DMT Sharpening Card

American Handgunner, July-August, 2009 by Roy Huntington

I just love to see simple solutions to sometimes complex problems, and this is one of those simple solutions. While there are plenty of high-tec and very, very effective sharpening "systems" out there, sometimes I just need a simple "at-hand" something to help me along. DMT's Sharpening Card is so slim you really can carry it in your wallet or pocket with no trouble, which means it will be with you when you need it. It's a far cry from those old "pocket" stones we used to all have that broke all the time and wore out fast. This is about as indestructible as a piece of steel and diamonds can be, and will probably outlive you and your knife combined.

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A bit of water helps to coax the edge into being, but in a pinch you don't even need to use that. Keep the angle around 20-degrees and make it consistent. That's the real secret to sharpening--keep the angle the same, or you're re-doing the work over and over again, starting new angles at each stroke, and never making any headway. I'd say the Card is best for touching up an edge you might be using in the shop or in the field. But, I remember watching a favorite uncle I had work his Trapper folding knife into a razor edge while he watched He-Haw on TV a, urn, few years ago. I noted he always had a medicinal beverage close at hand too, which might have been the second secret to getting that keen edge. Around $10 or so, and amortized over your life comes to about 20-cents a year--cheap. www.dmtsharp.com