The Worksharp is a great tool. The Ken Onion edition with the blade grinding attachment is absolutely incredible!! It is important not to pull the blade all the way through or the tips will round. Stopping midpoint on the belt and then lifting off is a better method. Yes the blade scratching is not acceptable. Protecting the blade with masking tape works very well. Great video BTW.
Being honestly mistaken is not lying. You’re man enough to acknowledge you were wrong and correct it. Plus you went the extra mile and used an excellent demonstration to better illustrate the proof of how you were mistaken. You’ve earned respect in my opinion.
I agree about the Wicked Edged system. I have been sharpening knives since I was a kid 40+years ago using all sorts of stones helping out butchering our own meat and using all sort of stones until I discovered the Wicked Edge Systems. Got a WE about 6 years ago and now use nothing else except the occasional steel to freshen up an edge. Researched for about 3 years for a sharpening system and so glad I chose WE
Thank You for a great video, I have been sharpening knives for close to fifty years and have used tons of great sharpening methods. My favorite is also my wicked edge, but I free hand with diamond stones and Arkansa finish stones then strop with bark river diamond solution. I appreciate your time showing a great verity of methods. 👍
I've used most of them and I'm that tipe of guy who sharpen lots of knives every year 'cos it' s my free time job and I can say that every system you mentioned it's valid for different jobs, I Edc a dc4 and a cc4 for my small tasks and I love them, for my main game I use a tormek system and that's the big deal, I use lansky for my pocket and non scandi bushcraft knives, the work sharp system is lovely but you in time it's expensive for the belts, my collection of Japanese waterstones is the big deal but it took me 6 months to "master" it with every day training... And now that I've bored someone I could say only nice vid it was very intertainding and sorry for my bad english
Am a knife fanatic. Grinding, trial and error, on different systems for 2 years. Tormek, Japanese water stones, diamond stones but the best result I get with the Wicked Edge-pro pack III. Expensive but simply sublime. Many knives have already been sharpened and the diamond stones remain good. None yet have to be replaced.
Spyderco system shoulda been in here, I've had one for like 20 years with original stones and still works great, not good for initial profiling with the standard stones (have to buy extra ones) but leaves a razor edge. Also it's by far the easiest to learn and fastest to set up of any system I've seen/used. Bought an edge pro (similar to the tsprof) and barely use it because the Spyderco is so much more convenient.
I find it completely impossible to reprofile a knife with the sharpmaker. I bought the Boron rods & still find reprofiling impossible. I'm thinking about replacing my sharpmaker with a Ken Onion Work Sharp.
The Lansky at a minimum needs the following: 1) Don't use their stand. Get a small Palmgren or other vise to clamp it in to keep it super stable on the table top. 2) I also put my left hand on the Palgren vise, and then hook my index finger, usually with a small piece of oiled paper towel OVER the guide rod. Just enough pressure to keep the rod stable. 3) Get rid of all the stupid thumb screws that hold the guide rods to the stones, and replace them with loctited set screws. Sorry, forgot what size the threads are. This will give you an extra 3/4" or so of stone travel. 4) Get a longer storage box. Set screw the guide rods to the stones ONE TIME, and never again 🙂. 5) I also tapped the holes in the blade clamp for much larger flat-head screws, and put some anti-sieze on the threads so they don't gall. MUCH more secure. 6) Always line the clamp with a thin piece of hard rubber. Super-glue gel works great. Pieces of inner tube work well, but a slightly harder rubber is better. If you see a video comparing Lansky and Gatco, it's plain to see that the Gatco is about 50% thicker and stronger and larger. I wish I would have started out with the Gatco version. But even with the improvements I threw at the Lansky, it's still incredibly rickety and slow. I recently bought the KME diamond kit, no base (still better clamped in my small Palmgren vise), an Arkansas translucent stone, and kangaroo strop with 4micron diamond solution. Even as only a casual enthusiast with a few knives, I'm not wasting tens of hours fiddling with the baby Lansky kit. If you can justify just 5 or 10 hours the KME will save you over the Lansky, then you come out even, and have a kit that's MANY times better. Go watch the TH-cam videos on KME's channel. How the clamp accomodates full flat grinds and other irregular spine grinds is what sold me.
Great video and comparison! I'd chose the TSPROF over all of the other sharpeners. The quality and build are just miles above the others IMO. The stones would not be an issue like you said, as you can adapt or fit other stones and diamond sharpeners to it.
OK My dad gave me a tiny pocket knife when I was about 6 years old, and said, here son, this is to keep your pencils Sharp in school. I have been sharpening knives ever since and I am 65 ears old now. Its like a disease keeping a fine edge On every knife i own, and I believe I have over 400 knives of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Yet, my best results have been with wet or oil stones by hand, that is until my eyes and hands caught up to my age. I find that most of the new wave tools that you showed here are really un necessary for common use. However, I do admire your research in a big way. I however, am content with the work sharp that I just got, and the Ryobi system you showed in this video. My long years of playing with sharp edges makes it easy to handle that tool however the work sharp allows the novice to achieve decent sharpness for everyday use. Keep up the research , and I’ll keep looking at you just for kicks, your ideas light up my curiosity and makes me a sharper edge. Thanks
Davis, If you have a good system to sharpen knives you can get a pretty good edge on the worst knives. What really matters for me is how long it stays sharp! I've sharpened knives just a little longer than you probably, I'm now 72. I also got a WS Pro as a present several years ago. I don't use the guides any more, just use experience as my guide. I use the WS-Pro indoors and have a Harbor Freight 1" X 30" belt sander I had for 7 years for the garage. I have found now that a good knife steel formula and correct tempering are what makes the best knives performance wise. My best every day knife carry is a cheap knife made in China (aren't they all) made from D2 tool steel. It took a while to get it sharp but now just a little maintenance touch now and then keeps it shaving sharp! Most times now I don't even use the belt sander but just a light touch with my ceramic rod hone followed by some stropping using jewelers rouge, all the while paying close attention to the burr. Learning about steel formulas and tempering has cured me from the sharpening disease!
I've had the wicked edge since 2013. Just last year I upgraded the clamp to the one you have now. I use the 800/1000 for cleaning up edges on all of my knives and finally had to replace those stones. Of coarse they are metal so they are still flat, they just lost some grit. I now use the old 1000 between the new one and ceramics. This is the last sharpener I will ever buy. You can reprofile in 5 to 10 minutes consistently
I find it rather funny that he said he used this as his first sharpener. He should have been more familiar with it. The box would have had to be almost twice as big if the rods did not extend.
On the contrary it is very easy to use and produces a razor edge very quickly. If this guy is rounding the edges of his knife and marring his blades then he is not using it correctly.
I’m with this guy.... the Wicked Edge has the best design BUT they price themselves WAAAAY out of the market. Anywhere from 300.00 to 500.00 plus is ridiculous.
Thanks, great video. I used to manage a cutlery store for 4 years, and sharpened 20-50 knives daily. All freehand. But I think you neglected to specifically call out the prime danger in freehand wheel sharpening. You did say that things ‘can go crazy in a second.’ You had the arrow on the wheel showing the direction of rotation, but in a few seconds you could have rotated the paper wheel by hand and showed how one direction works, and the other will ‘bite’ into the 3500 rpm wheel, throwing a knife across the room. Some ‘you toobers’ are not the sharpest tools in the shed. 🙈 Hope Darwin’s Law doesn’t get invoked. 🔪
Jeremy, On the Worksharp, you are supposed to stop the belt while the tip is in the middle of the belt. This way you won't round your tip. It's noted in the owners manual. Also, I know what you mean with the belt sharpening in two directions. I always had different bevels on each side because one side "sucks" the blade down and makes a steeper bevel.
