KME and BKT's, A sharpening tutorial....

I gotta check this out, i SUCK at sharpening, only way i survive is with my work sharp cause i beat my bk11 and 14 ruthless( my edc)..... They need re-sharpened at least weekly..daggone worksharp will grind off your tip if you are not careful though:(
 
What's the max. blade thickness that'll fit in the KME jaws? For example, would a 5/16" thick Recon Scout or Trail Master fit in there?
 
So far, 1/4 " is the max I have tried. Its close to the limit though, if not the limit.

Moose
 
Nice tutorial. I haven't used the KME knife sharpener before, but I do have his broadhead sharpener. Ron has great customer service. He'll give you tips on using either one of his sharpening systems.
 
Just came upon this thread. Excellent review Moose, really got me thinking about getting one. Can't wait to see what the thoughts on the new stones are...
 
I'm in two minds as to whether I should get the KME system or because I'm totally new to sharpening whether I should go with a worksharp?

I would have thought that with the KME or similar guided rod systems one would be able achieve a better/sharper edge than with something like a worksharp, especially if using aftermarket stones/strops etc, which is why I was quite surprised to read

wasatchdan said:
In truth, I'm still way better on the Work Sharp, but this I think is due more to practice than anything.
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If I can get a comparable edge on a worksharp then I think it just might be the way to go for me,having said that, if I do decide to get a guided rod system it will definitely be the KME.
 
sumtinfancy said:
I'm in two minds as to whether I should get the KME system or because I'm totally new to sharpening whether I should go with a worksharp?

I would have thought that with the KME or similar guided rod systems one would be able achieve a better/sharper edge than with something like a worksharp, especially if using aftermarket stones/strops etc, which is why I was quite surprised to read



If I can get a comparable edge on a worksharp then I think it just might be the way to go for me,having said that, if I do decide to get a guided rod system it will definitely be the KME.
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You can't go wrong with either. I've gotten just as good with the KME now, and I've decided neither system is better than the other, just different. They both put scary sharp edges on your knives with a little practice. For pure sharpness, the KME edges out the WS, I think. But for strength, the WS's convex edges are amazingly durable and much stronger than the KME's V-ground edges.

The WS works on any sized knife, from tiny little SAK blades all the way up to full-sized machetes. But you have to be careful at first, or you'll round the points of your knives.

The only problem with the KME system is that it can't do blades over 9" or so, and it can't do the really narrow blades either, since the clamp gets in the way of the stone.

In truth, I wouldn't want to be without either system. They're both perfect for what they do. The WS has taught me how to bevel and sharpen on a belt sander and how to freehand edges, while the KME has taught me how to refine an edge to super sharp. Both have been worth every penny I spent on them.
 
Thanks for the feedback wasatchdan, I think I'll go with W.S as I've got some machetes I need to sharpen.I also want to put partial edges on the spines of some blades, so I think the W.S will be good for grinding the spines using the green belt and then sharpening with the finer belts, I don't think I'd be able to do that with KME, unless of course I used a really coarse diamond stone first to grind with.


wasatchdan said:
The only problem with the KME system is that it can't do blades over 9" or so,
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Would it not be possible to do a longer blade by doing one part of the edge and then moving along and clamping it further down and doing the rest of the edge?
 
sumtinfancy said:
Thanks for the feedback wasatchdan, I think I'll go with W.S as I've got some machetes I need to sharpen.I also want to put partial edges on the spines of some blades, so I think the W.S will be good for grinding the spines using the green belt and then sharpening with the finer belts, I don't think I'd be able to do that with KME, unless of course I used a really coarse diamond stone first to grind with.




Would it not be possible to do a longer blade by doing one part of the edge and then moving along and clamping it further down and doing the rest of the edge?
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If you want to do major grinding with the WS, then invest in the P80 ceramic oxide belts WS offers on their website. The ceramic oxide is intended for these heavier jobs. But if I were you, I'd go ahead and get a full house belt sander in addition to the WS for those major reprofiling jobs. It'll make the job much easier, trust me. Normally, if I need to take off a lot of metal first, I'll start on the 1x30" belt sander, and then switch to the WS when the edge has progressed to nearly done. The WS isn't really intended for knifemaker level grinding. It'll do a lot, but you'll eat up belts pretty quick if you try to create new bevels and things.

