The Most Capable Pocket Knife Sharpeners

How do you keep the edges of your pocket knives sharp? If you own a favourite pocket knife, the worst thing is having that knife go dull. That’s why it’s a good idea to invest in a great pocket knife sharpener to keep it in tip-top cutting shape. Gone are the days when sharpening your pocket knife entailed spending hours grinding blades against undefined stones. You can now achieve a precise sharpening that re-profiles a dull knife into a razor-sharp blade within minutes, at home or out in the field. These are portable, durable, and easy to use pocket knife sharpeners using the latest technologies for the best results. 

In this guide, we sample a variety of the best pocket knife sharpeners for your favourite trusty EDC tool. These sharpeners feature a lightweight and pocket-size design that you can carry in your pants or shirt pocket. They achieve a high level of sharpness, depending on the bevel model and blade angle. The only question that remains is to figure out what type of pocket knife sharpener you should use? 

Types of Pocket Knife Sharpeners

Sharpening Stone

Sharpening stone, also known as a whetstone, offers a fun sharpening experience in the outdoors. It involves such steps as soaking the stone for 10 to 15 minutes, maintaining it at a particular angle, and holding the knife using the index finger at the spine. It requires lots of practice and can be fulfilling when out in the wild with a group of friends.

Whetstones can be the natural Arkansas stones or artificial India and Crystolon stones. These stones have varying grit types for different sharpening needs. Hence, the Arkansas and Crystolon stones are best for coarse honing. And, India stones work best for fine sharpening tasks. Today, sharpening stone makers add diamond abrasives to attain a precise cutting edge. And, additional features of the modern sharpening stone include:

• Dual or triple sides for a fine and coarse sharpening option
• A raised, non-slip base protects hands from injury when sharpening tools
• Angle guiding accessories useful for beginners
• Optional wetting of the stone

Sharpening Steel

Sharpening or honing steels hone knife blades and perform minor sharpening tasks. They comprise diamond-coated, ceramic, regular, or a combination of the three abrasives. They vary in length and application to facilitate the sharpening movements as follows:

• Ceramic Sharpening Steel – It removes the least amount of swarf from the blade. In turn, it is ideal for daily knife sharpening needs. Use it for minor sharpening or alignments. 
• Diamond-coated Sharpening Steel – This cut steel removes more swarf from a blade. For this, you only need a few strokes to sharpen even the dullest of blades. We recommend using the steel sparingly to avoid over-thinning the knife blade. Plus, this abrasive is resilient; it does not break when it falls. Most diamond-coated cut steels retail in an oval shape.
• Regular Sharpening Steel – This steel is the most common type of abrasive. It can have a standard, fine, and ultra-fine grit for hard cut, sharp edges, and honing, respectively. 
• Combination Sharpening Steel – As the name suggests, combination cut steels will sharpen and hone your knife blade. However, these abrasives are only efficient for minor sharpening tasks. 

Knife Hone

A knife hone or honing steel is for straightening the edges or removing burrs after sharpening the blade. Honing maintains the sides for an already sharp blade. Hence, it will not sharpen the knife. Hone cutting edges frequently to push keep the edges aligned at all times.  

Electric Sharpener

An electric pocket knife sharpener produces, sharpens, and horns the edge of a dull blade. It creates and sharpens the edge by sharpening the edge using coarse grit. Then, it switches to a much finer grit to horn the edge into a sharp blade. As the name suggests, it is an electric-powered sharpening tool, spinning stones against the knife to achieve the desired sharpness. Below are some benefits of electric knife sharpener: –

• Sharpens most non-serrated blades to achieve professional results
• Has automatic angle positioning for precise sharpening
• Fine hone polishing razor-sharp edges in seconds
• Easy to use

Electric sharpeners often retail with a straightforward user guide to help you achieve the desired results in the least time. 

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

BEST OVERALL

The best overall pocket knife sharpener is the Work Sharp WSKTS-KO-W Knife & Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition. It is an electric knife sharpener with up to five abrasive capabilities, a broad and customizable angle setting, and variable motor speed controls for efficient sharpening. 

BEST MULTI-USE SHARPENER

The Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic is our pick for the best multi-use sharpener. It is a pocket-size, 4-in-1 knife sharpener ideal for serrated and non-serrated knives, gut hooks, and most kitchen knives. 

BEST POCKET SIZE

The Smith’s DCS4 Diamond Combo Bench Stone is a 4-inch pocket knife sharpener with a coarse and fine grit that will fit in most pockets. It will sharpen most pointed tools and fish hooks to razor-sharp precision. 

BEST WHETSTONE SHARPENER

Consider picking up the Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone, a double-sided whetstone with an ergonomic design for a fast and safe sharpening operation. More so, it retails with a convenient eBook and guided knife angle for precision. 