I can't say enough about the Ken Onion Work Sharp as you learn how to use it you see how very quick it is at putting an edge on even a very dull knife.
I've owned the KME and the Ken Onion Work Sharp rigs - more recently went for the KO-3 TSPROF. I've really enjoyed in particular your TSPROF episodes, thanks for all the good content...
Simple Little Life, I have the Gatco and the rods extend out of the stone. Just pull on the rod and there is about 6 inches of rod. I am surprised you never noticed it before.
I owned a Gatco until I broke it. So, as to the short little rods, maybe it was a flaw in my set, but I could just pull em out to greater length. Great video, as usual.
Pull up versus push down - I always grab the stone on my Lansky so no matter where I am in the stroke, my hand/fingers is above the spine instead of in front of the cutting edge. It reduces the chances of a nasty cut if you slip, and applying pressure in between the angle slot and the knife keeps the angle consistent for me. Loved that opening comment about the trolls and the "We don't care".
I have both Work Sharp and a Wicked Edge System. Both are terrific. Can’t go wrong with either. However they are different. The WS does everything at a great price. It will do straight edge and serrated edge blades plus scissors. But it is a belt sander so it will erode your blade. The pros and cons described in the video are accurate. The WE is great, if money is no object. I bought mine 10+ years ago when they were a lot cheaper. But the huge demand for this system has forced them to increase the price outside the bounds of most folks. But if you’re a serious sharpener, it’s the best on the market. The last time I checked, it won’t do serrated blades but they may be designing an attachment for these knives. They have an attachment for scissors but I haven’t bought it. I just use my WS for scissors. If you’re an average knife user, get a WS. But if you’re seriously into getting your knives absolutely scary sharp, invest in a WE System.
Great video, the one I use is a 1×30 rikon. 1st belt gets to a rough edge then a 600 grit(somewhere in the high grit will work) then a leather belt for a strop, put a white buffing compound on it and go to it. For me it take about 2 to 5 minutes to sharpen any knife I have made and all of my knives start out with no edge was so ever.
I bought and Edge Pro a few years back. It was one of those "hurts once, things. I hear the Wicked Edge calling me though. I do make my own aluminum blanks and mount Chosea and other stones to them. I even cut up some Harbor Freight diamond plates to mount to them and will be staying with the diamond plates, rather than the water stones. Too, I mounted leather to a few blanks and charged the leather with compounds, but I've found a piece of leather mounted on a board is quicker and more convenient. When the stones dish, like the one you showed, I just run them on a free piece of granite covered with a little carbide powder. The granite is free from countertop places, since they have to throw it away. The process goes pretty quickly. Shortly after getting the Edge Pro, I took on a favored set of kitchen knives. The results spoiled us quickly. A few months in, my wife and I were talking about how well they cut potatoes. It was like something was wrong with the potatoes, they cut so easily. The simple of it is, both of us grew up with what most do - kitchen knives that had never really been sharpened, were, usually, left beating around a kitchen drawer, and you had to rock the knife back and forth to get through the potatoes. Now, I keep leather stops charged with FlexCut compound or chromium oxide and just touch them up to keep them at the top of their game. For whatever reason, I, once in a while, I'll take a knife over to my buffer and run it on the wheel charged with jewelers rouge. In the end, many of my knives with push cut paper on a given day, and it only takes a moment or two to keep them that way. I have several round medium density fiber [MDF] board wheels I made and trued on the lathe. Charged with compounds, they can be quite helpful for putting a final edge or polish on a blade.
For quick sharpening I prefer a two slotted pocket hand sharpener like Smiths. If I have the time to sharpen properly I prefer a two sided diamond stone such as Eze-Lap. When I took a meats production class back in high school we used a whetstone set. Before there were diamond stones I used an Arkansas stone and a ceramic stone with some light oil.
I'd been tempted to get a worksharp for a while, since my current sharpening setup is a 3-sided smith stone and a cheap fine diamond bar. I get a pretty good edge freehand, but it takes FOREVER. I dont do enough knife work (yet) to warrant a tsprof or wickededge. Your very matter of fact review makes me think it would not be a bad idea. Thanks
Okay, I know this wasn't in the comments but may I throw in the Bogdan System? Many of you won't know this. Well, it is basically a system which keeps your knife at the same angle in 3 planes at all times when sharpening on whetstones. And not only does it give me a razor sharp edge, it also gives a very consistent edge with the same angle at all positions and times. It has improved the lasting of my edge in the kitchen by way over 100% compared to normal whetstone sharpening. Anyways, from the above mentioned i would probably prefer the Apex Edge Pro styled one which works quite good as well!
Thank you. Excellent video. I'm sold on the WICKED EDGE and I'm already convinced that on a straight blade it positively will maintain a consistent angle over the entire length of the knife. The people designing the system understood the geometry of it. To convince yourself, look at the angle provided over both extremes as seen by the blade edge. On the outer extremes, the path for the median edge must lengthen, that is why the arm gets longer. Imagine skateboarding down a concrete driveway. The driveway is the knife edge. Yet to go from one side to the other as you skate down, you must skate a longer path. As I said, WICKED EDGE have it figured out. I like how you explained the super sharpness of the hair-splitting concave edge supplied by the wheel grinder and how that edge will fold over on itself. Excellent review. Now I have to go look you up to figure out how you got that accent. I'm super curious. Right now I'd say Eastern Europe and Canadian ...
I use the Lansky system. Not as precise or elaborate as some, but it does give me sharp knives with modest effort, an I think back when I got this kit it was $25. Works for me.
I like waterstones the best, personally. It's harder and the high-grit stones are often quite expensive, but the activity itself is therapeutic and it feels rewarding.
Great vid. I agree it's a lot about personal preference, budget, skill level etc. I have a Ken Onion work shark, WE Gen 3 pro and TSProf Pro Hunter, personally I prefer the TSProf for it's ability to use a variety of stones and not needing to purchase a ton of other attachments to make it work properly. The wicked edge was my favorite until the cost to use started going up as my skill level went up
You have to try out the KME! Changed my life haha. Had the lansky before and oh boy is it amazing. I have the 6 diamond stones from 50 grit beast to 1500 and then a 2k, 5k, and 10k chosera stones and strops up to .025 micron! And its made awesome. I do free hand mostly now but every so often I still use it and I've had 100% success rate doing hundreds of knives on it. Cool video. Makes me think of my sharpening story
I agree with you. Wicked is cool. What you forget about the Ts system is that you can use the diamond Stones. You can also buy extra jig for many different tools. 👍
When using the GATCO/Lansky just pull the guide rods out from the stones half way and you'll increase your stroke length. You'll also be able to use the 11° guide without problem.
I would really like to own one of these, but it is a big investment for me to do right now. Like you said, is pretty hard to achieve good results with the water stones, it is hard to keep a constant angle. I think I will build my knife sharpener based on the lansky or similar. Great video, I really enjoyed it. Keep it up.
