SHTF knife sharpening

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getridone

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Your bugging out wandering around chopping things...what is the 1 (or 2) sharpening device(s) you want in your bag. This is all you may have for a while.
 
A coarse/extra coarse DMT Diafold and scythe stone. Having the ability to repair a damaged edge will be way more important than being able to whittle hair.
 
Can't you just crush a rock and roll a stick on it, and then scrape your edge against the rocky stick until it's sharp enough to cut an avacado? :rolleyes:
 
I was thinking about this today while going through my kits. I own and have tried a lot of sharpening tools in the last 40 +years. My choices hands down would be a Gransfors Bruks ceramic axestone and an Eze-Lap model "M" diamond sharpening rod.

Both of these tools would last an extremely long time and be able to sharpen pretty much any cutting tool. :thumbup:
 
ohmyheckinslc said:
Can't you just crush a rock and roll a stick on it, and then scrape your edge against the rocky stick until it's sharp enough to cut an avacado? :rolleyes:
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A strickle? Of course! One of the reasons you don't need a fine stone so much. The top edge of a car window works nicely as an improvised sharpening tool as well. :)
 
In case of SHTF WROL AWOL AFKBRB or whatever other acronym happens to be fashionable with the paranoid survivalist crowd, you can always sharpen your knives using this technique: Find a flat rock. Rub your knife on the flat rock as you would with any fancy diamond/ceramic/aluminum oxide/traditional japanese bench stone thingy. Repeat as necessary. This is a pretty well proven method of making things sharp - people have been sharpening their sharp objects in this manner for thousands of years.

For camping and travelling, I usually bring the diamond side of a fallkniven DC4. It's worked well for me in the past, but it has been definitely been wearing out lately.
 
I carry a small EZE-Lap Diamond Sharpener in the small leather pouch it comes with in my back pocket, if my trousers are on i have my knife and the means to keep a good working edge on the knife at all times. I have bigger and better sharpening gear at home, but for the field this item has served me well for many years.
 
DMT mini-sharp folding pocket sharpener in red (fine).

Lansky Multi-sharpener -- a pocket dogbone that can sharpen serrated blades and fishhooks, etc.

I'm trying to decide which I want to shove in the BOB. The other will go into the mini-BOB. Leaning toward the Lansky since it is more versatile.
 
The EZ Lap diamond fishhook sharpening stones will fit into a lot of stone pouches on sheaths.
 
jdm61 said:
The EZ Lap diamond fishhook sharpening stones will fit into a lot of stone pouches on sheaths.
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jdm61 Thats what mine is. It has the groove for the fish hooks and is small enough to carry all the time.and it big enough to get the job done.
 
[video=youtube;CXLaE1JvQ94]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXLaE1JvQ94[/video]

ive seen the murray carter video before
 
I always pack a sharpening kit anyway, it's on my top 10 survival items I'd like to have on me so that I can keep my No. 1, 2 and 4 tools functioning. I find the Lansky Puck/Smith's 1x4 hardsone/high-grit wet-and-dry kit to be very expedient and capable. It's completely manual so of course it's best for easily maintaining scandinavian and convex grinds, but 95% of my field users have Scandi/scandivex or convex final bevels anyway.
 
I'd probably go with a fine bastard file and a double sided coarse diamond stone. I know that you can use bricks and rocks and the side walk to sharpen, but a good file does speed things up a little bit.
 
I'd avoid the file and go with the scythe ("canoe") stone because the file can be dulled through incorrect or hurried use, while the stone will just keep wearing down and exposing fresh material. This process is slow enough that you don't have to be be concerned about wearing the stone out, but it ensures continued function. It will also sharpen recurved or hawk-billed blades.
 
I would probably throw my Sharpmaker in my BOB, to be honest. It's portable, and while it might be a little more weight, I feel like it would be worth the weight in the long run. Not that it's particularly heavy. I've brought mine backpacking before.
 
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