Smith's Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener (PP1)

For the past several years I've used a Tormek to sharpen my knives, and waterstones for honing. Generally, I try to remember to hone my knives whenever I set up my waterstone kit to work my blades or chisels - though usually I remember about the knives just after I've put the kit away. And of course, I often notice how dull they are when I want to use them outside the shop, without access to my sharpening gear. So I was quite pleased to try out the Smith Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener(PP1).

The PP1 fits unobtrusively in your pocket, or you can attach it to you belt via a lanyard hole. The casing is made of a high impact ABS plastic, and it has three sharpening options: two reversible and replaceable V-shaped sharpening slots, one with XXX-grit carbide blades (for dull blades) and the other with 600-grit ceramic stones (for honing); and a 2" fold-out tapered 400-grit diamond coated rod.

Replaceable carbide and ceramic inserts

Diamond coated rod cuts quickly

You use straight edged knives on the the carbide slot, and straight edged or serrated knives on the ceramic slot or the diamond rod. Using the PP1 is straightforward. For knives that are quite dull, I got the best result using the carbide slot first and then following up with the ceramic slot.

Depending on how dull the knife is, you might have to make a couple of dozen passes on the carbide blades before moving onto the ceramic stones. Knives that aren't overly dull might just need a couple of passes over the ceramic stones. The diamond coated rod cuts very aggressively, so I've kept it away from my knife blades.

Reviewed October 2010