Great video! I've been sharpening knives on stones for around 5 years and in the early days I used to be really anti sharpening systems, but as I've learned more and improved I've come round to them. I'll be starting my own sharpening service soon and I will invest in a couple of sharpening systems I.e. Wicked edge & Tormek. Now that I'm off my high horse I believe they're a good investment.
I use my 2X72 for initial edge and sometimes finish with the paper wheel. They get hair popping sharp so I'm not sure if spending hundreds of dollars on some of the others could get the edges any sharper. It's like learning to free hand grinding on the 2x72....once you get it down it's like riding a bike.
Most of the concerns you have raised are due to the struggles of keeping a consistent angle when sharpening, via whatever system. That is exactly why I use a scandi grind on my carry knives, problem solved. Put the knife on the abrasive, tilt to the bevel and go. Its as simple as simple gets. Any flat surface and fine grit sandpaper, any flat stone etc etc Works great when you're out camping or in a rush and fine motor skills are lacking, it guides itself due to the large bevel. Ive also got convexed scandis for use when Im out in the sticks with no access to flat surfaces, and I use fine grit sandpaper on the reverse side of a leather stop hung from a tree. This is why I tend to avoid blades with secondary bevels... Growing up, and travelling around a lot, I got bloody good at sharpening free hand on a variety of objects, cups, porcelain pots etc etc and I can get secondary bevel knives to a great edge BUT they always naturally convex due to the inaccuracies of freehand, also I tended to grind one side of the bevel higher than the other because I must have pressed harder on the push strokes away from my body vs towards... it just seems more labour intensive and takes more cognitive effort when I'm in a rush 😂 Great video brother.
On the gatco system ,those metal rods slide out. I am surprised you haven't figured that out. I finally bought the work sharp ken onion edition. Sharp edges and time saver. There is a small learning curve, and they are expensive. I do like it .
You are supposed to use blue painters tape on the Work Sharp guard to prevent marring the blade. You are also supposed to only go to middle of of the belt with the tip to prevent rounding the point. It is in the instructions!
I just bought that we130, the 17 model about 2 weeks ago and I think it's very impressive. My stones are still breaking in but it's already producing amazing edges. I have to the 1500 grit diamonds and then some lapping films and the sharpness definitely comes up. I still freehand occasionally. I've spent so much money on sharpening gear but it's okay, I'm good with it. I'm at the point where I don't need anything else. I would like a belt grinder tho...
The biggest problem with Lansky is that the first time you do a particular knife is almost guaranteed to be a re-profile. It gets easier once you grind the knife to match the jig if you can manage to clamp it exactly the same every time. I've had problems repeatability clamping with those aluminum clamps. And the stones aren't very good. And it's hard to clamp the stones exactly parallel to the guide rods. Frankly, I don't use my Lansky any more.
would be nice to be able to sharpen full flat grinds on the lansky and throw out the course stone buy a diamond one to ruff in. note pad to write down each knifes angle
I like to mark the blade with a marker and lightly run the stone across the edge once you see the marker comes off equally you know it’s right. Also only use push strokes it works a lot better.
Good job with the video and how you answered the question. I believe whatever style works the best for you and your blades is what you should use. Keep yourself open to different methods though to grow as a knife maker.
My buddy has a Tormek powered stone wheel with a water tub the wheel rolls in. Makes scary sharp micro bevels, it has a jig similar to the lansky but on a slow powered stone wheel. Expensive but incredibly accurate
I also started out on the Gatco - btw you can pull out the guiding wire and extend your range of motion - just saying 😉 now I use KME System for high value knives... Also for cheaper knives I use the paper wheels
One thing about the Worx, you say it is best with the guides off, but on the other hand, that only works if you can hand hold the angle you want. I hear you--about marring, but one of the big pluses for me is the guide which offers a constant angle. One question I had--was when you said on one side it goes "like this" and the other side "goes like that" but I did not quite catch what "like this" and "like that" meant.
The first knife sharpener that I owned and used is still the one I use to put a quick edge on my knives...a crock stick. However, if I don't pay attention, it can change my bevels over time. After that, I used a lansky with diamond and ceramic stones. Then, I made my own wicked edge using extruded aluminum 80/20, Heim joints and stainless rods. I chose to use wicked edge diamond stones though.
Nice video. I've tried many things over the years I use the pocket pal knife sharpener draw my knife through there a couple times and then I use a butcher Steel and I get a shaving sharp edge within 3 minutes. Works great it's simple and it's surprisingly cheap. I figured if butchers the news new sharpening steels for decades there must be something to it I started using one about 20 years ago I'm love it
The sharpening consistent problem is because of the different types of steel. Yes your correct it is an opinion of what works for each person. I personally get a very consistent edge with shapton glass water stones and stropping
The BEST I have ever used is one I have been using for close to 50 years. I have been using the top edge of my car/truck door window! If the knife is really bad, I use a series of india to arkansas stones then use the window. Garunteed shaving sharp!
Use the 15 degree angle setting. Start with coarse and work up burr on one side using 5 strokes a side. Then medium then fine belts. For sharpest edge use leather belt with green compound on it for mirror polish
TSProf stock stones are like demo stones. If you want to sharpen with TSProf in quantities, you should get real stones. There are lots and lots of options to choose from. One of the best properties of TSProf is that, practically, you can shove any stone at it and it will work. I personally use diamond filament stones (where diamonds aren't just on the surface, they go into depth) and finish my knives with either natural stones (arkansas/baikalite) or 1 micron diamond paste on a glass. I do get very fast and consistent results, getting the knives split soft hairs or hanging unfolded napkin (just a single layer of it).
I think there is a big difference between a personal sharpener for one or two knives, and sharpening professionally with the knives you are sending out, at least that's the case for me. Repeatability and consistency, which I think the WE-130 has is not so important, but speed and the ability to remove large amounts of material is. Still the small size of the WE is nice.
I'm a retired jewelry maker and Gemologist and have made pieces for some very famous people and I how to work metals of all sorts BUT.... for the life of me, I can't the correct angle on a blade when using a water stone for the life of me. I have the Work Force also and it completely scratched up, rounded up the tips and left the rear of the blades unsharpened and misshapen. That being said, if you are careful, it does work good and I do use it.
The edge folding on the paper wheel system is the heat at the edge. This system used to come with wax to put on the grit wheel. If it still does, use it.
The Lansky set has a longer rod so you can take longer strokes, but the stone itself is more narrow (at least my set) so you need to do more strokes to cover the entire blade. So as far as time investment they probably come close to equaling out. However, with the Lansky stones being more narrow, they will wear out faster so if I had to buy another set, I'd buy the one you used over the Lansky.
What's about sharpening on the belt grinder? Especially for roughing in the edge it works really well for me. I am starting with a A45 (400 grit) Trizac belt running the blade over it as evenly as possible. When I've roughed in the Edge I'll go over to a self-made MDF wheel with blue polishing compound on it to power strop the knife. Really quick system when you have practised it a bit. I get a blade razor sharp in around 5 minutes without buying any fancy system at all. Needs practice but it's cheap and effective. Having said this, thanks for the very informative video.
Pjotre Tonofski I was thinking the same thing. Just get some nice belts and make a jig. I am cool with jigs... I can hand sharpen, but let's face it hand sharpening is not the most time efficient or consistant.
You should check out the KME it is the most affordable and you get excellent quality diamond stones and can get strops and other accessories for much cheaper than the wicked edge. It is a great mix of the TSPROF and the wicked edge.
