Pocket sharpener

L

LethaL_98

Joined
Apr 28, 2011
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20
Hey, I'm looking for a good pocket sharpener that I can take for quick touch-ups in the field (mainly forest) but can still produce a razor-sharp edge with the effort.

I really like the DMT Mini-sharp extra fine. Will this suit the job?

Thanks
 
How about a DMT Diafold with F and EF grits? They fold up, so that makes them great for portability.
 
THG said:
How about a DMT Diafold with F and EF grits? They fold up, so that makes them great for portability.
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+1 I never have invested much time in free handing but could get a decent edge quickly with a C-F diafold.
 
Yep, one more for the DMT two sided folding diamond stones. I have a few of them, and if I were to only take one with me out in the field it would be the Coarse/fine (red/green) combo.

The red is enough for light repairs and resharpening, the fine is enough to get shaving sharp. For even more edge refinement you could put a little compound on the back of your leather belt, or just bring along a small peice of loaded stropping leather.
 
The blue/red is the corse/fine. The red/green is fine/extra fine. The red/fine is usually enough to get one sharp though. The coarse can take a pretty dull knife and put a new bevel on it with some time.
 
Thanks, the double sided Diafold looks good. So which grit combo would you recommend?

Imagine how sharp you could get a knife with an xx-fine...lol
 
It takes a while to break in before the EEF really does its magic. If you are only going with one diafold the c/f would serve you well. The fine will give you a nice shaving edge with some practice.
 
I use Victorinox pocket sharpener. The V slot is diamond coated I guess, and the rod is ceramic. Works ok for quick touch up, cost 8-10$
 
ssblood said:
The blue/red is the corse/fine. The red/green is fine/extra fine. The red/fine is usually enough to get one sharp though. The coarse can take a pretty dull knife and put a new bevel on it with some time.
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OOPS, my bad! Yeah I guess I meant F/XF. I also have the XF/XXF combo but I find the XXF isn't really needed for most applications.
 
Looking at getting one too. What would you say would be the grit approximately? Would the fine be something like 600 grit?
 
Shotgun said:
Looking at getting one too. What would you say would be the grit approximately? Would the fine be something like 600 grit?
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The DMT Fine (Red) is 600 grit (or, as listed by DMT, 600 'mesh'). Particle size is 25 micron.

I'll 2nd the DMT Coarse/Fine (Blue/Red) as an ideal field sharpener. If your edge gets damaged, the Coarse will quickly restore the bevel. And the Fine side will put a very 'fine' working edge on top of that.

I also like the Fine/EF combo (that's what I'd more often use to touch up, around home), but if I had to rely on only one, I'd feel a little more secure with the C/F, in the event I had to quickly repair the edge in a tough situation.
 
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Coarse is 320 and fine is 600. Great combination in a small but usable size. I use the edge pro ceramic for my touch ups now and it is 600 grit. Will quickly bring a knife back to hair popping.
 
Just thought of another possibility. The DC3/DC4 diamond/ceramic combo from Fallkniven works excellently, too (I have a DC4). Their ceramic feels quite coarse, compared to any others I've seen, but it works very fast. The diamond side of the hone is fairly coarse too. Maybe comparable to the DMT Coarse.

The DC3/DC4 would be a match, in my opinion, for the DMT Coarse/Fine. A plus for the Fallkniven, it's diamond side is a continuous surface (no holes). That much more diamond to fit onto the pocket-sized hone. Works very fast.
 
How big is the DC4? A plus for the dmt to me was the length plus handle. Never actually seen the DC4 in person.
 
ssblood said:
How big is the DC4? A plus for the dmt to me was the length plus handle. Never actually seen the DC4 in person.
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The DC4 is 4" long x 1-1/4" wide x 1/4" thickness. Comes with a nice, black leather slipcase, too.

No handle on the DC4. That's a preference issue, I suppose. My habits with pocket hones have been formed based on using a Spyderco DoubleStuff hone. I hold the hone in my left hand, with my thumb at one end, and my middle finger at the other end, with my index finger folded underneath the hone, for support. The 'ideal' length for me, holding it this way, is around 4 to 6 inches. I even hold the DMT Dia-Folds this way, with the handles folded outward, perpendicular to the sides. Probably sounds odd, but it works for me. :)
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
The DMT Fine (Red) is 600 grit (or, as listed by DMT, 600 'mesh'). Particle size is 25 micron.

I'll 2nd the DMT Coarse/Fine (Blue/Red) as an ideal field sharpener. If your edge gets damaged, the Coarse will quickly restore the bevel. And the Fine side will put a very 'fine' working edge on top of that.

I also like the Fine/EF combo (that's what I'd more often use to touch up, around home), but if I had to rely on only one, I'd feel a little more secure with the C/F, in the event I had to quickly repair the edge in a tough situation.
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What he said.

Leave EF for the house. You don't need that for a field/forest knife.
 
Gonna have to get one of those to check it out. Would like a pocket ceramic after getting rid of my diafolds.
 
I have a DMT 600 grit diamond credit card sharpener. I glued a piece of 1200 grit sandpaper to the back. It works real good. I also have a slightly larger Hewlett 600/1200 and I see that Eze-Lap makes a credit card diamond sharpener too.
 
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