Opinel mini sharpening steel and Victorinox pen sharpener???

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lonestar1979

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Mar 2, 2014
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Is this miniature sharpening steel usefull at all for sharpening opinels and victorinox knives or it is just a novelty?How is victorinox pen sharpener?
 
I have not used either, but at first glance the Opinel appears to be a ceramic rod, which is typically used for honing a blade. Honing is most useful for aligning an edge that has rolled. It would not be very useful for establishing a new apex, reprofiling, or for long-term knife care. But, it would return your knife to a good level of sharpness for quite some time. The Victorinox is a pull-through style sharpener which I would strongly recommend against from any maker, as they tend to damage edges rather easily. However, if used with care, you may find it suitable.

Nothing is going to beat a waterstone for learning to sharpen. Short of that, there are several users here, including myself, who would be happy to help. I would look for a medium sharpening stone for the price range of the products you mentioned. Both the lifespan and utility of one would be superior compared to a ceramic rod or pull-through.
 
lonestar1979 said:
Is this miniature sharpening steel usefull at all for sharpening opinels and victorinox knives or it is just a novelty?How is victorinox pen sharpener?
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I have one of the Victorinox key chain sharpeners and it sucks, so I'd assume that the pen shaped version would be just as bad.
 
I have one of the Opinel ones. It is made out of metal and seems too small to use. It fills the slot in the sheath nicely.
 
I've used the small three-inch or so Victorinox steel. They work well for what a steel is designed for: straightening and smoothing the edge an already sharp blade. They are not used to remove steel and restore a dull knife's edge. Using a steel properly will keep a knife very sharp for quite a long time, which helps minimize the need to grind the edge and shorten the useful life of a knife.
 
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If you are looking for a small sharpener I think the small DMT diamond sharpeners are much better- they have key chain and credit card shaped versions:thumbup:
 
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