Clamping assembly for a blade sharpener

A clamping assembly comprising:

• a base defining a spring well;
• a spring piston received in the spring well and including a spring and a piston body;
• first and second jaws supported in opposed, spaced-apart alignment on opposite sides of a central clamp axis that extends through the spring piston and between the first and second jaws, the first and second jaws each having a proximal end portion adjacent the base and having a distal end portion, wherein the first and second jaws are pivotable between an open position and a closed position;
• a wedge movable along the central clamp axis between the proximal end portions of the first and second jaws;
• a lever having an elongated lever body extending to a proximal lever end portion defining an L-shape with a toe and a heel, the toe pivotably connected to the wedge, the lever operable between a first lever position and a second lever position to move the wedge along the central clamp axis;
• and
• a linkage coupling the piston body to the heel of the proximal lever end portion;
• wherein moving the lever between the first lever position to the second lever position moves the wedge along the central clamp axis and wherein compressing the spring increases an axial distance between the piston body and the wedge.