One of your best put together videos ever. Very to the point with 100% accurate assessments presented in a perfectly matter of fact way. Bravo Alex Bravo!
I've been a KME user for 3 years. IMO, The biggest advantage KME has over the competition is their customer service. IT IS FANTASTIC! KME stands behind their sharpener. If it breaks, they send you (me) a new part. It's made in the USA of quality materials. I'm a klutz. I can get a polished razor edge on my knives with little effort. Even on S30V and D2, which are said to be hard to sharpen. I did purchase an aftermarket CNC turned taller stainless post for my base which makes it easier to flip longer knives and clear the counter top. I went from a Lansky to a Wicked Edge (hated it and quickly sold it at a profit) to a KME. I'm very happy with my KME. And Brian (from KME) is an email away if you need help. THANKS for this video Alex!!
@@floraly88 Pretty much everything. I didn't like the way it mounted the edge up. The model I had didn't hold the blade tightly. It was difficult to repeat the blade position for follow up sharpenings. The only thing I did like about the WE is that I sold it on ebay for considerably more than I paid for it. I don't want to get into a keyboard war with anyone. These are MY opinions and dislikes. If you like the WE, good for you. I'm glad it's working FOR YOU. I like the KME because it solves all of those problems FOR ME.
You released this 2 days after I bought my KME sharpener. I honestly agree with everything you said. I love the wood and metal design as well. It's also great how the system can be fitted with different jaws or any 1 x 4 sharpening stone.
I love your videos and I love the fact that you're promoting this product. I was gifted one by the brother of the designer when I used to pump gas. He came to get gas and I asked about the system because he had stickers on his truck. After talking for a bit about knife enthusiasm and sharpening he gave me a free kit.
100% agree. Bought this several years ago and have been very happy with it, and I have gotten great results. Your videos have inspired me to give hand sharpening another go, thanks for your great content.
I own a tsprof kadet system and the hapstone rs too, I use them on my expensive knives so I don't mess their blades. Still I learnerd to sharpen by free hand thanks to you and Jerad's videos
I want to thank you for this video. I recently found your channel a couple of months ago. I got a knife that my water stones couldn't remove material on. I purchased the new KME and I can't stop sharpening knives. All mine are as sharp as I always wanted them and I am asking all of my friends to sharpen theirs. I needed this. Your videos are awesome. Thank you.
Good to hear. That's the exact system I've been using for a few years. Rather than go with the base, I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in my work bench, got a 1/2 inch diameter steel rod a little over foot long, and that fits into the handle. It's at a good height for working with it while standing.
The KME is super dope. Have it for many years and it has served me well. Currently I only use it to re-profile my super steel knives. Everything else goes by hand on the Shaptons.
I retired mine to make way for a Hapstone, and now finally settled into a TSProf pro. The biggest selling point for me was the 6 inch platform and better clamping. I never thought about removing the handle and mounting frame on a bench. The designer intended it to be used like playing a fiddle. It does work good relaxing in recliner. 😊 I did notice some clamp walking on that larger knife you demonstrated. That's why I retired mine, clamping. It just can't handle the pressures you need on harder vitrified stones. That's why I highly recommend their diamond plates. Or anything that's friable like Naniwa. No pressure needed. It's still a great tool and a stepping stone to other guidance systems. Their magnetic ax guide is a good tool as well. Great content Alex!
I have a kme. I have the work sharp that came out a year or two back too. Haven’t used the work sharp yet. Kme just works. It’s easy and mindless. I do want to get the polishing stones though.
I always appreciate your honesty when you talk about products. Thanks for all the hard work you put in to make these videos for us. Hope youre feeling well, looking forward to more of your content
I do love my KME, it's only about 2 years old with all the bells and whistles. I am casting an envious eye at the new KME with the dual clamps and 6" stones since it can handle the longer blades more easily. But I'll have to wait until my system wears out or until I gift it to my son.
My grandpa taught me how to freehand sharpen knives when I was 8 or 9 years old. I never had whetstones through my teens and 20s. In my mid30s I decided to get the “best tech” in knife sharpening. I bought lansky, then powered then us made fixed angle system then Russian made fixed angle system… Than imagine my surprise when right before the Rona I found outdoors55 and all the freehand instructions. All that to say that all my systems are but away in their boxes and I have 4 whetstones and 2 strops in a drawer in the kitchen drawer. And of those I mostly use 1 stone and 1 strop. It’s the quickest method with excellent result (For me). Thanks for all your videos.
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 I have Naniwa professional 220,(I think it’s the same as chosera but thinner), naniwa chosera 400, 800 and 3000. Of those I use 800 the most. The strops are both on a 3” leather belt making material on 3/4” plywood, one, rough side out with 6 micron wax based paste, I believe I ordered from amazon that came from Ukraine pretty cheap. The other smooth side out with jende 1 micron paste. I mostly use the 6 micron strop. That’s for kitchen knives. For pocket knives I mostly use 800, 3000 and 1 micron strop. To check sharpness of pocket knives I use a thin walled water bottle like from Costco, Walmart etc, and see if it can whittle where it chokes towards the neck of bottle without cutting through or sliding. I’m sure other stones would work just fine but those are the first ones I started buying and they fit well into the kitchen drawer.
I have the KME.Been using it for about 3 years. I have a variety of sharpeners but the KME is the only one I have that I can get the knives REALLY sharpened. I don't know why, but it's just that way. The Beast truly does get very dull knives the starting angle you want rather quickly.
'fixed angle' sharpeners are awesome. I have a deferent brand and it gets my knives sharp and they really hold their edge. The KME looks like a good system.
I just started watching a decent amount of your videos. Wow, you’ve earned my subscription. Great content. And very well explained. I appreciate your channel.
I appreciate you sharing this video, thanks! I'm a noob at sharpening and I honestly don't care about the act of sharpening that much, all I really care about is getting a pretty sharp edge. So I love the idea of these jigs as an easy way to get more of my edges sharp. Great to know this one is reasonably good at getting a job done. I also love getting advice from this community because people (ignoring bots) here seem really passionate about the details of the act of sharpening!
Thanks for this video. I've used a KME for all my pocket knives for several years. Big kitchen knives I do by hand using diamond and Arkansas stones, but for my pocket knives I love the KME. I have both the strops with diamond emulsion and the polishing tapes. It does work and I'm happy to hear your thoughts on it. I wish my hands were good enough to hold a small knife well enough to hand sharpen as you do, but for me the KME is best. Thanks again for the post.
Have the Lansky system and it works well, the clamp does not hold the knife real tight so I have just added layer of electrical tape to the clamping surfaces and that takes care of the problem. I also change angles as I sharpen, lower angle to start to thin out the blade and then more angle to make the edge hold up better.
The lanksy does not work for me at all. The stones are gummed up immediately and the clamp is bad. Not sure what i'm doing wrong. Are you using the included oil when using it?
Nice to see some fixed angle love. In regards to the 'this clamp will fit large blades', how large are we talking? Because as a pro chef I have some really large blades, like 10, 12 and even a few 14 inch long blades. I'd love to see a vid on longer and larger knives in a fixed angle setting.
@@ericfg806 im actually not sure...id have to check. It will do. 10" chefs knofe no problem but don't know the limits. I cam check, but maybe reach out to them. They are great to deal with.
