what knife sharpener do you use

Used my original Sharpmaker for 15+ years. Only now I ordered a W.E. but the Sharpmaker will still see duty.
 
wildernessnerd said:
Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener, easiest sharpener I've ever used. And I have the sharpmaker for quick touch ups and when I'm out in the woods.
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Absolutely. I sold my other sharpeners after I got mine. Unmatched versatility. You can sharpen anything with it. I mean ANYTHING. By the time you guys have your angled kits set up, I'm already out the door with 4 or 5 knives that have a new hair popping, newspaper cutting, durable convex edge. Takes up much less space than a grinder or belt sander too.
 
cramsey3006 said:
Absolutely. I sold my other sharpeners after I got mine. Unmatched versatility. You can sharpen anything with it. I mean ANYTHING. By the time you guys have your angled kits set up, I'm already out the door with 4 or 5 knives that have a new hair popping, newspaper cutting, durable convex edge. Takes up much less space than a grinder or belt sander too.
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I can't get their website to open - most of the time it gives an error. Also, what belts do you need. Saw them on Amazon with a multi-belt accessory kit (finer grits inculded) but don't know it they're the right part number.
 
You don't NEED any other belts. It comes with 2-80 grit, 2-220 grit, and 2-6000 grit belts. You can get extra belt sets from them directly for $10 a set.

A few of use went in and got a group buy of after market belts to experiment with. They do allow you to refine and get a mirror polished edge if you so desire.

Personally, what comes with the machine works better than the after market belts, IMO. They last longer and are more durable. When my after market belts are done, I doubt that I'll buy more. I'll just stick with the factory belts.

I do like the some of the finer grits that we got, but they are not at all necessary to achieve a spectacular edge.

I haven't had any problems, but a couple of guys had problems with the after market belts splitting.
 
Does it convex the edge? I don't think that guide would allow you to get a full sharpening of the blade - so you'd have to take it off right?

Can you get close to a mirror edge with the high grit belt? :)
 
Spyderco Sharpmaker with Diamond rods and Ultra fine rodes added on, 2"x72" belt grinder, 1"x30" belt sanders, paper wheels, sand paper over a mouse pad, sand papber over a piece of plate glass, diamond plates and Spyderco bench stones.
 
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cziv said:
Does it convex the edge? I don't think that guide would allow you to get a full sharpening of the blade - so you'd have to take it off right?

Can you get close to a mirror edge with the high grit belt? :)
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The whole purpose of the tool is to get a convex edge. With most blades, you can get a full contact with the edge using the guide. Some blades won't. The main guide is 20 degrees. Without the guide, if you hold the blade perfectly straight, that is 20 degrees as well.
 
I am a big fan and user of the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener. After nearly sixty years failing at free hand sharpening and hating most of the, so-called, guided systems, I chose to try the WEPS. Right choice for me...fast, accurate and repeatable angle setting, a super firm vise, a thorough spectrum of hones with more on the way, leather strops with a variety of pastes and compounds of various micro grits and blank hone paddles so I can mount 3M PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) abrasive strips for the final scary edge with lustrous mirror finish if desired. Also I just added the granite base and I have to say aside frim it being eye-candy, it is a solid mount for this device that allows the user to use the sweeping paddle moves with all sorts of free movement and variety of pressures without concern for the rig moving around on your work area.
For me, this is the ultimate sharpener along with the Edge Pro. I haven't used the EP but from my research and knowledge gained from bumping heads with the EP guys, I can see it is a fine tool, just not for me, especially at near 76 and now not able to be as strong or steady as I used to be.
Try it, you will like it a lot.

Cheers
Leo
 
Leo,

Check out "Ken's Corner" at the Chef Knives to Go website or check out the Jende Industries website. Both offer aftermarket stones and strops to use with the WEPS and Ken also offers honing compounds for balsa strops that make "scary sharp" and "stupid sharp" seem downright coarse and toothy.

TTpower,

Every option that's been offered here will work and work very well if you approach it with patience and don't get into a set-it-and-forget-it mindset (that's when the blades get all scratched up and the fingers get bit the most - it can also happen when you're being mindful, just less often). Whichever you choose, it'll take work and then it'll work well.

After a while, you can drive yourself insane looking the best edge for a particular knife (not so thick that cutting is all muscle; not so thin that it dies on the first several cuts; not so coarse that it's an expensive, homemade saw; not so polished that it slides without control).
 
thombrogan said:
Leo,

Check out "Ken's Corner" at the Chef Knives to Go website or check out the Jende Industries website. Both offer aftermarket stones and strops to use with the WEPS and Ken also offers honing compounds for balsa strops that make "scary sharp" and "stupid sharp" seem downright coarse and toothy.

TTpower,

Every option that's been offered here will work and work very well if you approach it with patience and don't get into a set-it-and-forget-it mindset (that's when the blades get all scratched up and the fingers get bit the most - it can also happen when you're being mindful, just less often). Whichever you choose, it'll take work and then it'll work well.

After a while, you can drive yourself insane looking the best edge for a particular knife (not so thick that cutting is all muscle; not so thin that it dies on the first several cuts; not so coarse that it's an expensive, homemade saw; not so polished that it slides without control).
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Thanks for the tip mate but I am afraid I ran into Ken and all the other EP users and stone manufacturers right back when the EP and WEPS first bumped heads together last August or thereabouts and we have been communicating with one another since then as to the evolution of the WEPS using Chosera, Shaptons and other abrasives. I may even have triggered the whole thing with my review of the WEPS in that forum on Keeping Sharp...the guys who use EP were not happy to have me there but as you can see we are all good friends now since Clay, Glen and I showed the advantages of the WEPS and its possibilities. It all makes for a good read if you are interested. Some of the posts were pulled by the monitors because one of the EP guys was a little volcanic toward me and the WEPS...he and I are now buddies. Go here to read the story on the Knife Forum:
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/883510/

Best regards
Leo
 
So it's all your fault! :grumpy: j/k

That's great news. So does that mean you started using the 160k grit CBN before he announced its production?

I stopped going there when I was an EdgePro junky and one of the other EP junkies sucked the life out of everything.
 
Sandpaper on mouse pad....DMT Diafolds....DMT stones......leather strop.
Whatever the blade needs....sometimes whatever is within reach...
 
thombrogan said:
So it's all your fault! :grumpy: j/k

That's great news. So does that mean you started using the 160k grit CBN before he announced its production?

I stopped going there when I was an EdgePro junky and one of the other EP junkies sucked the life out of everything.
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:eek: I just stood by my guns until the cavalry arrived with reinforcements...Glen and then Clay. Tweren't all my fault! Sides, they goaded me too far, as I can't abide bullies, especially ones with halos, wings and golden auras surrounding them whenever sharpening was mentioned. LOL!
Now we all have halos, wings and golden auras I guess. ROTFLMAO!

No I didn't get to try that new atom polishing compound, although that and other things were offered at good prices.
Seriously! The whole face of upper atmosphere sharpening is changing so even us commoners can play now! Sorry! I can't seem to get serious today! ;)
What fun!!

Cheers

Leo
 
Like a few others - i use the GATCO system to set the bevel, and a sharpmaker for touch ups. I use the sharpmaker exclusively for small blades because the GATCO clamp doesn't work well with small - less than 2" - blades.
 
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