Pull Through sharpeners

W

WK ONE

Joined
Apr 25, 2015
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270
Hey all,

As I said in the Ken Onion WS thread, I really suck at freehand sharpening so most of the time I use my crappy Gerber Myth pull through sharpener.

I saw the ERU sharpener on here, but couldn't find a review of it. Can anyone tell me if it's any good, or recommend other decent pull through sharpeners?

Thanks!
 
General consensus and I might be way off is it is adequate for a good sharp working edge just like other pull through sharpeners.

Would I use it over any of the other systems or free hand? Nope. But for folks who are looking for a super simple adequate working edge on a knife it's fine.
 
I have the ERU and like it a lot for its portability and Fred's video tutorials. I've had a few pull throughs but like this the best. When you order Fred's system you also get a set of wedges or shims to use on a flat stone to help you get a desired angle.

Take 30 min and listen/watch Fred explain the ERU.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jJsSkD8GE0g

Mike
 
I have others that I use for my cheap fillet knives or paring knives but the ERU takes pull-through sharpening to another level. Great product. Well made and Fred is always willing to help. Try finding that with a chinese pull-through.
 
I tested the ERU and liked it quite a lot. Like others pointed out, it's not going to replace the EP and stones, but I would definitely use it in the field.

It's tough because it's not really meant for the enthusiast sharpener (like many here), but the price is higher than the plastic junk you get at the hardware store. The price, imo, is reflective of the quality of the product and fits perfectly for the market it serves. Bottom line is if you need quick serviceable edges and care at all about your blade, this is a great solution.

Let us know what you think.
 
I was in on the pass-around. The ERU is a very good unit for what it does. The only caution I have and it extends to any/all carbide scraper methods is to flip the unit so the same scraper doesn't line up all the time on the same side of the bevel. Any surface defects in the carbide will gouge into the steel and create a small ledge, undercarving. By simply flipping it end for end every so often, you will eliminate this as a potential problem.

I realize the ERU is meant to be conditioned periodically, but I would still err on the side of caution.

A quick stropping of any sort following an ERU treatment will complement the work and make for an edge you'll be very pleased with.
 
I was looking at ordering the Work Sharp system. Would the ERU be a better option? They're about the same price. I already have a few DMT diamond stones and lots of Japanese water stones. I just need an easier option due to a bad back.
 
CorallineAlgae said:
I was looking at ordering the Work Sharp system. Would the ERU be a better option? They're about the same price. I already have a few DMT diamond stones and lots of Japanese water stones. I just need an easier option due to a bad back.
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I hear ya re: back...

Depends on what you really need. I don't have a WS, but I've wanted one for some time, the Ken Onion model that is.

I think of the ERU as a field use sharpener designed to reestablish a working edge for hunters, or campers, or for those that use their knives in a continuous fashion. The WS I see as a device that is designed to cover the gamut from reprofiling to final edge finishing. It seems to have good accessory support and that's one of the things that interests me most.

For my own personal uses, which mostly amount to fiddling around to see how sharp I can get a thing, to opening boxes and mail and cutting leather, the ERU is not really necessary. Now when I wasn't on disability (back) I could have used the ERU because I'd cut down a lot of boxes, plastic wrap and straps at the factory.

Two very different devices, I assume from what I've experienced, and read, both are an excellent choice for what they are designed to be.

I hope that helps some.

Edited to add-

I'm not sure what your limitations are. For me I can't sit for more than a few minutes, but I'm a week post-op. I'm not sure what might cause you to have to limit your time with the stones, but I would think the belt grinder would take as much time, at least in the learning phase. The ERU can be used in bed, but then you're probably not cutting much. ;)
 
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Omega Leather Works said:
I hear ya re: back...

Depends on what you really need. I don't have a WS, but I've wanted one for some time, the Ken Onion model that is.

I think of the ERU as a field use sharpener designed to reestablish a working edge for hunters, or campers, or for those that use their knives in a continuous fashion. The WS I see as a device that is designed to cover the gamut from reprofiling to final edge finishing. It seems to have good accessory support and that's one of the things that interests me most.

For my own personal uses, which mostly amount to fiddling around to see how sharp I can get a thing, to opening boxes and mail and cutting leather, the ERU is not really necessary. Now when I wasn't on disability (back) I could have used the ERU because I'd cut down a lot of boxes, plastic wrap and straps at the factory.