Yeah they're to me the best fixed angle system. I love that there are soooo many stones that work with it, it's easy to set up, easy to use, and you get amazing results and if you need replacement parts they are easy to get.
I purchased my KME about 10 years ago when they were still sold with actual natural stones instead of diamond stones. About two years ago I purchased one for my son as a gift and he likes it very much. He is not "into" sharpening like I am, he just wants sharp kitchen knives. His KME came with diamond stones. They also make and sell a smaller and thinner clamp that is much better at holding small pocket knives - works quite well. Basically the KME does work very well and is reasonably priced. I have not used mine in a while because I now use a Sharpal diamond hand stone (8' x 3") as per your recommendation along with a home made strop and 4 micron diamond emulsion (again, at your recommendations). I have recently started up a small knife sharpening business and the Sharpal can sharpen almost any kitchen knife to super sharp in about 5-7 minutes. A blunt one in 10 minutes. While the KME is perfect for a homeowner wanting to keep their knives sharp, it is just too slow a process as a business venture and being able to actually make a few bucks. That said, the KME is a very solid system and has lasted me for over 10 years with regular use (up till recently). The stones do need to be replaced every so often and I would now opt to buy diamond stones to replace the natural ones if and when I need replacements. Right this moment I am in love with the Sharpal diamond stones, treated strop and hand sharpening. I like the Sharpal so much I bought 2 more after seeing just how well it worked. Like I said, I am now starting up a sharpening service and they make quick and excellent work of producing perfect edges in conjunction with the strop. Sir, THANK YOU for all your honest and most useful advise on knife sharpening I've ever found on TH-cam!! I have recommended your channel to over a half dozen people so far and I hope you grow your channel by leaps and bounds. You seem to have the best, no nonsense techniques and methods along with excellent product advise! I also like your sense of humor - lol!
Hi, I describe myself as a hobby sharpener, so your videos come in really nice with the expertise you have. Your 7 levels of sharp video was in fact the thing, which inspired me to push myself and try how far i can go. But here I ran into some problems. In this video you briefly showed the polish kit, which goes as far as 0.1 micron. I myself bought a quite big lineup of stops. My progression is the following: Sharpal 325 → 1200 → DMT Dia extra fine → Naniwa Dia pro 3000 → 6000 → Jende 1 Micron → 0,5 → 0,25 → 0,1 When I am at the DMT stone I feel, that the knive has more bite than after the Naniwa stones. I also tried different strops. First I used normal leather, but thought the results may be better with the Jende Nanocloth strops, which should be made for their compound. With those Nanocloth strops I think the edge rolls like instantly, which makes no sense to me. I get a burr on one side of the blade and can't remove that and need to start at the DMT stone again. Have you experience with those Nanocloth strops from Jende?
I am using a fix Angle knive sharpener and I am pretty happy with it. I sharpen not often, so a system like that is nice when you do not have the muscle memory to do it free hand.
Totally agree with you. Also recommend the Elite version, the extra stones give much better results than just 320, 600 and ceramic stone. + stopping afterwards
The clamp the knife part is the critical zone of the Ill Hold Your Knife For You sharpeners. Some blade shapes are their nemesis. Repeatability to do it this time like you did it last time, can be challenging. Another excellent vid.!!
Hello, Ive been watching and enjoying your videos for quite some time. I just ordered myself the KME sharpening system. I couldnt seem to find the 4in. 50 grit diamond stone/file you reference in your video for profiling edges. Any way you could send a link for this? I appreciate what you do. Thanks!
I have a works sharp system, which is very similar. The KME does look better. But i end up getting micro scratches just above my edge sometimes. I try to keep everything clean and yet it still happens. Also have gotten marks from the clamp. I like freehand better most of the time, except for reprofiling. Id love a Tsprof kadet pro but id almost have to start a sharpening business to justify paying for one. Thanks for the solid review and info. Your experience is very valuable
I really enjoy your time :) thanks for the laughts, for teaching us. I've learn a lot of stuff from you and I hope karma returns all good things you give.
Table systems like edge pro style are extremely versatile and adaptable for a variety of situations and blade geometries and blade designs. And can be used to fix certain issues effectively due to the versatility.
I love my TSPROF system, but I will also take the time to master sharpening by hand on a stone. My system is built like an absolute tank. it's solid and well-made. very little movement in the system while sharpening, which is awesome.
I have one aswell, i also got some poltava diamond tool stones aswell as the edge pro diamond matrix stones and polishtapes, but i also freehand all my kitchen knifes
This channel taught me how to hand sharpen on a diamond stone. (i bought the Sharpal stone $70) I am now producing very nice edges on all my knives as well as my plane irons and hand chisels. Spending $245 on this KME system isn't worth it for me.
For the beginning definitly, i started with a 13€ aluminum oxide stone and i got my knifes to shave my arm no problem, but i also dont regret spending 400€ on a angled system because im lazy and had money to burn.
you can get the worksharp precision adjust for significantly less. I love sharpening on a regular stone, but I also love the convenience of a fixed angle sharpener.
I have been putting off replacing my old worn WorkSharp for long enough. I pulled the trigger on this one based on your recco. I tried hand sharpening and I am less than happy with the results. I look forward to razor sharp edges on my EDCs again.
Bought one of these recently, second hand. I have to say I've not managed to get exceptionally sharp edges from it yet, but I guess it's just a matter of keep practicing.
Do you have a strop with good compound? A strop can make a huge difference, it also helps to make a few light passes at the end of each grit to take the burr of a bit more, or you just havent apexed yet, but im sure you'll get there soon enouhg, it also took me a while to be happy with my results
@@Nite-owlmy first strop was a old leather belt with polishing compount from the hardware store, you dont have to get a super nice one right away, there is also a older video on this here channel about just that, a cheap diy strop. It will work just about the same and will elevate your edge to never seen before sharpness, you can also maintain a not so sharp edge with a strop if you dont feel like touching it up with a stone. Works wonders for not so much money
@@Nite-owl make sure you are starting at correct angle and sharpening to you see or feel a bur. If you dont see or feel a bur, your sharpening angle may be off making it seem that it is not working or getting sharp enough. I use a sharpie to find correct sharpening angle watch outdoor55 vid on finding the bur
The third important thing is the distance between the pivot and the clamp. If it's too short, the angle will be very different between the center and the tip of the blade. I stopped using this system because by construction, the edge cannot have a constant angle along the knife. It's very obvious on long knives
@@OUTDOORS55 I don't get your reply, that's just how it works. The tip of the blade will have a significantly narrower angle. It's just geometry, and by experience it's very obvious if your blade is flat (I mean not curved)
@@OUTDOORS55 sorry, but angle does change. Imagine you clamp a long straight knife in the system, at the middle of the length of the edge . Say it's about 8" horizontal distance from the center of the edge to the bracket with the pivot. And say the pivot center is 8" above the knife edge. (Goofy angles, but just to illustrate). That gives 45 dps at the center of the edge (arctan(8/8)). Now, move out 8" from center of edge. Horizontal distance is now sqrt(8^2+8^2) or roughly 11". The sharpening angle here is now atan(8/11) or 35 degrees. As I said, goofy angles, but just wanting to show how and why that angle changes.
