Best Pocket Knife Sharpener

You need a pocket knife for various purposes. It’s handy, light, and quite effective since you can carry one with you anywhere you go. But while having a knife may solve some of your problems, sometimes, it may a bit of trouble if you don’t have a sharpener along with you. You wouldn’t be able to do anything with a dull knife, and this is when a pocket knife sharpening comes into the rescue!

The more you use your knife, the more tendency it has to become full sooner. Therefore, investing in a good quality knife sharpener will come in very handy. If you want to learn more about which type of pocket knife sharpener you should get then this is the article for you! Read on as we guide you to find the best pocket knife sharpeners out there in the market.

Review of the Most Popular Pocket Knife Sharpeners

Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener

If you are looking for a light-weight pocket knife sharpener that does not break the bank, then look no further! Smith’s PP1 will provide you with both portability and performance. It weighs less than an ounce and is one of the lightest sharpeners in the market right now. On top of that, it is extremely versatile and suits both serrated and flat blades. The knife sharpener has 2 V-shaped slots. One of them has ceramic construction, while the other is made from carbide. Additionally, there is a diamond coated rod. According to some people, this knife sharpener is a bit flimsy because of its plastic outer shell.

The manufacturers may have compromised a bit on its durability to make it light-weight. However, its weightlessness makes it ideal for outdoor usages such as hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting. Moreover, the dimensions of this knife sharpener are 3.5 × 1 inches giving it a very slim design. This makes the knife sharpener very compact and easy to move around. The carbide blade slot can help use swiftly make dull knives sharp once again, whereas the ceramic slot helps keep the edges of your beloved knife straight and serrated. Lastly, the diamond-coated retractable rod help sharpens and serrate your knife further, giving your most valued knife the finishing touch it deserves.

Pros:

• The slots can be easily replaced or reversed, expanding the knife sharpeners longevity.
• The knife sharpener provides multiple functions to its users and is very versatile.
• Extremely light-weight.
• Compact design makes the knife sharpener very portable.
• You can sharpen your knives quickly with it, unlike many other sharpeners in the market.
• The design of the sharpener makes it comfortable to use.
• You won’t lose the sharpener if you use the lanyard hole.

Cons:

• Not as rigid and durable as some of the other sharpeners in the market.
• Does not perfectly sharpen the edges compared to some other sharpeners in the market.
• May not be suitable for completely worn out knives.

Lansky QuadSharp Carbide/Ceramic Multi-angle Knife Sharpener.

The Lansky QuadSharp Carbide/Ceramic Multi-angle Knife Sharpener is one of the most unique sharpeners in the markets, particularly because of the 4 different slots it provides for sharpening. It is rare to find this many slots on a single sharpener and indeed adds to the tool’s versatility. Moreover, the Lansky QuadSharp Sharpener even comes with an additional ceramic stone to give your favorite knife good finishing touches. You will be provided with sharpening angles of 17, 20, 25, and 30 with the 4 different carbide slots. Due to this, you will be able to sharpen different types of blades with this knife sharpener. Unlike most other knife sharpeners out there, the outer shell of this sharpener bears a metal construction giving it a premium feel and raising its durability. However, metal construction also raises the overall weight of the sharpener. Most people might find it a bit uncomfortable to carry around for hiking, camping or hunting because the sharpener is considered to be particularly weighty at roughly four ounces. Since the Lansky QuadSharp knife sharpener does not ship with any form of instructions, it cannot be suggested for beginners as they might end up injuring themselves while using, or damage their knives in some way. If you are attempting to sharpen many different types and sizes of knives, then this knife sharpener should fit your purpose perfectly.

Pros:

• You are less likely to lose the sharpener due to its bright blue color.
• Provides you various sharpening angles, making the sharpener very versatile.
• Comes with a ceramic stone to give finishing touches to your blade.
• Mostly suits straight and serrated blades.
• Metallic construction makes the knife sharpener strong and durable,
• It comes with a lanyard hole as well to safely secure your sharpener when going outdoors.