I LOVE that comment that you state just after the one minute mark: "IT doesn't matter HOW you get your knife sharp, what matters is that your knife is sharp." RIGHT ON!! And as you also said, some ways of sharpening just don't work for some people but do for others. Also, I add that some sharpening systems are great for certain types of grinds but not for others. So my advice to folks always is that you should find any way to get your particular knife sharp, and if it works for you then it is the way you should sharpen your knife and therefore is THE best way to sharpen that knife. There is no one system that is "THE BEST SHARPENER" - that beast simply doesn't exist.
I really enjoy your videos and typically find them to be informative. I would be interested in seeing a solo video on the Work Sharp, especially if you could compare the version in this video to the Ken Onion version of it, then go on to showcase the Ken Onion version's attachments. ESSENTIAL to this video would be for you to use the sharpener as instructed by not disengaging contact between the blade and the belt until the belt has stopped. It seems your main complaint of this tool rounding your tips is based on user error, so I would like to know your thoughts on it after using it correctly. Affording a Wicked Edge isn't in my tea leaves for the foreseeable future and similarly the TSPROF, but a Work Sharp is well within reason for more of us. Thanks for sharing so much of your knowledge. It's immensely appreciated.
Thank you so much. I appreciate that. I still have my work sharp and I do think there is a lot to the user error side of things. Maybe I should revisit it with some blades that I don’t care too much about and see if I get get it to sharpen properly 👍
@@Simplelittlelife I think using some less-than-cared-for blades for experimental purposes sounds like a great idea and I hope you get results even better than you may expect. I'll stay tuned and hope to see/hear more about this from you in the not-so-distant future.
@@thegentlemanscalawag2273 The problem with rounding tips in the Work Sharp seems simple to fix. Either develop great skill at holding the knife at perfect angles on the x and y axis, or have the manufacturer mold in a wider guide that will maintain contact when only the tip remains to be honed. Either the manufacturer knew of htis limitation when the machine went out the door and just didn't care, or the manufacturer didn't know and should watch this video. I'm not going to develop the skill and I know my wife won't.
Amen, the key is to get em sharp whatever way you can. I have water stones, field stones, Ken Onion Work Sharp, and I am considering the Spyderco setup. For 70 bucks it is a lot more practical than the ridiculous 700 dollar wonder sharpener. And I have a couple of the Fallkniven stones and they work GREAT! I only use the fine side and it finishes up a knife like no other hand stone. You have to really use it to see if it delivers. I wouldn't use the other end for anything other than an emergency field job if someone let their knife get that bad. My knives would never get there, just the way I am.
I dont mean to be disrespectful but for someone who has a lot of sharpeners you don't seem to know how to use some properly. 1. The Gatco guide rods extend allowing a greater range of motion and allowing the 11⁰ guide to be used 2. The worksharp you do not draw the knife all the way through otherwise it will blunt the tip. You turn the machine off when the tip is in the middle of the belt to avoid rounding. This is even in the Instructions. Look at the ken onion blade grinding attachment for a great freehand grinding option 3. The DC4 I'm sure you've just got a bad one as they are one of the best cheap field Sharpeners you can get. They are so good they brought out a full size one for home use (DC521). I prefer the CC4 anyway as my knives are never so bad that I need to use the diamond side in the field. Good informative video but people may be put off buying something due to your lack of proper use 👍
With the gatco sharping set you have to pull the rods out of the stone holders. I have the same set and they work very well, just a little time consuming
I’ve been using the Lansky system. It’s very time consuming but really makes a sweet edge. The rods are about 9 inches long. I’m watching this video to see what you think of the work sharp. Ok, back to the video.
Man, Fallkniven DC4 and CC4 work extremely fine, especially the CC4. Who cares if it's glued slightly off center, i can get a folder shaving sharp with the cc4 and my leather belt in 5 minutes. And the diamond side of the DC4/DC3 works extemely well to fix chipping.
If you're set on the paper wheels here's a trustworthy system that works for me when I'm in a hurry. Put a 600 ( semi worn) on your 2×72. Using the slack without a platen put a steady straight convex edge on your blade. Second and final step. Cut out a 6- 10 inch mdf board circle and mount in to your bench grinder. Charge the medium density fiberboard wheel with green chromium dioxide bar compound. ( Lee Valley has one I've been using for 25+ years ) This cuts fast and leaves a mirror polish. Start to finish a bit faster and less stressful than the silicon carbide fast cut paper wheel on the two step your currently use. All the best - James
Simple Little Life I have a newer version of the work sharp belt sharpener and it is really good to get a sharp edge on an all ready made but if you want to make an edge it is not the tool the newer ones come with a few polishing belts which removes all the scratches. The new one has a far better guide which extends out each side for pointed blades.
Thanks for this one Jeremy, I am looking at up dating at the moment from my Tormac clone/ Lansky combo, just takes to long to get to that fine cutting edge, works to a great finish but the time taken is getting old plus after 150 knives getting a lot of wobble in the lansky clamp which is stretching out the time taken.
Here’s my opinion on sharpening your knives. Use what you’re comfortable with and capable of putting the desired edge you want. Doesn’t matter if it’s a lansky puck or the wicked edge.
The Worksharp is a great tool. The Ken Onion edition with the blade grinding attachment is absolutely incredible!! It is important not to pull the blade all the way through or the tips will round. Stopping midpoint on the belt and then lifting off is a better method. Yes the blade scratching is not acceptable. Protecting the blade with masking tape works very well. Great video BTW.
Thanks for this complete review. I have a DC 4 and i have no problem with it. It's just a secondary system on the field. Have a nice day.
Being honestly mistaken is not lying. You’re man enough to acknowledge you were wrong and correct it. Plus you went the extra mile and used an excellent demonstration to better illustrate the proof of how you were mistaken. You’ve earned respect in my opinion.
I agree about the Wicked Edged system. I have been sharpening knives since I was a kid 40+years ago using all sorts of stones helping out butchering our own meat and using all sort of stones until I discovered the Wicked Edge Systems. Got a WE about 6 years ago and now use nothing else except the occasional steel to freshen up an edge. Researched for about 3 years for a sharpening system and so glad I chose WE
Thank You for a great video, I have been sharpening knives for close to fifty years and have used tons of great sharpening methods.
My favorite is also my wicked edge, but I free hand with diamond stones and Arkansa finish stones then strop with bark river diamond solution.
I appreciate your time showing a great verity of methods. 👍
I've used most of them and I'm that tipe of guy who sharpen lots of knives every year 'cos it' s my free time job and I can say that every system you mentioned it's valid for different jobs, I Edc a dc4 and a cc4 for my small tasks and I love them, for my main game I use a tormek system and that's the big deal, I use lansky for my pocket and non scandi bushcraft knives, the work sharp system is lovely but you in time it's expensive for the belts, my collection of Japanese waterstones is the big deal but it took me 6 months to "master" it with every day training... And now that I've bored someone I could say only nice vid it was very intertainding and sorry for my bad english
One of the best sharpening video I’ve seen thank you sir excellent job
Am a knife fanatic. Grinding, trial and error, on different systems for 2 years. Tormek, Japanese water stones, diamond stones but the best result I get with the Wicked Edge-pro pack III. Expensive but simply sublime. Many knives have already been sharpened and the diamond stones remain good. None yet have to be replaced.
