Knife Sharpener

[dcarch]

My sharpener

dcarch

[44 bbq]

Currently, I have 4 systems for putting the edges on my blades.

1. Chef's Choice 120 - This system works ok. It takes a little while but puts a good edge on a blade that will float hair from your arm. The angles are preset and are not adjustable. It leaves a finish with micro serrations and for kitchen use it is fine. I use it for my wife's knifes. She believes dinner plates double as cutting boards.

2. Wicked Edge Pro-Pak - This system works very well. It will put a scary sharp edge on a knife in fairly short order. Stepping through the grits through the leather strops with abrasive pastes leaves a very nice mirrored beveled edge. It works great with blades up to 7" or so. I use this for my hunting knives. I mounted mine on a 12"x12" marble tile and it will do the job. It is a high end - no electricity required - knife sharpener. Getting repeatable results is easy though as long as you remember where the clamp is positioned on the blade and what angle you used. I keep a log book for each of my outdoors knives for future sharpening. The drawback to this system is sharpening very long blades. You have to do the job in steps.

3. Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition - Another system that works very well. It uses 3/4x12" sanding belts to put a convex edge on a blade no matter how long or short. It will also produce a scary sharp edge on a knife in short order. Switching the belts is quick and it is very impressive for the price. I use this for my kitchen knives and every day carry (EDC) knives. I have a 12" bladed breaking butcher knife that just refused to get a nice edge. With the Work Sharp KO, it will float hair the entire length of the edge.

4. Lansky - Very slow system that will produce a good edge if you have the patience to use it to create the edge.

My opinion with these 4 systems ranked from 1-5, with 5 being highest:

Work Sharp KO 5.0 (+ outstanding end result, + moderate price, +fast, - electric)
Wicked Edge 4.9 (+ outstanding result, + not electric, + quick, - very high price)
Chef's Choice 3.5 (+ easy to use, + ok results, - can't change angles, - electric)
Lansky 2.5 (+ portable, + not electric, - slow, - angle inconsistency from tip to heel)

Is the Work Sharp adjustable? I looked at it on Northern Tools web site but not sure if it's adjustable.

[Texas-Hunter]

Is the Work Sharp adjustable? I looked at it on Northern Tools web site but not sure if it's adjustable.

The short answer is yes..

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImicZxkktR4[/yt]

[HawgHeaven]

I use the Edge Pro Apex system. LOVE IT!!!

http://www.edgeproinc.com/Apex-Model...System-p7.html

Oooohhh, me likey...

This is a great thread... very "helpPhil", because it just so happens I am in the market for a sharpener that won't break me wallet.

[AJ]

Is the Work Sharp adjustable? I looked at it on Northern Tools web site but not sure if it's adjustable.

Yep, the Ken Onion edition is adjustable. The standard model has preset angles.

[44 bbq]

I like the Ken Onion sharpener. Might give a try. Price is a bit more than I want to spend but the replacement belts are inexpensive.

[Whisky Fish]

Check out the antique stores. You can usually find an old carborundum stone and just get crackin at it. by the time you get done with about 5 knives you'll have learned how to lock your wrist at the right angle. Start with a couple of cheap knives and use a newspaper to guage the sharpness. if you can cut the newspaper without tearing it you are good to go. Use a steel to maintain the edge and if they get dull too quickly then your increase your angle. It's a skill. Multiple grits will make your job easier but if your blades aren't damaged, a fine grit will get the job done. decrease your angle for fillet knives (19 degrees) and increase for chopping(22) Oh and use a good food grade oil.

[PitRow]

2. Wicked Edge Pro-Pak - This system works very well. It will put a scary sharp edge on a knife in fairly short order. Stepping through the grits through the leather strops with abrasive pastes leaves a very nice mirrored beveled edge. It works great with blades up to 7" or so. I use this for my hunting knives. I mounted mine on a 12"x12" marble tile and it will do the job. It is a high end - no electricity required - knife sharpener. Getting repeatable results is easy though as long as you remember where the clamp is positioned on the blade and what angle you used. I keep a log book for each of my outdoors knives for future sharpening. The drawback to this system is sharpening very long blades. You have to do the job in steps.

I also have a wicked edge and it works great, except as noted on really long knives. It also has some trouble with really thin knives (i.e. pen knife, some fillet knives) if you're trying to sharpen to a really shallow angle (like 17 degrees) the stones will hit the clamp at certain points, which can be a real pain sometimes.

I know some people have had some issues with the joints wearing out on the arms and getting sloppy, but I think you probably have to be pretty anal to worry about that. The company has fixed that problem and will replace the older style arms for free if you have them, but I've never bothered with it.

[Snarlingiron]

I spent about 20 years in a family jewelry business. I was a bench jeweler / stone setter. In this environment, a great deal of time is spent making and sharpening tools. As a hobby when I was younger I also made hunting knives. We had an amazing array of sharpening stones. Washita, soft Arkansas, Hard Arkansas, India stones, Synthetic Ruby stones, diamond hones. There were several of the Norton triple stone setups with oil bath that BBQ Engineer showed. We all kept a leather strop glued to a thin piece of hardwood on our bench, charged with Chrome Compound to polish the edges of gravers, dapping punches, etc.

Bottom line, I have spent a LOT of time sharpening and polishing. I can put a polished shaving edge on just about anything made of a steel capable of holding such an edge using just stones and leather strops.

