Recommendation? Field sharpeners for high end steels

A

Abyss_Fish

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Mar 14, 2019
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hia, recently (if you call 4 weeks ago recently) ordered a Benchmade 200 Puukko which comes in a few days, and I was wondering what field sharpeners work best for it. I was looking at the Work Sharp guided field sharpener, but would that work well for 3v? Any suggestions are helpful!
 
I thought the point of high end steels was so you didn't have to sharpen them in the field?

j/k

DMT makes small diamond stones that fold up like a butterfly knife called the diafold. Easy to carry, small, and useable. I end up using it like a 'steel' almost, holding it in one hand and holding the knife in the other.
 
The dmt folding stones mentioned above, as well as their wallet sized sharpening plates, are excellent portable stones that have no problem sharpening "high end" steels.
 
I use a small diamond stone. I quickly came to realize that field sharpening for me needs to be quick and easy. I carry a medium grit stone with me. I will throw on a quick micro bevel if needed.
 
I like the small plastic diamond plates that come with the Aligner system for on the fly high vanadium steel touch ups.
 
You can sharpen almost any knife on the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup, ceramic is harder than any knife steel. I rarely have ever sharpened any of my field knives when hunting, camping or fishing. I throw my Sharpmaker in with my kit. The Sharpmaker doesn't weight more than a few ounces and is good for everything from knives to fish hooks.


 
I use either a two sided diamond sharpener (there are several good makers), a strop and sandpaper (you can't beat sandpaper for weight and size).

I tend to strop a lot, and use the sandpaper rather often, too. I keep the diamond sharpener in my backpack just in case I need to remove more metal (or fixed a nick).
 
The worksharp guided field sharpener is awesome, I use mine as my main sharpening stone these days, the diamond plates are good quality and last a long time, cuts steel fast, and the built in guides help me maintain an angle.

I’m a good freehand sharpener and can shave hair with my knives without using any guide, but I use the guides on my worksharp field sharpener, they are easy and help minimize the human element.
Really easy to get every knife I own shaving sharp quickly.

Plus it’s cheap enough to have several, one in the truck, one in the pack, one in the kitchen, and one at work, etc.

I also have the bigger worksharp bench stone tool thing that swivels to match the belly of curved blades, it’s also amazing and stays on my kitchen counter, plus they sell an expansion kit for it that adds an extra coarse diamond plate, and extra fine diamond plate, and a leather stropping plate.

I haven’t used my Lansky, dmt stones, sharpmaker, various benchstones, fallkniven DC 3, or any other sharpening equipment except for my belt grinder (for reprofiling) since getting and using my worksharp stones.

I also have the worksharp ken onion belt grinder and while it’s good, I much prefer my harbor freight 3x30 belt grinder.
 
Another vote for the DMT Double Sided DiaFold. Just throw a coarse/fine comb in your pack Super lightweight and they work great with any steel. I have several of them and use them all the time for quick touchups on folders and kitchen knives.
 
I found that Fallkniven DC4 works best. Cheaper diamond sharper may scratch the knife.
 
GatorFlash1 said:
I rarely have ever sharpened any of my field knives when hunting, camping or fishing.
Click to expand...

Also this. I've never needed to sharpen a knife in the field. I'll do it back at camp/cabin after I wash my knife having field dressed any number of deer, and even then I'm more likely to just use a steel in the kitchen. Same for when I'm butchering. I might stop to sharpen between animals, but normally it's just a steeling away from continued cutting.

But hey, I'm a low end steel junky using 420HC as my primary hunting knife.
 
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