Spyderco system shoulda been in here, I've had one for like 20 years with original stones and still works great, not good for initial profiling with the standard stones (have to buy extra ones) but leaves a razor edge. Also it's by far the easiest to learn and fastest to set up of any system I've seen/used. Bought an edge pro (similar to the tsprof) and barely use it because the Spyderco is so much more convenient.
I find it completely impossible to reprofile a knife with the sharpmaker. I bought the Boron rods & still find reprofiling impossible.
I'm thinking about replacing my sharpmaker with a Ken Onion Work Sharp.
The Lanskey ones are longer, and to fix the angle issue, I just keep a finger on the back side holding it up to keep a perfect angle.
The Lansky at a minimum needs the following: 1) Don't use their stand. Get a small Palmgren or other vise to clamp it in to keep it super stable on the table top. 2) I also put my left hand on the Palgren vise, and then hook my index finger, usually with a small piece of oiled paper towel OVER the guide rod. Just enough pressure to keep the rod stable. 3) Get rid of all the stupid thumb screws that hold the guide rods to the stones, and replace them with loctited set screws. Sorry, forgot what size the threads are. This will give you an extra 3/4" or so of stone travel. 4) Get a longer storage box. Set screw the guide rods to the stones ONE TIME, and never again 🙂. 5) I also tapped the holes in the blade clamp for much larger flat-head screws, and put some anti-sieze on the threads so they don't gall. MUCH more secure. 6) Always line the clamp with a thin piece of hard rubber. Super-glue gel works great. Pieces of inner tube work well, but a slightly harder rubber is better.
If you see a video comparing Lansky and Gatco, it's plain to see that the Gatco is about 50% thicker and stronger and larger. I wish I would have started out with the Gatco version. But even with the improvements I threw at the Lansky, it's still incredibly rickety and slow. I recently bought the KME diamond kit, no base (still better clamped in my small Palmgren vise), an Arkansas translucent stone, and kangaroo strop with 4micron diamond solution. Even as only a casual enthusiast with a few knives, I'm not wasting tens of hours fiddling with the baby Lansky kit. If you can justify just 5 or 10 hours the KME will save you over the Lansky, then you come out even, and have a kit that's MANY times better. Go watch the TH-cam videos on KME's channel. How the clamp accomodates full flat grinds and other irregular spine grinds is what sold me.
Great video and comparison!
I'd chose the TSPROF over all of the other sharpeners. The quality and build are just miles above the others IMO. The stones would not be an issue like you said, as you can adapt or fit other stones and diamond sharpeners to it.
OK My dad gave me a tiny pocket knife when I was about 6 years old, and said, here son, this is to keep your pencils
Sharp in school. I have been sharpening knives ever since and I am 65 ears old now. Its like a disease keeping a fine edge
On every knife i own, and I believe I have over 400 knives of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Yet, my best results have been with wet or oil stones by hand, that is until my eyes and hands caught up to my age. I find that most of the new wave tools that you showed here are really un necessary for common use. However, I do admire your research in a big way. I however, am content with the work sharp that I just got, and the Ryobi system you showed in this video. My long years of playing with sharp edges makes it easy to handle that tool however the work sharp allows the novice to achieve decent sharpness for everyday use. Keep up the research , and I’ll keep looking at you just for kicks, your ideas light up my curiosity and makes me a sharper edge. Thanks
E Davis Best Comment here 👍
Davis, If you have a good system to sharpen knives you can get a pretty good edge on the worst knives. What really matters for me is how long it stays sharp! I've sharpened knives just a little longer than you probably, I'm now 72. I also got a WS Pro as a present several years ago. I don't use the guides any more, just use experience as my guide. I use the WS-Pro indoors and have a Harbor Freight 1" X 30" belt sander I had for 7 years for the garage. I have found now that a good knife steel formula and correct tempering are what makes the best knives performance wise. My best every day knife carry is a cheap knife made in China (aren't they all) made from D2 tool steel. It took a while to get it sharp but now just a little maintenance touch now and then keeps it shaving sharp! Most times now I don't even use the belt sander but just a light touch with my ceramic rod hone followed by some stropping using jewelers rouge, all the while paying close attention to the burr. Learning about steel formulas and tempering has cured me from the sharpening disease!
I've had the wicked edge since 2013. Just last year I upgraded the clamp to the one you have now. I use the 800/1000 for cleaning up edges on all of my knives and finally had to replace those stones. Of coarse they are metal so they are still flat, they just lost some grit. I now use the old 1000 between the new one and ceramics. This is the last sharpener I will ever buy. You can reprofile in 5 to 10 minutes consistently
Very helpful. I just purchased the Wicked Edge Go and I can't wait to get it.
Your Gatco sharpening stones guide rods lengthen just pull firmly on them and they extend out for a longer stroke.
I was just going to say that! They almost double in length.
I find it rather funny that he said he used this as his first sharpener. He should have been more familiar with it. The box would have had to be almost twice as big if the rods did not extend.
It is funny what people miss by not reading instructions.
read it instructions and know the product if you're going to give an informational video about something!
And since he "doesn't care about comments" he still doesn't know ...
On the Work Sharp system, you're supposed to put the knife on the belt, turn on the machine and turn it off when the tip is half-way across the belt.
That is so ridiculously complicated
On the contrary it is very easy to use and produces a razor edge very quickly.
If this guy is rounding the edges of his knife and marring his blades then he is not using it correctly.
Ken onion sharpener also creates a convex edge instead of concave, making the edge stronger..
I’m with this guy.... the Wicked Edge has the best design BUT they price themselves WAAAAY out of the market. Anywhere from 300.00 to 500.00 plus is ridiculous.
Thanks, great video. I used to manage a cutlery store for 4 years, and sharpened 20-50 knives daily. All freehand. But I think you neglected to specifically call out the prime danger in freehand wheel sharpening. You did say that things ‘can go crazy in a second.’ You had the arrow on the wheel showing the direction of rotation, but in a few seconds you could have rotated the paper wheel by hand and showed how one direction works, and the other will ‘bite’ into the 3500 rpm wheel, throwing a knife across the room. Some ‘you toobers’ are not the sharpest tools in the shed. 🙈 Hope Darwin’s Law doesn’t get invoked. 🔪
This guy is a tool
Jeremy, On the Worksharp, you are supposed to stop the belt while the tip is in the middle of the belt. This way you won't round your tip. It's noted in the owners manual. Also, I know what you mean with the belt sharpening in two directions. I always had different bevels on each side because one side "sucks" the blade down and makes a steeper bevel.
I can't say enough about the Ken Onion Work Sharp as you learn how to use it you see how very quick it is at putting an edge on even a very dull knife.
Yeah, it works fast, but that's about it.
Sweeet but I'll stick with the KME I find it to be an excellent system even for kitchen knives. Brilliant video
I've owned the KME and the Ken Onion Work Sharp rigs - more recently went for the KO-3 TSPROF.
I've really enjoyed in particular your TSPROF episodes, thanks for all the good content...
Thank you so much. For a long time I find myself going to the KO-3 also. That thing is just good. Over and over, good. Cheers👍
The Gatco sharpener. The bar pulls out to make it longer. Works really well when you pull it out.
Simple Little Life, I have the Gatco and the rods extend out of the stone. Just pull on the rod and there is about 6 inches of rod. I am surprised you never noticed it before.
I owned a Gatco until I broke it. So, as to the short little rods, maybe it was a flaw in my set, but I could just pull em out to greater length.
