The rod can also be used to sharpen knife blades similar to the way you use the kitchen steel. The rods are made from solid stainless steel but covered in diamond abrasive surfaces coming from very very fine diamond grains applied on the surface through a chemical process. Often, after having gone through the carbide slot, the knife is further refined through the ceramic slot.Īnd there are the diamond rods. The ceramic slot does some sharpening but in a far milder way.
That’s also the reason for the ceramic slot for smoother edge sharpening. You get a new cutting edge but it does rough up the line of your sharp edge. This tends to be rough and wavy, very much unlike how the edge is straight from the factory. This type of sharpening really scrapes off fibers of metal from your knife edge in order to bring out another layer of cutting edge. The tungsten carbide slot is meant for rough sharpening. Each one is meant for a specific purpose where one can be used after the other. Many pocket knife sharpening tools have three sharpening parts: the tungsten carbide V-slot, the ceramic slot, and the diamond rods. Unless you’re one who is particular about how you use and treat your knife, you’ll be just fine with whichever knife sharpener you’ll be using for whatever angle of bevel of your knife. Whichever one you choose also determines how you should be sharpening your knife and which knife sharpener you’ll need to use. There are knives that have a one-sided bevel and many with a two-sided bevel. That’s the angle of the blade that meets into a sharp edge.
Oftentimes, it’s just a 15º or 20º bevel. If you’re someone who does not want to be bothered with the right way of sharpening knives, you’d be better off with a no-brain no-sweat kind of knife sharpener.Įither way, it’s important to know which one you are because it’ll mean either you’d choose a freestyle or a guided style.Ī freestyle knife sharpener lets you choose the angle of sharpening. You might prefer a knife sharpener that makes the most of your skill in angling for the best blade grinding. Whichever one you choose depends on your experience in knife sharpening and your preferences. There are two categories of knife sharpeners to consider after you’ve answered those two questions I’ve mentioned above. So, aside from what sort of a knife you’ll be using the sharpener on, it’s worthwhile asking on what will you be using your knife and how often. Knowing how often you’ll be using your knife and on what material you’ll be using it on will help you know what sort of a knife sharpener you’ll be better of, the best knife sharpener for backpacking and more. But if you’re one who takes knife work in the outdoors seriously, it does make sense to have a knife sharpener handy and ready. You can enjoy a week-long or a month-long backpacking trip without the need for a knife or a knife sharpener. That’s when knowing what sort of knives you’ll be using it for becomes an important question to ask.
A tiny knife sharpener works better for smaller pocket knives while knife sharpeners in the form of rods work best for bigger and longer knives. Whichever knife sharpener you should choose for your trip? you’d want to make sure it fits your needs.
Check Price on Amazon << Your Guide for Choosing A Knife Sharpener for Backpackingīefore we get to our recommended choices of outdoor knife sharpener, let’s think about what you’d need to consider for getting the best Knife sharpener for outdoor use and how to chose them.