What do you guys bring with you in the field for maintaining your blades? I know there's a ton of different options out there......so let's hear what you carry and why. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm planning to go with DMT Diafold, butterfly style diamond stones with different coarseness on both sides. And angle guide is available for them too. Light, quite small, 4 grits, guided or free hand...

I've got the same thing as Elof Alv. But I thin that for "Out there" a round diamond (I really like the Eze-lap model M)rod. More versatile I think, if you've got or someone with you has a recurve the round hone is much easier to use than a flat one.

BUT for the weight, get both. The Eze-lap and the DMT maybe with course and extra course for major blade damage.

Or for touching up a chopper, few passes with either coarse rod or flat one and you can go back to chopping.
I recently came across a small carbide sharpener which I used to get dings off my 711 (there was nothing to split the wood on and I bumped into the bricks). With few passes there was no sign of them on the edge. Will dig up a link, or post pic or two when I get home. It's small & light, pretty good tool for maintaining edge.

I have been in the middle of the sandbox and all I used was a ceramic rod. If you let the edge go uncared for a while it takes a few minutes to fix it with ceramic, but it can make the dullest edge shave.

Carbide would I guess be the way to go for a severely damaged edge that needs cleaned up quickly. All I ever did with a carbide was mess up the blade. Course that was back over 30 years ago and they have made HUGH improvements since then.

Hey JJ, how are things going for you?

P.S. Spending your down time sharpening an edge is a great ( at least for me) way to kill time. That is if you are in a survival sit...

Things are tough all over. I love it.

I hear ya, sharpening a blade to me is a relaxing task.

Exactly my point.