Great video, as usual.
Pull up versus push down - I always grab the stone on my Lansky so no matter where I am in the stroke, my hand/fingers is above the spine instead of in front of the cutting edge. It reduces the chances of a nasty cut if you slip, and applying pressure in between the angle slot and the knife keeps the angle consistent for me. Loved that opening comment about the trolls and the "We don't care".
I have both Work Sharp and a Wicked Edge System. Both are terrific. Can’t go wrong with either. However they are different.
The WS does everything at a great price. It will do straight edge and serrated edge blades plus scissors. But it is a belt sander so it will erode your blade. The pros and cons described in the video are accurate.
The WE is great, if money is no object. I bought mine 10+ years ago when they were a lot cheaper. But the huge demand for this system has forced them to increase the price outside the bounds of most folks. But if you’re a serious sharpener, it’s the best on the market. The last time I checked, it won’t do serrated blades but they may be designing an attachment for these knives. They have an attachment for scissors but I haven’t bought it. I just use my WS for scissors.
If you’re an average knife user, get a WS. But if you’re seriously into getting your knives absolutely scary sharp, invest in a WE System.
Great video, the one I use is a 1×30 rikon. 1st belt gets to a rough edge then a 600 grit(somewhere in the high grit will work) then a leather belt for a strop, put a white buffing compound on it and go to it. For me it take about 2 to 5 minutes to sharpen any knife I have made and all of my knives start out with no edge was so ever.
I bought and Edge Pro a few years back. It was one of those "hurts once, things. I hear the Wicked Edge calling me though.
I do make my own aluminum blanks and mount Chosea and other stones to them. I even cut up some Harbor Freight diamond plates to mount to them and will be staying with the diamond plates, rather than the water stones.
Too, I mounted leather to a few blanks and charged the leather with compounds, but I've found a piece of leather mounted on a board is quicker and more convenient.
When the stones dish, like the one you showed, I just run them on a free piece of granite covered with a little carbide powder. The granite is free from countertop places, since they have to throw it away. The process goes pretty quickly.
Shortly after getting the Edge Pro, I took on a favored set of kitchen knives. The results spoiled us quickly. A few months in, my wife and I were talking about how well they cut potatoes. It was like something was wrong with the potatoes, they cut so easily. The simple of it is, both of us grew up with what most do - kitchen knives that had never really been sharpened, were, usually, left beating around a kitchen drawer, and you had to rock the knife back and forth to get through the potatoes.
Now, I keep leather stops charged with FlexCut compound or chromium oxide and just touch them up to keep them at the top of their game.
For whatever reason, I, once in a while, I'll take a knife over to my buffer and run it on the wheel charged with jewelers rouge. In the end, many of my knives with push cut paper on a given day, and it only takes a moment or two to keep them that way.
I have several round medium density fiber [MDF] board wheels I made and trued on the lathe. Charged with compounds, they can be quite helpful for putting a final edge or polish on a blade.
For quick sharpening I prefer a two slotted pocket hand sharpener like Smiths. If I have the time to sharpen properly I prefer a two sided diamond stone such as Eze-Lap. When I took a meats production class back in high school we used a whetstone set. Before there were diamond stones I used an Arkansas stone and a ceramic stone with some light oil.
I'd been tempted to get a worksharp for a while, since my current sharpening setup is a 3-sided smith stone and a cheap fine diamond bar. I get a pretty good edge freehand, but it takes FOREVER. I dont do enough knife work (yet) to warrant a tsprof or wickededge. Your very matter of fact review makes me think it would not be a bad idea. Thanks
Good info, with the Gatco you need to pull the rods out of the handles to use them for sharpening and push them back in for storage.
Okay, I know this wasn't in the comments but may I throw in the Bogdan System? Many of you won't know this. Well, it is basically a system which keeps your knife at the same angle in 3 planes at all times when sharpening on whetstones. And not only does it give me a razor sharp edge, it also gives a very consistent edge with the same angle at all positions and times. It has improved the lasting of my edge in the kitchen by way over 100% compared to normal whetstone sharpening. Anyways, from the above mentioned i would probably prefer the Apex Edge Pro styled one which works quite good as well!
Thank you so much..... I was so close to spending $519 on the TS PROF K03. Looks like the Whicked Edge will do the job just fine. Great video!
Thank you. Excellent video. I'm sold on the WICKED EDGE and I'm already convinced that on a straight blade it positively will maintain a consistent angle over the entire length of the knife. The people designing the system understood the geometry of it. To convince yourself, look at the angle provided over both extremes as seen by the blade edge. On the outer extremes, the path for the median edge must lengthen, that is why the arm gets longer. Imagine skateboarding down a concrete driveway. The driveway is the knife edge. Yet to go from one side to the other as you skate down, you must skate a longer path. As I said, WICKED EDGE have it figured out. I like how you explained the super sharpness of the hair-splitting concave edge supplied by the wheel grinder and how that edge will fold over on itself. Excellent review. Now I have to go look you up to figure out how you got that accent. I'm super curious. Right now I'd say Eastern Europe and Canadian ...
I use the Lansky system. Not as precise or elaborate as some, but it does give me sharp knives with modest effort, an I think back when I got this kit it was $25. Works for me.
I like waterstones the best, personally. It's harder and the high-grit stones are often quite expensive, but the activity itself is therapeutic and it feels rewarding.
Great vid. I agree it's a lot about personal preference, budget, skill level etc. I have a Ken Onion work shark, WE Gen 3 pro and TSProf Pro Hunter, personally I prefer the TSProf for it's ability to use a variety of stones and not needing to purchase a ton of other attachments to make it work properly. The wicked edge was my favorite until the cost to use started going up as my skill level went up
You have to try out the KME! Changed my life haha. Had the lansky before and oh boy is it amazing. I have the 6 diamond stones from 50 grit beast to 1500 and then a 2k, 5k, and 10k chosera stones and strops up to .025 micron! And its made awesome. I do free hand mostly now but every so often I still use it and I've had 100% success rate doing hundreds of knives on it. Cool video. Makes me think of my sharpening story
Go to the griomatic website. They have a lot of kme stones that go past 10k grit
I agree with you.
Wicked is cool.
What you forget about the Ts system is that you can use the diamond Stones.
You can also buy extra jig for many different tools. 👍
The worksharp says in the instructions to stop the belt at the end of a grind in order to prevent rounding off edges.
When using the GATCO/Lansky just pull the guide rods out from the stones half way and you'll increase your stroke length. You'll also be able to use the 11° guide without problem.
I would really like to own one of these, but it is a big investment for me to do right now. Like you said, is pretty hard to achieve good results with the water stones, it is hard to keep a constant angle.
I think I will build my knife sharpener based on the lansky or similar.
Great video, I really enjoyed it.
Keep it up.
Great video!
I've been sharpening knives on stones for around 5 years and in the early days I used to be really anti sharpening systems, but as I've learned more and improved I've come round to them. I'll be starting my own sharpening service soon and I will invest in a couple of sharpening systems I.e. Wicked edge & Tormek. Now that I'm off my high horse I believe they're a good investment.
I use my 2X72 for initial edge and sometimes finish with the paper wheel. They get hair popping sharp so I'm not sure if spending hundreds of dollars on some of the others could get the edges any sharper. It's like learning to free hand grinding on the 2x72....once you get it down it's like riding a bike.