Cons:

• It is quite heavy compared to other sharpeners.
• Not suitable for beginners because it does not come with instructions for usage.
• May not be exactly portable for some.

Victorinox 43323 VN43323 Fixed Blade Knife for Hunting and Camping.

This knife sharpener, unlike others in the market, has a very unique design that virtually resembles a pen. It has obtained mainstream success because of its compact design and has satisfied countless customers. Victorinox is known to focus primarily on user-experience with all their product offerings, and this knife sharpener is no exception. If you are someone who loves the outdoors and is always on the go, then the Victorinox VN43323 is perfect for you. It’s very easy to carry around, which makes it suitable for any hiking, camping, fishing, or hunting trip. Once exposed from the outer shell, you will notice that the knife sharpener comes with a ceramic V-style edge for sharpening and a ceramic rod for giving your sharpened knife the finishing touches it requires.  The slot edges are interchangeable, which means you can use your knife sharpener for a very long time by just replacing the slot blades once they wear out. Moreover, the Victorinox knife sharpener is perfect for beginners because of its rounded pen-like shape with no sharp edges. This is because you won’t end up injuring yourself when holding the sharpener, which may not be true for most knife sharpeners in the market. Finally, the knife sharpener also houses a pocket clip to prevent you from losing it and giving you additional carry-on options. The only potential gripe about this sharpener is its plastic frame, which some people may find a bit flimsy.

Pros:

• Very easy to clean after usage.
• The blades are completely enclosed reducing the risk of an accident.
• Extremely portable because of compact pen-like design.
• Suitable for beginners.

Cons:

• The outer shell is not very durable due to plastic construction.
• Does not let you adjust the slot-blade angle to sharpen different knives.
• Getting a good angle for sharpening takes some work.

Smith’s 50364 Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener and Outdoor tool.

Smiths is a well-known brand for making knife sharpeners and many other useful accessories. The Pocket Pal X2 does not stray too much from the reliability and performance offered by Smith’s previous model, i.e. the Pocket Pal 1 sharpener. In fact, some might even say this sharpener is exactly identical to its previous iteration. However, the new model does offer some key differences in the form of additional tools that were not available in the older model. The new tools that come with it, makes it even more suited too outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, camping, etc. The Pocket Pal X2 still retains the previous iteration’s reliable sharpening capabilities, which was fairly decent. It is still lightweight sitting at 1 ounce, which means you won’t have any trouble carrying it around with you. However, most users have stated that the Pocket Pal X2 is a bit more durable than the older model. The carbide blade and the ceramic blade in the new model is again reversible and replaceable to boost your experience and increase the longevity of the tool. Cleaning is fairly simple. All you have to do is wipe the instrument with a damp cloth, and then wipe it dry. However, it’s suggested to not directly rinse the sharpener underwater as it would probably wear it out over time. The diamond coated rod below also does a good job of sharpening serrated edges. This newer model now has a thumb groove and a lanyard hole to secure it properly. Among the additional tools, you will get a compass, a whistle, an LED light, and a fire starter. Most users seem to generally be satisfied with how the Firestarter and compass performs, but the LED light is not very bright. Other than that, the whistle is also not very audible from a distance according to some customers.

Pros:

• Retains the quality of Pocket Pal 1.
• Quite affordable compared to most sharpeners in the market.
• Provides a comfortable experience.
• Let’s sharpen many knives quickly.
• Comes with important survival tools.

Cons:

• The whistle is not very loud.
• The LED light is quite dim and may not be very useful.
• Comes with plastic casing.

Speedy Sharp.

