It doesn’t matter if you want to keep your knives sharp while out hunting, fishing or camping, or simply want to ensure that your trusty work knife is as sharp as it can be, a pocket knife sharpener is a necessary piece of equipment. One that you’ll want to take with you out in the field or keep around the workshop. The only thing that you have to do to keep your knives sharp is to find the best pocket knife sharpener that you can find. One that’s easy to carry around, is simple to use and puts a nice edge on all of your knives. For the best pocket knife sharpener tools that can be found, check out the list below.
10. Wusthof 2-Stage Pocket-Sized
This pocket-sized sharpener is small enough to be taken just about anywhere but is useful enough to put a nice edge on all of your blades. It features coarse carbide heads that are made for edges with issues or extremely dull knives and it has a fine ceramic rod that put a super-fine edge on already sharp knives. With textured rubber inserts on top and the bottom, and a key-chain to make it easier to carry, this sharpener is both easy-to-use and portable. It’s also equipped with a textured grip that makes it easier to hold in the hand.
9. Victorinox Compact Swiss Army Sharpener
Designed by Victorinox, the same company that designs Swiss Army Knives, this tool is a great tool for not only sharpening these type of knives but all kinds of different pocket knives and multi-tools. This tool has a compact design that’s easy to pop into a pocket, backpack or field pack and is sturdy enough to be used on a daily basis. This German-made sharpener has been exquisitely engineered to put the finest edge possible on blades of all sorts. Which not only makes it a great sharpener for Victorinox products but for any knife.
8. Whetston Cutlery Sharpening Stone
While it’s not as easy to use as some of the penknife sharpers available and takes some practice to use, this stone is still one of the better sharpening options available. It was originally designed to sharpen kitchen knives, but it can be used for just about any knife out there. This stone has to be soaked for five to ten minutes before use, which means it takes more time to use than other tools. The light green 1000 grit side is for smoothing and polishing edges, while the dark green 400 grit side is for working knives back into a workable condition. This allows the user to get the best edge possible.
7. Work Sharp Combo Sharpener
Whether it’s used to sharpen pocketknives or as a flick knife sharpener, this tool has a design that makes it easy and efficient to use. All it takes is a few strokes through it and the blades are quickly restored back to their former glory. This sharpener is versatile enough that it can be used to sharpen even serrated blades. This unit comes with a ceramic hone, an abrasive belt, and a tapered fine grit honing that gives the user plenty of different option while they’re working on their blades.
6. Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal
Only 3.5-inches long and 1-inch wide, the Pocket Pal is a sharpener which is extremely portable and convenient to use. It has a lanyard hole that makes it easier to carry and also has a tapered round diamond-coated rod that’s useful for sharpening not only standard edges but also serrated ones as well. It also has two distinct sharpening slots. A coarse carbide slot for setting the edge of a knife and a fine ceramic slot to hone edges to a razor sharpness. And because the stones in both slots are both reversible, they can be used for a longer period of time than conventional sharpeners.
5. Smith’s 2-Step CCKS
Anyone who’s been around sharpeners will probably recognize this Smith’s CCKS 2-step sharpener by its unique shape and colorful yellow color. That’s not surprising since this model has been around quite awhile and there’s a good reason for that fact. It’s because it’s an inexpensive and yet very effective device. With just three or four strokes through its carbide sharpening slot will put the edge back on a dull knife. A few more strokes through its crossed ceramic rods will then put a finished edge on the sharpened blade. And since it’s lightweight and comes with non-slip rubber feet, it’s easy-to-carry and safe to use.
4. Lansky Quad Sharp
With just about any feature a person needs in a sharpener to keep their blades in tip-top condition, this multi-angle sharpener is useful for maintaining knives in the field. It has four different sharpening angles: a 17-degree angle, 20-degree angle, 25-degree and a 30-degree angle. Just pull the knife through one of these angles three or four times and the blade of your knife will be razor sharp. This tool also comes a ceramic bench stone that’s harder than steel and acts as butcher steel, and also has a feature that allows it to put an edge on serrated knives.
3. AccuSharp 001C
Designed to be a tool that anyone can use, this American-made sharpener can not only sharpen a variety of straight-edge and serrated knives, but can also be used to sharpen a wide variety of cutting tools including axes, machetes, and cleavers. It has a large handle that’s ergonomically designed and can be used equally well by both right-handed and left-handed individuals. It’s also manufactured in such a way that it takes under a minute to put a fine sharp edge on all of a person’s knives and kitchen implements. This unit is also designed to never rust and can be cleaned easily with soap and water.
