General Purpose Tools

Gerber Pocket Sharpener

Cheap, small knife care

Spyderco’s previously reviewed Sharpmaker is my edge maintenance tool of choice, but there’s no room for it in my grab-and-go bag. I searched around and found a number of pen-sized, high-quality knife sharpeners that wouldn’t take up much room, such as those by EZE-LAP. But I wanted something smaller and, well, cheaper, since it was more of an emergency tool than one meant for regular use.

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I found this little (2 1/4 x 1 3/4 in.) Gerber sharpener ($5) that fits perfectly in my knife sheath’s sidecar pocket and cost me just a few bucks. It’s easy to use, with one side marked “coarse,” the other “fine,” and a little thumb-forefinger hold in between. It’s actually been effective sharpening the folding knife I keep by my desk, and its lightweight, small profile and low cost make it perfect for leaving in a bag, just in case.

-- Elon Schoenholz 11/25/18

(This is a Cool Tools Favorite from 2009 — editors)

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