I got myself a tsprof blitz a long while ago and im pretty happy with it, takes a while but getting that crisp mirror polish on the edgr is worth the time, espacially with stuff like Maxamet or REX 121 it makes the job a lot easier for me
@@OUTDOORS55its great for pocket knifes, together with the edge pro diamond matrix stones and lapping film+plates was the best investment i ever had after my car.
Awesome video! Thank you for your observations and video creation. So, your recommendation on minimum selection of grit levels for it are 60, 300, and 1500, plus strop? If it’s the same as the double sided Sharpal manual stone it would be 300 and 1200, plus a 3 micron or 6 micron diamond strop?
I've bought a fixed angle knife sharpener (like the one in the video) from Worksharp last year and wasn't happy about it. The major problem that I had was that the sharpening angle doesnt remain the same over the length of the blade and it confuses me a little that you doesn't mention this. If I clamp in a normal sized chefs knife with a 20cm Blade the sharpening angle becomes extremly flat when the sharpening rod reaches out to the sides and is not in line whith the blade holding arm of the sharpener anymore. For example if I clamp the chefs knife in the middle of the bladelenght the sharpening bevel at the tip of the knife becomes double as wide as the bevel at the clamped segment of the blade. Do I did something wrong or why do you seem to doesn't have this Problem ? Besides from that, great content again !! It's always a pleasure to watch a new video of yours!
I have the same thoughts and concerns and would like to hear an explanation. Having said that, does it really matter that the angle changes over the length of the blade as long as it is sharp? My concern with that is, if the angle is too sharp the retention may suffer with roll over and chipping. I would like to hear an evaluation by these experienced guys.
@@georgeclark7208 if the angle would change just one degree or something like that I am sure it wouldn't be that big of a problem and sure if it's sharp it does the job but it is like u said. The change of the angle seems to be quite significant and this does definitely affect how well the blade stays sharp at these areas...... besides that it looks awful too 🙈
@@TheZaji fixed angle systems dont change sharpening angle regardless of blade length. In the same way a roof doesn't change angle regardless of its length. Your bevels being wider has more to do with the thickness of your blade grind.
I have a Lansky system and purchased it back in the 1980's thereabouts. I don't like it because the stones wear down quickly and you cannot sharpen a knife with a worn down stone. I now purchase whet stones from Dan's whetstone company. Great stuff. I've also purchased a device for flattening stones if they wear down.
Another thing to mention: A *lot* of the various less expensive fixed angle systems you can buy out there are literal exact copies of a fixed angle sharpening system Lansky first made and patented pre-world War II, and still sells in an essentially only very minimally modified fashion. Specifically they replaced certain wood or metallic elements with plastics, but not the stones or guide rods. So if you ever lose or break a part, or just want to add new stones better suited to your particular method for sharpening your knives even if you somehow can't find a replacement in your local hardware store or sporting goods section of a big box or other department store, you can quite easily get them. As long as you aren't paying an absurd amount of money for more expensive ones that use exclusively proprietary hardware (looking at you edge pro, TSPROF, and Worksharp) it's literally extremely likely your fixed angle system has a very wide variety of inexpensive decent quality compatible parts or accessories made both by the direct manufacturer and third party makers. Also, if you ever lose the guide rods, a lot of them are just the cheap L shaped steel tent pegs you can buy at walmart with a thread cut into them. Sometimes, if you can find the inexplicably threaded L shaped tent pegs they'll sometimes sell under the ozark trail label, you don't even need to do that. That said, if your specific fixed angle knife sharpener doesn't come with a carrying case of some sort, buy one. One of the nice things about fixed angle knife sharpening systems is that they're a very portable way to easily get very consistent sharpening results even in field conditions if you're not to comfortable freehanding it.
Well, I free hand sharpen all of my tools and knives. One thing seems to stick out to me about this set up, and I am wondering if it is a safety thing or you learn by trial and error. I would think some sort of edge protector would be necessary with this set up. Mostly to keep you from pushing too far and getting your fingers cut. I would think some sort of softer plastic that would not damage your knife edge.
Thanks again for inspiring me to try something new.:) I also want to add that a polishing kit like the one you have is not available on KME's site for some reason.
Love your videos. Do you think it would be possible for you to do a video on using this KME system to see how you personally would sharpen a knife to a razors edge. Step by step is a great teaching tool. How to apex. Make sure the apex is centered. After you get the burr on both sides, is the knife truly sharp at this point, Then remove the burr. Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I’ve used my fixed angle system starting out but watching your content and with practice, l’m getting better using stones. Any suggestions for convex knives like Bark River knives? I haven’t gotten good results from stones and FA sharpeners are useless. Might make a great video.
Thank you for the recommendation, I still use the Work Sharp system you and your brother recommended and for me it’s perfect still. It may not be hair whittling sharp, but all of my knives are sharp and I can sharpen anything that’s dull, but I haven’t tried sharpening a shovel yet 😂
I am a recent follower but I have gone back to older videos for info. So much info! One thing I wonder about is, just how many knives DO you sharpen per day? Is it a business? Cos you have so many stones of various types & now you have a fixed angle one bolted to the bench as well? 😆
I built a 2 foot version of this for my 18" machete. I do a lot of trail clearing, it needs to be sharpened daily in summer. I put 3 6" stones and a strop on the four sides of a piece of 2x2 attached to the hypotenuse rod so no need to swap out stones. Also, my clamp is actuated by hammering a felling wedge in the back.
I have one. It's great, and if you want a 6" stone adapter Hapstone makes one for around $40. It is useful for larger knives as the standard system maxes out at around 9-10" blades.
Your summary of this sharpener is spot on i own one of these amd completly agree. Mineless sharpening with amazing results. I own a chinese version of this they are only $50 now. I got a whole buch of extra stones and a 3000 and 6000 grit roughly $3-4 each. Its pointless going past 3000 unless you really want to impress someone with stupidity sharp. The 3000 and 6000 will produce a nice mirror finish.
Loved my KME when I had it, but the 4" stones are a real limitation, and it's not great for knives over 6". Now I have a Hapstone system which resolves those issues, but it's generally reserved for big bellied knives that don't work so well on a Tormek. I also like to freehand, but that's generally reserved for beater knives as I don't have the angle control to freehand a flat edge bevel.
Interesting! I haven't had a problem even with larger blades but it may depend on how you use it and if you have it mounted to the bench, or use it handheld.👍
@@Salvatore-h9t freehand is definitely the cheapest option. There actually a lot that goes i to making stuff especially here in the usa like this system. The price is actually pretty cheap for what it is compared to other systems.
Do you have any recommended katana sharpening kits/stones and techniques that can hone the edge of a T10 blade to ultra sharp. Recently bought a custom made blade but I feel like it’s not sharp enough and would like to learn and do it myself.Apologies if you have done a video like this before already. Love your videos, very eye opening and informative.
I think thise macro shots of the stones would look much cleaner if you did a photo stack instead of moving the focus along the block. Always enjoy the information in your videos and been looking into one of these myself for a while now and this definitely will help me
I do stack in all of the macro pics, sometimes is still hard to perceive depth. So vido cam give some perspective of depth at different angles showing if theres any grit contamination a touch better 👍
Hmm, I own this system and have used it for several years. I have had to change the jaws and the rubber liners in the jaws don’t last long. I have seen several of my edges not lining up also. One side will be a different angle than the other, because when you really clamp down on the jaws, it squishes the rubber liners.
