Becker sharpening question

machine26 said:
Check this out guys and free yourselves of the sharpening guides and gadgets.

http://www.worldknives.com/info/knife-sharpening-tips-by-jay-talmadge-24.html
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That's one of my favorite tutorials. Another good source for freehand sharpening is The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening. Or Sharpening Made Easy.

The biggest difference between the WS and KME is that the WS convexes the blade, while the KME seems to give you a very consistent v-grind. I love the convex edge for heavy use knives, and I can get them very sharp, but I really wanted a sharpener that could give me a nice and perfect edge easily, every time. It takes awhile before you can start getting the WS edge consistent, but the KME is supposed to take the guesswork out of everything.

The WS is great at teaching you how to use a belt sander to sharpen blades. I now use a 1x30 belt sander for my major reprofiles, and finish up with the WS. It's great.

I've got a quick tutorial in a tread over at Bushcraft USA that explains a little better how I use it.

Of course, any dedicated knife lover should also know how to freehand their edges. I use a couple of Japanese waterstones, which I like for sharpening axes and scandi-ground blades. I've only got a couple of combination stones right now, but I'm adding them one at a time.

Man, I just added up all the $$ I have in sharpening gear. It comes out to over $500, and I'm just getting started. I wouldn't change a thing, though. Every sharpening system is good for something, and with every sharpened blade I learn something new.
 
Thanks for the writeup, Dan. Good to have the information there if I ever decide to purchase a worksharp.
 
great tutorial wasatchdan but if your taking the guides off anyway couldnt you just use a belt sander ? i mean it seems the only reason i would ge that over a belt sander is for the guides.
 
Worldwood,using a Sharpie to color the bevel is the best tip I have found to speed the learning curve.It shows exactly where metal is being removed.It works either freehand or with guided systems.
 
Putting this out there- do NOT use pull thru sharpeners! The ceramics are OK but the carbides will ruin your knife.
I use the Sharpmaker and a slack strop, and can get a mirror edge on my knives after sharpening with the sharpmaker and spending a decent amount of time on a strop loaded with green compound. Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of sharpening!
 
worldwood said:
great tutorial wasatchdan but if your taking the guides off anyway couldnt you just use a belt sander ? i mean it seems the only reason i would ge that over a belt sander is for the guides.
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The WS guides have the angles already pre-set. Once you get a feel for them, you can chuck the guides and it is still easy to repeat the angle. It is also much easier to get your head in there and see what you are doing with the WS. The belt sander requires a lot more work to get the angles right, and it's harder to see if you are making full contact on the belt. I like to really look at the edge while I'm sharpening it, including looking at the profile with every few passes, in different lights, to make sure everything is even.

Also, I prefer to finish the blades off on the WS because it is much harder to screw up the heat treat on it. The belt sander heats up blades very quickly. For big jobs, like reprofiling an axe or machete, the belt sander is good, but I have to dip the blade in cold water with every few passes. You hardly ever have to cool off a blade on the WS. Plus, the WS grinds slower, making it easier to get a good edge, and it takes a lot less metal off the blade than the sander, which increases the life of the knife. And if you accidentally hit the belt on the WS with a knuckle, it takes less skin off than the belt sander. Don't ask me how I know this.

And on top of everything, the WS belts are cheaper than the belt sander's, easier to get (river store $8 shipped for a full pack), and they last a good long while. The belt sander belts are much more expensive, and you have to buy them in big batches to save on the cost of shipping.
 
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Learning to free hand for last few weeks. I can get it to shave, but I know the angle on each sides are off. I'm keep practicing. I want to make sure I don't depend on any system. And, I'm cheap :D
 
bullet08 said:
Learning to free hand for last few weeks. I can get it to shave, but I know the angle on each sides are off. I'm keep practicing. I want to make sure I don't depend on any system. And, I'm cheap :D
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Agree 100%.... Versatility is key when you are out there without your primary system.
 
no worries i am practicing free hand but i will still want something quick that works well eventually


Im thinking i will pick the WS over the kme, i like that i could switch the belt and use it to sand whatever else i needed sanded, scales and what not. Its 2 tools in 1, or really its a belt sander that also sharpens knives easier than the standard version? at a cheaper price.
 
worldwood said:
no worries i am practicing free hand but i will still want something quick that works well eventually


Im thinking i will pick the WS over the kme, i like that i could switch the belt and use it to sand whatever else i needed sanded, scales and what not. Its 2 tools in 1, or really its a belt sander that also sharpens knives easier than the standard version? at a cheaper price.
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It also works great on shovels and lawn mower blades. My lawn mower was a piece of crap before I got the WS. Now it's the Grim Reaper of Grass.
 
worldwood said:
Sounds like me in my high school days :)
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smiley_ROFLMAO.gif
 
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