Two very different devices, I assume from what I've experienced, and read, both are an excellent choice for what they are designed to be.

I hope that helps some.

Edited to add-

I'm not sure what your limitations are. For me I can't sit for more than a few minutes, but I'm a week post-op. I'm not sure what might cause you to have to limit your time with the stones, but I would think the belt grinder would take as much time, at least in the learning phase. The ERU can be used in bed, but then you're probably not cutting much. ;)
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Thank you for all the helpful advice. I'm in the same boat as you. Two major back surgeries has put a big damper on my waterstone time. I can still cook (quite a lot) and even garden with some help from the kids. The waterstones only get occasional use now and they're murder on my back. The Work Sharp looks like it could be ideal. The ERU would be very attractive if I still went camping and hunting. I can't safely go into the woods anymore so I only sharpen at home. Your explanation makes the choice much easier.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
CorallineAlgae, welcome to Bladeforums!

I hope your back is back in shape soon.
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Thanks for the welcome! Everybody has to adapt to something in life. It's nice to live in a time where we can go online and find advice on products that can keep our knives shipshape. Unfortunately, I'm the only one in my family who can properly sharpen knives and tools. I sharpen my own, my parents, sister and brother's kitchen knives. Can't do it with stones much anymore. This looks like a nice place to get useful advice.

I'll get the Work Sharp instead of the ERU. It looks like it might also be useful for my convex Japanese knives. Pull through knife sharpeners might not be all bad.
 
We generally give carbide sharpeners the old thumbs down. But I have one with a piece of carbide on the end of a short rod, and I can use it effectively. Just brush the edge of the blade very gently. I also had a pull through with ceramic sticks. Not bad at all as long -- again -- as I gently pull the blade through.
 
What the ERU pull through sharpener offers, that no other pull through sharpener does, is perfect accuracy combined with angles set, in increments of 1 degree. With its lapped carbide surfaces[lapped "after" they are epoxied in place. This makes the contact area a perfectly aligned "V". There are dozens of ways to bring the edge to a point [apex] then what do you do with it? How do you maintain it and do it consistently, using the same angle of approach.
On a recent thread one main conclusion was, most convex edges are not convex through the apex, basically a convex edge is a flat angle at the apex with the shoulders rounded off. This is the way I grind my kitchen knife edges. I can keep this type of edge sharp using the ERU. Convex edges done on a moving abrasive belt are truly convex, the curve goes completely through the apex. The ERU cannot be used to maintain this type of edge.

Every person that sharpens blades will agree, cutting performance is all about the apex, "drag" is about rounded or unrounded shoulders.
Most sharpeners who have purchased an ERU find its accuracy to be its greatest asset; they use this accuracy to control edge shape and to refine the shape of the apex.

I enjoy this forum a great deal. There is a broad range of styles in sharpening and a large collective of information that deals with what edges do and how they react to different sharpening techniques.

Regards, Fred
 
Esav Benyamin said:
We generally give carbide sharpeners the old thumbs down. But I have one with a piece of carbide on the end of a short rod, and I can use it effectively. Just brush the edge of the blade very gently. I also had a pull through with ceramic sticks. Not bad at all as long -- again -- as I gently pull the blade through.
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I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't put any in a carbide pull sharpener. I see the Work Sharp as a type of pull sharpener. Sandpaper has done me right on many occasions. Maybe this tiny belt sander will do the trick.
 
CorallineAlgae said:
I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't put any in a carbide pull sharpener. I see the Work Sharp as a type of pull sharpener. Sandpaper has done me right on many occasions. Maybe this tiny belt sander will do the trick.
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Have you used the ERU pull through "V" sharpener? It would change the way you see pull through sharpeners at least as far as this one is concerned. This type of sharpener has gotten a well deserved bad reputation; I saw it as a challenge and invented a pull through sharpener that is the same, in name only.

I use the ERU on the high end kitchen knives I make, as well as the Bowie knives I make and sell. The ERU produces an even polished edge, without any scratch pattern. I believe it is one of the best tools available to use in removing a wire edge from a blade using a precise angle. No stropping is needed after using this tool.

Just as not all apples are the same, even though they be apples; not all pull through "V" sharpeners are the same, even though they be pull through "V" sharpeners.

Regards, Fred
 
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