how to sharpen your khukri...

[Bladite]

google or amazon a product called "work sharp wskts". for some of you, that's all you need to know, for others, sorry, but i can't post direct links. just hit the search bar

what is it? it's the dremel tool of knife sharpening with a slack belt.

what does it DO? produces convex sharpening with mechanical precision and electric motor power. holy crap sticks.

"we" have long regarded convexing as the holy grail for our khukris. mouse pads. nail pads. baders. other systems.

this thing is SICK. i have to say. $70, and i'm sold. i will never touch a mouse pad again. by by! well, unless we lose complete grid power, and i'm somehow unable to flog the children into peddling the bike to store power that is ;D

let me say that again. *** 70 *** dollars. wow.

so, have a look see. this thing is ... dynamite. maybe the last work in putting a 6000 grit convex edge on your babies.

that is all...

oh, you want a picture. right.

there ya go.

first born children, virgins, stuff like that... yeah, i know, you want to praise the designers... save it. buy one. get sharp in minutes. done.

that REALLY is all.

okay, i lied. it can do axes and tools, and kitchen knives, and scissors! SCISSORS! omg!

done.

 

[alexs]

Good to know, thanks for the heads up. Are there any tricks of the trade such as keeping the edge cool, or using particular belts, or how not to mess up the convex grind, or does just standard belt technique apply?

 

[Bladite]

mmm, go slow, have a bucket of water if you get hot (don't get hot).

the belt does the work for you. probably at the 50 degrees guide is the way to go for thicker khuks (esp if you chop wood)

grind grind grind, and grind some more.

also: nice icon love those books.

 

[alexs]

Great, thank you. It seems they also have demo videos on their site and youtube too. Hope the customer service is good too as the price is impressive.

 

[Bladite]

Great, thank you. It seems they also have demo videos on their site and youtube too. Hope the customer service is good too as the price is impressive.

i locked a steak in a box.

then i sharpened a knife on this system. the same knife i use for steak.

then i examined the steak in the box. it was neatly sliced in 1 nano meater slices there you go.

it's a quantum knife sharpener. it's that good.

but seriously, ALL my cooking knives can now slice paper into ribbons. what they call "tomato" sharp. good enough.

didn't even hit the 6000 grit belt. that's for sushi

 

[Karda]

This probably would've been better suited to the MT&E forum.
But, i'm moving it into the Cantina.

I myself don't advocate or use powered machinery to sharpen khukuri.
Too easy to make mistakes, change geometries and void warranties.
You really don't need to have scary sharp edges for your khukuri to function properly.
In fact, i feel that the want for such may be responsible in part for some failures that H.I. has experienced.
It is easy enough to maintain your edge if you take a little time to learn.
If i can do it anyone can.

 

[Bladite]

well, imho, it was perfectly suited to khukri needs... cantina if need be. MT&E? i don't even know what that is, nor do i care about THEM feh

HI forever :>

it's the system that all khukri users should know about, imho

course, if you can buy a pro belt system, all the better.

 

[Steve Tall]

Looks like Work Sharp has a Dealer / Materials Provider account here at BladeForums.

...

myself and all of us here at Darex / Work Sharp always want to hear from you guys, our customers with both 'the good' and 'the bad'. We listen and make improvements based on the feedback we get. So please do not hesitate to contact us anytime.
The Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener - sharpen your blades to a convex grind with flexible belts and precision guides.

Work Sharp monitors this site regulary, but not daily.
If you would like faster service or information please visit www.worksharptools.com or call 800-597-6170.

 

[Howard Wallace]

Wow. Interesting tool.

I use a slack belt on a belt sander to put on a nice convex edge quickly. I use it on khukuris quite a bit. Of course, if I have a ding in the edge I deal with it myself rather than try to return the knife. I haven't had any problems with burning the blades but I take quick swipes and am careful not to overheat the blade.

This looks much more compact than my big unit. I wonder how it works on khukuris compared to the larger belt sanders.

 

[wildmanh]

I've been using a belt sander to clean up the edges on sheaths and to sharpen knives since 2004. Normal belt sanders run really fast which can cause heat build up quickly in what ever you are sanding. According to the Manufactures web site, the knife sharpener runs slower to help minimize this. I like the variety of belts and jigs that one can get for this machine. Looks like a good setup.

 

[Bladite]

oh, definitely going to be using it on some khuks soon. likely this weekend i have two to three lined up and waiting :>

 

[jacksterp]

Everybody swears by these things. Looks like it is time to dump the stones and get one.