Some would just ask, why not simply go with a belt sander and be done with it? Well, the belt sander heats up metal quick, and it's much less precise than the WS for sharpening. The WS, on the other hand, won't overheat the steel on your knife, and getting the grind perfect is quick and easy. That's why I like to use both.

On the KME thing, the problem isn't the length of the big knives, but the weight. The pivot on the clamp just won't take the weight of a huge chopper without the blade rotating clockwise or counter clockwise. That pivot is one of the nice features of the KME, since it lets you simply rotate the blade 180 degrees on demand, but it won't hold a really heavy blade securely, especially once you start applying pressure with the stone.
 
Thanks, the W.S it is then, I'll have to look into a belt sander as well, but I have seen a video on youtube where a guy put a bit (3 or 4 inches) of a back edge on a tramontina machete with the W.S, I guess because machetes are relatively thin (2/3mm) it wouldn't be much of a problem.
 
Nice lookin system. I have an Edge Pro. No complaints. I can finally reproduce my sharp edges.....time after time.
Balding
 
Just got my KME (standard stone) yesterday. I had to wait to order the base, so it should be here early next week. Just a heads up: The KME now comes in a ginormous plastic case that looks like it'll fit the base as well as the rest of the kit. I'll have to see next week if it actually will. Will let you know. Thanks again, Moose, for the review. This thread pushed me over the brink in deciding to purchase the KME. :thumbup:
 
G. Scott H. said:
Just got my KME (standard stone) yesterday. I had to wait to order the base, so it should be here early next week. Just a heads up: The KME now comes in a ginormous plastic case that looks like it'll fit the base as well as the rest of the kit. I'll have to see next week if it actually will. Will let you know. Thanks again, Moose, for the review. This thread pushed me over the brink in deciding to purchase the KME. :thumbup:
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Congrats. You're going to really like that rig. I still need to get a set of the new diamond stones. Those sound promising.
 
I've just seen that worksharp have a new version of the wkts on their site, it's called the "Ken onion edition" variable speeds and adjustable angle guide.Looks interesting.
 
Now I gotta get one of these too. I can get my knives pretty sharp, but not hair-popping bald-patch-in-one-swipe sharp.
 
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sumtinfancy said:
I've just seen that worksharp have a new version of the wkts on their site, it's called the "Ken onion edition" variable speeds and adjustable angle guide.Looks interesting.
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Oh, that looks great. Variable speeds? Most excellent. The wider belt should be more forgiving on the points as well. The edge guide is also a good idea. It'll keep the blade from being pulled down by the belt. :thumbup:
 
wasatchdan said:
Congrats. You're going to really like that rig.
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Yep, tried it out on a #10 Opinel last night. SHARP! :D:thumbup: The KME truly is an order of magnitude above the lower cost clamp systems. I can tell that already. On the down side, the oil bottle that comes in the kit has a little red plastic plug in it under the lid that needs to be pried out before use. DO NOT use your teeth for this. I did, and I quickly discovered that the oil doesn't taste real good (and smells like gasoline)...:grumpy::D

I'll have to give that new Worksharp a look too. You can't really have too many sharpening devices. :thumbup:
 
Confirmed (received base sooner than expected:cool:): The base (with rod unscrewed) will fit nicely in the newer, larger case along with everything else, so you can transport/store the whole kit in one package. The kit comes with a shop rag, and I find it's best to lay this over the stones, oil bottle, and stone carrier (which are all recessed into the bottom foam), then lay the base on top of that. Pretty sweet! :thumbup:
 
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Anyone else had this happen to them? Not really sure WHAT happened. I lifted the clamps to remove my 24 and they fell out too. First "Issue" I've had!
 
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