Decent knife sharpener

[Shuutr]

but they have a new Ken Onion signature (?) version of the WorkSharp Knife Sharpener...

Its listed on a banner of the worksharp home page as coming soon.

 

[macshooter]

If your knife has a good edge on it already, here is a damn good ceramic rod that will do a good job even on very hard steels. I mostly use that for all my knifes, which don't get very dull. Aside from that I use a Norton 4000/8000 waterstone for honing razors, and a DMT Dia-sharp diamond plate. You can use the diamond plate to put a new edge on a really dull blade, and also to flatten out your water stone after it starts to hollow out in the middle after lots of use.

 

[Flashcb]

my worksharp is great, puts a good edge on the knife, not sure it lasts as long as a good whetstone job (which I can't do but when my brother is in town he can). seems like I have to touch mine up once a week or so but it does get used for everything from supper, to doing yard work etc.

 

[alaska1996]

I use the work sharp knife sharpener. Bought it at bass pro awhile back. It's not cheap, but it puts on one heck of an edge.

 

[robertc1024]

Lansky - I stole my mother-in-law's that she got for Christmas 10 years ago. The only problem now is that I have to sharpen her knives that she plows her knives into her granite counter tops.

 

[Bithabus]

You need training by an expert or you will ruin your knives. 99% of people would be better sending their knives off to be sharpened.

 

[Younggun]

Lol, not really.

Not sure how someone will "ruin" a knife even if they do a bad job sharpening it.

There are plenty of cheap sharpeners that will put an edge on a knife good enough to do what 99% of people do and are almost idiot proof.

 

[Bithabus]

Lol, not really.

Not sure how someone will "ruin" a knife even if they do a bad job sharpening it.

There are plenty of cheap sharpeners that will put an edge on a knife good enough to do what 99% of people do and are almost idiot proof.

Yes, really. A botched sharpening job by someone who doesnt know what he is doing will have to fixed by an expert, and usually requires reprofiling. Eventually you run out of material. I do have very high standards when it comes to edged weapons though.

 

[TheDan]

I've been sharpening my own knives since I was a kid but it's one of those things I just don't quite have a knack for. I can get a knife "sharp enough" with stones but not nearly as sharp as someone who is really good with stones can. I've tried the Lansky and the results weren't any better; more hassle and I can't see how those thin wobbly guides can actually keep your angle consistent. The best results I've had are with wet-dry sand paper on a smooth surface. I want to try one of those gadgets like the Edge Pro, but they are too expensive to buy just to play with. Need to try one out first...

For some reason I can sharpen axes like it's nobodies business... Not sure why that skill doesn't translate to knives. Maybe it does, but knives need to be more than "axe sharp"

 

[2sam22]

I've had success with the Spyderco SharpMaker for the past ten years or so.

 

[Mic]

I am by no means an expert sharpener. I have always been annoyed because I would buy a new knife that I could take to my arm and shave hair off with it, but when that edge faded, I could never get it back.

But, I have figured out how to take one of those cheap little Smith's Wally World specials and get my knife to the point of shaving hair off my arm....

Instead of just eyeballing the angle of the knife, I put both the knife and the sharpener on the same plane so I'm consistent. The sharpener sits on the desk with the angled ceramics facing up. I take the back face down and allow the handle to sit on the desk, so it'll keep the knife right at 90 degrees. Then I just pull the knife back and let the blade drag across the ceramic V. This keeps them at 90 degrees consistently, which I think is the key.

Works for me - I have achieved my goal. Now, I'm looking for the next test to see how to take it to the next level.

2 problems with this style and testing method.
1) Your knife has to have a handle that can slit flat against the desk like my Kershaw Blur does.
2) I walk around looking like a dork with little patches shaved off my arm if anybody were to look close enough.

 

[TheDan]

Those little v sharpeners can work pretty well if you use it consistently like you say, but they "shorten" the edge for a lack of a better term. You'll have to re-profile it at some point. Of course when you need that done, I recommend the dude at the flea market that'll do it for $3. He made the Gerber I had on me at the time sharper than I could ever get it, and it was easier to maintain that edge after he sharpened it. He free handed it on two different belt sanders btw... I should have asked, but I bet one was like 400 grit to set the profile and the other 2000 grit to polish it.

 

[mitchntx]

Best knife sharpener?

That dude just inside the door at the gun show. $5 a blade.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

The sharpening device is not the important part of the activity. The "sharpener" - i.e., the guy doing the sharpening is the key. For that reason, any question on "what sharpener?" is always going to produce a long list of possibilities. Some people like the Lansky, but few knifemakers use it. You can do an amazing job of putting an edge on a knife with a series of sandpapers taped on a flat surface (like glass) - a method woodworkers call "Scary Sharp". Good old Arkansas stones are hard to beat. The Japanese make some water stones that will sharpen a knife to surgical levels. All sharpening systems leave a wire edge on the knife, so you need to finish it on a leather strop.

Ceramic rods also do a great job, provided that you don't get the knife too dull to begin with. (In a pinch, you can sharpen a knife on the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug.)

Some steels are easy to sharpen - 1080, 1095, O1 - some are difficult - D2, ATS34 - some are extremely hard and require a lot of patience - BG-42, S30V. You can touch up an O1 blade with a fine stone, but you might have to work a series of grits to get S30V from dull to sharp. Of course, if the knife is hard to sharpen, then you don't want to let it get too dull - and that affects how you get it sharp as well.

Knife sharpening is a skill (like shooting) and requires some effort to do well. Don't worry so much about the "system" - find one you are comfortable with and use it 'till you know it. An outdoors writer some years back made the great suggestion that you go get all the knives in the kitchen (which are usually dull) and use them to practice on.

Sandpaper: I learned to sharpen a knife with sandpaper and while its a S L O W process you can almost do it in your sleep or at least do it while sitting around and watching TV. I can get an edge on a hunting knife that will split hairs, just make sure you have a lot of TV to watch LOL.

 

[AKM]

when i'm out and about and need a "touch up"

http://gaybear.com.au/gear/fallkniven-dc4/

fify...



...I'm just jealous y'all can sharpen

 

[Red78]

I know it's been a while, but do you still think the work sharp knife and tool sharpener was a good investment?

Well, it's been an even longer while..... But to answer your question, absolutely. As I stated in my original post, I just don't have a knack for stones, steels, etc. The Workshop has been a lifesaver, in that regard. I use it regularly on all my knives - kitchen, hunting, everthing. And if/when it ever craps out, I will order another one immediately.

 

[Shuutr]

That's good to hear. Perhaps you'll opt for the new model, although at twice the price it may not be worth it. I'll probably get one in October when they come out.

 

[Shuutr]

I got one Saturday. Very pleased.

Sharp knives are pretty easy now.

 

[40Arpent]

Are there any disadvantages to using a mechanical sharpener like the Work Sharp over the more manual means....like not holding an edge for as long, wearing the blade down faster, rounding the blade point, etc?

 

[Sugar Land]

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