2. Work Sharp WSGFS
This field sharpener has several different parts which allow it to sharpen a variety of different blades in a number of different ways. It has five abrasive methods that make for a complete sharpening solution for pocketknives or any other knife. It has both coarse and fine sharpening plates, both coarse and fine ceramic hones and a leather strop as well. And since it’s also equipped with 20-degree and 25-degree guides, the user can decide just how they like to sharpen their blade and just how sharp they should be. It’s a comprehensive sharpening solution that’s durable and compact enough to be carried anywhere.
1. Work Sharp WSGSS
Anyone from a novice to a master sharpener can use this tool and it’s designed to not only be simple but to provide quality results as well. It has precision angle guides which can be flipped from 17 to 20-degrees so it can sharpen a number of different types of knives. It’s also equipped with magnets which keep the blades securely in place during sharpening. Equipped with a ceramic field hone, and three ceramic rods that are useful for sharpening curved and serrated blades as well as fish hooks, this unit can handle just about anything.
Pocket Knife Sharpener Guide
When embarking on a camping trip or hike, everyone wants to see how it feels to be like Bear Grills or other survival experts for a few days. Making fires is one thing, but simple activities like sharpening your pocket knife help to make the experience a lot easier.
If you have invested in a pocket knife, you may have spent a fair bit of money on a quality one. Even if you’ve only parted with some expendable cash, maintaining it properly can extend its lifespan and stop you from needing to replace it. There are plenty of pocket knife sharpeners to choose from and they have different features. Find out why it is a good idea to buy one, and what to look out for in our following guide.
What You Need To Think About When Purchasing A Pocket Knife Sharpener:
Multifunction
One of the most convenient types of pocket knife sharpener and one that you will find frequently in top ten lists. They are great because as their name suggests, they can be used to sharpen various types of knives and tools. Not only are they handy to have around the house, but they are portable.
Some pocket knife sharpeners also have the capability of sharpening fishing hooks.
Angle
Finding the right sharpening angle isn’t easy but it won’t take long to master. Those who have been doing it for a long time will find a sharpening angle of between 10 – 15 degrees will suffice for a pocket knife. This will help you to make light work of cutting things in the bush without being as dangerous as sharper knives.
Portable
A compact pocket knife sharpener is best, if you are choosing something convenient as a pocket knife, you don’t want to suddenly weigh your bag down with a heavy sharpener. Thankfully, because the blade is smaller, a more compact sharpener will suffice. This is also where the weight comes in – choose something lightweight so that you won’t wish you left it at home.
A lot of pocket knife sharpeners have a lanyard hole to make sure you can take it anywhere.
Sharpening Stage
A standard sharpener will have 2 sides, whilst others have more. The different stages include one for restoring the shape of the blade and another for sharpening or polishing. Others are tailor-made for sharpening serrated edges. Anything too basic and you will need to buy more than one sharpener.
Safety
This should be high on your list of priorities and most products have some sort of safety feature in place. Most of the time it enables you to sharpen your pocket knife whilst maintaining a barrier or distance between your hand and the blade.
Grip
Because you are working around blades, you need to make sure your hand doesn’t slip at any moment. A good rubber grip helps to give you the confidence to sharpen your pocket knife and know that you can do so safely.
Budget
A quality pocket knife sharpener will not set you back as much as the knife itself but you can still end up paying a lot for a product with quality materials and added features. This being said, there is something for all budgets so there is no need to overstretch yourself.
Quality
Some people think this is linked with budget and whilst there is some sense in that, it isn’t always the case. Some of the cheaper pocket knife sharpeners are very durable because of the high-quality materials used.
Colour
This might not seem as important but bear in mind that when you are camping or night fishing, the low light conditions can make it hard to find your pocket knife sharpener. A bright color always helps make it easy to spot.
Why Is A Pocket Knife Sharpener So Important?
Not only does it allow you to keep your pocket knife sharp, but it can also be used on all sorts of blades. This makes fishing trips more enjoyable as there can be other equipment that needs sharpening.
With any trip into the great outdoors, a sharp pocket knife makes things much more enjoyable. There is no fun in hacking away at the kindling when a sharpener would help you make light work of it.
The harder you have to work a knife, the more you put yourself at risk of injuries, using more force than necessary to try and get the job done. When it comes to filleting fish, it certainly helps to have a sharp knife.
Conclusion
Whilst there is more to know about pocket knife sharpeners than most people think, finding a quality product doesn’t have to be a chore. As long as it suits your needs, it will be a welcomed addition to your toolbox of camping bag.
