Pocket knife sharpeners

December 27, 2023

Pocket knives have long been one of the most commonly used knives, offering an unparalleled combination of utility and defensive capabilities. However, the more they are used, the faster the blade will lose its sharpness, making simple tasks and cuts significantly more difficult and less effective.

Fortunately, restoring your knife's edge has never been easier, thanks to modern technology that allows users to achieve the perfect edge and bevel every time. With so many different types of sharpeners and so many models occupying each subcategory, it can be difficult to even know where to start looking.

While almost all perform the same basic task of sharpening the edges of a knife, modern pocket knife sharpeners actually come in a variety of forms - each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses.

Below we will briefly touch on the main types available:

Benchtop sharpeners: These are basically stationary sharpening systems that - as the name suggests - are used on a bench or table. The sharpener usually holds the knife in place while the user selects an angle, and then a whetstone or steel, which is moved evenly across the edge of the knife by an arm (or arms), sharpens the knife. Although usually more expensive, these sharpeners almost always offer extremely precise sharpening and can be used to achieve special finishes.

V-Shapes : These are made up of two pieces of metal that are oriented in a V shape, with the edge running (or drawn) into the base. While easy to use, these blades are not very efficient and are not very consistent in their performance. More importantly, they remove a large amount of metal from the blade to sharpen it.

Electric sanders : Functioning like a small grinder, electric sanders - equipped with a motorized abrasive belt or wheel that spins rapidly, allowing the user to simply hold the blade in place and rotate and tilt it as needed. The abrasive element does its job of smoothing out edges. When used properly, electric sanders can be incredibly convenient and easy to use, however, like sanders , they can also remove excess material - and do so very quickly.

Pocket sharpeners : These are compact systems designed to allow you to sharpen your knife edge from almost anywhere.

Sharpening stones: As the name suggests, sharpening stones are just that; stones used to sharpen knives. These sharpeners have at least one abrasive side that the blade can be run along to refine its edge.

Honing steel: Consisting of a rod or cylinder of plain steel, diamond-coated steel, or ceramic, this is another element that has a flat surface with an abrasive surface that can increase the sharpness of a knife's edge. Like honing stones, honing steel is typically used as part of a larger honing system.

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