Help - Just got my WorkSharp and I'm new.

T

therealredding

Joined
Feb 23, 2013
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Please forgive me, I hope this hasn't been asked before but I was hoping to get some sharpening help.

I just picked up the WSTKS and I'm a little confused with the angles. I have the Esee 5, a Kershaw Blur, BK14 and a S&W Fire/Rescue folder. In the WSTKS instructions it says I should use the 25 degree slot for all my knives. I can see using the 25 degree on the Esee and the S&W because they are both thinker blades, but the Blur and the BK14 are thinner. I looked up the specs on the BK14 and I read it comes with a 15 degree edge and the Blur is a 21 degree edge. So should I be using the 20 degree slots on the WSTKS for the BK14 and the blur?

Thanks in advance!

David
 
I use the 20 degree slot for all my folders. If you are careful, you can vary the angle by 4-5 degrees by which side of the guide you favor. The 20 degree slot will give you a combined angle of 40 degrees, which is not too thin for any of your knives you mentioned.
Now that I have had mine for a long time (over a year) I don't use the guide at all. I freehand at the top near the top roller on the down side only. I just turn the device around and work on the other side of the blade. (edge trailing only) Great little device, just get some old kitchen knives to practice on until you get the hang of it. Don't use the red belt for your knives, too aggressive. Use the green, and follow up with the grey (6000) to strop and polish the SHARP blade with. Good luck, you will like the sharpener.
Also don't pull the blade tip all the way across the belt. Stop half way and lift the blade away or you can blunt your tips.

Blessings,

Omar
 
Yeah be careful of the tip is good advice. I just got mine last week and messed up a couple tips but it was easily fixed. Best to practice on something that you won't mind if it gets messed up first then move on to the ones you care about.
 
Thanks for the help guys. I'll start with the S&W then move on to the BK14 since those are my cheapest lol. I was thinking though, since you can very the degree just by adding more pressure against the belt, wouldn't it be safer for me to use the 25 degree slots so I have some leeway? Using the 25 degree and putting to much pressure can give a 20 degree which is still good, but if I use the 20 degree slots and use to much pressure then that may be to narrow an angle would it not be?
 
OHALLUM said:
I use the 20 degree slot for all my folders. If you are careful, you can vary the angle by 4-5 degrees by which side of the guide you favor. The 20 degree slot will give you a combined angle of 40 degrees, which is not too thin for any of your knives you mentioned.
Now that I have had mine for a long time (over a year) I don't use the guide at all. I freehand at the top near the top roller on the down side only. I just turn the device around and work on the other side of the blade. (edge trailing only) Great little device, just get some old kitchen knives to practice on until you get the hang of it. Don't use the red belt for your knives, too aggressive. Use the green, and follow up with the grey (6000) to strop and polish the SHARP blade with. Good luck, you will like the sharpener.
Also don't pull the blade tip all the way across the belt. Stop half way and lift the blade away or you can blunt your tips.

Blessings,

Omar
Click to expand...

Other way around. The Green (P80) is the coarsest followed by the Red (P220) and then the Purple belt.
 
You should try practicing freehand. Your angle will depend on how thick the edge is and it's up to you how far you want to take it down. Doing it freehand also allows you to adjust your angle when you sharpen towards the tip. Also, if you want to expand your horizons, check out the MX 1/2" x 12" belts from Micro-Mesh (Micro-Surface company). They really put on a nice polished edge on your blades.
 
You are right jsp about the red/green belt. Got them mixed up in my head. (easy to do for me) It has been a while since I used my WSKT. I mostly use my paper wheels now. I use the Work Sharp for major re-profiling and odd item sharpening now. I agree about freehand but only after some practice for a new user.
I looked at the Micro Mesh belts, but never bought any. Have you had any problem with them coming apart on you? I read where some were experiencing that problem. Any way thanks for straightening out that red/green belt mistake.

Blessings,

Omar
 
Hi guys,

Just a tip when freehanding on the WSKTS...

