This thread seems to have moved to an evaluation of the Gerber LMFII, but I am gonna throw this in anyhow, mainly 'cuz I just remembered it. Thirty-some years ago my ex-father-in-law gutted an old water heater, and came up with a couple of ceramin rods from somewhere inside. If memory serves correctly (always a doubt these days), they were a fine grit, 'bout 3/8" in diameter, maybe eight inches long. I remember stroking a blade along one, seemed to work fine as a sharpener. And they are FREE!!!