What’s a BEST “Portable” Sharpener? What Gives the Best Edge in a Hurry?

[Nalapombu]

Hey all.

I’d like to get some opinions on sharpeners. Not the sharpening systems, but the type of sharpeners that let you put a great edge on your knife without spending a lot of time.

The one I currently have is one of the Accusharp devices. Put your blade in the “slot” and pull it through nice and evenly. It works pretty well.

I was down at my buddy’s place a week or so ago and saw a small red device on his bench. He isnt knife guy at all. It was a sharpener from SNAP-ON tools. It has the 2 mounted black metal blocks that formed a “V” for you. I tried it on an inexpensive Remington Stockman and it put a surprisingly nice edge on all 3 blades. After using it that one time I felt like it was a better device than the Accusharp that I have and use from time to time.

So, I thought I’d ask and see what sharpener you have that works great and goes anywhere you need it and gives you a great edge.
Is there one of these types of sharpeners that is better than the rest? Is there one you’d rather have over all the others? Is there another type of sharpener that you have that works better that you’d like to tell about?


Let’s hear your thoughts on what the best easy to use, portable sharpener that you have ever found is.


Thanks for your time and help.
Stay safe and healthy guys and gals. This Covid ain’t one bit of fun, I promise!!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Really depends on what I'm carrying and the condition of the edge. Different degrees/kinds of dulling call for different solutions. For general use a dual grit pocket stone works well, though.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Stay away from "V" sharpeners.

Portable.. as in pocket sized? the answer is always going to be a dc4 or a spydero double stuff pocket stone (freehand sharpening).. which you really do need to learn anyway.

But if you still don't trust yourself.. get you one of those lansky wooden crock sticks boxes. It's portable enough.

 

[kreisler]

best portable: RRS

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

For 'in a hurry' sharpening of blades that actually need a significant amount of work, nothing beats a diamond hone in a relatively coarse grit (~325 or so, maybe down to 220 or so).

Otherwise, depending on the starting condition of the edge, most anything can do the job quickly if the geometry is good and the edge was fully apexed prior to being used. Any hone/stone appropriate to the steel and its composition could get the edge back in shape within a minute or two. This could include anything from a coarse diamond hone (220 - 325) to a fine ceramic (1000+), depending on how fully apexed and refined the edge was before, and also on your own edge finish preference.

Setting good edge geometry initially is what will make the biggest difference in subsequent ease of touchups. Invest some time in setting good geometry the first time, and it'll pay off down the road. If you don't have to reprofile to a more acute edge angle or thin the steel behind the edge, that saves a ton of time in resharpening. And with experience, you'll be better able to judge just how much work the edge needs each time, without overkilling the job with something too coarse or with too many passes.

The hones I use for quick touching up are usually any one of these options:

>>> For kitchen/utility edges -> Norton India 'Fine' and/or a medium Spyderco hone (Sharpmaker rod)
>>> For my EDC knives in simpler steels -> Norton India 'Fine' (pocket stone) and/or a medium Spyderco hone. Sometimes a 'fine' ceramic triangular rod I cannibalized from a Lansky guided hone.
>>> For my EDC knives in more wear-resistant steels (S30V, D2, etc.) -> usually either a Coarse (325) or Fine (600) DMT diamond hone. On occasion, even an XC (220) diamond hone, based on preference.

All of my knives are set to good edge geometry (~25° - 30° inclusive) beforehand, and I never let any of them get too far-gone in terms of dullness before touching up. Stay ahead of it with frequent touchups, after which none of them should take much time to tune up.

 

[gordyt]

I really like the Spyderco Double Stuff 2 for a handy and portable sharpener. One side is CBN and the other is their fine ceramic. It comes with a soft leather pouch and you can strop on that. I keep that and a small block of eraser in my pocket. You would normally clean off the ceramic side with some scouring powder and water, but you can do a pretty darn effective job with just a simple eraser.

Here is an example. Left side of the ceramic with a bit of loading from (CPM 20CV) steel. Right side cleaned with eraser.

 

[airyq]

The GATCO Diamond Tri-Seps. Very pocketable, you can use the angle that is built in or adjust the angle some what.