I find the most difficult thing with the kme is to clamp the blade into a position where all portions of the edge get sharpened in the same angle. That often times doesn't really work out.
@@OUTDOORS55 yeah, unfortunately most of the times there will be a different angle on the belly/ close to the tip, that's the advantage of free hand methods Like stones or belts. The downside of stones is, that it takes alot of practice to get to a level where you can constantly produce even edges. You are probably familiar with the DBK boys, and might have heard of Malanika. I ordererd a custom bushcraft knife of the guy myself, and his hand sharpened on stone edge looks like it can only be made with a machine, insane skill, and quality knives!
Hi Alex, great video as usual, but could you tell me if you are left handed as when I see you sharpening it appears you nearly always hold the knife handle with your left hand or is the video mirrored and you are actually right handed, thanks 👍🏼
@@OUTDOORS55 Thank you for taking the time to let me know, I copied your way of sharpening by holding the knife in my left hand, even though I am right handed and I managed to actually sharpen some knives freehand better than I ever have previously using my dominant hand, now that's weird lol, but I was also using the sharpel 325/1200 diamond stone you recommend 👍🏼
i do have the lansky and youre absoletuly right about the clamp ( also the repeatability ) for stable clamping i use light oil on the blade or masking tape then the gap ( like a flat grind knife ) and fill the gap with epoxy paste because the clamp just cant hold it still ever also since the angle are kind of fixed ( different hole for different angle ) then its kind of hard to figure how the blade should stick out for the choosen angle
Hey Alex, what stone were you using for that recurve blade? I have some recurve designs I'm going to be getting to soon and was looking for a radius stone set or something to use in my KME for them
Great review. I prefer using only stones but that seems like a good product. Just one think I disagree. Sharpen at 20 degrees only will leave good aesthetics but bad cutting performance even if it's shaving sharp.
"fixed angle" is actually a misnomer. By "fixed angle" I mean the angle between the tangential plane of the sharpening stone and the center longitudinal plane point of the knife. That angle is held constant as you move the stone outward and inward when the stone is right over the center-point of the stand. However, that is only ~3/8 to 1/2" worth of edge. However, as you swivel the stone from the tip to the heel, that angle actually is altered slightly. The effect is greater as the length or curvature of the blade increases. But for most 'normal' shaped blades up to ~200mm or so it doesn't make a significant difference. But a 450mm Sujihiki? Definitely.
Not a bad kit, but I’ll stick to my Sharpal 162N for 98% of my knives. It’s just too easy with a final strop with diamond compound. Glad to see you’re doin good brother! Keep your head up! Soli Deo Gloria~
A lot of those systems have trouble with low Scandi grinds, that is my only gripe. The clamp gets in the way often when you have to go at 12° a side. There are some that use magnets to hold the blade, but those don't hold the knife securely enough (and won't work on non magnetic kitchen knives). I wish there was a better clamping system.
You can go down to 10 degrees using the thin low profile clamp (optional) on TSProf. But for what it's worth, I use 12 deg for my thinnest knives so that I am not tied down to just one sharpening system in the future
Hello Alex, i would like to invest in my first good stone setup, do u think ATOMA 140 with leather strop (4 micrones) would be able make my knives shaving sharp? want to know if i need to buy some higher grit stone, or second high grit stone.
I recently picked up an Atoma No. 140 - for reprofiling edges. It's a very course, aggressive abrasive stone. I'm hoping Alex will give you some suggestions...
Thanks for another well done video. You mentioned before that you had your own diamond stopping compound made, and you recommend Jende, but do you have any thoughts on Gunny Juice and Handamerican compounds? I'm curious if there are additives in the various compounds that make them better or worse or if the poly vs mono diamond and diamond consistency actually matter. There seems to be a lot of conflicting and opinion based information out there without much backing.
I've had one for years, and I always use it first to get a consistent angle, because I'm not very good at that on stones. I can't get a really sharp edge with it though. I always follow up with stones and a strop to refine the edge, although it's still not quite to my satisfaction.
I have a Ganzo system with magnetic retention. It has its own inconveniences but the huge advantage is that you can sharpen narrow blades like Victorinox and scissors easily. The main inconvenience is storing the neodymium magnet itself lol. Once had it jump on my fridge like a rabid dog.
KME system Im using in the video amzn.to/3XXXA8e (affiliate link)
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One of your best put together videos ever. Very to the point with 100% accurate assessments presented in a perfectly matter of fact way. Bravo Alex Bravo!
Thanks!
I've been a KME user for 3 years. IMO, The biggest advantage KME has over the competition is their customer service. IT IS FANTASTIC! KME stands behind their sharpener. If it breaks, they send you (me) a new part. It's made in the USA of quality materials. I'm a klutz. I can get a polished razor edge on my knives with little effort. Even on S30V and D2, which are said to be hard to sharpen. I did purchase an aftermarket CNC turned taller stainless post for my base which makes it easier to flip longer knives and clear the counter top. I went from a Lansky to a Wicked Edge (hated it and quickly sold it at a profit) to a KME. I'm very happy with my KME. And Brian (from KME) is an email away if you need help. THANKS for this video Alex!!
@@krazmokramer yes they are good people! Everything is usa made and replaceable.
What bugged you about the wicked edge?
@@floraly88 Pretty much everything. I didn't like the way it mounted the edge up. The model I had didn't hold the blade tightly. It was difficult to repeat the blade position for follow up sharpenings. The only thing I did like about the WE is that I sold it on ebay for considerably more than I paid for it. I don't want to get into a keyboard war with anyone. These are MY opinions and dislikes. If you like the WE, good for you. I'm glad it's working FOR YOU. I like the KME because it solves all of those problems FOR ME.
You released this 2 days after I bought my KME sharpener. I honestly agree with everything you said. I love the wood and metal design as well. It's also great how the system can be fitted with different jaws or any 1 x 4 sharpening stone.
Yeah I didn't even get into a lot of the other accessories. 👍
The KME is awesome and the guy that owns the business is freaking awesome
I love your videos and I love the fact that you're promoting this product. I was gifted one by the brother of the designer when I used to pump gas. He came to get gas and I asked about the system because he had stickers on his truck. After talking for a bit about knife enthusiasm and sharpening he gave me a free kit.
100% agree. Bought this several years ago and have been very happy with it, and I have gotten great results. Your videos have inspired me to give hand sharpening another go, thanks for your great content.
As a custom knife maker I use the KME to make extremely sharp, mirrored edges to wow my customer base.
This video was helpful for me. I have been thinking about getting the KME. Thanks.
I own a tsprof kadet system and the hapstone rs too, I use them on my expensive knives so I don't mess their blades. Still I learnerd to sharpen by free hand thanks to you and Jerad's videos
I want to thank you for this video. I recently found your channel a couple of months ago. I got a knife that my water stones couldn't remove material on. I purchased the new KME and I can't stop sharpening knives. All mine are as sharp as I always wanted them and I am asking all of my friends to sharpen theirs. I needed this. Your videos are awesome. Thank you.
