DMT Diafold tactical sharpener

Submitted by Matt

Another product I constantly use for keepin knives sharp is the Diafold by DMT. It is a diamond impregnated steel mesh mounted to a plastic plate. It has handles that fold around it like a butterfly knife. Comes in multiple grits. Weights about 1.5 oz. Very handy and effective, lasts a very long time. I've always used mine dry, and get around 10 years of use out of them. They are handy enough to carry in a pocket or tuck into a tool pouch etc. I use the blue, medium grit for sharpening everything.

ED -- Matt, funny you should bring up DMT.  My first sharpener was a 6" DMT bench whetstone (blue, med. grit.)  Unfortunately as soon as my mother found out about it she decided it was just the thing for her kitchen knives so I always ended having to wait in line behind her.

In addition to the standard rectangular stone, DMT offers Diafolds for serrated blades, fishooks, pruners and shears, and chainsaw chain as well as double sided stones (combination grits.)

Check out the Diafold sharpener here.

Goncz Hi Tech Tactical Lights

Submitted by Oz

There is another American-made flashlight that rivals Surefire (I own one of each), both from Goncz Hi-Tech.

The Goncz is smaller and lighter in weight, but has very similar output characteristics, is made of similar aircraft-alloy aluminum, has a similar array of accessories, and generally stacks up pretty well. It is also a lot cheaper...

ED -- Oz, In looking over the Goncz website, I assume you're refering to either the "M" series tactical lights, or the E-1 lithium LED light, as the remainder of their line is rather large (10+ inches.)  All of these lights use either 6v or 9v lithium batteries, and burn times range from 20 to 120 depending on model and output setting.

Check out the Goncz lights here

Sharpest Tool in the Box

Submitted by Eric Daniel

All this talk of knives got me to thinking.  “Sure, all knives come plenty sharp from the factory, but what do you do when they get dull?”

Just like small arms, I freely admit I am not a knife person.  I use them, and when they get dull I flail about and sharpen them to the best of my ability.  Hell, I’ve more experience sharpening hand tools with a Nicholson mill bastard file than I do sharpening knives. 

Prior to my last deployment I made the decision to remedy this defect.  I had purchased a sharpening kit for my brother a number of years ago for his kitchen knives (he BBQs a lot and likes having sharp cutlery for carving.)  He was pleased with the kit I’d gotten him so I figured if it were good enough for him, it’d be good enough for me.

What I’d gotten was the Spyderco Sharpmaker (model 204.)  The kit comes with two pair of stones; two medium grit stones for initial sharpening, and two fine grit stones for finishing up.  By varying the angle you set the stones into the sharpener base you can quite literally sharpen anything from darts and fish hooks to pocketknives and pruning shears.  The kit itself comes with a comprehensive guide to sharpening, describing which stones to use and what angle to set them, based on the type of instrument being sharpened and what kind of edge you want on it.  In addition, the stones themselves are meant to be used dry, which is great for field applications, as there’s no need to pack special oil or other fluids just for use with the stones.  Finally, in addition to the fine and medium grit stones included with the kit, a diamond coated “stone” (made of steel actually) and an ultra fine grit stone are also available for the Sharpmaker, in the event you need to either do some heavy duty or very fine grinding.

Get the Sharpmaker here