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I suspect that the Smith’s Pocket Pal has fallen into the shopping basket of many an unassuming knife collector. For starters, at under $10 the barrier to entry is low. And knife sharpening can be intimidating to some, so the promise of easy, trouble free knife sharpening probably also has its draw. And then there is the size. It’s smaller than most closed folding knives, and lives up to its namesake. At least somewhat. It’s pocketable for sure, but is it worth pocketing?
I have had strong apprehension to pull sharpening systems for a long time now. The idea of dragging a knife through a channel of carbide bits never appealed to me. Fundamentally I didn’t think these kinds of sharpeners worked. Traditionally, when you sharpen a knife you push the edge across your sharpening material, as if you were cutting into it. That makes sense, because in effect you are wearing steel away, refining and polishing the edge. You don’t drag your blade through the sharpening medium like some sort of bizarre prison gang indoctrination.
Yet as I have tried to flesh out the sharpening section of the website I realized that I couldn’t just ignore the humble sub $10 pull sharpener. These are too popular to ignore. I had to buy one, and try one, and face all of my fears and skepticism about this style of sharpener.
If anything I needed to do this in order to tell you that the Pocket Pal is total crap. That these kinds of sharpeners don’t work. That I was right. But maybe I was wrong.
What You Get
This kind of sharpener is sold by many different manufacturers. Lansky offers their similar BladeMedic, and they make even smaller keychain versions, but this Smith’s model is arguably the most popular.
The PP1 features 2 sets of pull through sharpeners, the coarse carbide sharpener, and the “fine” ceramic sharpener. There is also a tapered diamond impregnated rod sharpener. This is for sharpening serrations or possibly freehand sharpening.
Testing
To test out the PP1 I pulled out some of my least expensive knives. There is no way I was going to put one of my $50+ folders on this thing. I reached for a well worn Alox Cadet and my Ka-Bar Dozier Hunter. These are both pretty beat up, feature soft steel, and retail for around $20. I was OK with potentially sacrificing them to the sharpening gods.
I dulled these knives by dragging them along one of the stones on my SharpMaker. It took a few passes, but I was able to dull the blades to the point where they would not cut paper.
I then attempted to breathe new life into the edge of my Alox Cadet. I started on the coarse side, lightly passing the blade though the sharpener a few times. The first passes offered some resistance, but after a couple rounds I felt the blade pull through a little easier.
I then turned to the fine ceramic stones. Again, I made gentle passes through the fine channel, slowly drawing the blade over the ceramic stones and using less pressure as I went along. I gave it a good 10 passes. At this point I was ready to test my results.
I actually got this knife to cleanly cut through post-it note paper using the Pocket Pal. It wasn’t quite push cutting, but it wasn’t tearing either. It wouldn’t shave hair off my arm, but it would cut open an envelope. I was surprised. I didn’t expect this thing to do much of anything, so it certainly exceeded my low expectations. I’d be curious to see what this edge looked under a microscope. Actually, I’d rather not know.
After the Cadet I turned to my Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter. This is a thicker blade, and it’s AUS-8 steel which is presumably a little harder than what comes on your standard SAK. Again I ran the knife through the PP1, and again I ended up with something that cut paper. The end result wasn’t incredibly sharp, but it was an improvement over the initial edge. It was completely dull before, and after a minute or so with the PP1 I could cut some things.
Finally, I sacked up and pulled out my Spyderco Sage 1. Originally, I was not going to do this. But after seeing how the Pocket Pal kinda works with soft steel, I wanted to test it out on something harder.
The Sage 1 comes in S30V. S30V isn’t the hardest steel ever, but it’s a significant step above AUS-8 and whatever Victorinox uses. It can be challenging to sharpen at times, so I thought it would be a good test. I blunted the edge of my Sage and then worked it through the coarse and fine settings on the Smith’s. The end result wasn’t as good as I was able to achieve with the Cadet or Folding Hunter. It kinda cut paper. After a few passes on my Sharpmaker fine rods I was able to get the Sage back to cleanly cutting paper. Based on my experience the Pocket Pal won’t work on harder steels.
I also tried freehand sharpening a little with the diamond rod. It didn’t do much. I didn’t have any serrations to sharpen, but I’m guessing this would do something. Personally, I prefer fully serrated knives over partially serrated ones. If I have a fully serrated knife I’ll sharpen it on the Sharpmaker. That system is great for fully serrated knives.