Most of the concerns you have raised are due to the struggles of keeping a consistent angle when sharpening, via whatever system.
That is exactly why I use a scandi grind on my carry knives, problem solved. Put the knife on the abrasive, tilt to the bevel and go. Its as simple as simple gets. Any flat surface and fine grit sandpaper, any flat stone etc etc Works great when you're out camping or in a rush and fine motor skills are lacking, it guides itself due to the large bevel. Ive also got convexed scandis for use when Im out in the sticks with no access to flat surfaces, and I use fine grit sandpaper on the reverse side of a leather stop hung from a tree.
This is why I tend to avoid blades with secondary bevels... Growing up, and travelling around a lot, I got bloody good at sharpening free hand on a variety of objects, cups, porcelain pots etc etc and I can get secondary bevel knives to a great edge BUT they always naturally convex due to the inaccuracies of freehand, also I tended to grind one side of the bevel higher than the other because I must have pressed harder on the push strokes away from my body vs towards... it just seems more labour intensive and takes more cognitive effort when I'm in a rush 😂
Great video brother.
On the gatco system ,those metal rods slide out. I am surprised you haven't figured that out. I finally bought the work sharp ken onion edition. Sharp edges and time saver. There is a small learning curve, and they are expensive. I do like it .
You are supposed to use blue painters tape on the Work Sharp guard to prevent marring the blade. You are also supposed to only go to middle of of the belt with the tip to prevent rounding the point. It is in the instructions!
Doesn’t change the fact that it sucks.
I just bought that we130, the 17 model about 2 weeks ago and I think it's very impressive. My stones are still breaking in but it's already producing amazing edges. I have to the 1500 grit diamonds and then some lapping films and the sharpness definitely comes up. I still freehand occasionally. I've spent so much money on sharpening gear but it's okay, I'm good with it. I'm at the point where I don't need anything else. I would like a belt grinder tho...
Sharpening is such a hassle to me with the lansky system sometimes. Some blades take an edge so easily and other take like 45 minutes.
The biggest problem with Lansky is that the first time you do a particular knife is almost guaranteed to be a re-profile. It gets easier once you grind the knife to match the jig if you can manage to clamp it exactly the same every time. I've had problems repeatability clamping with those aluminum clamps. And the stones aren't very good. And it's hard to clamp the stones exactly parallel to the guide rods. Frankly, I don't use my Lansky any more.
The lansky also only starts at 17 degrees which can be a problem if you're a fan of Spyderco knives, which come from the factory at 15.
Robert Lefeaux... Thanks for this very important info!
would be nice to be able to sharpen full flat grinds on the lansky
and throw out the course stone buy a diamond one to ruff in.
note pad to write down each knifes angle
I like to mark the blade with a marker and lightly run the stone across the edge once you see the marker comes off equally you know it’s right. Also only use push strokes it works a lot better.
Good job with the video and how you answered the question. I believe whatever style works the best for you and your blades is what you should use. Keep yourself open to different methods though to grow as a knife maker.
Great Review, I agree, I love my WE, one you left off is the Tormek T8
My buddy has a Tormek powered stone wheel with a water tub the wheel rolls in. Makes scary sharp micro bevels, it has a jig similar to the lansky but on a slow powered stone wheel. Expensive but incredibly accurate
Have a belt grinder, paper wheels but use my KME most of all and love it.
I also started out on the Gatco - btw you can pull out the guiding wire and extend your range of motion - just saying 😉 now I use KME System for high value knives... Also for cheaper knives I use the paper wheels
One thing about the Worx, you say it is best with the guides off, but on the other hand, that only works if you can hand hold the angle you want. I hear you--about marring, but one of the big pluses for me is the guide which offers a constant angle. One question I had--was when you said on one side it goes "like this" and the other side "goes like that" but I did not quite catch what "like this" and "like that" meant.
The first knife sharpener that I owned and used is still the one I use to put a quick edge on my knives...a crock stick. However, if I don't pay attention, it can change my bevels over time.
After that, I used a lansky with diamond and ceramic stones. Then, I made my own wicked edge using extruded aluminum 80/20, Heim joints and stainless rods. I chose to use wicked edge diamond stones though.
Nice video. I've tried many things over the years I use the pocket pal knife sharpener draw my knife through there a couple times and then I use a butcher Steel and I get a shaving sharp edge within 3 minutes. Works great it's simple and it's surprisingly cheap. I figured if butchers the news new sharpening steels for decades there must be something to it I started using one about 20 years ago I'm love it
The sharpening consistent problem is because of the different types of steel. Yes your correct it is an opinion of what works for each person. I personally get a very consistent edge with shapton glass water stones and stropping
The BEST I have ever used is one I have been using for close to 50 years. I have been using the top edge of my car/truck door window! If the knife is really bad, I use a series of india to arkansas stones then use the window.
Garunteed shaving sharp!
I always thought the top of a car window looked like it would be good for sharpening on. Never tried it tho.
On the Lansky knock off you can pull the rod out from the stone to make them longer. They push in for storage
worksharp ken onion edition... absolutely love it...
super fast and repeatable results consistently...
I can't get really sharp knife with it. it's sharp, but not REALLY sharp. can't understand why.
Use the 15 degree angle setting. Start with coarse and work up burr on one side using 5 strokes a side. Then medium then fine belts. For sharpest edge use leather belt with green compound on it for mirror polish
TSProf stock stones are like demo stones. If you want to sharpen with TSProf in quantities, you should get real stones. There are lots and lots of options to choose from. One of the best properties of TSProf is that, practically, you can shove any stone at it and it will work. I personally use diamond filament stones (where diamonds aren't just on the surface, they go into depth) and finish my knives with either natural stones (arkansas/baikalite) or 1 micron diamond paste on a glass. I do get very fast and consistent results, getting the knives split soft hairs or hanging unfolded napkin (just a single layer of it).
Best sharpening comparison I've seen
I think there is a big difference between a personal sharpener for one or two knives, and sharpening professionally with the knives you are sending out, at least that's the case for me. Repeatability and consistency, which I think the WE-130 has is not so important, but speed and the ability to remove large amounts of material is. Still the small size of the WE is nice.
I'm a retired jewelry maker and Gemologist and have made pieces for some very famous people and I how to work metals of all sorts BUT.... for the life of me, I can't the correct angle on a blade when using a water stone for the life of me. I have the Work Force also and it completely scratched up, rounded up the tips and left the rear of the blades unsharpened and misshapen. That being said, if you are careful, it does work good and I do use it.
I would really love to see more knife build videos and challenges. Would be interesting to watch
I use Wicked Edge to set or change my bevel. Use power leather strop wheel to maintain. Great combo.
The edge folding on the paper wheel system is the heat at the edge. This system used to come with wax to put on the grit wheel. If it still does, use it.
The Lansky set has a longer rod so you can take longer strokes, but the stone itself is more narrow (at least my set) so you need to do more strokes to cover the entire blade. So as far as time investment they probably come close to equaling out. However, with the Lansky stones being more narrow, they will wear out faster so if I had to buy another set, I'd buy the one you used over the Lansky.
After tattooing a kitchen knife, I have started taping my knives when I use my WSKO.
Great vid. Stumbled across a worksharp for less than $45 on black friday. Like you say at the end of the vid ‘it’s that we sharpen out knives’.
Thanks
Hi sir
Small tip.
