I use a diamond stone and a regular whet stone. Have done so for years- no sense switching now.

I use a whetstone and a steele.

I use a Lansky kit, which sometimes feels like I'm cheating. However, I've come to love it, despite its bulk. The edges I can put on a blade are nothing short of incredible. Gonna have to make sure I put it in my BOB...it's currently part of my tool collection in the garage.

I've thought about getting a Lanksy setup but haven't save the $$ for it yet. Is it something that you can put in your BOB or is it better designed for a workshop setting. Basically, my question is: is it too bulky to lump around?

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Please don't take my avatar to seriously. I'm really not a bible thumping armageddon prophet.

If I end up putting the whole kit in my BOB, I'll probably take it out of the case and just carry the components loosely. Putting it in the case would be bulky, but not heavy, so I guess it depends on the amount of room you have. At a minimum, you'd want the medium and fine stones, the oil and the angle guide. The stones have little steel rods that look like tent stakes, which attach to the ends and feed through the guide. It's a very light package, and the plastic carry case is completely unnecessary. Heck, even throwing in the coarse stone and rod wouldn't be that much extra weight.

I also have the little mounting bracket for the guide. You can set it up on a workbench with the mounting bracket. I haven't done this yet, since the kit works great just holding it by hand. I usually sharpen my blades sitting in my easy chair. The guide allows you to set your angles at 15, 20, 25 and 30 degrees (IIRC). I usually use the 25 degree angle for nearly everything since it is plenty sharp and isn't too brittle for field work.

I use a sharpening steel encrusted with diamond dust. I also have 2 ceramic ones. A steel is light, slender and would take up very little room in a BOB.
If you ever find yourself in a position that you don't have a stone or steel available, the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug will also put the edge back on your knife.

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And To The Republic For Which It Used To Stand

Think there was a word missing there...I think you were referring to the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug, correct?

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If it's in your pack, but you don't know how to use it...it's useless. So, always test your skills as a form of preparation...Don't wait until your life depends on it. That's a lesson you don't want to learn the hard way.

Yep. Sorry. I was in a hurry Sunday morning. It's fixed now so the next person that reads it won't say Coffee probably wouldn't do much for a knife edge.

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And To The Republic For Which It Used To Stand

I have a big sharpening system I use at home to keep my knives sharp. I don't remember the name of it any more. I have had it for over 20 years and all of that has worn off. It works great so I still use it.

For my BOB's as well as my hunting pack I bought some small cheap stones at a surplus store for 99 cents each. They arent the easiest thing to work with, but will do a good job if you take your time and pay attention. I recommend adding a bottle of honing oil to you BOB with it, but they also do an adequate job using water.

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Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
V.F.W. Life Member
NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran