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Reviews > Knives > Sharpeners > Furi Ozitech Diamond Fingers Sharpener > Marie-Noelle Augendre > Test Report by Marie-Noelle AugendreFüritechnics
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| Name | Marie-Noëlle Augendre | I
started backpacking
nine years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year-round, and doing
several
one or two-week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica,
Pyrénées,
Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year. In the past three years, I have gradually lightened my pack load as I changed to a hammock, an alcohol stove, a light pack and running shoes instead of boots. After living the most part of this year in Quebec (Canada), I'm just back to France and looking for a place to settle, preferably in an area suitable for outdoor activities, especially hiking and backpacking. |
| Age | 48 | |
| Gender | Female | |
| Height | about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) | |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) | |
| Email address | augendre.bgt@gmail.com | |
| City, Country | Ville d'Avray (Hauts-de-Seine), France |
Product information
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The Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener is a little plastic, black case that fits in the hand. At first glance, it looks symmetrical, with two identical side-shells. It opens by folding out two little flaps, called "thumb protectors" in the documentation; then one shell rotates to 270° from the vertical fingers to rest on the table, though the other goes only to about 20° from the vertical and stays erect to guard the hand. The horizontal shell has two rather big rubber pads that prevent the sharpener from sliding on the working surface.
The fingers themselves are two rows of four metallic alternating slats. The slats are curved so that they provide a V-like space to introduce the knife to be sharpened. The internal side of the slats - the one in direct contact with the blade - is coated with the diamond powder that gives its name to this sharpener.
The sharpener is rather easy to use: once fully opened, one hand holds down the horizontal shell half on the working surface, as the other slides the knife down and back through the set of sharpening fingers. I have already given it a try on my Swiss folding knife; after 4 or 5 passings, it could cut across the edge of a sheet of paper without any burr.
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I always have my Swiss knife with me in the outdoors; I chose one with a long blade, as I use it to cut (French) bread, saucisson and other "charcuterie" (dries sausages and other meats), and cheese I usually have for lunch when in the field. At home, I also do quite a lot of cooking, and have an assortment of knifes I use to chop vegetables, cut meat, etc. As for now, I have been content with a traditional steel I use with any knife before use, but I would like to see how much more efficient this tool is.
I don't intend to take the Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener when hiking or backpacking, but I will use it on an everyday basis in the kitchen when cooking, and to sharpen my Swiss folding knife before any hiking or backpacking trip. I will especially report on the following issues:
In addition, I will report on anything else I might observe that could be useful for a potential user / buyer of the Füritechnics Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener.
I did quite a number of dayhikes during this first two-month period, but the Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener stayed at home: it would have been very much inconvenient to use it crouched down on an uneven ground. But I have used it every couple of days, either when cleaning my folding knife after each outing, or on a regular basis with whatever kitchen knife I was using for preparing meals.
Provisional conclusionWhen closed, this sharpener is little and flat enough to be stored in any drawer with the cutlery, so it takes no room on the counter, and I don't have to look for it everywhere when I need it. It unfolds and is ready to use in a pinch, and is put away as quickly when finished. It requires just a little space on the counter or any even surface to be used properly. The sharpening work itself is easy and quick, it requires absolutely no special skill, and the benefits of 4 or 5 swipes on any non-serrated knife blade is immediate. The holding hand has a good grip on it and the rubber pads underneath prevents it from sliding on the counter. It can be used with either hand, thus it works for left-handed people like myself, who will just have to hold the sharpener with their right hand and use their left to pull the knife.
In short, I couldn't have dreamed of a better tool except for two minor flaws:
when folded, the two shell halves don't join completely and a 1/4" (0.5 cm) gap remains between them; admittedly, this doesn't prevent it to work perfectly when in useThis said, I will go on using the Ozitech sharpener very happily during the next two months.
This concludes my Field Report. The Long Term Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months from the date of this report. Please check back then for further information.During the past two months, I have kept on using the Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener in the kitchen every couple of days. I usually keep it on a shelf right over the counter, so it remains in a handy place whenever I feel like giving a few strokes to a knife before using it.
After four months of rather intensive use, the sharpener works as well as on its very first day; the Diamond Fingers don't seem to have worn down, and the shell closes as firmly as in the beginning, but with the same gap I've already noticed before. In fact, this second two-month testing period has not brought any more information in addition to that I've already reported on in my previous report; thus my conclusions remain the same: I like this tool very much and will continue to use it on an almost every day basis. Nevertheless, my hands resent the sharp little teeth that graze them more often than not, all the more since I have not yet understood what these teeth are meant for.
I would like to thank Füritechnics and BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the opportunity to test the Ozitech Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener.