BK-15 and K.O. Worksharp, grind angle?

SALTY

SALTY

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Mar 19, 2000
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Anyone care to share what angle they are dialing in?

I had to re-profile a knife and thought it might be a good idea to "dress-up" the edge on my BK-15 while I had the KO WS out; for the life of me I think I dulled the 15! :confused::eek::grumpy::mad:

In presumably having to start over again, I figured I would avail myself to the wisdom of the brain-trust here lest I risk making matters worse.:eek:
 
I don't have a WS but I bet a 30DI on a 15 would be shaaaaarp.
I'd prob try for around 18/side since I don't use mine in the kitchen.
 
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I believe they are 40° inclusive from the factory. I probably have mine closer to between 30-36 though and it's pretty damn sharp, but I'm free handing it.
 
I sharpened a 15 recently on the wskt ko for a buddy of mine. I was using the blade grinder, but I set it to 15dps with a 17dps micro bevel per his request. That thing was insanely sharp afterwards and he told me a few days later its like a whole new knife now. It did take a good bit of time on the x65 belt to reprofile it and set the bevels thou. You could probably speed it up with the p120 but I don't like using that belt unless I have too. After the x65 I just followed thru the progression of belts x22, x4, 12k , and then changed my angle and made a few light passes per side starting on x22 and back thru the progression for the micro bevel. After that I finished up on a loaded strop first with black and then green compound.
 
I have sharpened my 16 on my WSKT-KO. I stuck with the same 20 degrees that they use from the factory. I've found that after using the WS, the edge is so polished that it can feel a little less sharp since it doesn't have the same "toothy" microserrations you get from the factory, so it doesn't grab stuff the same way. I was tempted to go below 40deg inclusive for my 16, but decided since it's a serious woods knife, I would let it stay at the 40 and it seems to be doing well. It is at the point of "just barely shaves arm hair" but will make a fuzz stick nicely and keeps a good edge when wood processing.

When i was new to the WS, I actually was getting beautifully polished but dull blades. Then realized I hadn't tensioned the belt, and it was probably wrapping itself around the edge, and dulling as it was riding along. Whoops!!!! As soon as I upped the belt tension that all went away and now I get scary sharp edges.
 
19-3ben said:
I have sharpened my 16 on my WSKT-KO. I stuck with the same 20 degrees that they use from the factory. I've found that after using the WS, the edge is so polished that it can feel a little less sharp since it doesn't have the same "toothy" microserrations you get from the factory, so it doesn't grab stuff the same way. I was tempted to go below 40deg inclusive for my 16, but decided since it's a serious woods knife, I would let it stay at the 40 and it seems to be doing well. It is at the point of "just barely shaves arm hair" but will make a fuzz stick nicely and keeps a good edge when wood processing.

When i was new to the WS, I actually was getting beautifully polished but dull blades. Then realized I hadn't tensioned the belt, and it was probably wrapping itself around the edge, and dulling as it was riding along. Whoops!!!! As soon as I upped the belt tension that all went away and now I get scary sharp edges.
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the blade grinder or the regular work sharp? If the regular how are you adjusting tension?
 
The KO, regular sharpener. There's a little yellow lever on the side of the motor on the opposite side from the belts. Isn't that a tension thing? If not, I may be even more of a goober than i thought.
 
To be clear, Im talking about the yellow tab you clearly see front and center right here (to the left of the "W"):
WSKTS-KO-Back.jpg
 
Booby, as per picture above posted by 19-3ben.

I went with 17.5 dps and do agree that the edge doesn't "feel" as sharp ... but it sure do cut sharp!

Luv me my 15. :couple_inlove::love_heart:
 
19-3ben said:
To be clear, Im talking about the yellow tab you clearly see front and center right here (to the left of the "W"):
WSKTS-KO-Back.jpg
Click to expand...

19-3ben said:
The KO, regular sharpener. There's a little yellow lever on the side of the motor on the opposite side from the belts. Isn't that a tension thing? If not, I may be even more of a goober than i thought.
Click to expand...
Ahhh, you're referring to the tracking knob...It doesn't adjust tension, it centers your belt on the pullies....The lack of a tension adjuster is the reason there's no leather strop for the regular ko, there's no way to counter the leather stretch.
 
