Reddit mentions of Fallkniven DC3 Whetstone Diamond Ceramic Knife Sharpener

Edit: Just realized your looking for an EDC Knife. To split kindling? My post revolves around your first knife to go out into the bush. An EDC knife should just a small folder for when you open those fancy amazon boxes. Don't need a fixed blade knife for EDC purposes, but if your gonna be out in the woods messing around I'd follow what I said.

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IMO a Mora companion should be your first knife. They are 10 bucks. The one linked is a carbon steel version, if you are gonna be around water a lot get the stainless steel version. The stainless steel version will rust dull quicker. Edit: Was a typo, it definitely wont rust quicker lol. Get it if you are around water because it WONT rust, but the edge will dull quicker, this is why knowing how to sharpen in the field is important. I mean you can get through a day with a dull knife, but it's never fun.

This won't be the best knife in the world, but it's the best beginners knife, it can do all the basic tasks and work well for $10, so if you smack a rock, chip it somehow or end up messing it up when sharpening you can buy another one. Practice sharpening! This is a big one, you don't want to get a $100 knife and mess up sharpening it - anything is fixable but you don't want to do that with an expensive knife and start taking off too much steel and what not.

I'd recommend a Mora companion, and whatever sharpening method you want. A decent, cheap stone is the Fallkniven DC3. There are better stones - but they require oils (or water) and you have to go through two or three types of stones and all these other things. Not to mention they are heavy and bulky. DC3 is small and you can take it with you.

If someone else wants to go more indepth on other sharpening methods and stones, please do so, I've had the same ones for a few decades and am not up-to-date on the tech.

Also strops, I had a local leatherworking shop make one for me, I've never found good ones online, or good leather to make your own. If you are familiar with good ones, feel free to link them.

I just use something like this that I picked up at the hardware store for like, five bucks. You don't really want to spend too much on a stone that is going to end up ruined for anything but awls due to the groove that ends up dug in it. For finer sharpening, there's this. Personally, though, I've gotten perfectly fine results with just the regular ol' sharpening stone.