No “Best Pocket Knife Sharpener” list would be complete without this gem of a knife sharpener. Don’t judge this sharpener based on its small construction and simple design. It truly is a beast of a knife sharpener. The Speedy sharp does not have a design that will amaze anyone. It mainly consists of a plastic outer shell that holds a 4-inch long steel segment with a little carbide tip on it. However, it is no ordinary carbide tip. It is what the manufacturer refers to as the Micro 100 Super Carbide tip that is least likely to wear out even after long-term usage. The Speedy Sharp can sharpen some of the biggest knives and blades in the world. Due to its compact design and lightweight, it is perfect for outdoor activities. You shouldn’t have any trouble carrying it with you for your next hunting or camping adventure. This knife sharpener is well-known to be the quickest knife sharpener in the world. Sharpening is easy and fast, and you can get very accurate and effective results regardless of the size of the blade. A cap is provided to cover the sharpening edge of the sharpener. Finally, the speedy sharp has great longevity and the carbide tip will not get damaged or wear out any time soon. It also comes in multiple color options!

Pros:

• Very strong and durable carbide tip.
• Can sharpen knives of almost all sizes precisely.
• Provides the fastest sharpening ability to users.
• Great longevity.
• Very portable due to the compact design.
• Available in 7 different colors.

Cons:

• The plastic outer shell may not be very sturdy.
• Takes a while to get the feel for it.

Pocket-Sized Knife Sharpener Klein Tools

Known as one of the best pocket knife sharpeners out there, the Klein pocket-sized sharpener is a hard chromed steel sharpener tool that looks simple but can handle sharpening tasks like a pro.

Once you pull the blade from the handle, it automatically screws itself into place and creates a loner tool for you to work with. With a magnetized blade as an added bonus, you can use it for a variety of tasks and it also gathers any metal shavings while sharpening, and saving you from the additional mess.

Apart from that, the bright orange cap ensures that it can be seen easily, meanwhile, the clip on the handle allows it to attach it to your pocket that it won’t get lost easily. With a protective cover, store it safely in your toolbox or pouch, and due to its extremely lightweight, you can easily carry it around whenever and wherever you go.

Pros:

• Can be used for a lot of different tasks since it is magnetized and very well built
• Practical for carrying around and traveling with
• Extremely light in weight and doesn’t take up much space at all
• The handle comes with a pocket clip so doesn’t get lost easily
• It is bright orange in color to allow for high visibility
• Quite safe to carry in toolbox or pocket since it is shaped like a pen
• Made with precision cut, hard-chromed steel so you can get accurate and sharp edges on your blades every time you sharpen your knife

Cons:

• The plastic casing or handle is not very strong
• Has a slightly cheap feel to it
• The thin handle might be too thin for some users

Buying Guide for the pocket knife sharpener

When it comes to a pocket knife sharpener, there are quite a number of things that you need to look out for to ensure that you get the best one.

To help you get the best one, here we have listed the few pointers that will help you make the right decision.

A cheaper alternative- remember, sharpening your own knife will always be a better option for you, than sending it to a professional. So, invest in a good quality sharpener, since its services will be of great use to you.

While it is true that some pocket knife sharpeners are way expensive, you should still try to consider the fact that buying a knife sharpener is still a lot less costly compared to getting your knives sharpened by professionals. 

 A knife sharpener is simply more efficient- while sending your favorite knife to the professionals may take a lot of time, and you might have to wait to fully be able to use it, having a knife sharpener on the other hand, will simply allow you to take matters into your own hand and not cause any unnecessary delays.

Make sure that your pocket knife sharpener stays true to its words- what’s the point of buying a heavy and bulky knife sharpener, and yet calling it a pocket knife sharpener. If it’s meant to be that small, then it should literally fit inside your pockets, otherwise, you can’t even carry it anywhere with you when the need arises. So, when you purchase your knife sharpener, make sure that it is pocket-sized in real life.

Weigh your knife sharpener when you get it- this might sound absurd, but you should actually check to see how much your sharpener weights before even purchasing it. You might feel it isn’t as important, but some sharpeners are so heavy that you can’t even carry them anywhere, let alone use them singlehandedly. So, while your pocket knife sharpener should fit inside your pockets, it should also be lightweight enough or you to handle. 

How to use pocket knife sharpener

Using a pocket knife sharpener can be quite tricky. If you haven’t used one before, then don’t worry as we show you exactly what you should do to get your blade back to its shape.

