The Best Knife Sharpeners

There are a few controlled angle sharpeners on the market, and lansky is the old standby. In my opinion, it’s the most practical choice for the outdoorsman. During the test, I was able to take several pocket knives and hunting knives to scary sharp places, giving them an edge that easily sailed through paper and could give a shave a drill sergeant would be proud of.

I gave the Controlled Angle Sharpening System my pick for best overall because all of that performance comes at an affordable price, in a portable package—unlike many controlled angle systems. It does not have the versatility of some of the sharpeners here, but if you want to sharpen hunting and fishing knives, this is your tool.

The Lansky Controlled Angle system does not need to be fixed to a bench, and it comes in a handy hard plastic case. This gives you bench-level sharpening capability outside of your home. It’s a bit heavy for an ultralight backpack hunter, but it’s a solid tool to keep in your truck or throw in a saddle bag. To use it, you fix the knife in a clamp and use the angle guides to work through five grits of Arkansas stones.

The only issue with angled sharpeners is with longer knives. Blades that are excessively long tend to mess with the controlled angles. But for most of the blades you need in the woods, it shouldn’t be a problem. This system gives anybody the ability to sharpen a knife without electricity, skill, or a flat surface. And at less than $80, it’s a must buy.

The Ken Onion Elite Mk 2 could easily take the top spot in this test, and it was down to the wire when I made my final decision. You could say its biggest draw back is price, but you get so much for your money. It is also complicated with several belts and ways to set those belts up, but that’s what gives you unparalleled versatility.

Think of this sharpener as a small knifemaker’s shop. With it, you can actually build hobby knife kits, repair broken and chipped blades, and sharpen everything from axes to machetes and lawnmower blades.

The 7-speed electric motor and grinding belts did an excellent job at putting a new edge on a completely trashed S30V-steel Benchmade folder. It quickly took out divots and chips in the blade, leaving a factory-new edge. I also used it to sharpen chisels in my wood shop, and it worked well for this too. I did have some trouble maintaining a consistent angle with the angle guides, but I feel like I’d get better at this with practice. This sharpener is perfect for those who want to bring old knives back to life, keep new knives fresh, and maintain every sharp tool in the house.

This sharpener gave the sharpest edge of the test. It’s ridiculously easy to use and will put an edge on a variety of tools. With it, you can touch up serrated blades, plain blades, fillet knives, chisels, scissors, tin snips, and hatchets. Best of all, it’s about as big as a large television remote when it’s all packed up, and it can be converted into a more traditional-style flat stone.

The Sharpmaker comes with clear instructions for sharpening almost anything. To use it, you place ceramic rods in a plastic holder at one of two predetermined angles, then cut directly downward with the blade against the rods for 20 strokes. You repeat this process three more times using different edges of the rods.

I used a neglected Benchmade folder with S45VN steel to test the Sharpmaker, and took it to a level of sharpness that I’m afraid to even write about. If you prize sharpness over everything else, and you take care of your knives, this is the sharpener for you.

This is my personal favorite portable knife sharpener, and in my opinion every hunter and angler needs one of these. I have a Guided Field Sharpener that’s 10 years old that has gone just about everywhere with me, and it still does everything I need it to do.

To use the Guided Field Sharpener, you simply lay a blade on the angle guide and work it through a variety of grits, flipping the sharpener around as you go. It can also be used for fish hooks and broadheads.

Based on my experience in the field, this sharpener easily took the top spot for the Best Portable Sharpener. It’s lightweight enough for any expedition, and tough enough to last. You could easily use it to maintain a collection of hunting knives for the rest of your life, no matter where you are.

What’s most incredible about the Buck Tool Sharpening Station is the price. For just under $300 you get a professional level sharpener for your workshop that can handle knives and tools with ease. This sharpener may be larger than the Worksharp Ken Onion Elite Mk 2 and more basic, but it has few parts to lose track of, and it gives you a lot of control while sharpening.

The Sharpening Station uses a large rotating 220 grit abrasive wheel and a smaller leather stropping wheel, both driven by a variable speed, two-direction motor. The grinding wheel is set in a water reservoir to keep blades cool and keep the stone clear of metal while sharpening. It also comes with an angle guide to set blades at the perfect angle while sharpening.

To use the sharpener, you select the speed and direction of the wheel, then set the angle of the blade using a clamped fixture and adjustable metal bar. For the test, I went from a small 4-inch Spyderco folder made of H2 steel to a long reproduction Navy pattern Ka-Bar. I was able to hone a nice, shaving-sharp edge on both blades in no time. Get this sharpener if you have a dedicated space in your garage for sharpening knives and tools. It’s an absolute workhorse.

There is no reason why every bow hunter shouldn’t have a Lansky Broadhead Sharpener in their pack. It’s dead-simple to use, cheap, and extremely lightweight. Even better, there’s a broadhead wrench molded into the handle.

Think of this tool more for expedient touch-ups rather than soup to nuts sharpening. It’s especially nice if you don’t feel confident using a whetstone but still need to keep an edge on a blade or broadhead in the field. To use it, you place the edge of your knife in a tungsten notch and draw the knife through for a couple of strokes. Should you nick a bone while field dressing a deer, or just need to freshen a blade while skinning, this sharpener will have you covered for about the price of a Big Mac meal.

Just a bit more complicated than the Lansky broadhead tool, this rolling sharpener is great for those who struggle with sharpening technique and don’t want to spring for an electric sharpener. You’ll need a table to use it, so it’s out for backpacking, but it’s a great tool to have around the house.

The sharpener comes with a coarse, medium, and fine grit disc along with a magnetic base that has four angles for holding different blades. To use it, you stick the knife, blade up, on one of the magnetic angles, then roll the roller against the edge. I tested the Rolling Sharpener with a short gaucho knife I picked up in Argentina. It was a bit difficult to get the blade to stay still in the base, but this could be because the blade was handmade and inconsistent. I tested the sharpener with a couple of factory-made folders, and I was able to get them reasonably sharp.

Deep hollow grinds and strange knife shapes would be difficult to sharpen with the Rolling Sharpener, but if you have straightforward, factory-made knives, it’s easy to get a decent edge on your blade.

Like the Spyderco Sharpmaker, I look at the Lansky Masters Edge as more of a tool for keeping a blade sharp rather than repairing a completely neglected blade. It’s very simple to use, easy to store and transport, and it produced some of the sharpest blades of the test. With it, I honed a nice, tacky edge on a custom-made damascus knife I picked up from a bladesmith named Jeremy Murasso.

I’d use the Masters Edge in the kitchen instead of a standard knife steel, and I would take it to camp if I had a lot of meat cutting ahead of me. It would also be great to keep on the counter while breaking down a deer, and a fantastic tool to use before hunting season to touch up all of your knives. The Masters Edge would also be a good companion to an electric sharpener like the Ken Onion Elite Mk2 to give a final pass for next-level sharpness. If you’re the kind of person who takes care of their knives and doesn’t let them go too long between sharpening, this is your sharpener.