The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
I have a Kalamazoo for over 10 years now and it is great for sharpening knives. It has come in handy for other chores as well. You will not be disappointed with this belt grinder.Last night I ordered the Kalamazoo. Gotta go find a selection of belts today and get those ordered too...
Brian.
I agree, but what I was saying is that scotch Brite has al ox in the woven belt itself which doesn't contribute toward burr removal of knife edges. It will round the edge over when the burr is removed and NOT leave you with a shaving sharp edge. But yes, they are still handy for sure to deburr random parts and cleaning up blades.Scotchbrite belts are still handy for deburring edges on various steel objects. It's not the same kind of deburring you do with knives and edged tools, though--it's grinding the "sharp" edge of the object directly into the belt. They work great for that.
Aluminum oxide abrasive isn't really the issue. Most grinding belts use some form of aluminum oxide as the abrasive. Yes, even "ceramic" belts.![]()
Is this like a contact wheel mounted on a grinder with an idler behind?Spurred by this thread I picked up a Multitool 2x48 adapter for my 8" grinder. Will report back whether its any good for general hogging and utility shaping/sharpening.
Is this like a contact wheel mounted on a grinder with an idler behind?
When using the WSKOE, how much does the blade heat up? I read a study done that showed the standard WS heated up the micro edge beyond the tempering temp therefore degrading edge retention when compared to the same knife sharpenened on a wet stone. I really want to get a WSKOE to reprofile all my knives 1000x easier than doing it manually, but I don't want to degrade my premium steel knives' edge retention. Would love to know if you've been able to keep heat to a minimum with low speed and waiting in between passes for any heat to dissipate. Thank you!!!A few days ago I got a comment on my old WorkSharp Ken Onion Free Hand Sharpening video.It said that the Blade Grinding Attachment really changed the WSKO and made it a better freehand sharpening tool.
I've known this for years and have been avoiding spending the extra money. Though it's quite affordable now at ~$70 including one set of belts. It's tempting.
But now I have some space for tools and I think I want a real belt sander. I've done reading over the years and did an hour of research before posting. I'm not sure what setup would be good for sharpening.
The Veil S5 and the Kalamazoo SM1 are both recommended a lot. Steve Bottorf seems to have a variable speed setup for sale, but this page I'm going to link to is "hidden" in that I can't seem to find it on the main site. Google has it but... I wonder if Steve is still doing business, and/or if he is selling this setup still.
https://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/belt.htm
(scroll down to "for use with PSI variable speed motor)
But is a 1x42 really a great setup for sharpening? I ask because the WSKO, while really decent, is not very good for deburring. Though I've just begun experimenting with running it backwards (turning the machine around) and sharpening edge leading for finishing. I've had somewhat encouraging results deburring this way.
It seems like I might also need a buffer with a paper wheel, cotton flap wheel, or (Jason B recommendation) a scotchbright wheel. I can stomach the extra cost if it will simplify deburring.
...and speaking of the burr... I've had some accidental times when the light was set up right with the WSKO where I could actually watch the burr forming. It appeared as a very obvious line of reflected light at the belt contact point. That was really cool and I would love to set up my new system so I can see the burr forming. It really saves time and builds confidence to not have to use fingers or something else to check for the burr. It's rare to have such a positive indication of burr formation as a clear reflection. I know some guys run paper wheel setups with the wheel rotating away from them so they can do the same thing: Overhead light and edge on top of the wheel, so they can easily see the burr forming.
In short I guess I'm looking for sage recommendations of a powered setup like this that works well.
Thanks,
Brian.
When using the WSKOE, how much does the blade heat up? I read a study done that showed the standard WS heated up the micro edge beyond the tempering temp therefore degrading edge retention when compared to the same knife sharpenened on a wet stone. I really want to get a WSKOE to reprofile all my knives 1000x easier than doing it manually, but I don't want to degrade my premium steel knives' edge retention. Would love to know if you've been able to keep heat to a minimum with low speed and waiting in between passes for any heat to dissipate. Thank you!!!