I have spent time trying out all types of powered sharpening devices, and never found anything that I didn't think was way too aggressive. I have seen lots of professional units that I am sure are superb, but also quite expensive. This is one of the cheaper ones, and it is an amazing machine, but it is $405.00 without a motor! http://www.cootebeltgrinder.com/prices.html

All this is to explain why I find the Ken Onion Work Sharp a remarkable machine for a reasonable price. It will very quickly put a very keen edge on just about anything without overheating or removing too much material. You can with progressively finer belts put as refined an edge as you like.

All of the above techniques will work. Some require a high skill level and practice, and some don't. I just know that the Work Sharp, for a relatively modest investment will allow just about anyone to maintain their knives in a wicked sharp state with minimum skill.

[dsgarner06]

While I can appreciate the mechanized tools and even the Wicked Sharp, I couldn't justify the cost.... maybe as a present to myself in the future ;) With a little practice, my whetstones work absolutely great and keep an awesome edge. For $80 you can't go wrong if you have a little patience and learn to work the blade.

[Richtee]

Yep, the Ken Onion edition is adjustable. The standard model has preset angles.

I have this one. Great for setting new edges. Eventually they ALL need new edges. Diamond stick and a steel between.

[44 bbq]

Over the last couple of weeks, I've looked at a lot of sharpening devices, powered and manual and I'm no closer today in choosing which device I should go with.
Whichever I do buy, will need to sharpen kitchen knives, from chef knives to filet knives. No Japanese knives YET.

I've also watched many YouTube video's on using Whetstones, Ken Onion sharpener, Apex, Wicked Sharp and using steels.

I'm intrigued by the stones that the Japanese use as those seem to produce a nice sharp blade and the stones will probably last a long time.

The KO sharpener looks easy but I'm concerned with the durability of the belts and the issue of not being able to buy a single belt. I could only find a 6 pc set ( I think) and some reviewers state some of the belts in the kit will probably never be used and will have to buy the set just to get one belt.

The Apex and Wicked Systems are nice and I would consider the Apex since it's much cheaper than the Wicked System. The issue I have with these is the cost of the stones. Kind of hard to determine the durability as I don't want to replace the stones often as the cost could add up.

So each system has plenty pro's and cons and at this point I am leaning towards the KO sharpener. Can someone tell me what I can expect in regards to the durability of the belts, such as how long can I expect to go without having to replace? This is considering normal use. Also, I've read some reviews and people say using a belt sharpener changes the blade shape and if one were to go to a stone or another device it would need to be reshaped. Is there a disadvantage of the blade being changed to a convex shape? I only use these knives to slice/chop veggies & meat, usually no bone.
Thanks.

[Snarlingiron]

I have sharpened 30+ knives since I bought the Ken Onion Work Sharp (everyone at work keeps bringing in their kitchen knives), and several of those were in very bad shape and required extensive work. The original belts that came with the machine are all still intact and still usable, although I have bought some replacements, just to insure I will have them if needed. The convex shape will provide a more durable edge than a standard straight angle. Any knife sharpened on a "slack belt" will have a convex profile. It isn't really a huge issue, since knives that are sharpened at typical kitchen knife angles (~16° - 22°) don't have a radical convex profile. A few strokes on a stone will pretty readily remove it. If you have heavy duty blades that you sharpen to 25° - 30°, then it will take a bit more work to remove it.

[44 bbq]

I have sharpened 30+ knives since I bought the Ken Onion Work Sharp (everyone at work keeps bringing in their kitchen knives), and several of those were in very bad shape and required extensive work. The original belts that came with the machine are all still intact and still usable, although I have bought some replacements, just to insure I will have them if needed. The convex shape will provide a more durable edge than a standard straight angle. Any knife sharpened on a "slack belt" will have a convex profile. It isn't really a huge issue, since knives that are sharpened at typical kitchen knife angles (~16° - 22°) don't have a radical convex profile. A few strokes on a stone will pretty readily remove it. If you have heavy duty blades that you sharpen to 25° - 30°, then it will take a bit more work to remove it.

Thank you sir for the information. My knife collection consists of Victorinox and Dexter Russell knives. Nothing fancy and the blades are not nicked up-just in dire need of a good sharpening.

[AJ]

The KO sharpener looks easy but I'm concerned with the durability of the belts and the issue of not being able to buy a single belt. I could only find a 6 pc set ( I think) and some reviewers state some of the belts in the kit will probably never be used and will have to buy the set just to get one belt.

You can indeed get one individual belt if you choose to. You just have to look in the right place. Econaway Abrasives sells individual 3/4"x12" belts in a variety of abrasive materials and a variety of grits. I have their Amazon pack for the WS KO sharpener and I like them. I step through the grits when I sharpen and it does a superb job.

Also, I've read some reviews and people say using a belt sharpener changes the blade shape and if one were to go to a stone or another device it would need to be reshaped. Is there a disadvantage of the blade being changed to a convex shape?

I think you mean the edge profile will change using a Work Sharp sharpener vs using a flat stone. You are correct. The WS produces a nicely polished radius to the edge. The flat stones will create a wedge type of an edge. Which one is better? I have no idea. I can get razor sharp with either one. Which one last longer, I dunno that one either. I might believe that the convex edge can be made stronger as there is more material around the edge, but I'm using them for kitchen knives not combat knives. I use both flat and convex for my knives. Both can be made friggin scary sharp.