Good to hear. That's the exact system I've been using for a few years. Rather than go with the base, I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in my work bench, got a 1/2 inch diameter steel rod a little over foot long, and that fits into the handle. It's at a good height for working with it while standing.
Nice system. I've seen a bunch of variations on this over the years, but I do like the simplicity presented here. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks man. Your integrity
is always appreciated.
The KME is super dope. Have it for many years and it has served me well. Currently I only use it to re-profile my super steel knives. Everything else goes by hand on the Shaptons.
The quality of your videos does not go unnoticed. I enjoy watching.
I retired mine to make way for a Hapstone, and now finally settled into a TSProf pro. The biggest selling point for me was the 6 inch platform and better clamping.
I never thought about removing the handle and mounting frame on a bench. The designer intended it to be used like playing a fiddle. It does work good relaxing in recliner. 😊
I did notice some clamp walking on that larger knife you demonstrated. That's why I retired mine, clamping. It just can't handle the pressures you need on harder vitrified stones. That's why I highly recommend their diamond plates. Or anything that's friable like Naniwa. No pressure needed. It's still a great tool and a stepping stone to other guidance systems. Their magnetic ax guide is a good
tool as well.
Great content Alex!
I have a kme. I have the work sharp that came out a year or two back too. Haven’t used the work sharp yet. Kme just works. It’s easy and mindless. I do want to get the polishing stones though.
I have been getting crazy razor sharp mirror edges with my KME or years now and love it! Can't see spending $1k for other fixed angle systems!?
I bought my KME a few years ago. Love it
The new system looks nice, but having the original will suit me fine for now. 👍🏻 great video
Good review!
This is a great fixed angle sharpener, and good value too. Consistent and simple to use.
I always appreciate your honesty when you talk about products. Thanks for all the hard work you put in to make these videos for us. Hope youre feeling well, looking forward to more of your content
I like the looks of this system. Thank you.
I do love my KME, it's only about 2 years old with all the bells and whistles. I am casting an envious eye at the new KME with the dual clamps and 6" stones since it can handle the longer blades more easily. But I'll have to wait until my system wears out or until I gift it to my son.
Sorry, when did you say his birthday is? 😄
My grandpa taught me how to freehand sharpen knives when I was 8 or 9 years old. I never had whetstones through my teens and 20s. In my mid30s I decided to get the “best tech” in knife sharpening. I bought lansky, then powered then us made fixed angle system then Russian made fixed angle system… Than imagine my surprise when right before the Rona I found outdoors55 and all the freehand instructions. All that to say that all my systems are but away in their boxes and I have 4 whetstones and 2 strops in a drawer in the kitchen drawer. And of those I mostly use 1 stone and 1 strop. It’s the quickest method with excellent result (For me). Thanks for all your videos.
Just out of curiosity, which stones, what strop compound on what surface (rough / smooth leather, fabric, balsa wood etc.)
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 I have Naniwa professional 220,(I think it’s the same as chosera but thinner), naniwa chosera 400, 800 and 3000. Of those I use 800 the most. The strops are both on a 3” leather belt making material on 3/4” plywood, one, rough side out with 6 micron wax based paste, I believe I ordered from amazon that came from Ukraine pretty cheap. The other smooth side out with jende 1 micron paste. I mostly use the 6 micron strop. That’s for kitchen knives. For pocket knives I mostly use 800, 3000 and 1 micron strop. To check sharpness of pocket knives I use a thin walled water bottle like from Costco, Walmart etc, and see if it can whittle where it chokes towards the neck of bottle without cutting through or sliding.
I’m sure other stones would work just fine but those are the first ones I started buying and they fit well into the kitchen drawer.
I have the KME.Been using it for about 3 years. I have a variety of sharpeners but the KME is the only one I have that I can get the knives REALLY sharpened. I don't know why, but it's just that way. The Beast truly does get very dull knives the starting angle you want rather quickly.
'fixed angle' sharpeners are awesome. I have a deferent brand and it gets my knives sharp and they really hold their edge. The KME looks like a good system.
I just started watching a decent amount of your videos. Wow, you’ve earned my subscription. Great content. And very well explained. I appreciate your channel.
Greetings from Austria Europe! Thanks for all the years of sharpening videos!
Griaß di 🇦🇹
@@flefdisconnected6830 Servas 😄
Oida!
Griass di a... aus NÖ
Ja kerle servus... Da hugo hierb😂🎉😅
I appreciate you sharing this video, thanks! I'm a noob at sharpening and I honestly don't care about the act of sharpening that much, all I really care about is getting a pretty sharp edge. So I love the idea of these jigs as an easy way to get more of my edges sharp. Great to know this one is reasonably good at getting a job done. I also love getting advice from this community because people (ignoring bots) here seem really passionate about the details of the act of sharpening!
Thanks for this video. I've used a KME for all my pocket knives for several years. Big kitchen knives I do by hand using diamond and Arkansas stones, but for my pocket knives I love the KME. I have both the strops with diamond emulsion and the polishing tapes. It does work and I'm happy to hear your thoughts on it. I wish my hands were good enough to hold a small knife well enough to hand sharpen as you do, but for me the KME is best. Thanks again for the post.
Have the Lansky system and it works well, the clamp does not hold the knife real tight so I have just added layer of electrical tape to the clamping surfaces and that takes care of the problem. I also change angles as I sharpen, lower angle to start to thin out the blade and then more angle to make the edge hold up better.
Snap. I’m using electrical tape on mine too. The Lansky is great.
First time I used mine, the clamp slipped and left a circular scuff on the blade. Now I always use a strip of leather or silicone on it.
The lanksy does not work for me at all. The stones are gummed up immediately and the clamp is bad. Not sure what i'm doing wrong. Are you using the included oil when using it?
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 I went for the diamond stones they work great.
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 You use the oil to clean the stones
Thank you!
Love my K03 Pro, just a pleasure for high end knives, every part and accessory is a jewel.
Nice to see some fixed angle love. In regards to the 'this clamp will fit large blades', how large are we talking? Because as a pro chef I have some really large blades, like 10, 12 and even a few 14 inch long blades. I'd love to see a vid on longer and larger knives in a fixed angle setting.
@@ericfg806 im actually not sure...id have to check. It will do. 10" chefs knofe no problem but don't know the limits. I cam check, but maybe reach out to them. They are great to deal with.
KME rocks. Unbeatable warranty and customer service too!
If i was being payed $250 for $5 worth of parts you better believe my 🍭🍭🍭 would be taken care of... 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah they're to me the best fixed angle system. I love that there are soooo many stones that work with it, it's easy to set up, easy to use, and you get amazing results and if you need replacement parts they are easy to get.
@@gonzalez7805 You're talking out of your ass my man. They're USA made. Not cheap. I actually know what their profit margins are and they are small.
It sounds to me like you're getting a piece of that 🥧
@@gonzalez7805 Not even a penny. Stop trolling dude. Looks weak.
