7 Best Pocket Knife Sharpener Reviews For 2024 With Buying Guide

If you are heavily into outdoor recreational activities like hunting, fishing, camping, sailing, horseback riding, etc, you know the importance of keeping a toolkit comprising, among other things, the best pocket knife sharpener.

It doesn’t matter how many knives you have with serrated edges or stainless steel or any other, you will always feel the need to sharpen your knives, for which you need a sharpener.

Fortunately, the best pocket knife sharpener is always small-sized, lightweight and portable. These factors make it easy to carry it in your pocket. This is in stark contrast to the earlier types of sharpeners that included heavy whetstones, knife hones and steel rods—all impossible to travel with.

The compact size of a pocket knife sharpener is a big positive, particularly when you’re out in the wilderness with nothing around you for miles. So, let’s go into the best of the sharpeners available these days, so that you whittle down what you see to just the one you really want.

Types of Pocket Knife Sharpeners

There are two types of pocket knife sharpeners—Electric and Manual.

Electric Pocket Knife Sharpener

Though an electric pocket knife sharpener is easy to use, time-saving and safer than its manual counterparts, it is also more expensive.

Manual Electric Pocket Knife Sharpener

Its main distinguishing feature is its portability, which means it can be carried to the wild. It is affordable and of sturdy construction.

Best Pocket Knife Sharpener Reviews

1. Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Sharpener

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The Pocket Pal is slim and sleek and works wonders for outdoorsy people who need sharp knives. Its multi-functional feature makes it ideal for hunters, fishermen, hikers, and backpackers who always need to have sharp knives. In fact, it is considered to be the best knife sharpener for pocket knives.

The PP1 Pocket Pal is among the most multi-functional pocket knife sharpeners, apart from being very light and affordable. Outdoor enthusiasts will treasure it for being lightweight and portable.

Features

• It is superbly engineered to have a fold-out and graduated circular diamond-coated rod to sharpen standard and serrated edges.
• It has inbuilt carbide blades and shaped ceramic stones to sharpen dull blades.
• Ceramic stones are great for sharp knives and offer a smooth and polished edge. They work well on standard and serrated blades. Ceramic stones and carbide blades are reversible and can be replaced for longer sharpening durations.
• The sharpener is durable, portable and lightweight and is accompanied by a lanyard hole.
• Maintenance is easy—after cleaning, dry it with soft cloth and towel.
• Its dimensions are 3.5” x 1” and it weighs one ounce.

Pros

• Easy to operate and portable.
• Lightweight and compact.
• Accompanied by a cord for wearing round the neck or on the shoulder.
• Affordably priced.

Cons

• The blade remains dull even after sharpening.
• Does not offer razor-sharp blades.

2. Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic

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Compact in design, the Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic is versatile, small and user-friendly. So, it’s bound to arrest your attention, particularly if your pursuits include fishing, hunting or hiking.

When you’re out in Nature, you will find it comfortable to carry because it’s lightweight, compact and a portable knife sharpener.

For its many useful features, and the fact that it works fast and well, Lansky is a top-rated brand of pocket sharpener. Pocket knives are well-sharpened by t because of its overall design and features. No wonder it has over 3,000 satisfied customers.

Features

• Serrations, a diamond-graded rod and repair gut hooks are its distinctive features.
• With ceramic finishing, the blade is polished to perfection.
• The Tungsten Carbide V requires just three to four strokes for the knife to become razor-sharp.
• Its jagged edge is so fine that it is specially designed to get into the smallest serrations.
• Its dimensions are 8.5” x 3.5” x 0.1”; and its weight is four ounces.

Pros

• Its diamond-graded rod works excellently on serrated knives.
• It is durable.
• It is compact, lightweight and portable.
• It is also comfortably-priced.

Cons

• The diamond rod wears out very soon.
• Needs constant repair.

3. Sharpal 101N 6-In-1 Pocket Knife Sharpener

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The Sharpal 101N is a knife sharpener that everyone must keep handy. It is adept in restoring the serrated edges of knives, fishhooks and gut hooks. It comes with some amazing and useful features that you won’t see in every sharpener and is often regarded as the best folding knife sharpener.

The extra features of this pocket knife sharpener make it an outstanding choice for hikers, campers and others who love outdoor pursuits. Versatile and compact, it is a quality product that’s easily affordable.

Features

• Its carbide blades made of tungsten sharpen blades really fast, while its ceramic blades are good for honing and producing razor-sharp results.
• Its 400-grit diamond rod is dependable for serrations.
• For people in the outdoors, there’s an emergency whistle and a fire starter.
• It’s easy to carry since it is of compact size.
• It’s lightweight so it won’t add to the weight of your outdoor baggage.
• Its orange color makes it easy to locate in the dark.
• Its dimensions are 0.2” x 8.2” x 4.8”; and its weight is 1.6 ounces.

