Zen and the Art of Portable Knife Sharpening: Work Sharp Folding Field Sharpener Review

There are a million methods that you can use to sharpen your knife, all of which can be effective if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t, any of those methods can ruin your blade edge, causing you to put in even more work. Making matters worse, a lot of sharpeners out there aren’t up for the task of sharpening some of the newer, high-end knife steels.

To help solve this, Work Sharp built its brand to help make knife sharpening easier for everyone. While I’ve tested and reviewed some of the brand’s products, I used and relied on its products both in the field and in my shop going back nearly a decade. Its latest contribution to the world of knife sharpeners wins the “Why didn’t I think of that?” product of the year.

The Folding Field Sharpener is a compact, lightweight knife sharpener that tucks into a pocket and stays in place with a pocket clip. Built off of a durable nylon plastic frame, the sharpener has two sides that pivot on a hinge with a stainless steel bolt. This makes for easy sharpening at a variety of angles, and even in hard-to-access places.

In short: I took the Folding Field Sharpener for a spin on a few outdoor escapades and was blown away by its performance. While it’s designed primarily for sharpening knives, I can attest that it can fix a chipped bit on a hatchet as well. I encountered one minor issue that I was able to repair, but overall the Work Sharp Folding Field Sharpener allowed for spontaneous, spectacular honing and sharpening anywhere.

To see how the Work Sharp Field Sharpener stacks up against other options on the market, check out GearJunkie’s Best Knife Sharpeners Buyer’s Guide.

Work Sharp Folding Field Sharpener Review

Design & Features

One side of the Folding Field Sharpener has a 400-grit diamond plate with 20-degree angle guides. The other side has a fine-grit ceramic plate with 25-degree guides. The angle guides help maintain the approach between strokes and draws so you can get clean, uniform results. Both plates should last a lifetime if you treat them right.

Neither diamond nor ceramic needs lubrication to achieve the desired results. However, a little spritzing of water here and there can keep them both effective and clean. A clean sharpening surface is what you want if you want to hone an edge properly.

Both arms of the Folding Field Sharpener have touch points that provide increased grip. The ceramic plate side has full-length knurling with a rubberized border. The diamond plate side has the Work Sharp logo that increases grip and has the same rubberized border. These features increase stability on different surfaces as well as keep the sharpener steady in your hand.

Who’s It For?

Realistically, anyone who owns a knife could appreciate this sharpener. But when I consider how effective, effortless, and adaptable this folding field sharpener is, it’s easy to think outside the box regarding where you can use it.

A fisherman could use it to sharpen up hooks. A hunter could use it to hone arrow tips. Or, a guy like me could use it to restore the edge on his hatchet after he hit a nail in a tree one night randomly before dinner (more on that not-so-hypothetical below).

Heck, I haven’t done it, but I bet you could sharpen a lawnmower blade with it.

A lot of pocket sharpeners can hone an edge, but this is the only one I have used that makes a clean edge on the spot in little to no time.

First Impressions

I’m a little biased; I love anything with a pocket clip. They make things easy to access in your pocket, pouch, or pack. For a field sharpener, something that could get lost in a pocket or left behind altogether, a pocket clip is an excellent addition.

Picture it: You’re strolling down the trail, making your way to tonight’s lean-to, and you don’t know what to do with your hands. What better time to make sure your knife is perfectly honed for the meal prep ahead?

It’s also built incredibly well. For $30, you get an easy-to-access, easy-to-use sharpener with both ceramic and diamond sharpening plates. If properly cared for, neither of these surfaces will wear down or become ineffective (before you do).

In the Field

I had to wait a few weeks for the Folding Field Sharpener to arrive. During that time, I pulled out knives from my collection that I knew could use a little TLC. I figured I would make a whole production out of it and have myself a little afternoon knife-sharpening party.

When the sharpener finally landed, I had that little party… and it lasted about 20 minutes. Not a lot of thinking needs to go into using this sharpener, and it doesn’t take a lot to get the results you want.

The 400-grit diamond plate is fantastic for bringing a dull edge back to life. The 20-degree guide makes everything very easy, keeping you where you want to be to get a sharp, clean edge.

However, most of the work I needed to do required the ceramic plate. I keep my knives well-maintained, so nothing is ever really that dull in my world. It wasn’t until I hit a nail with my hatchet and had to fix the bit that I found myself getting really zen with that diamond plate.

I have a few different bench sharpeners and a belt grinder in my workshop and could have easily restored that bit with a little reprofiling, but I wanted to see what the Folding Field Sharpener could do. Within 15 minutes, while watching the kids pick the last of this year’s tomatoes, I had the bit restored.

There was no setup time to make sure I had the right belt or ensure things were set to the right angle. I simply took the sharpener out of my pocket and got the job done. If this had been out in the woods, this would have saved my journey.

Overflex

I did have one issue a few weeks into the honeymoon with the Folding Field Sharpener. I had it fully opened and put a little too much pressure on one of the arms. It caused the nylon plastic arm to flex and the plate came partially unglued.

I am not sure what type of adhesive Work Sharp used to bond these plates to the arms, but I replaced that with a line of Gorilla Glue and haven’t had an issue since.

Conclusion

As someone who is always on the go, I’d love to sit down and randomly sharpen some knives as a means of quiet meditation. I don’t have that luxury right now, and I need to make sure the knives and tools I rely on can perform as expected. The beauty of the Folding Field Sharpener is that you don’t need any downtime to use it.

Heck, you could be sitting in a canoe fishing with a friend and whip it out to hone a knife. I had no intention of buttoning up the edge of my hatchet, but while I was waiting for dinner to cook, I got the job done.

This one gets my stamp of approval. Pick one up now and throw it in your pocket, or pack it for when you need it.