Sharpal 101N 6-in-1 Review

The Sharpal 101N is a tiny knife sharpener that can fit just about anywhere you find convenient. It has two sharpening tiers made of tungsten carbide and ceramic material, plus a rounded sharpening rod to fit between the teeth of a serrated blade. It comes with a handful of other useful features that will appeal to those who spend a decent amount of time in the backwoods.

Sharpening Ability

The Sharpal 101N is a unique product that fills a specific sharpening niche. It will do the trick if you are far from creature comforts and conveniences (like electricity), and thanks to its collection of other handy features, you can think of it as your Swiss army knife of sharpeners. However, we do not recommend using it on your nicer blades and kitchen knives. We tested it on a chef's knife, just like all our other sharpeners, and its comparative performance on this type of blade was below average.

The grind angle is fixed, so it will completely reprofile the edge of any knife to a 14°-15° angle. Additionally, because the angle guide is a bit loose, we didn't get a super consistent edge, which became apparent when we used our goniometer to measure the bevel angle, and the line was not as crisp as in the initial measurement. When examined under the microscope, we could see some major burs left after sharpening and some waviness on the edge of the blade.

All of these visual notes aligned with what we found in our standardized sharpness measurement. We dulled a brand-new chef's knife by running a 6-inch metal pipe over the edge until it reached a sharpness level of at least 600 g (measured in the amount of force required to cut a standardized material). We then used the Sharpal to try and bring it back as close to factory-level sharpness as we could. Unfortunately, our test knife reached a sharpness level of 534 g, which is not the worst result, but it does fall below average for the group. In our paper-cutting test, the resharpened knife created more rips in the sheet of paper rather than running through in a smooth slicing motion. However, if you use the sharpener in the right context, it is a good option for blades that you might already be a bit rough on, like a hunting or pocket knife.

Ease of Use

Luckily, the Sharpal 101N 6-in-1 is quite easy to use. With absolutely no setup and a remarkably small profile, it is simple enough to keep on hand for emergency sharpening needs. Using the Sharpal requires very little skill or technique, and despite being so small, we did not have any trouble holding the sharpener steady while drawing the knife through each slot.

We timed the entire sharpening process and found that it only takes about a minute to pull the blade through each slot several times (roughly 10 times in our testing). The Sharpal's overall functionality is quite basic, which is a big part of why it is so easy to get the hang of. However, the comprehensiveness of the process is just average; it only includes two grit levels, so if you want a more refined sharpening process, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Versatility

As the name implies, the Sharpal 101N 6-in-1 is quite versatile for a product of this size. In fact, it managed to beat the average score for the group in this metric. The 6 functions of the Sharpal include coarse sharpening, fine honing, fishhook sharpening, serrated sharpening, an emergency whistle, and a flint stick firestarter. We were intrigued by the tapered diamond rod that is used for sharpening serrated knives. It has a medium-level 400 grit and has a small groove running lengthwise to sharpen gut hooks and fish hooks.

However, in terms of knife sharpening versatility, it doesn't stand up to more full-featured products. It is not designed to sharpen scissors or single-sided blades, and the grind angle is not adjustable. Again, the quality of the edge this produces is not something we would want to see on a high-caliber kitchen knife, but for its intended purpose as an outdoors pocket tool, it hits the mark.

Storage

The Sharpal measures a whopping 3 cu in. Need we say more? It can fit virtually anywhere. Pocket, glovebox, kitchen drawer, tackle box; you name it, the Sharpal will find a way to squeeze in so you never find yourself with a shamefully dull knife edge at exactly the wrong moment. The only sharpeners that were comparable in this metric were other pocket-style models. However, the Sharpal manages to pack a lot more punch with its extra features, so we think it is a better choice.

Our only worry with a product so small is that we might lose it, but the Sharpal 6-in-1 has a predrilled hole in one corner, so you can clip it onto a lanyard to help prevent this. It is a self-contained tool, so you don't have to worry about keeping track of accessories, either.

Should You Buy the Sharpal 101N 6-in-1?

The Sharpal 101N is not a one-size-fits-all tool. It will appeal to the outdoors person who likes to keep their tools sharp, whether it be a pocket knife, hunting knife, gut hook, or fish hook. For blades that need to be sharp but don't need to be perfect, the Sharpal is a great accessory, and its practicality in this scenario is improved by the fact that it can go with you practically everywhere. However, we do not recommend using it as your only sharpening tool, and if you are looking for a primary sharpener to use for your kitchen knives, you'll want to check out some other models.

What Other Knife Sharpeners Should You Consider?

If you like the handiness of the Sharpal 6-in-1 but recognize that you might need a bit more power for more standard sharpening, then the Work Sharp E2 is our favorite model for general use. It is an electric pull-through model that would be a great complementary machine to the Sharpal. A budget alternative would be the Presto EverSharp, an electric pull-through sharpener that produces decent results and is easy to use. If you want a single sharpener that truly does it all and can be used on everything from kitchen knives to garden tools to pocket knives, the Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition should be at the top of your shortlist. This is another electric pull-through model that offers enough flexibility to sharpen nearly any blade you can find.