BEST DIAMOND SHARPENER

The SHARPAL 101N 6-In-1 Pocket Knife Sharpener & Survival Tool has a diamond tapered rod and a grooved diamond rod for serrated blades, fish hooks, and gut hooks. These rods include guide knife angles for precise results. 

BEST HONING ROD

Our pick for the best honing rod is the Victorinox VN43323 Fixed Blade. It is a pen-type fixed blade knife sharpener that hones and sharpens most cutting edges. 

1. Work Sharp WSKTS-KO-W Knife & Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition

If you need to sharpen your knives, scissors, gut hooks, or any of your edged tools and serrations, consider getting the Work Sharp WSKTS-KO-W Knife & Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition. Retailing as an electric sharpener with custom-designed abrasives, it sharpens your high-end steels and other surgical steels, including knives, pruners, serrated tools, and scissors, to the desired sharpness. Each sharpening session achieves a consistent edge, courtesy of the flexible abrasive grit belts and variable speed motor controls. More so, you can position the blade at an angle of between 15° and 30° to achieve a sharpness that ranges from fine slicing, filleting, paring, boning, and carving, to rigorous cutting, hunting, and slicing outdoor tasks. The position allows for 1° increment dial adjustment.

2. EDC Micro Sharpener & Knife Too

Work Sharp is a reputable tool sharpener brand, making quality EDC tools that keep your cutting edges sharp and your workshop or kitchen running. Here, this little sharpener and knife maintenance tool will hone your knife blade, align it, and perform other minor sharpening tasks safely. Its EDC Micro Sharpener & Knife Tool is pocket-size honing steel comprising a 600-grit diamond and 3,000-grit ceramic abrasive. The rods are efficient in sharpening and maintaining Benchmade knives and Swiss Army knives. More so, it retails with a knife tool with Torx bits and bit drivers for easy knife tuning. The bit holder swivels to secure and access the knife fast.

3. Smith’s CCKS 2-Step Knife Sharpener

Do you need a knife sharpener for your sushi restaurant? Or, are you a fisherman, water sports enthusiast, or love spending your Sunday afternoons enjoying some fish barbeque with family? Whatever your lifestyle, Smith’s Consumer Product presents you their latest knife sharpener model specific for fillet knives. Smith’s CCKS 2-Step Knife Sharpener is a pull-through knife sharpener featuring carbide and a ceramic blade for quick edge setting and razor-like edges in minutes. Indeed, unlike other carbide sharpeners that aggressively churn out the swarf without attaining sharp edges, this model has a carbide sharpening slot that allows up to four gentle strokes to restore sharpness to a dull edge. And, its 1,500-grit ceramic rod relies on preset angles to achieve razor-sharp edges in minutes.

4. Smith’s Abrasives PP1

Now, if you own a Samurai sword, use the Smith’s Abrasives PP1 hunting-knife-sharpeners to sharpen them in minutes. This knife sharpener has three dedicated slots, including coarse carbide blades for setting cutting edges, fine ceramic stones for a razor-sharp finish, and a diamond-coated rod for serrated tools and standard blades. Each sharpening slot has preset angles that achieve perfect edges every time. And, you can reverse replace any of the carbide or ceramic stones to extend the sharpening. The knife sharpener includes a convenient lanyard hole for easy carrying or attaching to the rest of your luggage. In turn, this slim, lightweight, and multifunctional knife sharpener comes in handy for scuba divers, hikers, hunters, and backpackers.

5. Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone

Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone is a two-sided sharpening and honing stone. It features an ergonomic design with a thick bamboo base to protect your hands from injury and the table countertop from scratches. Its 1,000-grid abrasive sharpen pocket knives, chisels, paring knives, cleaver knives, sushi knives, and straight razors. It is a beginner-friendly design that includes a handy angle guide for precision. Plus, you get a detailed eBook guide with lots of tips and tricks for best sharpening results.

6. Smith’s DCS4 Diamond Combo Bench Stone

If you work with pointed tools and fish hooks, have the Smith’s DCS4 Diamond Combo Bench Stone in your essential tools box. It has a micro-tool sharpening pad and features a coarse and fine diamond-coated grit. More so, this two-sided handheld sharpening stone uses a soft grip rubber handle for a stable grip when sharpening your tools. Use it after wetting it in water, oiling it, or while dry to achieve the precise blade you want.

7. Kershaw Ultra-Tek Blade Sharpener

Do you own a Kershaw blade? If so, Kershaw Ultra-Tek Blade Sharpener (2535) is a dedicated knife sharpener for your Scallion, Link, Leek, Shuffle, or any other Kershaw blade. It is a 4-inch lightweight knife sharpener with a durable aluminum handle grip. It achieves a smooth finish that lasts long. Use it to touch up, sharpen, and maintain your cutting edges everywhere you go.