 

[Karda]

The reason i am so adamant not to use contraptions such as this to sharpen your blade is that it is too easy to thin the edge too far or change the geometry to one that causes failure. It also is easy to de-temper a blade using powered sanders. A thinner belt will overheat a blade faster than a belt sander with a wide belt. This worksharp unit is meant more for garden tools and not really suitable for use on H.I. khukuri. As i stated before, i have my suspicions that powered sanders are responsible for some failures that H.I. has experienced
I really don't relish the thought of having to further modify the warranty to void any purchase which has been subjected to powered sanding to sharpen. If it comes down to allowing it or protecting Aunties interests, you know which way the pendulum will swing.

 

[Howard Wallace]

I see where you're coming from, Karda. I agree that if you're going to take power tools to one of these blades then you should take responsibility for the tool and not try to return it for a problem you caused.

Power tools do give you a greater power to create changes if you want them, like thinner edges, different edge profile, etc.

As per both Voltaire and Spiderman's Uncle Ben, "with great power comes great responsibility."

 

[Howard Wallace]

...Normal belt sanders run really fast which can cause heat build up quickly in what ever you are sanding. According to the Manufactures web site, the knife sharpener runs slower to help minimize this...

Well, I ordered one to check it out. I wonder, now that I'm used to my bigger and faster belt sander it may be that I will prefer my old, faster unit. Slower and safer also means it won't take off the metal as fast. As mentioned, I've already learned to use my belt sander with quick strokes to avoid overheating.

If nothing else, this little unit is portable enough to take to friends' houses and sharpen up their knives for them during a visit.

 

[Karda]

I see where you're coming from, Karda. I agree that if you're going to take power tools to one of these blades then you should take responsibility for the tool and not try to return it for a problem you caused.

Power tools do give you a greater power to create changes if you want them, like thinner edges, different edge profile, etc.

As per both Voltaire and Spiderman's Uncle Ben, "with great power comes great responsibility."

Thank you Howard!
I really don't like to be a Hardheinie about things. All i ask is that people use their grey matter.

 

[Bladite]

The reason i am so adamant not to use contraptions such as this to sharpen your blade is that it is too easy to thin the edge too far or change the geometry to one that causes failure. It also is easy to de-temper a blade using powered sanders. A thinner belt will overheat a blade faster than a belt sander with a wide belt. This worksharp unit is meant more for garden tools and not really suitable for use on H.I. khukuri. As i stated before, i have my suspicions that powered sanders are responsible for some failures that H.I. has experienced
I really don't relish the thought of having to further modify the warranty to void any purchase which has been subjected to powered sanding to sharpen. If it comes down to allowing it or protecting Aunties interests, you know which way the pendulum will swing.

life is too short to sharpen by hand, i'm finding... need proper tools for that. too many knives, too many edges. i would be spending hours and hours and hours doing it with a mouse pad.

heck, the kami's have had problems themselves with power tools and cooked edges. it happens. however, i don't think it's going to be that common. esp if you follow the instructions, and common sense. bucket of water for cooling. take it slow. all that. in my experiments thus far, with wee thin knives, 1 second fast strokes, there was no felt heat. still, i went slow, and had that water handy if i needed it. turns out that touching blade to lips is a good way to feel heat. nothing.

if someone DOES chew up their knife? well, that imho is not a warranty issue. they wore it out they own the problem. a cooked edge probably is going to look pretty obvious, and easily be a candidate for rejection. that kind of grinding is just bad form. does it happen? oh, i'm sure.

yeah, common sense is hard to come by though. i understand your point. perhaps the warranty should cover "modifications beyond spec" which can include grinding. you wouldn't cover a blade if someone removed the cho, or changed the handle out right? why cover it if they do other horrible things. hard stone bench grinders... yeah, 50 grit. oh yeah. not

a point though: the worksharp unit is SPECIFICALLY made for knives, says so on the box. kitchen knives by defined function (20 degrees). outdoor blades too (25 degrees). scissors (dedicated slot). it's what it was designed for, marketed as, etc. really hard to quibble on that one. is what it is. now, one might argue that it's not a good tool for the job, and it's best suited in ones opinion for lawn mowers only but that's opinion, eh? it's also a hella powerful little grinding device that will sit proudly next to my dremel tool and other such things. actually, it's amazingly versatile, and without knowing it, what i've always wanted

besides, HI Khukris ARE garden tools for me :>

but no worries from me, i test all my edges first, and do all the uncle bill tests, and if there's a problem, i either fix it (cracked handles), or if the metal is truly nasty (a foxy folly from a few years ago comes to mind), it gets dealt with and we move on. hasn't happened in ages and ages. the product is almost almost supernaturally good...

shortly, i will attempt the sharpening on my prized GRS of doom. i expect good things. the steel on that is actually so hard, that i CANNOT get a good edge on it when i dull it without an entire afternoon of working, and a lot of sandpaper and tired broken hands. so, color me ecstatic that i can now get going again.

