Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener Preset Carbide & Ceramic Stone Sharpeners Fold-Out Diamond Coated Rod Outdoor Hunting Knife & Hook Sharpener, Handheld, Compact, Lightweight, Multiuse

This Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener is probably not the absolute best or most precision method to sharpen a high quality knife blade, but it is certainly among the handiest, especially when one has a specialized task to perform.Knife purists will tell you that you need an "oil stone" or a "water stone" to put the best edge on high-quality kitchen knives, and I can personally agree with my J.A. Henckels or Victorinox kitchen knives. For those I use a Woodstock SteeleX D1130 1000 Grit and 6000 Grit Japanese Waterstone that I luckily found brand new at a garage sale. But we're talking about speed and convenience here, and that's where the Smith's PP1 sharpener works well.Likes:* Very small footprint; easy to carry in a pocket, briefcase or camera bag* Carbide blades and ceramic finishing stones are reversible and replaceable* Tapered diamond rod; very convenient for sharpening serrated blade edges* Package has easy to follow sharpening directions on the back* Nicely constructed; ergonomic, lightweight and durableDislikes:- Preset sharpening angles on V-shaped sharpening slots may or may not be good for certain blades.Quick Note on Sharpening Angles:There are plenty of discussions on the `Net regarding which sharpening angle is best for a given knife. Some say that you should choose an angle of 10° to 30° on each side. Shallower angles make a sharper edge that doesn't last as long, while steeper angles are more durable; I compromise between 17° and 22.5° with my better knives, but the choice is yours. Don't know what angle the Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Sharpener uses, as I haven't see it posted in their description. In any case, if you have an exceptionally good knife, check with the manufacturer's suggestions and specs.In Use:In my particular case, I needed to sharpen the serrated blade of my Victorinox Swiss Army One Hand Trekker, an excellent knife that I purchased here in 2008 and finally reviewed in early 2010. This particular knife made me put my other Swiss Army knives away as far as day-to-day functionality goes, yet the serrated blade was losing its effectiveness, probably from too much use over time. It was also gummed up a bit from cutting through packaging tape (and Amazon boxes, etc.) over time.First cleaned the serrated blade with WD-40, wiped it with a paper towel, then washed, rinsed and dried it. Following the directions on the package, I extended the tapered diamond rod and drew it through each serration, rotating it as the instructions noted. Within minutes the serrated blade was restored. Did the same with the serrated blade on my Gerber Suspension Butterfly Opening Multi-Plier, and the sharpness on that blade was easily refurbished as well.As noted earlier, it's always better to use a water stone on high-quality kitchen knives, but when you need speed and expedience, and the Smith's PP1 sharpener does its job. For a quick touch up with good cutlery, just remember to use the V-shaped slot with the ceramic finishing stones, and do it gently.I have also used the Smith's Edgeware V-Slot 10-Second Knife and Scissors Sharpener for years as a household handy item for sharpening scissors. Have also used it reshaping a few worn out kitchen knives, and it did the job quite well.Summary:For quick and dirty sharpening, the Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener does the job and does it well. For this user, it has worked very well, especially when sharpening a serrated blade by hand, and with that it's a 5-star product. For sharpening straight blades, you may wish learn to use a stone, but as admitted above, I do use this PP1 Pocket Pal when taking the time to use a wet stone is not convenient. If your need is for convenience and speed, then this one is highly recommended.9/22/2012

Great little tool for when you just need a quick topping off of a sharpen.It's easy to hold onto , making it safe to use , weighs hardly anything and has the same angle as most of my knives .What puts it over the top for me is the serration sharpener . It does a super job while remaining tiny in hand .

Appears to sharpen knives to a point. Not professional sharpener but more than adequate for edc knives. Very easy to use safely

Good for in-field sharpening. Will not give you a razor edge but it will keep your blade sharp enough.

I usually sharpen my kitchen knives with a whetstone. This process takes a good 20-30 minutes and makes a mess. This sharpener works well for in between maintenance and quick sharpening. I may space out the whetstone sharpening even more with this. I can't be happy enough with the results.

Wonderfull sharpener. Small enough you can carry it with you. It is really capable of giving a razor sharp edge on virtually any blade.

The rod used for serrated edges is what should make this a winner of a product, however it actually becomes the weak link. You will note the pictures of the product, and how it comes in packaging shows the rod extended out and not in the stored position - for a good reason - it is a tight fit to place it either in the fully extended or fully closed position. I understand you do not want this flopping around when in use or folded away for storage but first and foremost you are in constant danger of snapping the rod in two trying to extend and lock into position, or fold and lock into stored position, and once in the stored position extreme care is needed to keep from breaking the rod trying to get it open again. The rod is either glued or screwed on the plastic hinge, if it comes off, good luck reattaching.The overall size is nice, great for keeping with you out in the field. The ability to attach to a lanyard is a plus as are the flat sides on which to rest it when using the blade sharpening slots.The carbide sharpening blades can be rotated when one side becomes worn, the ceramic ones however can not be. Luck of the draw on if the sharpening blades (stone) is set correctly to provide the correct angle for the knife blade edge, seems a few out there are useless and dull rather than sharpen, the majority however work as advertised.Price and functionality, size, and multi-use make this a nice choice for putting a good edge back on a knife, not a keen edge but a nice and workable one...better than nothing. The round rod for serrated edges...hmmmm...not so good, if used with caution it "works". A solid three star product.

Cheap and easy to use. Works well too.