That thing looks beautiful. I’ve just got a Lansky system, but that is still amazing
I purchased my KME about 10 years ago when they were still sold with actual natural stones instead of diamond stones. About two years ago I purchased one for my son as a gift and he likes it very much. He is not "into" sharpening like I am, he just wants sharp kitchen knives. His KME came with diamond stones. They also make and sell a smaller and thinner clamp that is much better at holding small pocket knives - works quite well. Basically the KME does work very well and is reasonably priced. I have not used mine in a while because I now use a Sharpal diamond hand stone (8' x 3") as per your recommendation along with a home made strop and 4 micron diamond emulsion (again, at your recommendations). I have recently started up a small knife sharpening business and the Sharpal can sharpen almost any kitchen knife to super sharp in about 5-7 minutes. A blunt one in 10 minutes. While the KME is perfect for a homeowner wanting to keep their knives sharp, it is just too slow a process as a business venture and being able to actually make a few bucks. That said, the KME is a very solid system and has lasted me for over 10 years with regular use (up till recently). The stones do need to be replaced every so often and I would now opt to buy diamond stones to replace the natural ones if and when I need replacements. Right this moment I am in love with the Sharpal diamond stones, treated strop and hand sharpening. I like the Sharpal so much I bought 2 more after seeing just how well it worked. Like I said, I am now starting up a sharpening service and they make quick and excellent work of producing perfect edges in conjunction with the strop. Sir, THANK YOU for all your honest and most useful advise on knife sharpening I've ever found on TH-cam!! I have recommended your channel to over a half dozen people so far and I hope you grow your channel by leaps and bounds. You seem to have the best, no nonsense techniques and methods along with excellent product advise! I also like your sense of humor - lol!
That 8 foot stone must weigh a ton!
@@chrimony Yes, but its great for machetes
he finally did a video on a guided system, with the bonus of checking the quality and consistency of the stone.
I am saving up for one. The edges looked great!
@@tomcat5284 if you're thinking about a fixed angle system this or the 6" kme are the ones to get imo.
Hi, I describe myself as a hobby sharpener, so your videos come in really nice with the expertise you have. Your 7 levels of sharp video was in fact the thing, which inspired me to push myself and try how far i can go. But here I ran into some problems.
In this video you briefly showed the polish kit, which goes as far as 0.1 micron. I myself bought a quite big lineup of stops. My progression is the following:
Sharpal 325 → 1200 → DMT Dia extra fine → Naniwa Dia pro 3000 → 6000 → Jende 1 Micron → 0,5 → 0,25 → 0,1
When I am at the DMT stone I feel, that the knive has more bite than after the Naniwa stones. I also tried different strops. First I used normal leather, but thought the results may be better with the Jende Nanocloth strops, which should be made for their compound. With those Nanocloth strops I think the edge rolls like instantly, which makes no sense to me. I get a burr on one side of the blade and can't remove that and need to start at the DMT stone again. Have you experience with those Nanocloth strops from Jende?
I am using a fix Angle knive sharpener and I am pretty happy with it. I sharpen not often, so a system like that is nice when you do not have the muscle memory to do it free hand.
I got the worksharp P.A. elite and It gets hair whittling sharp. Very good I recommend
Totally agree with you. Also recommend the Elite version, the extra stones give much better results than just 320, 600 and ceramic stone.
+ stopping afterwards
@@7784000 yeah the 800 and 220 are my favorite stones
The clamp the knife part is the critical zone of the Ill Hold Your Knife For You sharpeners. Some blade shapes are their nemesis. Repeatability to do it this time like you did it last time, can be challenging.
Another excellent vid.!!
Hello, Ive been watching and enjoying your videos for quite some time.
I just ordered myself the KME sharpening system. I couldnt seem to find the 4in. 50 grit diamond stone/file you reference in your video for profiling edges.
Any way you could send a link for this? I appreciate what you do. Thanks!
I have a works sharp system, which is very similar. The KME does look better. But i end up getting micro scratches just above my edge sometimes. I try to keep everything clean and yet it still happens. Also have gotten marks from the clamp. I like freehand better most of the time, except for reprofiling. Id love a Tsprof kadet pro but id almost have to start a sharpening business to justify paying for one. Thanks for the solid review and info. Your experience is very valuable
I really enjoy your time :) thanks for the laughts, for teaching us. I've learn a lot of stuff from you and I hope karma returns all good things you give.
Table systems like edge pro style are extremely versatile and adaptable for a variety of situations and blade geometries and blade designs. And can be used to fix certain issues effectively due to the versatility.
Also never apex with the kme beast and even avoid it if your looking to do any mirrored edges.
I love my TSPROF system, but I will also take the time to master sharpening by hand on a stone. My system is built like an absolute tank. it's solid and well-made. very little movement in the system while sharpening, which is awesome.
I have one aswell, i also got some poltava diamond tool stones aswell as the edge pro diamond matrix stones and polishtapes, but i also freehand all my kitchen knifes
Every time I fire-up my KO-3 I'm impressed all over again at the incredible design, engineering & build quality of the TSPROF...
This channel taught me how to hand sharpen on a diamond stone. (i bought the Sharpal stone $70)
I am now producing very nice edges on all my knives as well as my plane irons and hand chisels.
Spending $245 on this KME system isn't worth it for me.
This is the way
Completely agree, way too expensive!
For the beginning definitly, i started with a 13€ aluminum oxide stone and i got my knifes to shave my arm no problem, but i also dont regret spending 400€ on a angled system because im lazy and had money to burn.
you can get the worksharp precision adjust for significantly less. I love sharpening on a regular stone, but I also love the convenience of a fixed angle sharpener.
I have been putting off replacing my old worn WorkSharp for long enough. I pulled the trigger on this one based on your recco. I tried hand sharpening and I am less than happy with the results. I look forward to razor sharp edges on my EDCs again.
Bought one of these recently, second hand. I have to say I've not managed to get exceptionally sharp edges from it yet, but I guess it's just a matter of keep practicing.
Do you have a strop with good compound? A strop can make a huge difference, it also helps to make a few light passes at the end of each grit to take the burr of a bit more, or you just havent apexed yet, but im sure you'll get there soon enouhg, it also took me a while to be happy with my results
@@tryxxor No strop just yet, but it's on my list 🙂
@@Nite-owlmy first strop was a old leather belt with polishing compount from the hardware store, you dont have to get a super nice one right away, there is also a older video on this here channel about just that, a cheap diy strop.
It will work just about the same and will elevate your edge to never seen before sharpness, you can also maintain a not so sharp edge with a strop if you dont feel like touching it up with a stone. Works wonders for not so much money
@@Nite-owl make sure you are starting at correct angle and sharpening to you see or feel a bur. If you dont see or feel a bur, your sharpening angle may be off making it seem that it is not working or getting sharp enough.
I use a sharpie to find correct sharpening angle
watch outdoor55 vid on finding the bur
The third important thing is the distance between the pivot and the clamp. If it's too short, the angle will be very different between the center and the tip of the blade.
I stopped using this system because by construction, the edge cannot have a constant angle along the knife. It's very obvious on long knives
@@PAD32 that actually not true. Fixed angle systems sharpen at the same angle regardless of blade length.
@@OUTDOORS55 I don't get your reply, that's just how it works. The tip of the blade will have a significantly narrower angle. It's just geometry, and by experience it's very obvious if your blade is flat (I mean not curved)
@@OUTDOORS55 maybe you didn't have the problem because all the blades I see in your video are curved
@@OUTDOORS55 sorry, but angle does change. Imagine you clamp a long straight knife in the system, at the middle of the length of the edge . Say it's about 8" horizontal distance from the center of the edge to the bracket with the pivot. And say the pivot center is 8" above the knife edge. (Goofy angles, but just to illustrate). That gives 45 dps at the center of the edge (arctan(8/8)). Now, move out 8" from center of edge. Horizontal distance is now sqrt(8^2+8^2) or roughly 11". The sharpening angle here is now atan(8/11) or 35 degrees. As I said, goofy angles, but just wanting to show how and why that angle changes.