Smith’s Pocket Pal PP1 Review – Final Thoughts
Although I am still not much of a fan of this style of knife sharpener, I have to admit that it has its place. I think if you find yourself in an emergency situation with no other sharpener, and have an inexpensive knife with relatively soft steel, then the PP1 is better than nothing. That said, I’d reach for the bottom of a coffee mug before subjecting any of my high end knives to a pull sharpener.
So I still am not a huge fan, but I acknowledge that for under $10 it may not hurt to have one of these tucked away in a tackle box, glove compartment, or back pack. And if you have gas station knives then who cares. Use this thing if you want to.
If you are new to knives and are looking for a quality sharpener, I would suggest the Sharpmaker. If the Sharpmaker is too expensive, then I’d choose a set of Crock Sticks (review coming soon) over the PP1. I would not recommend this as a primary sharpener or for higher end knives.
Still, the PP1 has some merit as an inexpensive field sharpener for inexpensive knives. Beyond that I would probably pass.
- HANDHELD KNIFE SHARPENER – Smith’s “Pocket Pal” Knife Sharpener features a fold-out diamond-coated rod and preset crossed blades for easy pull-through sharpening. The preset sharpening angles provide guaranteed results on every use!
- 2 STAGE – The pull-through coarse carbide slot provides a quick edge on dull or damaged knives & should only be used on straight edges. Fine ceramic stones provide a smooth, polished edge & can be used on serrated or standard blades.
- DIAMOND ROD – This sharpener includes a fold-out, tapered round diamond-coated rod that is designed for sharpening serrations, standard edges, small gut hooks, & fish hooks. It is great for fishing, camping, hiking, & other outdoor survival needs.
- PORTABLE – Smith’s portable multi-tool knife sharpener measures 3.5” long, and 1” wide, and weighs only 1 ounce. It also features a lanyard hole so it can easily be attached to a backpack or keychain ideal for any on-the-go adventure.
- VERSATILE – The carbide and ceramic stones are reversible & replaceable for extended sharpening. Smith’s compact Pocket Pal sharpener is perfect for fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, and other outdoor survival needs.
I recommend purchasing the PP1 at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
Oh, I picked up one a couple of weeks ago and just copied the manual for the manual file.
I will probably stick the unit in the car. Haven’t used it yet. Would not use it on expensive or hard metal knives.
I have a $15 Farberware unit. Just because I don’t want to breakout the better sharpeners and this can sit on the book shelf. It works fairly well on the inexpensive pocket knife. Would I use it on a Benchmade or an Emerson? NO. So, there is a place for less expensive sharpeners so long as you understand their limitations.
BDC,
I think this Pocket Pal will serve you fine for inexpensive / softer steel knives, and I agree there is a place for these kinds of sharpeners. I’ll be reviewing a few more budget systems to see how they stack up. I’m excited about checking out the Crock Sticks. For under $20 this could be an excellent little sharpening system.
Dan
You also have to take into account the degree that the sharpener, pocket pal, is sharpening your blade too. I know there Lansky is 22.5° so 45° total. Not sure what the Smiths is but I’m trying to find out. Every brand has their optimal angle or what they come from factory with. Best to stay as close to that as possible.
I have used these for years. I also sharpen knives professionally. They are great to throw in a tool box or a bug out bag as a back up/field expedient sharpener. I use the ceramic teeth and diamond rod for touch ups. I only use the carbide teeth for striking my ferro rod.
Dave,
It’s always nice to get a professional’s take on things, so thank you for taking the time to respond here.
I agree, it would not hurt to throw one of these in a back or pack for a little extra insurance. Interesting point regarding the carbide. I may follow your lead on that and save it for ferro rodes, I think it’s probably real tough on the edge of a knife.
Thanks again!
Dan
I own a couple of these and they are fine, but I prefer the one from Lamsky
https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-3143-PS-MED01-BladeMedic/dp/B0085PPSIQ
Larry,
Thanks. I know Lansky is a little more of a household name in the knife world. I wouldn’t mind picking one up at some point.