Pros

• An emergency whistle is loud enough to be heard in the wilderness and is a life-saver.
• The fire-starter builds a fire immediately, offering warmth instantly.
• Versatile.
• Great for outdoor activities.

Cons

• It leaves a rough feel to the blade after sharpening.
• Its blade is too dull to sharpen anything.

4. Smith’s 50364 Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener

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The Smith’s 50364 Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener & Outdoors Tool is a bundle of excellent features that would serve any outdoor enthusiast superbly. Its cool features can see anyone out of tight situations when out in Nature.

For anyone spending time in the wild, this pocket sharpener will come as a handy tool, not just as a conventional sharpener but also for its emergency features. These apart, it is durable, lightweight, portable and affordable.

Features

• It’s an amazing survival tool that comes with a slew of features like a fire-starter, signal whistle, compass, LED light, graded diamond rod, ceramic and carbide slots with in-built angles.
• Two sharpening slots—coarse and fine–that work to sharpen both sides of a normal knife blade simultaneously.
• Carbides are the coarse slots that sharpen serrated edge while ceramic gives a good smooth finish.
• Graduated diamond rod sharpens serrated edge, single-bevel knife blades and gut hooks.
• Offers durable and tough cutting edge.
• Inbuilt sharpening angles that provide a consistently sharp edge.
• Tapered rod is housed in the bottom of the unit.
• Perfect for backpackers and outdoorsy people.
• Its dimensions are 5” x 5” x 5”; and its weight is 0.32 ounces.

Pros

• Visibility in low light situations due to push button LED light.
• Loud pitched whistle informs others of user’s location.
• Compass for help with directional movement.
• Fire-starter with an extra-strong spark of flame.

Cons

• The compass is totally inaccurate.
• It lacks screws.

5. Victorinox 43323 VN43323 Fixed Blade

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The Victorinox 43323 sharpener is streets ahead of its competitors for a variety of reasons. First, it is unique in design. It is designed to resemble a pen that can handle a facet knife, a Swiss Army Knife and other tools used for outdoor activities.

And, this best pocket knife sharpening system is so easy to use that if one doesn’t know how to sharpen a dull knife, one can use this very easily and have a razor-sharp knife within minutes.

Features

• The Victorinox 43323 VN43323 Fixed Blade is fitted with an abrasive ceramic oval-shaped rod that’s perfect for medium-level sharpening.
• It has a unique V-shape sharpener style.
• Its design is compact, durable and portable.
• Easy to use, clean and care for.
• Its dimensions are 5” x 2” x 2”; 1.44 ounces.

Pros

• It is 100% safe due to the enclosure in which it is kept.
• Sturdy and compact design.
• Accompanied by a lifetime warranty.
• Washes and dries easily.

Cons

• Does not create a razor-sharp blade.
• Its clip is made of plastic, not metal.

6. Lansky QuadSharp

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Despite its diminutive size and lightweight feature, the Lansky QuadSharp knife sharpener is truly a versatile tool. One among small knife sharpeners, the Lansky QuadSharp is also remarkably sturdy and ideal for rejuvenating your dull blades—whether straight or serrated blades. The carbide V-groove further accentuates the sharpening ability of this sharpener.

The tiniest and most convenient of all knife sharpeners, its capability is enhanced by its being multi-angled. Along with a ceramic bench stone, it gives your knives a precision edge.

Features

• It features the same four angles—17°, 20°, 25°, and 30°–as in the earlier model, the legendary Lansky Controlled-Angle Sharpening System.
• It needs barely four strokes to align and sharpen your knife perfectly.
• The ceramic bench stone helps polish your knives’ serrated edges.
• It’s so tough that it’s ultimately much harder than steel and won’t erode.
• It can be taken on your outdoor activities like fishing, camping, and hiking.
• Its dimensions are 4.2” x 0.5” x 2.2”; 3.2 ounces.

Pros

• Compact size and portable.
• Fully functional and unique sharpener.
• Small, versatile and sturdy.
• Completely compatible with all accessories and Kits made by Lansky.

Cons

• It dulls the blades of knives.
• It corrodes quickly.

7. ALPHA TEK Pocket Hunting Knife Sharpener

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To give you a perfect camping and deer hunting experience, you need a knife sharpener that fits easily in your pocket, backpack or toolbox. When you go hunting, you need a variety of knives, which with regular use, become dull. That’s when your Alpha Tek pocket hunting knife sharpener comes into play.

