Predator and varmint hunters have at least one thing in common with anglers and big game hunters: We all need sharp knives. Fortunately, there are a lot of products on the market that will help us keep them that way, but not all of them are versatile or compact enough for field use.

For the past couple of months I've been working with a field sharpener that's the answer to an outdoorsman's prayer—the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener.

Gordy Krahn shared his first impression of the unit in his blog. As the name suggests, the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener is designed for field use, and while it works perfectly in that capacity, it's so darn handy that I've been using it in the workshop and kitchen as well. It features five different sharpening stages that include coarse and fine diamond plates, two different ceramic hones and a leather strop. And it'll sharpen serrated blades and fish hooks, too. There's even a broadhead wrench built in.

I find it works best with blades less than 4 inches in length, but that certainly covers most of the knives I own—certainly all of my field knives. My wife's big kitchen sabres require a different tool. This sharpener is light, compact, completely self-contained and I have no hesitation in recommending you drop the $30 it takes to buy one.

Below is a video that gives a better rundown on the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener than I could ever write.

Editor's note: If you're unable to view the video, click here.