Dan
Great take on an inexpensive item that I’m sure several knife nuts (including myself) have picked up out of curiosity. I agree with your results, but I do find it useful having on-hand in case my wife needs to sharpen a knife for whatever reason. She probably won’t go through the effort of setting up the sharpmaker, but I leave this little guy in the drawer and she will use it from time to time on the kitchen knives, and it gives pretty good results since they’re pretty low-alloy steel. For travel or glovebox use, I’ll pay a few more dollars and give up slightly more real estate and go with a DMT Diafold or something similar that can handle any steel and is only limited by my skill
Thank you, Matt. I could see this little pull sharpener working well for inexpensive kitchen knives. It’s better than nothing, and appears to be somewhat effective on softer steel.
The Diafold looks interesting. I want to review a folding field sharpener of some sort, as I think it would be good to develop a recommendation in this category. I see Fallkniven also makes something that is small and foldable.
Best,
Dan
Ugh. I just watched my father in law smugly smash his shitty Walmart kitchen knives into a pull through sharpener yesterday, gloating about how high end his sharpener was. Oh the pains we knife people go through during the holidays…
Hah! Don’t show him this article, Brad. Ignorance is bliss, especially if you are sharpening low quality cutlery.
But perhaps next year you can get him a decent Chef’s knife and a Sharpmaker or a good honing steel. It will make a world of difference.
Thanks for checking out the article.
Cheers,
Dan
Many years ago, I was a dealer.
I put my Smith sharpener in the glove compartment. Might have to use it some day at a relative’s house who doesn’t know how to sharpen a knife. Like over Christmas or New Years.
I wanted to make another comment. People spend too much time worrying about how to carry a knife sharpener or stone into the field. There is no reason to take a dull knife into the field. Even if you spent 30 days camping, you would probably not have to sharpen a knife unless you had been digging up rocks and dirt. And if you needed to sharpen in the field, a clean stone or even a cement road or porch could be used.
BDC,
I hear ya. I don’t spend a whole lot of time “in the field”, so I can’t comment too much on the value of having a sharpener on your person. From a preparedness stand point, I think having something small can’t hurt. You never know. But I agree that it’s probably something that people spend a lot of time on, but don’t necessarily get a ton of utility out of (at least, as they originally intended – as a field sharpener).
Dan
Compared to Lansky PS-MED01 BladeMedic, Smith’s Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener is more lightweight. In general, this model is cheap, user-friendly, and very effective in sharpening pocket knives
Thanks for this review! I’d suggest that the Smith’s is set at a different angle than your Spydie. It probably dulled the blade by using a different angle, or placed a different secondary bevel on it when you passed it through. Otherwise, I’m certain carbide can easily sharpen s30v, just not as quickly as diamond rods of course, if that’s what you’re using on your Sharpie.
Hi, im an x USAF Combat Vet (A-10 Radar) and 100% of my time with blades… i have always thought i knew all i needed to know when it came to what i and fellow pilots needed to know about it and in our unit you best not be cought shaving or killing with out at least your caring blade, personally i carried a Ridged Many other pilots carrying the 110 but i liked the Ridged , Now many years later while on my way to new york to load my Dodge diesel with 50 years of my stuff (including my badd ass Chopper (1969 HD)
well to make a long story longer i fell asleep , went off a cliff , hit a tree should be dead, the kat was, Mr Puss was a badd ass 14 y/o harley riding kat, anyway i was robbed and left for dead until the next day when medical personal brought me back to life … after realizing the position i was in hitting that tree at 20,000 lbs i found myself robbed of everything and both my harley and truck were smashed and stole i had to go into my old combat mode as if cought behind enemy lines with nothing.
#1 on my list was my blades… not only was there no pistol there was 0 of my blades and there device, i was busted up pretty bad but knew i had to live and without help or anything left of my cargo i could reach for my blade ( they even took it) i had to get to work . 54 At the time, now almost 62, widowed not 2 years that it took 8 years to go from living in the street until now having my own place and try to deal that my 60+ thousand $ of tools were gone , blades always being on my short list slowly im trying to go from 5$ blades, cheap tools, and poor results found the smiths pocket sharp key fob and all i can say is only now am i getting result. My 200 y/o viking 3 foot ( i found in the ground, and my 5$ pig sticker came back to life! my situation improved! Knowing i still was cheating (at least was not resorting rocks) my point being when in bad situations like this the smiths would give you hope, and a Start.
My Russia baby (x kgb) has not gave up on me, But is unto pleased our plans have been smashed up for 8years later and an ocean apart has stuck by me but its really been unfair for waiting for our dreams to be put on this hold, ill make it or die trying…
really enjoyed running across you and your posts…