Field sharpening

I don’t remember seeing a thread about keeping your tools sharp while on a trip so I’ll start here. I don’t believe I ever brought an actual sharpening stone on any trips. The knife and axe are well tuned up before I start. If I do bring something along it’s one of these. The knife has a three inch blade for scale. Starting at the bottom I bought the sharpening tool from Gerber back in the early ‘80’s, nice leather sheath and you can use it to split wood with the tapered end. Sadly no longer available except from eBay. Also the sheath is not secure hence the lanyard.The edges are rounded and they can be useful for curved blades. The next one up is a round diamond hone that unscrews and nests in the handle and it too comes with a sheath. Useful for crooked knives. I believe it can still be bought new from Lee Valley Tools, it’s called an Ez-Lap, maybe it can be found other places too. The three plates at the top are called CBN hones and as far as I know the only place that sells them are these people https://woodturnerswonders.com/collections/hones . I met him at a woodworking trade show when I was developing a new sharpening jig so I bought a couple of the larger plates (not shown here). I used the heck out of them and never wore them out like what happens with diamond stones. These can be used dry or with water but the grit is on a steel plate so they need to be stored dry to prevent rust. They are double sided with two different grits and they are not expensive. The longer one on top is under $15 and I love that I can take a longer stroke but I usually bring the one in the middle. It’s only 1/16” thick and weighs almost nothing. I have no affiliation with WoodTurners Wonders other than I met him at a show, he is a nice guy and the CBN will sharpen even the exotic blade steels.

Just thought I’d share some of the options that I have available in my way too large collection of sharpening supplies, and make people aware of different options for keeping tools sharp. These work for me, what works for you?
Jim

I've takin a sharpening stone on trips before. Down time on a trip is a good time to do gear maintenance and repairs. I also have one of those round diamond hones that you have, I think it's in my repair/ tool kit. I found it at a campsite, it's a little course to get a really fine edge compared to my old butcher steels.

Nice knife BTW.

Fallkniven DC3 is my go-to. But frankly I've never been out long enough to mess an edge up that badly; I've done long stretches on the AT and NFCT where I didn't work my tools very hard, and short stretches where I just sharpen when I get back.

Thanks Al yup the knife came from Norway and is one of my favorites.
That was the same for me MyKnees but if I go a week or more I bring something and that something in now that 2” x 3” plate in the middle with the lanyard hole.
Jim

I don't bring a true sharpening stone because the knives I bring camping are in good shape before I go and I'm not out on a trip for more than a week or maybe two. But I have started carrying a Swix or Toko diamond stone for touching up edges. I've found that these not only do a good job on alpine ski edges but also on knife edges. You just draw the stone across/along the edge, making sure not to have the blade cut into the diamond laminate. It won't sharpen a dull knife but it will maintain a good edge on a blade. I have several that were taken out of service for ski sharpening and now sit in a kitchen drawer and stashed in my tripping gear. It takes up very little space. It also comes in a Medium 400 grit that works well.


PS: I don't know why this image keeps displaying so large. I tried using higher DPI to reduce display size but no luck. Otherwise, if I try to reduce pixel size it just displays a poor resolution image at the same size as before.

I take along a double sided diamond stone (coarse and fine) that folds into the handle. I couldn't find the exact one so it must not be made any more but similar to the one pictured below. I bring it along in case I get bored and want to touch up my blades mid-trip but I don't think I've ever used it so I guess I haven't gotten that bored yet.

I have carried a small stone on canoe and backpacking trips. It gave me something to do while sitting in a tent during the rain.

A couple of years ago I was given a "different" sharpening tool; a Schrade Old-Timer Honesteel and now carry it. It is not designed to take out major boo-boos, but puts a fine edge on my knives and axes. Mine is one of the old "Made in USA". New ones come from China, so I can't comment on their quality. If you find an old one in good shape you might want to snag it, they work well. It can also be used as a small wedge or chisel.

That Honesteel is very similar to the Gerber one I have at the bottom of the pic.
I’ll have to keep an eye out for one of those Swix ski sharpeners.
Jim

I start with sharp tools. If they need to be touched up I use a smooth river rock.

at home I can get obsessive about sharpening and have axe files, coarse, medium and fine Arkansas oilstones and a barber's clay and strop, as well as various diamond paper strops all the way to 3500 grit, when I leave for a trip those cutting tools are so sharp most people won't even touch them (yes I DID shave with a hatchet on a bet once), but for a quick touch up I've used one of the Rapala "butterfly" sharpener for probably 40 years, and there's a fine cut axe file in my pack if I'm bringing a hatchet or axe, they'll quickly put a workable edge on if needed, I can always clean it up when I get home https://www.rapala.ca/ca_en/two-stage-ceramic-sharpener-coarse-fine

I find that only my fishing knife requires touch up on trips. A steel does fine until I get home. I used to take a small Arkansas medium stone, but no longer.

A hard carbon steel blade will hold up better than stainless.

I’m with Alan, a $15 double-sided diamond stone that slides into its handle resides in the kitchen set. Cooky needs a sharp knife, and his sous-chefs and dishwashers can be a bit careless!