 Find the correct angle– holding the blade the right way when you are sharpening can change the entire game. If you’re clueless where to start, just follow the same pattern of the grind and the angle at the edge of your knife when it was new.

In general, you can grind the blade for about 13-16 degrees on either side and simply hold your blade at an angle to match the edge of the original shape of the blade. Doing so will produce a shape that is similar to the actual shape of your knife.

Maintaining proper control is the key- when sharpening your blade, you have to be very careful about how much pressure you put on the blade when holding it. If you’re holding it at wrong angles and providing too much strain, you might feel exhausted too soon and also, damage the abrasives on your sharpener.  Too much force can also damage the blade and might even cause tiny dents or breaks on the edge of the blade which might make it uneven in the long term.

Use the grinder on both sides of the blade- to make the entire process easy for you, use the grinder on both sides equally. Usually, it would be wise to do 5 strokes per side and then check to see how it looks, whatever, you do, make sure that both sides remain even.

Take proper care of your pocket knife sharpener-to put it simply,maintenance is the key. Take good care of your machine to ensure that it lasts longer. Good aftercare is also extremely crucial.

To ensure that it stays in good condition, after every use, always make sure to clean your sharpener with a soft cloth that is damp. After that, immediately dry it with towel or paper towels to soak up any moisture. Be careful to never rinse it, or bring it in contact with water to ensure that your sharpener lasts a long time.

Types of pocket knife sharpener

There are a wide variety of pocket knife sharpeners available in the market today. Let’s look at some of them:

Sharpening Steel- shaped like long and narrow rods, these steep tubes are usually made with steel or even ceramics. Sharpening steels should actually be used before and right after the knife is used, since the main purpose of it is not to sharpen knives per se, but rather to do some minor shaving or sharpening. Sharpening steels aren’t to be used like normal knife sharpening tools since they don’t really sharpen knives that well. Basically, the job of sharpening steel is to shape the blade of a knife back into how it was originally.

Usually, sharpening steels come in 4 different shapes /cuts, which are: regular, diamond, ceramic or combination. There isn’t any major difference when it comes to which shape /cut works best, as 8t all depends on how much you are willing to spend, and which you’d prefer more.

One other pro tip would be to purchase matching sharpening steels as well as knives. Since companies produce their sharpening steels in such a way to shape their knives better, it would be better if you got both from the same brand.

Sharpening stones– also known as whetstones, these mostly come in rectangular shapes, and these blocks are usually one inch thick.

Made of natural sharp stones; such as aluminum oxide, silicon carbides, novaculite, or sometimes even ceramics and diamond abrasives, these sharpening stones are very effective and can work for even the dullest of knives.

A useful fact is that you can use such a stone not only for your knives but also for other cutting tools such as scissors, razors and many more.

Electric sharpeners- as you might have guessed, these sharpeners are run by electric motors and are quite heavy to carry. Shaped like triangular boxes, these thick pieces of machinery have 2-3 slots to place your knife in. 

The blade is usually sharpened using spinning motors that sharpen them automatically, so no manual labor is needed, and the job is usually done pretty fast.

However, one downside to these is that there isn’t much control over how you’d want to sharpen your blade, but nowadays, these machines have guides to do the job perfectly.

Handheld sharpeners- lightweight and small in size, these manual knife sharpeners are quite easy to use and easy to carry as well. While they work perfectly to sharpen any full blade, you can use them in either way to sharpen your blades. For the ones that come with separate slots, simply running your blade through these slots will do the work. As for the other types, there are also somewhere you can run the entire sharpener on your blade, while your knife is held down at a suitable angle. 

An advantage of these handheld sharpeners is that they are really easy to use and can be carried on the go.

Pocket knife sharpener would be a novelty item, no matter what anyone says. But if you are anything like me, you know that they are important, especially if you are using them on a daily basis. Hopefully, this article was an eye-opener for you in terms of which ones to choose and what criteria to look for while doing so. Let us know what you thought of this one in the comments.