Professional sharpening - convex edge vs….?

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Stk123

Joined
Jul 31, 2022
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I’d appreciate insight from those who sharpen professionally.

My understanding is belt systems, especially the Worksharp model, produce a convex edge. Isn’t this essentially reprofiling an edge? How is this received by customers, or do they prefer this edge geometry, and/or don’t really care provided the knife is sharp. Thx!
 
It would be something to make clear to the client so that they can make the decision for themselves.
 
As a client, if I provide a certain edge grind, lets say "V" grind at any form (i.e. saber, scandi or full flat) and if I get back convex edge back without me asking for it, I would be furiated...
 
I would say that it depends on the customer and the knife. If it's an average customer and a run-of-the-mill kitchen knife, folks are happy if the price is reasonable and the knife is sharp and holds an edge. On the other hand, if it's a high-end Japanese or German knife, or an EDC knife, or a scandi, appearance is a topic of discussion, both because the customer is likely to care and because higher-end finishes take more time and thus cost more.
 
Stk123 said:
I’d appreciate insight from those who sharpen professionally.

My understanding is belt systems, especially the Worksharp model, produce a convex edge. Isn’t this essentially reprofiling an edge? How is this received by customers, or do they prefer this edge geometry, and/or don’t really care provided the knife is sharp. Thx!
Click to expand...

I don't sharpen professionally, not even remotely close..but, I wouldn't consider sharpening with a WorkSharp to be professional or pay to have it done on one.

ETA: I'm sure great edges could be had with a Work Sharp or similar but there is going to be a significant loss of control in how much material is being removed on a powered system regardless of motor speed/belt rpm etc. Other methods allow only the absolute minimum material removal necessary to achieve the desired result and can be controlled down to less than one full stroke. Sure they take more time, but are also much more precise (unless using a very well engineered fixture/jig that controls angle and eliminates variation in presentation to the belt, controlled feed speeds etc.) and have much less destructive potential due to precise control of material removal (no ramp up/down time, inconsistencies in reaction time of the operator, overheating the material etc.).
 
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A professional sharpener should have a professional understanding on the knives they are sharpening.
A banged up kitchen dishwasher special would always get the grinder - 1x30 belt or WorkSharp, no point in wasting too much time on beaters.
If handed a quality piece of cutlery that the owner has looked after, then the type of sharpen and cost should be discussed with the customer prior to doing the job.
I don't use my belt grinder on my own quality kitchen knives, so I wouldn't use the belts on someone else's quality cutlery unless that was what they requested.
I believe the WorkSharp is similar to a 1x30" belt sander, and I can produce very high quality edges using the 1x30" in very quick time, an excellent way to sharpen low end knives at a low price point.
However quick convex grinds off a belt is not a one shoe fits all scenario.
 
Yeah, the Work Sharp with the blade grinder attachment is essentially a 1x18 belt grinder.
 
As a owner of the work sharp ken onion powered sharpener I’ll say that when I first got it I did a ton of online reading and watching videos. I do a lot of knife sharpening for the community here. I also own a precision adjust elite. To try the ken onion out I sharpened my whole set of kitchen knives as suggested in the guide that comes with the sharpener. They came out paper cutting razor sharp. I have a g10 Giantmouse grand in Elmax the the edge of the blade got some chips in it. Took it to the ken onion followed the scary sharp techniques on the guide not only did it get the chips out it came out razor sharp far more sharper than the way it arrived from Giantmouse. With time and patience the ken onion is Almost perfect as well as the precision adjust. I always give the neighbors the option of hand sharpening or using the ken onion.
 
I sharpen knives etc. for the people in my communit. They have no idea how to sharpen a knife other the the pull through method with carbide sharpeners. They want the price low, so I use my 1”x42” Kalamazoo. I have belts down to micron grits. If they have a high end knife I would do it by hand on wet stones and the price would be higher due to the time spent. They all are pleased with the end result I give them and return when they need to be sharpened again. They don’t know the difference between convex and flat grind on their edges. I have two backing plates that the belt rides against. These plates are about 1 1/2” apart so the belt has less flex in this area.
 
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