Sharpening question

[C0untZer0]

I'm reading sharpening tutorials and sharpening FAQs and there is just a ton of information out there but I can't find the answer to this specific question.

For the Ken Onion Worksharp, it is a basically a belt sander with the belt sitting in a triangle. To sharpen one side of the blade you pull the blade through the guide on the right side of the triangle and to sharpen the other side of the blade you pull the blade through the guide on the left side of the triangle.

But that means that on one side of the blade, the belt is moving away from the blade and then on the other side, the belt is moving into the blade.

Does this make a difference in sharpening?

Is it better to make the edge with the belt moving in the same direction for both sides of the blade?

 

[danez71]

I dont know for sure.... I would guess the purists will say yes.


I have the KO edition. After I read your post, I just wanted to point out that there is a learning curve and make sure you read about NOT pulling the knife all the way through.

You'll round off the tip in nothing flat. That's the biggest negative of the machine, imo.

Practice on less important knifes.

 

[redneck]

I don't use a work sharp but I do sharpen on a belt grinder. Occasionally sharpening with the belt running away from the edge will cause a burr to form faster, on a really messed up bevel you may find a burr forms before you have removed as much material as necessary. Also if you are using a worn belt I find that the belt running away from the edge is more likely to give a convex edge than if the belt is running against the edge where it seems to bite a little better.

As a general rule with a 2x72 inch grinder you don't sharpen with the edge going into the belt because it can cut into the belt and the flap that tears loose usually slaps your safety glasses off your face to tell you it was a bad idea. So unless its something relatively blunt like a cold chisel, I sharpen with the belt running away from the edge on my grinder. In that case I hold the handle on the right of the grinder and the edge is down, and then I put the handle to the left of the grinder when I switch side so that the edge is still down. This works pretty well as long as the belt is nice and sharp. I don't know if that technique would work with a worksharp, but if you can do it that way it would let you be consistent from one side to the other.

 

[hso]

Does this make a difference in sharpening?

Nope

 

[Zeke/PA]

I think that using a belt sander to "sharpen" a knife is a sacrilege.
I use a Spyderco for some things but I have the most faith in bench mounted India and Arkansas 2" x 8" stones. Develop this skill.
Your knives will last MUCH longer!
I have a sander that takes a 6"x 48" belt . With a 36 Grit belt, I sharpen mower blades, hatchets, Axes and splitting mauls.

 

[C0untZer0]

I don't have any skill, I can't keep the blade at a consistent angle. My choices are get something that takes most of the skill out of it or pay someone to sharpen my knives

 

[Jeepergeo]

^^^Try the Linsky system. It is pretty easy and slow enough to keep most of us from getting into trouble and ruining a blade. When you buy, get a full range of diamond or stone grits and go down go ceramic.

 

[hso]

Using the WorkSharp you have to not read the manual, not view the DVD, not pay attention to what you're doing to screw up. As close to dolt proof as you can get.

 

[danez71]

I don't have any skill, I can't keep the blade at a consistent angle. My choices are get something that takes most of the skill out of it or pay someone to sharpen my knives

LOL... I didn't mean to scare you off. But I'm glad I mention it.


I think hso is right. Its fairly fool proof but, imo, its not something that you can just un-package and use.

And there is some learning curve such as re-learning that you don't pull the knife all the way thru... adjusting the belt speed. (I adjust the speed to something that sounds and feel 'right/comfortable')

You can get other attachments which is nice and its versatile for sharpening other things.



On another note, I'm really interested in this but I haven't seem any reviews from the knife specific sources Id like to see reviews from. The Amazon reviews are good overall and the bad one seem to be people push down too hard on the blade an over heating the motor.

It would be more dumb proof than the WorkSharp KO

If anyone here as input on this Smith it'd be nice to hear.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Smit...=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03457058&rid=20


I have one of the better Chiefmate sharpeners of similar style. Its pretty dumb proof. And I get pretty good results.

I use a slightly different method than the directions for it say. Just pull the knife thru a couple times on each side. Go back to the 1st side and get the burr... then one pass on the 2nd side.


However, I want adjustable angle and the Chiefmate doesn't do that but the WorkSharp KO and the Smith system do.


Personally, IMO, if you want adjustable angle, quick, and dumb proof, the WorkSharp KO and the Smith I linked are the way to go.


I want something that I can leave in the kitchen that the wife will use.... but she wont touch the Worksharp KO. That's main reason why I'm considering the Smith even though I have the WorkSharp KO



I also do have a Lansky system (mentioned above) with stones. Its too slow for me and there is enough slop that bugs me into thinking the angle consistency wont be as good as other systems. Perhaps diamond stones would be quicker but they wont take out the slop. And again, the wife will never touch it.

ETA: Also another thing I don't like about the Lansky system is that on long blades you have to do each side in 2 stages. PITA

 

[C0untZer0]

For the Smith - don't tiny sharpening wheels put a hollow (concave) edge on knives ?

 

[danez71]

Yeah they would but with the amount of blade that actually touches the wheels I wouldn't think that would be an issue.

That and the fact that is does both sides at once is why I've been waiting for knife guy reviews rather than Amazon guy reviews.

Smith makes good stuff so I can't imagine it being bad.

I wrote Chefmate above but ment Chefs Choice. They also offer one that has both 15 and 20 degrees and a flat grind; not concave.

It wasn't offered when I bought my Chefs Choice and if it had I might not have ever bought the Worksharp KO. I bought that 90%because I wanted the different degrees but the 15 and 20 of the chefschoice would cover 95% of what I want to sharpen.

The Smith above is appealing because it's variable from 10 degrees to I think 25 and at 10 you could do fillet knifes too.

IMO, the Chef Choice with the 15 and 20 degree would be the most fool proof and give some flexibility but not as much flexibility as the the other two.

WS KO would be the most flexible and versatile but least fool proof of the 3.

Then the Smith would be middle in terms of flexible and fool proof. The concave edge is an unknown issue for me at this point.

The the Chefs Choice 15/20 being the least flexible but most fool proof.

 

[gillmeister692]

A small correction: it's LANSKY Sharpeners (not "Linsky"). I've used Lansky diamond hones for nearly 30 years. Surgical sharpness requiring minimal user skill level is the norm.