This best portable knife sharpener should be your choice of tool to give you a razor-sharp blade. It also comes loaded with several useful features.

Its unique design allows you to hang it in your backpack and have it handy always. It is available in three colors that are distinct in the dark—orange, black and dark green.

Features

• Sharpens well for hunting needs.
• Compact design.
• Non-skid base to enable stable sharpening.
• Ceramic rod along with non-slip plastic holder with rubber feet.
• Perfect cutting edge with 2-tungsten carbide coarse rods.
• Easy to use and re-sharpen all kinds of knives quickly.
• Affordable and long-lasting.
• Extra fine ceramic and coarse carbide (grit: 1500).
• Its dimensions are 3” x 2.3” x 0.9”; one ounce.

Pros

• Easy to use.
• Easy to use; sharpens quickly.
• Budget-friendly.
• Great sharpener to use in the wild.

Cons

• Cannot hold in one’s hand for long.
• The boxed item looks used.

Things to Consider When Buying Pocket Knife Sharpener

It’s natural to be overwhelmed by the many models of pocket knife sharpeners. So, making your pick is sure to be tough.

Our pocket sharpener reviews presented here are designed to make your choice easier. Yet, it is important to know the factors that go to make a good knife sharpener before you actually buy.

Here are the factors that you should consider before buying a pocket knife sharpener:

Compact Size

A pocket knife sharpener must always be of small size and lightweight so that you can easily carry it around wherever you go. Generally, these knives are used for one’s outdoor activities. So, this tool should be efficient enough to be used on camping sites or when backpacking.

And obviously, it should be so small that it can be put in one’s pocket.

Quality

As always, you need to invest in the best quality products, and so it is with pocket knife sharpeners too. It should be well-built and durable. An all-metal sharpener is ideal. In fact, its true quality can be determined if it has carbide blades, diamond rods, and a ceramic blade.

Lightweight

The weight of a pocket knife sharpener is determined by its weight, apart from its size. So, the lighter, the better as you can then carry it easily in your pocket. Besides, holding it in your hand for long when sharpening knives will also call for a lightweight one.

Multifunction

The convenience of multifunction pocket knife sharpeners draws most buyers to them because you can use them for a variety of reasons. If one sharpener can make a dull flat surface sharp, or sharpen hooks and serrated edges perfectly, what more do you need?

How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife

Sharpening a pocket knife is neither difficult nor tedious. In fact, all it requires are four steps, which are:

Recognize Your Angle

To sharpen your knife, you need to be sure of the angle the blade of your knife was initially finished to. If you don’t know this, check it out in your user manual.

Before Sharpening, Clean Your Knife Thoroughly

Make a solution of gentle dish detergent and warm water. Then, using a toothbrush, scrub the knife edge with a nylon pad and WD-40.

Eliminate Debris

With the help of a good lubricant, remove any metal debris or swarf which develops when you grind the blade and hone it. The lubricant also cools the blade which heats up, avoiding any chances of the blade warping.

Select Your Knife Sharpener Carefully

Since certain knives match well with particular sharpeners, thereby giving better sharpening results, you must choose your sharpener wisely.

Want to know the safety precautions while using a knife read here

FAQs

If I have never had a knife sharpener, why should I consider buying one now?

In any kitchen, you’ll always find knives as they are important in cooking. It’s also safer to use a sharp knife, rather than a blunt one. For one, it will give better results when you cut food. Neither will it slip, nor will it demand more pressure to work well.

At what intervals should I sharpen my knives?

It’s always better to sharpen your knives often. Ideally, it should be done every day because it keeps the blade razor-sharp and extends its life. Besides, the more often you hone your knives, the less you will need to coarse sharpen them.

Benefits of Using a Knife Sharpener

If you’re into regular cooking, you know the importance of having sharp knives in the kitchen. The need to have sharp knives can be experienced when you’re slicing food and you want it clean and effortless.

Working with a dull knife only means you put in more force to cut, slice or dice food. This could well result in losing your grip over the knife in the process. So, instead of swearing and cursing through this operation, stop awhile and sharpen your kitchen knives.

A sharp knife means you work more efficiently. Whether you’re chopping basil or dicing beans or carrots, using a sharp knife gives you those precise cuts that make your dishes look presentable.

When your vegetables or meat is cut uniformly, it cooks equally evenly. Eventually, you get a good-looking dish and delicious too.

Conclusion

Choosing the best pocket knife sharpener for your daily needs is something that needs a lot of care and thought. We hope these pocket knife sharpener reviews will help you make the right choice that you can live with for a long time to come.

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