Mini Sharpeners
We look at three mini sharpeners this week - Gerber's 9841 Pocket
Clip Diamond Knife Sharpener, Buck's 1325 Diamond Sharpener and Kershaw's
Ultra-Tek Blade Sharpener Model 2535.
The Kershaw 2536 is a mini oval "steel" that stores inside its 3/4 in.
diameter aluminum handle. Coated with 600 grit diamond, it is a handy
way to touch up an edge for those who prefer a steel, but it is too small
for any serious knife sharpening. I am going to recommend it to the
vegetable harvesters, who need a pocket sized device to remove the burr
after using our portable sharpeners in the field.
The Buck 1325 is a tapered diamond hone with a fishhook groove. It
self stores in a plastic handle. The taper makes it useful for any
size serration. Grit is fine, maybe 600 grit. It is a decent
substitute for the by-gone Zip-Zap, but not much other use.
The Gerber 9841 is even smaller, hiding its diamond rod inside a ballpoint
pen sized tube. The 1/4 in. dia rod could be handy for some serrated
knives. Diamond is rougher than the Kershaw, and I did not even want to put
my knife on it.
AND THE WINNER IS...
For plain blade maintenance, the Kershaw
For bread knives, 4 - 5 serrations/inch, the Gerber
For all other serrations - the Buck
For general sharpening, none of the above.
Also, I want to know who ever uses the fishhook sharpening groove?
When can't you just buy a new hook? I could see sharpening a tuna
hook, but not the bass and trout stuff we use here.
Updated January 22, 2008
Copyright 1996 - 2023 by Steve Bottorff