Yup. I'm more of a goober than I thought. I'll have to advise the wife and see where she wants to go from here.

:D
 
SALTY said:
Booby, as per picture above posted by 19-3ben.

I went with 17.5 dps and do agree that the edge doesn't "feel" as sharp ... but it sure do cut sharp!

Luv me my 15. :couple_inlove::love_heart:
Click to expand...
Will it cleanly slice phone book paper? May not have fully reached the apex yet since you went with a lower angle.

Btw I've found when using the guides on the regular ko-wskt you're actual edge angle will depend on blade thickness. For example I've found that sharpening a bk2 at 25° will actually produce an angle closer to 22°. A bk17 sharpened at 17.5 will likely be closer to 15°.
 
19-3ben said:
Yup. I'm more of a goober than I thought. I'll have to advise the wife and see where she wants to go from here.

:D
Click to expand...
Lol no worries, I thought maybe you made a secret discovery lol...kinda like to eliminate the guides from moving during sharpening you tighten the Allen screws behind the guides...Then you can apply pressure to the guides to keep a consistent angle while you draw the knife thru.
 
19-3ben said:
When i was new to the WS, I actually was getting beautifully polished but dull blades. Then realized I hadn't tensioned the belt, and it was probably wrapping itself around the edge, and dulling as it was riding along. Whoops!!!! As soon as I upped the belt tension that all went away and now I get scary sharp edges.
Click to expand...

As has already been mentioned, the tension is indeed fixed. What you were experiencing could be attributed to putting too much pressure on the blade in your early sessions. This could have contributed to some wraparound.
 
Belt tension; belt tension!!

Just when I thought I knew it all. :eek::rolleyes:
 
SALTY said:
Belt tension; belt tension!!

Just when I thought I knew it all. :eek::rolleyes:
Click to expand...

You should NEVER think you know it all......'cause no one EVER will. There's just too damn much to know. I have had some of those same issues with both the regular and the KO WorkSharp. I think there is a part of it that is the belt cutting into the edge on one side, and away from the edge on the other. I try to finish on the left (?) side where the belt is cutting into the edge....but I almost always strop afterwards and mostly don't use the purple belt. My custom 16 I freehanded slackbelt on my Craftsman 2x42 and it is a wicked slicer. I was just touching the shoulders on the upper bevel when I did the convex. But it's definitely a tad toothy - but it cuts like nobody's business. It's prbably about 15-17° per side. I'm sure you can get it done with the KOWS - just.....I dunno, (and I don't mean to be mean or condescending) just pay attention to the process, and see what gets you the best results. The KOWS is a great tool, and I'm sure you'll figure out something.
 
granitestateofmind said:
You should NEVER think you know it all......'cause no one EVER will. There's just too damn much to know. I have had some of those same issues with both the regular and the KO WorkSharp. I think there is a part of it that is the belt cutting into the edge on one side, and away from the edge on the other. I try to finish on the left (?) side where the belt is cutting into the edge....but I almost always strop afterwards and mostly don't use the purple belt. My custom 16 I freehanded slackbelt on my Craftsman 2x42 and it is a wicked slicer. I was just touching the shoulders on the upper bevel when I did the convex. But it's definitely a tad toothy - but it cuts like nobody's business. It's prbably about 15-17° per side. I'm sure you can get it done with the KOWS - just.....I dunno, (and I don't mean to be mean or condescending) just pay attention to the process, and see what gets you the best results. The KOWS is a great tool, and I'm sure you'll figure out something.
Click to expand...
Before I got the blade grinder any time I used the purple belt it always dulled it rather than further hone the edge. About the only use I found for the purple belt was honing scissors.
 
Are the numbers on the dial the degrees for that SIDE? or does it mean total?
 
Bobby3326 said:
Before I got the blade grinder any time I used the purple belt it always dulled it rather than further hone the edge. About the only use I found for the purple belt was honing scissors.
Click to expand...

I've found a similar thing! The blade edge is pretty after using the purple, but it's always sharpest after using the white belt. Why is that? Can anyone help me figure out why that might be? I don't know if it's just a "toothiness" issue, or of there is something deeper going on here.
 
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