Made in USA simple sharpener

A

avigo

Joined
Oct 6, 2022
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Looking for suggestions for a really simple compact "field" sharpener (not a stone) just to touch up a non-serated pocket knife blade.
Made in the USA ideally. Was hoping maybe the US military had used one in the past but can't find anything.

Thanks
 
Could you precise what you are looking for? I am not sure what you mean. No stone. A pull-through-sharpener then? A rod? File? Is a Gatco Tri-Seps or Lansky Dog Bone a stone?

Lansky Tactical Sharpening Rod? Or a similar retractable diamond sharpener (Smith's)?

Maybe you want to take a look at companies like Lansky, Smith's, Work Sharp, DMT?
 
Papilio said:
Could you precise what you are looking for? I am not sure what you mean. No stone. A pull-through-sharpener then? A rod? File? Is a Gatco Tri-Seps or Lansky Dog Bone a stone?

Lansky Tactical Sharpening Rod? Or a similar retractable diamond sharpener (Smith's)?

Maybe you want to take a look at companies like Lansky, Smith's, Work Sharp, DMT?
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Something more like the Smith's. A guided, "field" sharpener that doesn't need much though. Not really interested in a rod or stone.

But Lanksy/Smith etc. seem to all be made in China.

Mainly wanted to post to see if someone knew of a USA made one. Work Sharp "assembles" in the USA but manufactures overseas.
 
I'm not sure if it's what you have in mind, but it's USA made and has angle guides built in and works for field use. Look at Work Sharp, they have a few models that may work for what you want.
 
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avigo said:
Looking for suggestions for a really simple compact "field" sharpener (not a stone) just to touch up a non-serated pocket knife blade.
Made in the USA ideally. Was hoping maybe the US military had used one in the past but can't find anything.

Thanks
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Idahone have a small V style sharpener that would fit into a field pack and does not need setting up. Made in USA, not expensive, a family run business and terrific to deal with. Worth looking at for your needs.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
I'm not sure if it's what you have in mind, but it's USA made and has angle guides built in and works for field use. Look at Work Sharp, they have a few models that may work for what you want.
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Spoke with Work Sharp and unfortunately they aren't really made in the USA. They assemble some things in the USA but not manufacture from what I gathered
 
cudgee said:
Idahone have a small V style sharpener that would fit into a field pack and does not need setting up. Made in USA, not expensive, a family run business and terrific to deal with. Worth looking at for your needs.
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What's the name of it? Just looked through all of their products and didn't see anything that matched that
 
avigo said:
Spoke with Work Sharp and unfortunately they aren't really made in the USA. They assemble some things in the USA but not manufacture from what I gathered
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"We are proud to design and assemble our tools in the USA. You work hard for your money, and your tools are an investment. We are dedicated to creating quality tools with quality components and backing them with the best customer service you’ll never need.


We design, engineer, and calibrate our sharpening machines all under one roof – also shared by our in-house customer service, sales, and admin teams. We source as many components from North American manufacturers as we can, and insist our over-sea suppliers meet stringent quality control metrics and share in our practice of creating a great workplace for their employees."

Of course North America includes Canada and Mexico, and I'm guessing that the latter may be where most of the parts come from. The question would be whether the specific sharpener you want to buy had most of its parts sourced domestically or from outside the country.

Just get a pocket stone and an angle guide. Put the stone in a pouch and throw the angle guide in there with it. Call it good. Now you have a guided sharpening system. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
 
EZE-LAP and DMT each make products in the USA and have a great selection of pocket and field sharpeners. Each has a series of folding diamond plates in various grits that are perfect for touching up and mild re-profiling.
 
Sorry, I forgot that some products are made overseas. Like the Smith's Natural Arkansas Stone Made in China. Lol.

What kind of steel are you ging to sharpen? IIf it is carbon steel or low alloy steel: what about the Mini Hone made by Dan's Whetstone?
https://danswhetstone.com/product/mini-hone/
Made in the USA. But that is a stone, too.

A.G. Russell Field Sharpener
https://agrussell.com/knife/A-G-Russell-Field-Sharpener--AG3750
Assembled in the USA.

DMT Diamond Vee Portable Sharpener
https://agrussell.com/knife/DMT-Diamond-Vee-Portable-Sharpener--DMT-PFDVE
 
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I just can't help myself....

First it was 'Proudly made in USA'

Then it became 'Proudly assembled in USA'

So what's next?
'Proudly repacked in USA'?
 
I was just looking at Smith's sharpener. Very compact. Looks similar to Lansky but smaller. Work Sharp system is much bigger.

What about KME sharpening system?
It's relatively compact ( I would say smaller as Work Sharp) and it can be hold in one hand when sharpening. I would just replace the wooden handle with smaller one to reduce the size some more. It's also easy to use.
 
oldmanwilly said:
EZE-LAP and DMT each make products in the USA and have a great selection of pocket and field sharpeners. Each has a series of folding diamond plates in various grits that are perfect for touching up and mild re-profiling.
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I have lots of DMT products, all excellent.

But my EZE-LAP sets of diamond files, both coarse and fine, have chunks of diamond almost a millimeter long sticking out here and there across the surface. Have you encountered that?
 
TheOne45 said:
I just can't help myself....

First it was 'Proudly made in USA'

Then it became 'Proudly assembled in USA'

So what's next?
'Proudly repacked in USA'?
Click to expand...

Assembled means made abroad and put together in the USA?

Another Shepherd said:
I have lots of DMT products, all excellent.

But my EZE-LAP sets of diamond files, both coarse and fine, have chunks of diamond almost a millimeter long sticking out here and there across the surface. Have you encountered that?
Click to expand...

I had a EZE-LAP Hone & Stone Diamond File in Super Fine (the blue one). Sold it because I have too much pocket sharpeners. Mine was excellent. When did you buy yours? Maybe their quality control went downhill?
 
Another Shepherd said:
I have lots of DMT products, all excellent.

But my EZE-LAP sets of diamond files, both coarse and fine, have chunks of diamond almost a millimeter long sticking out here and there across the surface. Have you encountered that?
Click to expand...
I've gotten a benchstone/plate and some pocket sharpeners from EZE-LAP and never had that issue. Maybe call them and see what they can do for you.
 
Another Shepherd said:
But my EZE-LAP sets of diamond files, both coarse and fine, have chunks of diamond almost a millimeter long sticking out here and there across the surface. Have you encountered that?
Click to expand...
All diamond stones have more or less some smaller or larger areas sticking out of the rest of the surface....like some larger diamonds got somehow in the mixture or some diamonds glued together.
I usually put each diamond stone under microscope and use something (like a small screwdriver) to remove those spots.
Then I 'break-in' the diamond by " sharpening" a piece of straight HSS steel.. usually 5 or 10 minutes.
I got this break-in tip from 'scienceofsharp' internet site. Check the artcle "Diamond plate break-in 1 and 2".
I use the same pressure as I use when sharpening my knives. Too much pressure is not good for diamond stones or any other stone.
 
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Here’s my recommendation. Actually, I spent the extra $20 for the 10” long version, but since you’re asking for a field sharpener, this is probably what you’re looking for.

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A94EDD63-F288-405F-9A5E-269D39871064.jpeg
 
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