Recommendation? Travel Sharpening

Deinos

Deinos

Joined
Feb 7, 2016
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Looking for recommendations for a reasonable sized and priced travel sharpener for vacations and short weekend trips. Preferably something small that easily fits in luggage or a small carry on bag that is super effective for its size. Looking more for touch up, but would be nice to have something that could also do minor edge repair (super small chip, etc.) as necessary.

The fewer pieces the better, or good internal storage in a small size.

I know the sharpmaker exists, but seems a little larger than I want to pack. Looking for biggest bang for the smallest, most convenient footprint.

Thanks!
 
Please explain this to me, I've seen a couple of posts on this topic.
Unless you are out in the bush for a week or better I can't figure out why you would need to sharpen a knife on vacation or weekend get away. If you are in the bush a minimal sized corse/fine diamond stone will get you a long way.
 
For touch ups, the spyderco doublestuff. For a bit coarser, the Fallkniven CC4.

If you want to be able to sharpen from dull, then a DMT dia-fold Coarse/Fine (blue/red) or a Fallkniven DC4.

I've used them all and liked them all.
 
I keep a Lansky Multi Sharpener in my travel bag. Very compact and affordable for touch-ups on the go.
 
For me, I try to have at least my Leatherman sharp when I leave. So, the 2X4" stone I carry would be to sharpen kinfolks knives. DM
 
3fifty7 said:
Please explain this to me, I've seen a couple of posts on this topic.
Unless you are out in the bush for a week or better I can't figure out why you would need to sharpen a knife on vacation or weekend get away. If you are in the bush a minimal sized corse/fine diamond stone will get you a long way.
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There are a few reasons. First, maybe one likes to sharpen. When I get time off, I enjoy sharpening up the knives I've ignored.

Second, maybe one has a preference for keeping a pocket knife at that just-sharpened state.

Third, maybe vacation involves use which may dull a knife. It doesn't have to be piercing car doors. Walks in the woods where one slices off mushrooms occasionally have the knife touching a rock in the dirt.

And I agree, a coarse/fine diamond stone gets you a very long way.
 
Again I'm still not getting it.
Also let my preface this by saying I am not intentionally singling out anyone just hypothetical scenarios.

Someone is going to bring a dull knife on vacation to sharpen it ?.?.
If your blade has to be pristine for you to sleep better at night, well ok but that may be the least of your issues.
And if your blade is dulled and requires sharpening after touching a rock or dirt, it's likely the worst knife ever is being used or possibly the worst cutting technique.

I've brought and used knives on every vacation I've taken and never felt the need to sharpen one before I would return home.
 
3fifty7 said:
Again I'm still not getting it.
Also let my preface this by saying I am not intentionally singling out anyone just hypothetical scenarios.

Someone is going to bring a dull knife on vacation to sharpen it ?.?.
If your blade has to be pristine for you to sleep better at night, well ok but that may be the least of your issues.
And if your blade is dulled and requires sharpening after touching a rock or dirt, it's likely the worst knife ever is being used or possibly the worst cutting technique.

I've brought and used knives on every vacation I've taken and never felt the need to sharpen one before I would return home.
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Honestly, more a concern for the types that are anal about being prepared for anything, even if the percentage chance is incredibly small (namely myself :D ).

Just picked up a 3 pack of DMT Diamond Stones in credit card size: Coarse / Fine / Extra-Fine, based on some of your suggestions. Figure nice to have in the truck and the occasional longer distance trip.
 
3fifty7 said:
Again I'm still not getting it.
Also let my preface this by saying I am not intentionally singling out anyone just hypothetical scenarios.

Someone is going to bring a dull knife on vacation to sharpen it ?.?.
If your blade has to be pristine for you to sleep better at night, well ok but that may be the least of your issues.
And if your blade is dulled and requires sharpening after touching a rock or dirt, it's likely the worst knife ever is being used or possibly the worst cutting technique.

I've brought and used knives on every vacation I've taken and never felt the need to sharpen one before I would return home.
Click to expand...

I've been on a number of vacations to Summer homes and cottages where food was being prepared for a bunch of people. The cutlery is invariably butterknife dull. I got stuck once cutting a bag of spuds for potatoes au gratin and I literally had to lean on the knife just to get it through. Invariably there is nothing to sharpen them with but a piece of sidewalk. A small stone is a great thing to have, preferably a very coarse one.

When camping I bring a small puck and a piece of compound. Normally I touch up my hatchet or machete with ash from the fire, but is nice to have better options and only takes up as much space as an Altoids tin.

Normally my pocket knives do not need any touch-up on a normal vacation.
 
Not understanding how someone might dull a knife on vacation sounds like a failure of imagination.

Last year, I dulled a knife on a motorcycle vacation. The other guy had a short in the lighting and needed a gasket scraped off of a brake light fixture.

I don't keep a catalogue of times I've dulled a knife on vacations; it's probably not many. But I like to be prepared.
 
Dangerously said:
Not understanding how someone might dull a knife on vacation sounds like a failure of imagination.

Last year, I dulled a knife on a motorcycle vacation. The other guy had a short in the lighting and needed a gasket scraped off of a brake light fixture.

I don't keep a catalogue of times I've dulled a knife on vacations; it's probably not many. But I like to be prepared.
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It does seem a lil like a cop going on duty and only taking one magazine (or one bullet) for his gun. "Naw brah, I don't need to take anymore, probably not gonna need to shoot anyone today, why bring it?"

If you are going to be a self reliant enough individual to have a cutting tool, stands to reason you should bring a means to maintain that tool.

I like the DMT diafold coarse/fine for travel sharpening. I have their credit card ones too, but don't care for them as much, especially for a longer (longer than 3" blade).
 
I had Spyderco double stuff with me on vacation road trip. Its a pocket sharpmaker. Then i had a diamond plate in a car in my survival bin. Could sharpen a garden shovel if i wanted to.
 
HeavyHanded said:
I've been on a number of vacations to Summer homes and cottages where food was being prepared for a bunch of people. The cutlery is invariably butterknife dull. I got stuck once cutting a bag of spuds for potatoes au gratin and I literally had to lean on the knife just to get it through. Invariably there is nothing to sharpen them with but a piece of sidewalk. A small stone is a great thing to have, preferably a very coarse one.
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Exactly. When I visit my kinfolks, nothing is sharp. DM
 
Ti, a very cool idea. I recall using my knife and secateurs to prune my Grandmothers pear tree once. When I got thru my knife blade needed
some attention. So, it can happen on visits. DM
 
deltaboy said:
A Lanskey Crock Sticks set will pack out just right!

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Lansky-Turn-Box-Knife-Sharpener-P105C57.aspx
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When visiting son and d-i-l, I take a Lansky setup with clamp on post. Their knives invariably will be sharp enough to cut melted butter but not much else. My daughter and s-l are not as bad, he puts them on the steel a few times.Still need the Lansky for some knives. At home my wife is afraid of sharp knives, but my carvers and parers are always sharp enough to cut hair.Don't bother with my mother or sister.
 
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