Since a sharp knife is critical to so many outdoor activities, we have lots of tools to try to keep our cutting edges as honed as possible. That leads to us having several ways to sharpen our blades – from files and 6,000 grit whetstones to use at home - to small sharpening stones to use in the field (as can be seen on our Camping/Tools page).

​We recently added another small tool to our kit; the “Lansky QuadSharp Knife Sharpener” since it’s a compact tool specifically made to maintain your knives at the exact angle you need their edges to be while you’re in the field. The QuadSharp has preset carbide “V” grooves for four sharpening angles to help you sharpen your blade in 3 or 4 strokes:

• 17º - For filet knives, scalpels, and other similar blades that require an extremely sharp but delicate edge.
• 20º - For high quality slicing, skinning and kitchen knives that need to be sharp and sturdy.
• 25º - For hunting and outdoor knives that need a sharp but durable edge.
• 30º - The most durable edge for knives that see heavy use such as cutting rope, or cardboard or are used for chopping.

 
The QuadSharp also has a sturdy metal body, an 800 grit ceramic benchstone for fine polishing,  and can be used on regular, serrated (by sharpening one serration at a time by pulling the ceramic element against the grooved side of the serration) and filet knives. Measuring 4 ½” x 1 ½” x 3/8”, and weighing ~3 ounces, the QuadSharp is a small tool that’s easy to add to your gear and easy to use in the field when you can’t get to a larger sharpening stone.
 
You can purchase the “Lansky QuadSharp Knife Sharpener” at Amazon.

​For those of us who live in Massachusetts there are lots of great hikes all around us; some that you can reach quite easily (e.g. Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, Leominster State Forest, Douglas State Forest, Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, etc.,) - and others that you need to drive a couple of hours to get to the trailhead (e.g. Acadia National Park, the White Mountains, Franconia Notch, Mount Monadnock, the Berkshires, Smugglers’ Notch, etc.). Luckily there are lots of great books out there to help you find interesting New England hikes – both near and far.
 
This week another good book that you might want to consult prior to hitting the trails is making its debut: “50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts” in which Madeline Bilis shares her thoughts and advice about hikes in the Boston area. Madeline’s book has detailed information on 50 hikes for people in the eastern half of Massachusetts, of all skill and experience levels. From Cape Cod to Middlesex Fells, from Walden Pond to the Boston Harbor Islands – all sorts of hikes that are both beautiful and close to Boston.

The 256 page paperback book has detailed information on each of the 50 hikes, to include 50 color photographs and 50 maps, gathered by Madeline as she spent a year and 160 miles walking, researching and writing about the trails.
 
“Eastern Massachusetts is the loveliest place on earth. I can say this with 100 percent certainty, because I spent the better part of last year exploring all its nooks and crannies, trails and coastlines, hills and meadows. Every weekend for months, I went on a hike—oftentimes several—in this part of the state. Then I got home and wrote furiously, cataloging every one of those hikes for a new guidebook I was writing: 50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts.”
 
"It’s true that Eastern Mass. doesn’t have incredibly challenging hikes — it’s largely trails that are flat and easy, but also very beautiful."
 
In our opinion, if you live in New England, you should seriously think about adding Madeline’s book to your Hiking reference library. Here’s a link to the book on Amazon:
 
       “50 Hikes in Eastern Massachusetts” by Madeline Bilis" 

We’ve added it to our New England library which already included the following:

• “Best Tent Camping: New England” by Lafe Low
• “Hiking Waterfalls in New England” by Falcon Guides - Kindle Reader for iPad
• “Moon Spotlight Massachusetts Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Hiking Massachusetts” by Falcon Guides - Kindle Reader for iPad
• “Moon Spotlight New Hampshire Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Moon Spotlight Maine Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Moon Spotlight Vermont Hiking” by Jacqueline Tourville
• “Foraging New England” by Tom Seymour  
• “Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods” by Thomas Elias and Peter Dykeman 
• “Medicinal Plants of North America: A Field Guide” by Falcon Guides