Anyone use or have an opinion on the Worksharp (or whatever) belt style sharpeners? Or if not a fan maybe Lansky or a similar type that includes a guide to get a consistent angle...
Sidearms & Scatterguns Knife Sharpener
- Thread starter shootnfarmer
- Start date
Wicked Edge
Lansky works well for me.
I've been using the Lansky for several years and it works well for me. With that in mind, people seem to really applaud the "Wicked Edge" as already mentioned.
My brother has one of the worksharp units and it works REALLY well on all the knives we have used it on. I'm an old fashioned guy when it comes to sharpening knives, and for that purpose I have a number of very expensive stones and tools. The edge my brother put onto a knife with the worksharp unit really surprised me as it was as good as anything I could do.
I don't know if the worksharp unit can be used to do different blade edge shapes like concave, hollow, saber and so on. If not, it would be pretty easy to use the worksharp unit to do the "heavy lifting", then use something like fine sandpaper on a computer mouse pad to turn the edge into a saber edge. .
I don't know if the worksharp unit can be used to do different blade edge shapes like concave, hollow, saber and so on. If not, it would be pretty easy to use the worksharp unit to do the "heavy lifting", then use something like fine sandpaper on a computer mouse pad to turn the edge into a saber edge. .
Apex US Hand Knife Sharpening Systems | Edge Pro System
Wicked Edge Wicked Edge Precision Knife Sharpener
I have an Apex, works like you'd think. I think the WE looks good too.
Wicked Edge Wicked Edge Precision Knife Sharpener
I have an Apex, works like you'd think. I think the WE looks good too.
The units made by Wicked sharp, and US hand knife are pretty spendy, from $250-675. But then decent Norton bench stones run from around $40-200 depending on what you get. The Japanese water stones are even more.
I've had one for a couple of years and it works great. It's nothing more than a mini slack belt grinder and produces an apple seed edge. That edge profile stands up very well to hard use. The only negatives are the belts are so narrow you will go through them quickly and you are restricted to two edge angles. If you have the skills, that profile can be created with stones but not with any of the mechanical devices. It will produce a great edge on even the difficult to work steels.
I am looking around for a new sharpening system myself and even called a big knife dealer in my area about it. I asked about wicked edge and if he had any so I could get my hands on one before making up my mind. He said he doesn't like them, it's a rip off and he won't stock them. His recommendation was " why not just get some paper wheels and a cheap bench grinder, it's a lot cheaper and works better". So now I'm looking into them. You may want to give them a look too.
+1 for Wicked Edge. Works great for blades up to about 10". I've used Arkansas stones, Japanese water stones, belts and grinders for over 45 years. Wicked Edge is my go-to system now.
SmokyJoe,
Will the wicked sharp system work on knives over 10" long if you move the knife's position in the holder? I'm wondering if you could sharpen one end of the knife, move the knife in the holder, and then sharpen the other end.
Will the wicked sharp system work on knives over 10" long if you move the knife's position in the holder? I'm wondering if you could sharpen one end of the knife, move the knife in the holder, and then sharpen the other end.
Techically, yes, but the edge would have some alternating variations in angle. The sharpening blocks work in an arc. The sharpening angle varies slightly as the distance from the pivot varies. With blades under 8" or 10" in length this variation is not an issue for me. With very long blades, the sharpening angle at the tip can get too narrow and is weak. One other complication is that you would have to move the blade back and forth a lot as you sequenced through the progressively finer sharpening blocks.
One of the pros of the WE is being able to quickly resharpen a particular blade with the exact same angle each time by mounting it in the same location each time. Having a longer blade with which you use more than one mounting location would complicate that, but seems like it could work.
You can watch a video of how the WE system works and then you'll see what I mean. I think they have video links on their website. If not, I'll bet there's half a dozen on youtube.
Hi, I have a Worksharp and must confess it’s a very good, useful tool. I purchased it in the USA and my brother tried it out first on his personal protection / combat knives that he usually has professionally sharpened at gun shows – he found this tool produced an equal edge to the professionals! Once I got the tool over here to the UK, I quickly sharpened all my wife’s kitchen knives (some very pricey ones) and warned her that they were now really sharp – she was visibly shocked at how sharp they were and it only took minutes to achieve these razor edges. That said, it’s worth noting that this small belt system will produce a very slight (micro) convex edge because the belt has no backing plate and will deflect very slightly when the blade makes contact with it. For utility knives, that’s probably no bad thing as potentially the edge produced is slightly more durable. For my field (custom) knives I still use the hand/jig guided DMT system to produce a perfect straight razor bevel edge but in the time it takes me to do one perfect custom knife edge, I could probably do at least ten with the Worksharp and hardly anyone would appreciate the difference. I’d recommend this tool to anyone for any type of knife sharpening and I’m buying my bro’ one for this Christmas. Hope this helps, regards from the UK.
I have seen the Wicked Edge in action and have seen its work on blades, if you can afford it or justify paying that money for a knife sharpening system I highly recommend it! I personally use the Spyderco sharp maker, it works very well and you can get a very very nice edge with the additional purchase of their ultra fine stones and finish it off with a leather strop.
I used a lansky for years and it worked great, having said that my wife bought me a Spyderco Sharpmaker for Christmas a few years ago and I think it took my edges to the next level. The sharpmaker is less work than the Lansky and I find its a lot easier to do a quick touch up once a month or whenever it's needed. The wicked edge looks awesome, but Wicked expensive.
I have one of these kits....
Edge Pro Apex Model Sharpening System
When I go to visit my folks, I am tasked at sharpening knives... And other things
My mom asked me on a return visit not to sharpen them...
Besides cutting herself, she had cut throught all of her plastic cutting mats in the kitchen.
The folks who make the Drill Doctor make a nice belt system.
It seems to be a faster way to reprofile a knife to the angle you want.
I like my knit and it feels that it will be the last kit I ever need to purchase.
Edge Pro Apex Model Sharpening System
When I go to visit my folks, I am tasked at sharpening knives... And other things
My mom asked me on a return visit not to sharpen them...
Besides cutting herself, she had cut throught all of her plastic cutting mats in the kitchen.
The folks who make the Drill Doctor make a nice belt system.
It seems to be a faster way to reprofile a knife to the angle you want.
I like my knit and it feels that it will be the last kit I ever need to purchase.
In the early '90s the Navy released a solicitation for a combat knife and sharpening system to be provided to the Seals. The winner was Mad Dog Knives. The sharpening system was a slack belt grinder. I only mention this because the maker, Kevin McClung, is highly respected and it is his choice as a sharpening system. Like a couple of other respondents who recommended the Worksharp tool, I have a number of customs and had a stack of benchstones that I was competent with. The only skill the WS requires is the manipulation of the blade as you approach the tip. There is a new model, the Ken Onion, that has a variable speed motor and a 3/4"x12" belt. There is also an atttachment that uses a 1"x18" belt. I think part of the problem with the Worksharp is that it is too easy, too fast and too inexpensive. No drama, no fun.
This ^, fellow New Englander! And when it comes to knife sharpening, I'm wicked lazy! I like sharp knives, but just don't have the inclination and time to perfect doing it old-school. The Wicked Edge makes it really easy. You just need to keep track of what edge angle you use on each knife. And spring for the upgraded arms...much better than the standard ones. Agree on the comment above about long blades though.
Still, I have some knives with convex edges. The belt sander approach looks better than the sandpaper-on-a-mousepad method, but easier (faster) to screw up.
