I'm using my EDC pocket knife ( Hogue EX-01) for every day use and wood carving . I was looking at the Ken Onion knife sharpener , what's your thoughts on this unit . Chris
The Worksharp Ken Onion Edition is an excellent tool. I use it for all my knives and even for professional sharpening of kitchen knives. I definitely recommend the Blade Grinder Attachment instead of the included guided sharpener attachment. The Blade Grinder needs to build up some confidence (and muscle memory) as there are no other guides than a horizontal reference plate but the results are brilliant. Whereas the guided sharpener scratches up the blades and works only well for midsized blades (around 4").
Worksharp is a great system imo. But be careful as you can burn out an edge. I find stones get a better finish and love my sharpmaker for touchups and maintenence, but if i need to redo a bevel, the worksharp is great without a ton of starter cost. I find the ken onion version worth it for the variable speed.
Try freehand sharpening. It isn't difficult and IMHO is more versatile than the various sharpening systems. A set of diamond hones and an angle guide are all you need to sharpen just about any edged tool.
Set the variable speed at the lowest. It's still fast enough that you could overheat an edge if you are heavy / slow handed. Be careful and keep a bucket of water at hand to cool your business down if needed. Proceed light handed and overheating should not be an issue. Freehand sharpening is, of course, the top of the class procedure. However, it requires way more learning and acquiring muscle memory, and many different stones from the roughest (if needed) to the finest grit. I prefer this for some exclusive knives (and when I have some leisure time). Of course, it's inherently better because you can only mess up things slowly (and you should notice way before getting all astray...) But, jeez, if I have a dozen knives to sharpen, I will go all Ken Onion !
I waited for someone to nail this ! I apply and fully admit to be a "sharpenerd". Understand "someone sharpening way beyond what is needed". "What is needed", however, is still heatidly discussed among sharpenerds...
Sorry guys , have no idea where the "d" came from . My time in the barrel I guess , back to my question of sharpeners , my knife is pretty sharp still but will come a time when I'll need to put an edge back on . Thank you guys for your input . I saw where the d came from , wanted the list sharpeners and hit the d next to the s . Was good for a laugh . Chris
Wicked edge for the win, I say. I find it to be the easiest and most reliable way to get very even, sharp knives.
Thanks for not reading into my response. I’m sure we have all mistyped in the digital age and wished we could edit. This thread is helpful to me as a newer knife guy.
Bayronyx Manticore (8") = ~$30USD Ultra Sharp Diamond 300/1200 Combination (8") = ~$78USD Universal Stone Holder = ~$25USD *Those prices include US shipping. Large red permanent marker = $10 Do some research to gain an understanding of shaperning mechanics and fundamentals and then some practice and you'll be able to sharpen just about any knife you come across for years to come.
I agree with Alberta Ed that it's a good idea to learn good hand sharpening. It is quite satisfying to do the job by hand. Also no noise and no need for electricity. A knife always works, so why depend on electric power to sharpen it? If you want a constant edge, there are various guided systems that allow you to get that by hand, although not quite 'freehand'. For just keeping your knife sharp enough to work, a simple ceramic rod will do. As it's a pocket knife, I would say find a pocket sharpener - a small stone, a small slab of ceramic or diamond... I found that half a hardfoam nail file with two sides, one in 100 and one in 180 grit, will do to quickly touch up your knife and maintain a cutting edge when you are away from your 'serious' sharpening gear. If you also want to polish it, add a coin-sized little slab of ceramic or another piece of hardfoam nail file, this time one of those super-fine polishing ones. Your significant other probably has them. You can get them by the bagfull for a few bucks on Amazon, too. As they are not metal they will not damage your pockets, and they weigh next to nothing (backpackers will love this). That way you always have a basic sharpening option with you that offers a bit more than just the bottom of a ceramic cup or the top edge of a car window... ;-)
The question was about the Worksharp model. People then get off into other methods. I have the original model. The Ken Onion model came out later, has more options, and is the model I would buy if starting over. Now, as to the original question. The worksharp models use a special size belt. Do not buy belts from the PRC that purport to be compatible unless you test them immediately and buy through a service where you can cancel the charges when they are missized. I threw mine out. My retirement avocation is modifying, restoring tools/knives/swords/machetes. The fact of life is that some large blades will not fit into a worksharp. So, for a very few and possibly none in your situation, a blade will be too thick to fit into designed slots. Then you will have to refer to a youtube video or the manual for options for that blade. Make sure you turn the worksharp off after each pass and before inserting the knife for another pass - I think you can figure out why. Personal notes: 1. I have only so much time. I have to periodically maintain my own kitchen and table knives. I want to do a quick sharpening on the dozens of knives I restore each year. I am not going set up my spyderco set, take the belt sander outside (to cut down on metal dust), or sit with a handful of stones. 2. Without going into a technical discussion which gets people trying to one up each other, sometimes I do take a tapered file and use it when sharpening a serrated blade. My knives, my decision. And, if I do it, I am doing it maybe once or twice in the lifetime of a knife.
My experience with the W.S. was that you need to practice on some cheapos first. You can end up with a recurve on a knife you didn't want to have one on. I use mine on axes,hatchets, machetes etc. I'll always come back to free handing for my good knives. It's a skill worth learning. Once you know how, there are any number of handy objects out there to sharpen with. For instance, bottom of a ceramic coffee cup, top of a car window, a piece of cardboard, smooth river rock. A skill learned that will stay with you. Like riding a bike.--KV
I just finished removing some chips from a 10” stainless chef’s knife with my Ken Onion Work Sharp. The KO WorkSharp shaved (I know) a bunch of time off the reprofiling process. I’ve sharpened everything from a 22” machete to a 3” folder. After a little practice it’s very straightforward and easy to use with relative finesse. You definitely can achieve a shaving sharp toothy working edge quickly without removing any more than a normal amount of metal. I often finish up using my Edge Pro. Love it. Wouldn’t be without it.
