Your Field Sharpening Method For Carbon and Super Steels?

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bladeninja

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Mar 26, 2014
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I've got a rotation of carbon and super steel blades that see field use and wanted to know your best/preferred method of sharpening in the field.
Any experience with the following would help. Most are bushcraft/utility use. Feel free to add home shop sharpening methods as well. Thanks!

Ex. Cpm-20cv/Field = Diamond Rod/Shop = Bench Grinder

Cpm-20cv
Cpm-3v
80crv2
1095
01
 
Don't rock CPM-20CV, but I do regularly carry the analog of it, M390, and I usually use a strop to maintain that edge for daily use.
When used for utility or field use, it used a different compound, but usually maintain most of my knives with a strop still, with a diamond fine and medium rod in my pack in case of edge damage or rolling that cannot be taken out by a strop alone.

I have used all of the steels there except 80crv2, and the bellow combination works well for me when out for extended periods of time using them for field use (not a really light pack, but I usually do not carry much out besides some light gear.

Diamond medium Rod, Diamond Fine Rod, 1 double sided strop loaded with Bark River Knives 16 micron and 8 micron emulsions.

Generally speaking, this works very well for all the steels I work with in the field, and will give me a very sharp, very good, workable edge consistently, while still allowing me to repair any damage that might happen in the field that isn't drastic.
 
I strop (loaded with dia-paste) my blades back to sexy in a couple moments.
 
Pay attention to your blade and edge geometry. The high-performance powder steels allow you to use a more acute blade and edge geometry. Not only do you get better cutting performance and greatly increased wear resistance, but the thinner, more acute edges are easier to sharpen because you have less metal to remove. And these edges don't get dull as fast, so you may not need to resharpen them in the field.

If you do have to resharpen a high-wear, high-performance edge, you can use a fine pocket diamond stone and resharpen just a micro-bevel, rather than the entire edge bevel.
 
I travel but don't actually go out in a field. I carry a half sheet of sandpaper in my small gear bag as well as a DMT diafold. I haven't had to use either one yet.
 
The OP asked about "Field Sharpening" and anymore I carry a Lansky 4-rod Turn Box sharpener with me when out and about.

o12eAwy.jpg


They are small and fit into a back pocket or small belt pouch. You can sharpen almost any steel on the planet with these rods. When using a rod be careful that you don't swipe the point off the rod or else you'll round the point of your knife blade. Instead, just stop the stroke with the tip of the blade on the rod.

Anyone of these pocket sharpeners work well in the field - right dow from a small pocket knife to a rather large fixed blade.

IaII1oY.jpg
 
bdmicarta said:
I travel but don't actually go out in a field. I carry a half sheet of sandpaper in my small gear bag as well as a DMT diafold. I haven't had to use either one yet.
Click to expand...

+1 on the DMT diafold!
I love mine and it puts a edge back on easy and fast.
 
My trips are rarely longer than a day or two. I get by with a mini double sided leather strop. One side flesh side with compound the other plain smooth side leather. For a longer trip I would add a fine diamond pocket stone. Wouldn't add much to my load and would be able to touch up a knife that was actually dulled.
 
Three moving parts, adjust to any angle from 14 to 40 degrees and fits in your pocket, everything a field sharpener should be.
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Modoc ED said:
The OP asked about "Field Sharpening" and anymore I carry a Lansky 4-rod Turn Box sharpener with me when out and about.

o12eAwy.jpg


They are small and fit into a back pocket or small belt pouch. You can sharpen almost any steel on the planet with these rods. When using a rod be careful that you don't swipe the point off the rod or else you'll round the point of your knife blade. Instead, just stop the stroke with the tip of the blade on the rod.

Anyone of these pocket sharpeners work well in the field - right dow from a small pocket knife to a rather large fixed blade.

IaII1oY.jpg
Click to expand...

I added a round spirit level to my Lansky 4 rod, covers the Lansky name to give you an idea of diameter, about ½" tall so it doesn't interfere with positioning the rods.
It takes the guesswork out of how flat the surface is that you're sharpening on as it's important to keep the rods at the correct angle.
You can of course use something to raise one end then the other to get custom angles.
 
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