How to sharpen with the ken onion worksharp?

J

j.man

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May 1, 2012
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I am new to sharpening with belts but I just ordered a ken onion worksharp. I was wondering if there are any tips you could give me to maximize my sharpening ability. How do most of you finish your blades? I had read about using green compounds on the last belt is that a good idea? Due to the convex blade do you have to finish on a strop as apposed to using a stone? If you know of any threads on this topic please send me a link. Thanks
 
Aeromat209 said:
Might look on youtube !
Click to expand...

There isn't really anything useful on youtube at this time.

I have only used mine a few times, so I'm also looking for tips. I have mostly been sharpening with the angle guide removed. I have held the knives straight down, which is approx. 17.5 degrees. This is like using a Sharpmaker. I have had pretty good results doing this. I don't apply much pressure and rotate the machine to have the belt traveling away from the edge.

I hope it helps a bit (and that others will help).
Dave
 
with any belt sander, do not run the tip off the edge you will ruin the point.
Practice on cheapo kitchen knives.
 
The WS KO is a great machine, IMHO. There is a learning curve, but with a little effort and care, you'll be getting very good edges quite soon.

Probably its best feature is the variable speed. Take advantage of this and dial it down to around 30% or less---you will still get quick results but you will lessen the severity of any mistakes.

There are lots of Work Sharp threads you can read. Below are a few specifically on the Ken Onion model.

Good luck,

Andrew

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...rp-Knife-amp-Tool-Sharpener-Ken-Onion-Edition

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...rp-Knife-amp-Tool-Sharpener-Ken-Onion-Edition

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...rp-Knife-amp-Tool-Sharpener-Ken-Onion-Edition

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...n-Onion-edition-is-FREAKIN-AWESOME!-Long-Post
 
Thanks for the input so far I think I am getting decent edges on my cheap kitchen knives. Hopefully some expierienced users will to start uploading some youtube videos.
 
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My biggest problem so far is that on a few knives (frost cultery and cheap kbar) I have not been able to raise a burr. Any suggestions?

Jon
 
j.man said:
My biggest problem so far is that on a few knives (frost cultery and cheap kbar) I have not been able to raise a burr. Any suggestions?

Jon
Click to expand...

I have also had trouble raising a burr on cheaper steels. Was still able to get them sharp, though.
 
j.man said:
My biggest problem so far is that on a few knives (frost cultery and cheap kbar) I have not been able to raise a burr. Any suggestions?

Jon
Click to expand...

I've sharpened the cheapest pieces of crap knives I've seen in my life on the WSKO in the last 3 weeks. I've sharpened some decent stuff too, but lots and lots of really cheap steel. Abused cheap steel at that. I've been able to get a burr on all of them. The secret is the same as using any other sharpening device. Well, it's several secrets but it boils down to this:

1. Check your angle by using a marker to color the edge bevel. See where the grinding is taking place. It's very likely that you are grinding at a lower angle than the original, and are only grinding near the shoulder. This will work, but it will take more time, as you have to remove lots of metal to change the angle and make that new angle meet the apex of the edge. You might want a new angle. If so, keep going. If not, adjust your angle until you are removing the marker from the entire bevel, all the way to the edge.
2. You have to grind for long enough to remove enough metal to apex the edge. A lot of sharpeners don't spend enough time for several reasons. Patience will be rewarded with a burr. :)

I've had quite a few experiences with sharpening where I thought that the blade, or tool I was sharpening was unable to achieve good sharpness, OR that somehow this ONE piece just couldn't raise a burr that I could detect. You know I'm going to say it. I was wrong on both counts! :) All I've needed, in every case, is to just keep grinding. I get a burr every time if I spend *enough* time.

I hope that my experience, and my having done it wrong, and figured out why I was doing it wrong, can help you, or someone else reading this. Ask more questions if this doesn't make sense. Good luck!

Brian.
 
Oh, and I'm planning on making a video with the WSKO freehand. I'll post it in my thread on the WSKO when I get it done. It might be a week or so, but I'll post it.

Brian.
 
bgentry Thanks I did try the magic marker trick and the belt took it all away but I was still left without a burr. Like you said I will have to try and keep at it a little longer. Do you use the 120 grit the first time you sharpen knives on the WSKO to get to where your going? I made at least 25 passed on each side with the 65x at low speed.
 
j.man said:
bgentry Thanks I did try the magic marker trick and the belt took it all away but I was still left without a burr. Like you said I will have to try and keep at it a little longer. Do you use the 120 grit the first time you sharpen knives on the WSKO to get to where your going? I made at least 25 passed on each side with the 65x at low speed.
Click to expand...

The X65 is pretty coarse at ~250 grit, but the P120 is more at ~100 grit. Yes, I start every knife that seems "dull" at the P120. I'm using the machine mainly at medium to medium low speeds. With the trigger locked at 6 to 8 clicks up from the lowest speed. Even at that speed, a really dull blade requires double digit minutes of work to get a burr. I'm slowly raising the speed of the machine as I gain experience and confidence that I'm not going to make large mistakes on the bevel.

Brian.
 
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