8. AccuSharp Knife & Tool Sharpener – Diamond-Honed Tungsten Carbide Rust-Free Sharpener

Do you have harder paring, fillet, serrated, or chef’s knives? If so, use a resilient sharpening tool to get the razor-sharp in seconds. For this, opt for the AccuSharp Knife & Tool Sharpener. It consists of a Diamond-Honed Tungsten Carbide Rust-Free Sharpener that sharpens your cutting tools safely in less than 10 seconds. More so, you can always reverse the sharpening blades to get value for your money. The knife sharpener has a large ergonomic handle and a full-length finger guard, protecting your hand and fingers from bruising. And, it is rust-resistant and dishwasher safe, making it easy to clean and maintain.

9. Victorinox Pocket Knife Sharpener

Victorinox VN43323 Fixed Blade is a convenient pen-type knife sharpener with a fixed ceramic blade that sharpens blades into fine edges. This dual-function design ensures you have a portable, pen-type honing and sharpening tool wherever you go. Also, the flip side has a honing stone for pre-sharpening your cutting tools. Then, use this tool to sharpen serrated blades or regular blades. Or, file your fish hooks using the handy groove.

10. Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic

Now, if you are in a commercial setting where having razor-sharp cutting tools is a must, have the Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic handy for all your sharpening needs. It is a 4-in-1 multipurpose knife sharpener that achieves precise sharpness with three to four strokes. Indeed, the knife sharpener relies on robust tungsten carbide grit for fast edge restoration. Second, a serrated knife sharpener will handle even the smallest serrations. Another diamond tapered rod will recondition and maintain your cutting tools in no time. All four options have a preset angle guide of between 22.5° and 45°.

11. Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker

Spyderco’s Tri-Angle Sharpmaker is a durable knife sharpener comprising two fine and two medium grits, a ceramic sharpening stone, and safety rods for professional-grade sharpening and honing. It is a handheld, portable knife sharpener for pocket knives, awls, scissors, and chef knives. Use it as a left-handed or right-handed operation to achieve the razor-sharp edge you want. Then, flip the base to get the most use out of the sharpener.

12. Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener

There are five sharpening and honing solutions you can expect from the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener, Gray. First, there is a 220-grit diamond rod for shaping and repairing knives. Another 600-grit diamond rod sharpens the cutting edges to a fine finish. Third, a 3-position ceramic rod with a fine grit, coarse grit, and fish hook honing section comes in handy for sportsmen’s tools. Finally, a leather strop gives your edged tools a razor-sharp precision. In turn, this guided field knife sharpener is ideal for your broad-heads, fish hooks, knives, edged tools, and serrations. Use the built-in angle guide system to adjust the abrasives to different cutting tools.

13. SHARPAL 101N 6-In-1 Pocket Knife Sharpener & Survival Tool

If you have a knife or cutting tool with a straight or serrated edge, gut hooks, or fish hooks, sharpen them fast using the SHARPAL 101N 6-In-1 Pocket Knife Sharpener & Survival Tool. It is a handy knife sharpener with a premium tungsten carbide blade that sharpens, repairs, and maintains cutting edges. Another dedicated ceramic blade will hone, polish, and remove burrs after sharpening. Third, a 400-grit tapered diamond rod is suitable for serrations, fish hooks, and gut hooks. All these abrasives have preset sharpening angles for precision.

14. Fallkniven Double-Sided Ceramic Sharpener

Fallkniven Double-Sided Ceramic Sharpener is your go-to finishing stone when you want to hone or polish sharp edges. It features a double-sided ceramic abrasive with a super fine grit type. Use it on your EDC blades or Spyderco Sage to achieve a polished edge within minutes.

15. Lansky QuadSharp QSHARP

The Lansky sharpening kit is a stand-alone sharpening solution for outdoor enthusiasts. It features a multi-angle knife sharpener that is compatible with all Lansky kits and accessories. More so, you can use the pull-through ceramic rod to re-profile edges or sharpen steel rods to precision. The sharpening kit has four possible guided knife angles of between 17° and 30°. They make it easy to sharpen and hone fillet, paring, and outdoor utility knives.

16. AccuSharp 4-in-1 Knife & Tool Sharpener

There are four things you can do with the AccuSharp 4-in-1 Knife & Tool Sharpener. First, sharpen your hooks and darts using the convenient groove. Then, achieve razor-sharp edges in your serrated blades using the coarse tungsten carbide blades. Better still, there is a retractable diamond-tapered rod specific for deep serrations. The knife sharpener has a large ergonomic handle for safe and stable operation. Another full-length finger guard protects your fingers from accidental bruising. This knife sharpener has rust-resistant parts that you can wash in the dishwasher. And, there is a handy lanyard hole to attach the sharpener to your backpack.

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