If the first stone is worn, the stones to come will make your edge.
Just my experience.
Nice video.
I found this video to be very helpful.
What's about sharpening on the belt grinder? Especially for roughing in the edge it works really well for me. I am starting with a A45 (400 grit) Trizac belt running the blade over it as evenly as possible. When I've roughed in the Edge I'll go over to a self-made MDF wheel with blue polishing compound on it to power strop the knife. Really quick system when you have practised it a bit. I get a blade razor sharp in around 5 minutes without buying any fancy system at all.
Needs practice but it's cheap and effective.
Having said this, thanks for the very informative video.
Pjotre Tonofski I was thinking the same thing. Just get some nice belts and make a jig. I am cool with jigs... I can hand sharpen, but let's face it hand sharpening is not the most time efficient or consistant.
if you're not cooling the blade properly, you'll ruin the temper and judging from your comment, belt grinders apparently come for free nowadays...
You should check out the KME it is the most affordable and you get excellent quality diamond stones and can get strops and other accessories for much cheaper than the wicked edge. It is a great mix of the TSPROF and the wicked edge.
Lansky owner here 👌🏽 it takes time and effort but does a good job
I LOVE that comment that you state just after the one minute mark: "IT doesn't matter HOW you get your knife sharp, what matters is that your knife is sharp." RIGHT ON!! And as you also said, some ways of sharpening just don't work for some people but do for others. Also, I add that some sharpening systems are great for certain types of grinds but not for others. So my advice to folks always is that you should find any way to get your particular knife sharp, and if it works for you then it is the way you should sharpen your knife and therefore is THE best way to sharpen that knife. There is no one system that is "THE BEST SHARPENER" - that beast simply doesn't exist.
Well, it does exist... Get a scandi grind and hand sharpen it. The easiest way to go! Lol :)
Wouldn't the angle also change on the wicked edge? It is basically the same thing with just two pivot points for each side.
I really enjoy your videos and typically find them to be informative. I would be interested in seeing a solo video on the Work Sharp, especially if you could compare the version in this video to the Ken Onion version of it, then go on to showcase the Ken Onion version's attachments. ESSENTIAL to this video would be for you to use the sharpener as instructed by not disengaging contact between the blade and the belt until the belt has stopped. It seems your main complaint of this tool rounding your tips is based on user error, so I would like to know your thoughts on it after using it correctly.
Affording a Wicked Edge isn't in my tea leaves for the foreseeable future and similarly the TSPROF, but a Work Sharp is well within reason for more of us.
Thanks for sharing so much of your knowledge. It's immensely appreciated.
Thank you so much. I appreciate that. I still have my work sharp and I do think there is a lot to the user error side of things. Maybe I should revisit it with some blades that I don’t care too much about and see if I get get it to sharpen properly 👍
@@Simplelittlelife I think using some less-than-cared-for blades for experimental purposes sounds like a great idea and I hope you get results even better than you may expect. I'll stay tuned and hope to see/hear more about this from you in the not-so-distant future.
@@thegentlemanscalawag2273 The problem with rounding tips in the Work Sharp seems simple to fix. Either develop great skill at holding the knife at perfect angles on the x and y axis, or have the manufacturer mold in a wider guide that will maintain contact when only the tip remains to be honed. Either the manufacturer knew of htis limitation when the machine went out the door and just didn't care, or the manufacturer didn't know and should watch this video. I'm not going to develop the skill and I know my wife won't.
Amen, the key is to get em sharp whatever way you can. I have water stones, field stones, Ken Onion Work Sharp, and I am considering the Spyderco setup. For 70 bucks it is a lot more practical than the ridiculous 700 dollar wonder sharpener. And I have a couple of the Fallkniven stones and they work GREAT! I only use the fine side and it finishes up a knife like no other hand stone. You have to really use it to see if it delivers. I wouldn't use the other end for anything other than an emergency field job if someone let their knife get that bad. My knives would never get there, just the way I am.
I dont mean to be disrespectful but for someone who has a lot of sharpeners you don't seem to know how to use some properly.
1. The Gatco guide rods extend allowing a greater range of motion and allowing the 11⁰ guide to be used
2. The worksharp you do not draw the knife all the way through otherwise it will blunt the tip. You turn the machine off when the tip is in the middle of the belt to avoid rounding. This is even in the Instructions. Look at the ken onion blade grinding attachment for a great freehand grinding option
3. The DC4 I'm sure you've just got a bad one as they are one of the best cheap field Sharpeners you can get. They are so good they brought out a full size one for home use (DC521). I prefer the CC4 anyway as my knives are never so bad that I need to use the diamond side in the field.
Good informative video but people may be put off buying something due to your lack of proper use 👍
Thank you so much for doing such an awesome video. Thank you for the information on the DC3. You just saved me money
With the gatco sharping set you have to pull the rods out of the stone holders. I have the same set and they work very well, just a little time consuming
I’ve been using the Lansky system. It’s very time consuming but really makes a sweet edge. The rods are about 9 inches long. I’m watching this video to see what you think of the work sharp. Ok, back to the video.
The Landry system got the Cowboys to the Super Bowl more than once! I recommend it as well.
Narq not a clue what this means.
After seeing what can be done with freehand sharpening I'm going to give it a shot.
Man, Fallkniven DC4 and CC4 work extremely fine, especially the CC4. Who cares if it's glued slightly off center, i can get a folder shaving sharp with the cc4 and my leather belt in 5 minutes. And the diamond side of the DC4/DC3 works extemely well to fix chipping.
Great comparison of the various tools. Thanks.
Tsprof 03 does it for me, awesome awesome sharpener!
If you're set on the paper wheels here's a trustworthy system that works for me when I'm in a hurry. Put a 600 ( semi worn) on your 2×72. Using the slack without a platen put a steady straight convex edge on your blade. Second and final step. Cut out a 6- 10 inch mdf board circle and mount in to your bench grinder. Charge the medium density fiberboard wheel with green chromium dioxide bar compound. ( Lee Valley has one I've been using for 25+ years ) This cuts fast and leaves a mirror polish. Start to finish a bit faster and less stressful than the silicon carbide fast cut paper wheel on the two step your currently use. All the best - James
I've been using gatco sharpeners for years and you can pull that Rod out to the length you need.
Simple Little Life
I have a newer version of the work sharp belt sharpener and it is really good to get a sharp edge on an all ready made but if you want to make an edge it is not the tool the newer ones come with a few polishing belts which removes all the scratches. The new one has a far better guide which extends out each side for pointed blades.
Repeatability is the most valuable to me! Liked the video
Great video, can we get a 2021 update?
Thanks for this one Jeremy, I am looking at up dating at the moment from my Tormac clone/ Lansky combo, just takes to long to get to that fine cutting edge, works to a great finish but the time taken is getting old plus after 150 knives getting a lot of wobble in the lansky clamp which is stretching out the time taken.
I have the TSprof. I got a set of Arkansas stones from Dans Whetstone and made my backs out of aluminum from a hardware store.
Looks like you'd like the work sharp Ken onion blade grinding attachment
Here’s my opinion on sharpening your knives. Use what you’re comfortable with and capable of putting the desired edge you want. Doesn’t matter if it’s a lansky puck or the wicked edge.
You forgot about the EDGE PRO dude. It's been around for a long time and works great.
Just bought a wicked edge pro pak1 on your recommendation...for my Kramer zwilling kitchen knives.