That's why the edge pro doesn't clamp. I don't think a clamp can be accurate with a full flat grind. Side to side I mean.
As of 11/2/24 this system is 25 dollars cheaper direct from KME - if you don't need or want the base. The Amazon system comes with the base.
Good of you to share that intel.
Good of you to share that intel.
Watching your fingers driving into the blade gives me the willies. I made a double stone sharpener using diamond stones on wood handles
I got myself a tsprof blitz a long while ago and im pretty happy with it, takes a while but getting that crisp mirror polish on the edgr is worth the time, espacially with stuff like Maxamet or REX 121 it makes the job a lot easier for me
Yeah thats more in line with the kme professional version. Im sure its nice 👍
@@OUTDOORS55its great for pocket knifes, together with the edge pro diamond matrix stones and lapping film+plates was the best investment i ever had after my car.
Awesome video! Thank you for your observations and video creation. So, your recommendation on minimum selection of grit levels for it are 60, 300, and 1500, plus strop? If it’s the same as the double sided Sharpal manual stone it would be 300 and 1200, plus a 3 micron or 6 micron diamond strop?
I've bought a fixed angle knife sharpener (like the one in the video) from Worksharp last year and wasn't happy about it. The major problem that I had was that the sharpening angle doesnt remain the same over the length of the blade and it confuses me a little that you doesn't mention this. If I clamp in a normal sized chefs knife with a 20cm Blade the sharpening angle becomes extremly flat when the sharpening rod reaches out to the sides and is not in line whith the blade holding arm of the sharpener anymore. For example if I clamp the chefs knife in the middle of the bladelenght the sharpening bevel at the tip of the knife becomes double as wide as the bevel at the clamped segment of the blade.
Do I did something wrong or why do you seem to doesn't have this Problem ?
Besides from that, great content again !! It's always a pleasure to watch a new video of yours!
I have the same thoughts and concerns and would like to hear an explanation. Having said that, does it really matter that the angle changes over the length of the blade as long as it is sharp? My concern with that is, if the angle is too sharp the retention may suffer with roll over and chipping. I would like to hear an evaluation by these experienced guys.
@@georgeclark7208 if the angle would change just one degree or something like that I am sure it wouldn't be that big of a problem and sure if it's sharp it does the job but it is like u said. The change of the angle seems to be quite significant and this does definitely affect how well the blade stays sharp at these areas...... besides that it looks awful too 🙈
@@TheZaji fixed angle systems dont change sharpening angle regardless of blade length. In the same way a roof doesn't change angle regardless of its length. Your bevels being wider has more to do with the thickness of your blade grind.
@@OUTDOORS55but a roof isn't pivoting around a fixed point (unless it is a conical roof).
I have a Lansky system and purchased it back in the 1980's thereabouts. I don't like it because the stones wear down quickly and you cannot sharpen a knife with a worn down stone. I now purchase whet stones from Dan's whetstone company. Great stuff. I've also purchased a device for flattening stones if they wear down.
Another thing to mention: A *lot* of the various less expensive fixed angle systems you can buy out there are literal exact copies of a fixed angle sharpening system Lansky first made and patented pre-world War II, and still sells in an essentially only very minimally modified fashion. Specifically they replaced certain wood or metallic elements with plastics, but not the stones or guide rods. So if you ever lose or break a part, or just want to add new stones better suited to your particular method for sharpening your knives even if you somehow can't find a replacement in your local hardware store or sporting goods section of a big box or other department store, you can quite easily get them.
As long as you aren't paying an absurd amount of money for more expensive ones that use exclusively proprietary hardware (looking at you edge pro, TSPROF, and Worksharp) it's literally extremely likely your fixed angle system has a very wide variety of inexpensive decent quality compatible parts or accessories made both by the direct manufacturer and third party makers.
Also, if you ever lose the guide rods, a lot of them are just the cheap L shaped steel tent pegs you can buy at walmart with a thread cut into them. Sometimes, if you can find the inexplicably threaded L shaped tent pegs they'll sometimes sell under the ozark trail label, you don't even need to do that. That said, if your specific fixed angle knife sharpener doesn't come with a carrying case of some sort, buy one. One of the nice things about fixed angle knife sharpening systems is that they're a very portable way to easily get very consistent sharpening results even in field conditions if you're not to comfortable freehanding it.
Well, I free hand sharpen all of my tools and knives. One thing seems to stick out to me about this set up, and I am wondering if it is a safety thing or you learn by trial and error. I would think some sort of edge protector would be necessary with this set up. Mostly to keep you from pushing too far and getting your fingers cut. I would think some sort of softer plastic that would not damage your knife edge.
The support under the clamp on the worksharp professional precision adjust new model is top notch in my opinion.
Thanks again for inspiring me to try something new.:) I also want to add that a polishing kit like the one you have is not available on KME's site for some reason.
Love your videos. Do you think it would be possible for you to do a video on using this KME system to see how you personally would sharpen a knife to a razors edge. Step by step is a great teaching tool. How to apex. Make sure the apex is centered. After you get the burr on both sides, is the knife truly sharp at this point, Then remove the burr. Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hi love your content❤
@@jul.420 thanks for the support! Really appreciate it!
I’ve used my fixed angle system starting out but watching your content and with practice, l’m getting better using stones. Any suggestions for convex knives like Bark River knives? I haven’t gotten good results from stones and FA sharpeners are useless. Might make a great video.
Thank you for the recommendation, I still use the Work Sharp system you and your brother recommended and for me it’s perfect still. It may not be hair whittling sharp, but all of my knives are sharp and I can sharpen anything that’s dull, but I haven’t tried sharpening a shovel yet 😂
I am a recent follower but I have gone back to older videos for info. So much info!
One thing I wonder about is, just how many knives DO you sharpen per day? Is it a business? Cos you have so many stones of various types & now you have a fixed angle one bolted to the bench as well? 😆
I built a 2 foot version of this for my 18" machete. I do a lot of trail clearing, it needs to be sharpened daily in summer. I put 3 6" stones and a strop on the four sides of a piece of 2x2 attached to the hypotenuse rod so no need to swap out stones. Also, my clamp is actuated by hammering a felling wedge in the back.
I got a DMT aligner with 4 stones about a month ago . The stones are really good and bang for buck I’m happy with it .
I have one. It's great, and if you want a 6" stone adapter Hapstone makes one for around $40. It is useful for larger knives as the standard system maxes out at around 9-10" blades.
Nice. Don't forget to vote for the moshiach, goy.
Your summary of this sharpener is spot on i own one of these amd completly agree. Mineless sharpening with amazing results.
I own a chinese version of this they are only $50 now. I got a whole buch of extra stones and a 3000 and 6000 grit roughly $3-4 each. Its pointless going past 3000 unless you really want to impress someone with stupidity sharp. The 3000 and 6000 will produce a nice mirror finish.
