched my blades up with just a piece of loaded leather...a few strops back and forth and it's good to go. I carry a mini DMT folder (fine or super fine) in the back slot of my Leatherman sheath. I've also used the triseps ceramic sharpener (which I like), and if you remove the rubber guards, it will slip into one of the side slots of the Leatherman pouch. Both are excellent field sharpeners that are easy to carry along with your multi-tool or any other belt mounted knife (in Leatherman's pouches).

I want to make one of the Altoid sharpening kits. Glue a leather strop and section of a mouse pad to the outside and the inside leaves you room for a credit-card sized DMT diamond sharpener and plenty of wet-or-dry sand paper in various grits for touching up. Either the dog-bone/triseps or a small ceramic rod is useful for recurve or serrated edges. I also have an older two-sided ceramic stone (fine and really fine)...it's about 5 inches long and an inch wide...great for larger blades. I'll also back up Brian's comments on Lanskey's pocket sharpener; I haven't used it on larger knives, but it's excellent for SAK blades!

ROCK6

 

[riddleofsteel]

It depends on the grind of your blade but something not yet mentioned is a leather belt. The heavy leather belt I use in the field has two sections charged with polishing compound on the back or raw side of it. I keep these sections covered with duct tape. If you hang the belt by the buckle it makes one heck of a strop for convex edges.

Another great tool is several pieces of pasteboard charged with chromium dioxide. I keep them in a Ziplock bag. Placed on a firm surface they will put that hair popping edge back in a few passes just like my flatbed hone at home.

If the edge is really trashed a pocket model DMT diamond hone is the quickest way back to a blade profile that the hones above can finish up.

 

[ROCK6]

I found a great Youtube on this by Ray Mears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQN4jcXDjbE

Watch the series of 3 - it is nicely done.

TF

Great tutorial...I like the idea of the small nails to keep your stone in place!

ROCK6

 

[baldtaco-II]

I use little tacks to hold my wet-n-dry. Essentially, what I'm making is a strop, but without need for any compounds.

Method:

1] Take a length of abduct tape and tape it longways to the back of the wet-n-dry sheet.

2] Go over it again with another couple of bits of tape.

3] Trim to the size of the tape.

4] Tack one end of it to a convenient lump of wood and pull taught.

This is now by far my preferred method for a blade tickle in the field. Several revisions of other backings, foams, and credit card sized things have lead me to this. It is so simple, gives a big amount of strop space compared to even good size home bench stones, a bunch of them together still weigh very little, and they take seconds to make, and you just throw them away.

 

[Anrkst6973]

I've used the same system for years...a Gatco with interchangable fine and coarse ceramic rods carried in an Altoids box lined with closed cell foam to protect it from being broke and a well used DMT model M for really dull edges. The first Gatco finally wore in two in the middle so I took one each of the rods and put them in a gutted, cut down Bic pen. Thats about as small and lite as a sharpener can get and it rides in my belt pack every day.

 

[Rick Marchand]

I made this little "Utilipouch" that contains a sewing kit, cordage, char making tin, beeswax/lindseed mix, 5hr candle, FAK (not pictured) and a sharpening kit . The whole kit is 4"x 9" closed.

The sharpening kit consists of a norton two sided stone to repair damaged edges, and a sanding block that uses wet/dry paper and is backed by a 1/4" thick pc of compound impregnated leather.

Rick

For size reference.... the knife is 9" OA

 

[siguy]

i've taken to carrying one of those simple 3x1 pocket stones and a leather strop in a cardstock slip sheath. they both fit well in my pocket and let me sharpen just about anything to a hair whittling edge, believe it or not. i consider the stone fairly course, but with a strop you can really work magic..

i also carry a neat sharpener that rescueriley sent me very kindly that consists of an altoids tin type container with a mousepad glued to the lid. i keep several grits of sandpaper cut to size inside, and then just clamp the sandpaper under the edges of the lid over the mousepad to use. this is what i use the most for a quick touchup on most of my knives.

 

[jlfletcher83]

DMT folding sharpener with medium/ ultra fine grits. It works very well and makes quick work of even the hardest steels.

 

[Gossman Knives]

Anything made by Eze-Lap. Stropping can be done on your pants leg.
Scott

 

[siguy]

i took a couple of photos to show my setup:

my right breast pocket. if i'm not wearing this jacket, i just toss this stuff in a satchel.

the stuff. i keep the stone and strop in cardstock cases to protect them and the other stuff i might be carrying:

the stone as held for sharpening. i lay it flat in the palm and move the blade in small circles from heel to tip across it:

the convex sharpener:

yesterday when i lent my beater paring knife to a friend, he saw fit to whip it into his lawn for fun. eh, no big deal. it came back dull anyways. i just sharpened it while taking these photos with the stone and the strop (which i lay across my leg or on a table if available) to mowing sharp:

rick, very nice little pouch you have there. i may have to do something similar someday soon...

 

[Gossman Knives]

I've also found the diamond file on a Leatherman to work well. If you carry a Leatherman with this tool, it will cover your sharpening needs in the field.
Scott

 

[eatingmuchface]

leatherman Diamond file eh?
good to know.

thanks...
if I had a choice, I'd birng some wet and dry paper and a loaded strop with black compound.

 

[koyote]

i use a blackie collins on a few production knives i have, and a diamond pocket stone on scandis, but since most of my using knives these days are convex, i use a leather belt strop with rouge on the rought side and a piece of 320 grit shop roll on the other side.

 

[Salamander42]

I've tried several different DMTs and they all work great. I'm currently carrying one of their little credit card sized stones in the little nylon belt holster that holds my Swiss Tool and mini Mag Light. I like the red "fine" grit for general use because it is coarse enough to remove nicks fairly quickly but fine enough to get the edge shaving sharp. I also sometimes carry one of their little mini hones in the green "extra fine" grit for when shaving sharp just isn't quite sharp enough.

 

[brians]

I use this small ceramic stone from lee valley. I can attest that it works very well on carbon and on 154cm:

 

[ziptrickhead]

I EDC a fine small folding keychain DMTs in my pocket. I also have one of those pen type sharpeners but I keep that in my bag since I'm more comfortable with a larger flat surface.

I do plan to get one of the Fallkniven stones but I haven't had the chance yet.

 

[baldtaco-II]

I also have one of those pen type sharpeners but I keep that in my bag since I'm more comfortable with a larger flat surface.

I'm completely incompetent with small round sharpeners yet I've got no problems working with big steels and kitchen knives. I've got a pair of small ceramic rods from Lansky. I find them very hard to work a curve with, resulting in appalling tips. They cut ok for me on a straight edge.

 

[hollowdweller]

This is good for scandis. It is a DMT extra fine diamond plate with chrome impregnated leather I glued on the back for the final polish.

 

[BarberFobic1992]

I Also use an EZ-Lap diamond rod, when it is put together, it hardly takes up any room.