 

[MagenDavid]

I'll admit that I passed my M43 a couple times through a Work Sharp to bring the edge out a little bit (my sandpaper over a cardboard tube was working slower than I cared to restore a very dull edge), and it made that edge hair popping sharp in not too much time. I think the Work Sharp has two major drawbacks. For one, you can't make edges very thin. What if you want a 20 degree inclusive edge for a light EDC or kitchen knife? I like a 24 or 30 degree inclusive edge for most applications, neither of which are possible with a Work Sharp.
Also, I seriously doubt you'd want to use a powered grinder for touch ups or steeling. I think it'd be great for achieving an initial edge or restoring a lost one, though. But it's definitely a part of a kit, not a complete answer.

 

[Karda]

life is too short to sharpen by hand, i'm finding... need proper tools for that. too many knives, too many edges. i would be spending hours and hours and hours doing it with a mouse pad.

heck, the kami's have had problems themselves with power tools and cooked edges. it happens. however, i don't think it's going to be that common. esp if you follow the instructions, and common sense. bucket of water for cooling. take it slow. all that. in my experiments thus far, with wee thin knives, 1 second fast strokes, there was no felt heat. still, i went slow, and had that water handy if i needed it. turns out that touching blade to lips is a good way to feel heat. nothing.

if someone DOES chew up their knife? well, that imho is not a warranty issue. they wore it out they own the problem. a cooked edge probably is going to look pretty obvious, and easily be a candidate for rejection. that kind of grinding is just bad form. does it happen? oh, i'm sure.

yeah, common sense is hard to come by though. i understand your point. perhaps the warranty should cover "modifications beyond spec" which can include grinding. you wouldn't cover a blade if someone removed the cho, or changed the handle out right? why cover it if they do other horrible things. hard stone bench grinders... yeah, 50 grit. oh yeah. not

a point though: the worksharp unit is SPECIFICALLY made for knives, says so on the box. kitchen knives by defined function (20 degrees). outdoor blades too (25 degrees). scissors (dedicated slot). it's what it was designed for, marketed as, etc. really hard to quibble on that one. is what it is. now, one might argue that it's not a good tool for the job, and it's best suited in ones opinion for lawn mowers only but that's opinion, eh? it's also a hella powerful little grinding device that will sit proudly next to my dremel tool and other such things. actually, it's amazingly versatile, and without knowing it, what i've always wanted

besides, HI Khukris ARE garden tools for me :>

but no worries from me, i test all my edges first, and do all the uncle bill tests, and if there's a problem, i either fix it (cracked handles), or if the metal is truly nasty (a foxy folly from a few years ago comes to mind), it gets dealt with and we move on. hasn't happened in ages and ages. the product is almost almost supernaturally good...

shortly, i will attempt the sharpening on my prized GRS of doom. i expect good things. the steel on that is actually so hard, that i CANNOT get a good edge on it when i dull it without an entire afternoon of working, and a lot of sandpaper and tired broken hands. so, color me ecstatic that i can now get going again.

The warranty already does cover:
Any product which is used for purposes not intended or suitable for the product.
Any product not used within its inherent limitations.
Any product Intentionally rendered unservicable in order to effect replacement by warranty.
Modification of any blade/blade edge to an extent that it becomes unstable or unsuitable for the purpose for which it was intended.


I honestly think that if any powered equipment were to be used, that the Paper Wheels would be a better choice than this thing. It also should be used judiciously and with care.

 

[Bladite]

I'll admit that I passed my M43 a couple times through a Work Sharp to bring the edge out a little bit (my sandpaper over a cardboard tube was working slower than I cared to restore a very dull edge), and it made that edge hair popping sharp in not too much time. I think the Work Sharp has two major drawbacks. For one, you can't make edges very thin. What if you want a 20 degree inclusive edge for a light EDC or kitchen knife? I like a 24 or 30 degree inclusive edge for most applications, neither of which are possible with a Work Sharp.
Also, I seriously doubt you'd want to use a powered grinder for touch ups or steeling. I think it'd be great for achieving an initial edge or restoring a lost one, though. But it's definitely a part of a kit, not a complete answer.

i'm figuring that the 6000 grit blade should be decent for touchups. we'll see how that works down the road.

thick edges sound like just the thing for a working tool.

i have an apex pro system, which does much shallower angle, multi-angles, and of course, scandi like flats. good times.

yup. part of a kit...

eventually, i'll get a 2 inch wide super long belt slow speed pro-belt system. someday.