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If you've never sharpened your pocket knives or hunting knives, it's about time to start because nobody wants a dull blade out in the wild.
If you carry a pocket knife with you when you go camping or hiking, or even just have an EDC knife that you take with you on your person, you may have realized that the once-sharp edge on your knife blade has dulled through years of use, a dull blade is not nearly as useful as a sharp one. While using a traditional knife sharpener that you may use to hone your kitchen knives, you'll need a different tool for sharpening your hunting knives and other small knife edges. The top-rated pocket knife sharpeners are surprisingly affordable and can do much more than just sharpen your knives.
A single whetstone may not be enough for all your knife sharpening needs, having a specific sharpening tool designed for folding knives, Swiss Army knives and hunting knives is a good way to ensure you always have a sharp knife on your person when you're out hunting, fishing, or camping. See our top picks and pick out the best pocket knife sharpener for your knives.
1. Our Top Pick
Work Sharp WSGPS-W Pocket Knife Sharpener - Amazon, $14.95
This Work Sharp sharpener is a compact, packable knife sharpener designed for sharpening on the go. The diamond sharpening plate and ceramic honing rod use built-in angle guides to create a sharp edge anytime, anywhere. It works on serrated edges as well as flat ones. The sharpening angles guide calls for a 20-degree angle on the 320 grit diamond plate and a 25-degree angle on the fine ceramic rod. Say goodbye to your dull knife and enjoy a razor-sharp edge with this simple and effective sharpening system.
2. An Amazon Favorite Under $10
Sharpal Pocket Knife Sharpener & Survival Tool, with Fire Starter & Whistle - Amazon, $9.99
With over 22,000 ratings and an average rating of five stars, this multi-tool pocket knife sharpener is well worth the $10 cost. Made with Tungsten carbide, ceramic, and monocrystalline diamond, it'll hold up to thousands of sharpenings.
This tool boasts six different functions: coarse carbide to quickly set a new edge, fine ceramic to hone for a smooth finished edge, a tapered diamond rod (medium 400 grit) for serrations and gut hooks, a diamond rod with grooves for fishhooks, a Ferro rod firestarter, and a high-pitched emergency whistle. This useful tool sharpener is super handy and is ideal if you're an outdoorsman with lots of sharp edges that need honing. It also has a lanyard hole for easy portability. A reviewer compared it to the Lansky Blademedic and Smith knife sharpeners and said he prefers this one!
3. A Compact Option for Easy Carry
Smith's 50979 Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener-PP1-Tactical Black - Amazon, $25.04
The Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal knife sharpener is a high-quality portable option that many rave about on Amazon. With a fine ceramic sharpening slot, a coarse carbide sharpening slot, and a diamond-coated sharpening rod, it gives your knives a beautiful cutting edge (even on the first time you use it, according to Amazon reviews).
Choose from several sizes and color combos.
This post was originally published on June 27, 2021.
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