Loved my KME when I had it, but the 4" stones are a real limitation, and it's not great for knives over 6". Now I have a Hapstone system which resolves those issues, but it's generally reserved for big bellied knives that don't work so well on a Tormek. I also like to freehand, but that's generally reserved for beater knives as I don't have the angle control to freehand a flat edge bevel.
Interesting! I haven't had a problem even with larger blades but it may depend on how you use it and if you have it mounted to the bench, or use it handheld.👍
Hey, I'm a bowhunter. I would love to see how you could find the best way to sharpen broadheads. Both single bevel and double. Thanks!!
KME is a great tool.
Do you bowhunt? I saw that single bevel fixed blade. A broadhead sharpening video would be awesome. You could do 3 blades too.
I’ve never used a fixed system, nor plan to, but this seems fairly good.
Is the diamond rod worth buying? Looks promising 🙋♂️
If you are sharpening serated yes.
Get bloody excited when you post a video
It's crazy how much fixed angle knife sharpening systems are. I'm probably just going to stick with free-hand though. Great video!
@@Salvatore-h9t freehand is definitely the cheapest option. There actually a lot that goes i to making stuff especially here in the usa like this system. The price is actually pretty cheap for what it is compared to other systems.
Do you have any recommended katana sharpening kits/stones and techniques that can hone the edge of a T10 blade to ultra sharp. Recently bought a custom made blade but I feel like it’s not sharp enough and would like to learn and do it myself.Apologies if you have done a video like this before already. Love your videos, very eye opening and informative.
I think thise macro shots of the stones would look much cleaner if you did a photo stack instead of moving the focus along the block. Always enjoy the information in your videos and been looking into one of these myself for a while now and this definitely will help me
I do stack in all of the macro pics, sometimes is still hard to perceive depth. So vido cam give some perspective of depth at different angles showing if theres any grit contamination a touch better 👍
Hmm, I own this system and have used it for several years. I have had to change the jaws and the rubber liners in the jaws don’t last long. I have seen several of my edges not lining up also. One side will be a different angle than the other, because when you really clamp down on the jaws, it squishes the rubber liners.
Thank you for the info
Great sharpening video, been looking at TS Prof or Hapstone but KME is recommended a lot, Thanks 😎
I find the most difficult thing with the kme is to clamp the blade into a position where all portions of the edge get sharpened in the same angle. That often times doesn't really work out.
On knives with belly or curved blade you have to put angle the tip of the knife towards the clamp.
@@mr.b111 if your knife has a large belly it will have a slightly different angle. But freehand sharpening isnt an exact science either.
@@OUTDOORS55 yeah, unfortunately most of the times there will be a different angle on the belly/ close to the tip, that's the advantage of free hand methods Like stones or belts. The downside of stones is, that it takes alot of practice to get to a level where you can constantly produce even edges. You are probably familiar with the DBK boys, and might have heard of Malanika. I ordererd a custom bushcraft knife of the guy myself, and his hand sharpened on stone edge looks like it can only be made with a machine, insane skill, and quality knives!
Hi Alex, great video as usual, but could you tell me if you are left handed as when I see you sharpening it appears you nearly always hold the knife handle with your left hand or is the video mirrored and you are actually right handed, thanks 👍🏼
@@gazcorra im left handed when sharpening, cutting stuff and writing, but throw right handed. But can use a hammer in either hand haha. Weird
@@OUTDOORS55 Thank you for taking the time to let me know, I copied your way of sharpening by holding the knife in my left hand, even though I am right handed and I managed to actually sharpen some knives freehand better than I ever have previously using my dominant hand, now that's weird lol, but I was also using the sharpel 325/1200 diamond stone you recommend 👍🏼
@@OUTDOORS55funny cuz I’m left handed, and I bat (baseball) and play guitar right handed lol
i do have the lansky and youre absoletuly right about the clamp ( also the repeatability ) for stable clamping i use light oil on the blade or masking tape then the gap ( like a flat grind knife ) and fill the gap with epoxy paste because the clamp just cant hold it still ever also since the angle are kind of fixed ( different hole for different angle ) then its kind of hard to figure how the blade should stick out for the choosen angle
Made in America and their customer support is top-notch...
@@davestelling yep, every piece is usa made. And I'll second their customer support. Good people 👍
Hey Alex, what stone were you using for that recurve blade? I have some recurve designs I'm going to be getting to soon and was looking for a radius stone set or something to use in my KME for them
Great review. I prefer using only stones but that seems like a good product.
Just one think I disagree. Sharpen at 20 degrees only will leave good aesthetics but bad cutting performance even if it's shaving sharp.
"fixed angle" is actually a misnomer. By "fixed angle" I mean the angle between the tangential plane of the sharpening stone and the center longitudinal plane point of the knife. That angle is held constant as you move the stone outward and inward when the stone is right over the center-point of the stand. However, that is only ~3/8 to 1/2" worth of edge. However, as you swivel the stone from the tip to the heel, that angle actually is altered slightly. The effect is greater as the length or curvature of the blade increases.
But for most 'normal' shaped blades up to ~200mm or so it doesn't make a significant difference. But a 450mm Sujihiki? Definitely.
Not a bad kit, but I’ll stick to my Sharpal 162N for 98% of my knives. It’s just too easy with a final strop with diamond compound.
Glad to see you’re doin good brother! Keep your head up!
Soli Deo Gloria~
Question. Do you zero the angle finder on the blade before you set the angle on the sharpener? Or do you zero it some other way?
I agree, 4 inches is a perfectly adequate size.
A lot of those systems have trouble with low Scandi grinds, that is my only gripe. The clamp gets in the way often when you have to go at 12° a side. There are some that use magnets to hold the blade, but those don't hold the knife securely enough (and won't work on non magnetic kitchen knives). I wish there was a better clamping system.
You can go down to 10 degrees using the thin low profile clamp (optional) on TSProf. But for what it's worth, I use 12 deg for my thinnest knives so that I am not tied down to just one sharpening system in the future
Hello Alex, i would like to invest in my first good stone setup, do u think ATOMA 140 with leather strop (4 micrones) would be able make my knives shaving sharp? want to know if i need to buy some higher grit stone, or second high grit stone.
I recently picked up an Atoma No. 140 - for reprofiling edges.
It's a very course, aggressive abrasive stone.
I'm hoping Alex will give you some suggestions...
Jumping from an Atoma 140 to a leather strop is too big of a leap. Please insert one or two sharpening steps with additional stones in between.
Thanks for another well done video. You mentioned before that you had your own diamond stopping compound made, and you recommend Jende, but do you have any thoughts on Gunny Juice and Handamerican compounds? I'm curious if there are additives in the various compounds that make them better or worse or if the poly vs mono diamond and diamond consistency actually matter. There seems to be a lot of conflicting and opinion based information out there without much backing.
I've had one for years, and I always use it first to get a consistent angle, because I'm not very good at that on stones. I can't get a really sharp edge with it though. I always follow up with stones and a strop to refine the edge, although it's still not quite to my satisfaction.
I have a Ganzo system with magnetic retention. It has its own inconveniences but the huge advantage is that you can sharpen narrow blades like Victorinox and scissors easily.
The main inconvenience is storing the neodymium magnet itself lol. Once had it jump on my fridge like a rabid dog.