Recommendations for power sharpening equipment

S

Still Standing

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Dec 7, 2021
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New here, please be kind; I've contributed to many other forums where I have more expertise.

I have Wusthof and Henkels knives in our kitchen, plus a handmade Asian knife that seems to sharpen up particularly well, and a Kershaw Blur for EDC, some Opinel knives in desk drawers and picnic baskets, and some other odds and ends. These are all knives in regular use and they have a hard life. I go through and sharpen them every few weeks.

I wore out a Chef's Choice sharpener about 15 years ago and was given another one and have recently concluded that it's pretty much worn out because the fine wheel on it no longer cuts and dressing it doesn't help. These are supposed to have diamond wheels and set a 15 degree edge. It worked OK but not great for many years. It is much less work than the bench stones I used to use.

I would like to get something suitable for creating a good working edge quickly on the kinds of knives I sharpen most often.

I suppose I could get another consumer/kitchen sharpener.

Are there better alternatives? I am really not willing to consider manual systems as we are hard on the knives and it is too time consuming to restore an edge manually.
 
Although Tormeks are marketed in the U.S. mainly through woodworking magazines for sharpening woodworking tools they can produce very nice edges on knives. I prefer CBN wheels to the stone wheels Tormek supplies with new machines. Below are two Strider knives sharpened on a Tormek/CBN wheel. With some practice it is possible to achieve a very nice “V” edge on any knife other than recurves.
A 2"x72" belt grinder is also a good machine to do free hand sharpening, once again with practice. With light pressure it is easy to maintain an edge in very little time.
SMF SNG Edge.jpg
 
Harbor freight 1x30 with some practice will do what you want. But belt Sanders are a little noisy and messy. It's a cheap machine but it works. All power tools for sharpening are fast and will if used often enough wear the knives down quickly. If the chefs choice worked for you I would consider that. Much slower grinding and therefore less wear on the knives. Your money your call.
 
Still Standing said:
Thank you all for the advice. I think I'll get the Worksharp, and will report back in a few months on how it's working out.
Click to expand...
Watch the many Worksharp videos on YouTube.

Practice on cheap knives. Tape your blades.

Always start and end the tip in the middle of the belt.
 
Just got the Blade Grinder attachment for my Work Sharp KO a few hours back. Tried it on some kitchen equipment with acceptable results. I think it will take a little practice to keep the angle steady between the post and belt while transferring the knife but I like it.
 
I have had the Worksharp for several weeks now and am well pleased. Thank you for the advice.

It is not at all difficult or complex to use IMO. It provides a better edge than I was able to get from the Chef's Choice sharpener even when new and far better than what that machine was doing in its worn state after 10 years of use. I like the ergonomic design with the hand grip because the machine doesn't wander all over the work surface. It's compact and easy to store. I find that the belts provide much better access for small and oddly shaped knives so that it is possible to sharpen the entire length of the blade with good control and correct angles. Time will tell how long it lasts but with occasional belt replacement I would guess I'll get more than ten years.

Thanks again
 
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