The triangle sharpening cassette frame is a 40° angle, so holding your blade straight up (perpendicular to the bench / table) will yield a (+/-) 20° angle per bevel.
I say (+/-) because how much pressure you apply to deflect the belt will impact edge angle. I recommend light pressure for best results and burr removal and only work on the right / downhill side of the belt. Start with the guides to gain good technique, then progress to freehanding if you choose.

Stay sharp out there.
 
After rounded tips and making recurves out of blades that weren't supposed to be, I got rid of mine and went back to free hand sharpening. Sometimes progress is not an improvement even if it it quicker.--KV
 
All good advice.
I use the 25 degree guide for choppers, and the 20 for everything else.
Now that I'm pretty good with it, I'll freehand to get a little thinner edge if I know I'm working with a steel will benefit from it without getting fragile. But 20 degrees slices paper, hair, and tomatoes with ease on everything I've tried (which is a lot: kitchen knives for myself, my wife, my parents, and my inlaws - everything from cheap Gerber paring knives to Forschner, Chicago, Henckels and Wustoff chef's up to 10".
Folders from SOG, Kershaw, BM, and Spyderco with every steel I can get my hands on [no ZDP-189 yet.] And fixed blades 3-6" long of 420C, 1084, 1095, 52100, and INFI. And a hatchet and lawn mower.)
LIGHT pressure, watch the tip, and careful with anything over 3/16 thick. I have scratched a couple of my big blades along the midsection. I imagine it's from steel residue building up on the corners of the guide.

I picked up a bunch of micro mesh belts. On the harder steels, if the edge isn't too far gone to begin with, I find 360MX, 800MX, and then the 6000 WS or a 1200MX belt gives a nice, refined edge.
(I finish just about everything up on charged and plain leather strops, but for a working edge it really isn't necessary if you finished up with light enough pressure.)
I've had a couple of the Micro Mesh belts come apart on me - usually because of technique or I didn't take it easy enough when working a sharp chip or something. Paying attention, working edge-trailing, I've never had a problem. I'm out of 180MX's now, though.

I tend to do 5 passes on one side with my coarsest belt (to get a burr) then 5 on the other to remove it. Same with the medium. When I get to the fine, I alternate sides each pass - also just for 5. Quick, easy, and effective. When I was learning I tried all kinds of combinations (7 progressive grits; alternating every pass, every third, every fifth; taking more passes; etc.) I took a lot more time, and lost a lot more steel, but never got a better edge than the 3 grits as described above. YMMV, of course.

Good luck. I don't always use the WSKTS when I sharpen anymore, but if my technique is lagging or I just can't get the edge I want freehand, it never fails to pull me out and put on a shaving sharp edge.
 
I just got my Work Sharp yesterday and I am very impressed. I was able to get my BK2 shaving sharp as well as my Kershaw Needs Work. Both knives had dulled considerably from heavy use. I even got a decent edge on my Cold Steel Kukri machete! I used the 25 degree on both of them. I'm going to try the 20 degree on some smaller folders I have.
 
I do want to learn freehand one of these days, but my first attempt gav me and uneven angle (what you would expect from a first time and a $20 stone lol).

In the mean time I ha he WS.

Thanks again for all the feedback.
 
I got my WorkSharp and gave it a test run. I ran my BK14 through and was able to shave my arm afterwards. I scuffed up the blade a little, so I guess I need to make sure the guides say clean.

One question.....Like I said, I was able to shave my arm aftwards but when I tried some push cuts on note paper I wasn't getting a clean cut. Is this the nature of a convex edge?
 
Sounds like you got it sharp, but did you finish on the 6000 grit (grey) belt? If not, then try it a little more as it will refine the edge for you. If you have a leather strop with some green compound, try that also. Your convex edge if refined properly will push cut paper smoothly. If it is shaving hair on your arm, then it just needs some refining.

Blessings,

Omar
 
OHALLUM said:
Sounds like you got it sharp, but did you finish on the 6000 grit (grey) belt? If not, then try it a little more as it will refine the edge for you. If you have a leather strop with some green compound, try that also. Your convex edge if refined properly will push cut paper smoothly. If it is shaving hair on your arm, then it just needs some refining.

Blessings,

Omar
Click to expand...

No leather yet, that's something I'm looking to learn though.
 
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