Knife Sharpening

I know the majority of us are hunters, fishers, or just like to carry a quality knife.
I have a lansky sharpener system and use norton pick a pike stones to finish off.
I just bought a Ken Onion Work Sharp to have a go with… Just curious if it will
do as good a job as stone and a leather stropping…

Thoughts? those of you that may already own one?

I own one but do not use stones. I will say practice on a cheaper knife for sure. Two things to be careful of: ruining the tip and scuffing up the top of the grip from getting too close to the belt (for knives that have the blade all the way to the handle). You absolutely do not want to pull it past the half way point of the belt or you will round off your tip.

It’s pretty easy to get a mirror finish on the blade with this thing. Some knives you may actually want to skip the last polishing band cause it’s possible to be too smooth of an edge (micro abrasions will help cut through things like tomato skin). It’s really handy to be able to grab a few pocket knives and like 4 kitchen knives and knock them all out quickly. I tend to do it in batches like that cause it’s easy to do multiple if you are going to spend the time to set it up.

Being able to choose the angle is cool but I suspect you will only ever use 1 or 2 depending on the types of knives you have.

To piggy back on your question I am also curious if anyone has used this attachement for it:

Blade Grinder

Nice ! You have the blade grinder Attachment. I just bought the regular sharpener

I have the same thing as you I haven’t bought that attachment yet. Maybe someone has feedback on it as well

I’ve been tempted to buy one of those for quite a while. Hey freeme, can we get a group buy? :money_mouth_face:

You think freeme skims every thread on BLF?

Only crazy people like me do that!

I’ve seen those and heard good things about them, thought about it, but then I recall how I enjoy spending the time with my Lansky system and working it up to just such a wicked edge… the pride of having done it “by hand” as it were… I don’t think I would enjoy a quick edge even if it were flawless and easy.

Keeping my Koenig Arius with it’s Carpenter CTS-204P blade mirror finished and hair splitting sharp is a pleasure, probably wont’ change the system I’ve been using for nearly 25 years…. enticing though, can’t say it’s not.

I use the lansky ceramic box,

I am anxious to try it out. Mine will be here Saturday.

or, you could just buy a cheap harbor freight 1” x 30” belt sander for ~$50, spend $10-$30 on a variety of grit belts and voila! sharp knives instantly with a little practice. so far three of my friends have gone down this path and they love them! the only down side is my wife keeps wondering where are the printer paper disappears to… :slight_smile:

I don’t have the Worksharp but I’ve used a Lansky for years. The Lansky is great sharpener after you use it severàl times and learn it.

A few years ago I found something that made it even better. I bought a set of DMT diamond stones for their portable hand sharpener. They’re much wider and make using the Lansky even easier as they have the same rods as the Lansky.

With the DMT stones on the Lansky, I can sharpen knives, even the harder new exotic steels out now, faster than any of these expensive belt driven sharpeners.

Not trying to discourage anyone and hope you like these belt sharpeners and they work for you.

KME is a pretty nice jig for knife sharpening.

I use a belt sander and finish off with a fine stone and strop if i feel like spending the time. I also try and do all dull knives in the house while im at it.

I use a 3/4” thick MDF wheel I made and installed on a bench grinder. I rub a little rouge on the wheel and within minutes your arm will be bald. It kind of worries me a little handing my wife a sharpened kitchen knife that sharp. With enough practice and very little time on the wheel you can get a blade scary sharp. When done right the edge looks like a mirror.
.
I first saw some DIY youtube video’s on the MDF sharpener. I thought to myself I really doubt that works as good as my old 3 or 4 hour process of sharpening a knife. Its cheap, I’ll just try and see how it does. I must say. I was impressed and its changed the way I sharpen knifes.
There are several youtube video’s if anyone’s interested in trying it. The most time consuming part for me was unmounting the bench grinder and reversing the working side of the grinder, so that the wheel runs away from the edge of the blade.

Update,
My KO Work sharp showed up today. It only came with 3 belts but i have ordered more.
With my limited knowledge of it and trial and error i was able to quickly sharpen 3 knifes
including one custom Damascus. It works even better than had hoped. The Ken Onion black
handle knife had the tip completely broken off. Took lees than 5 minutes to rework it. Being able to
run it @ approx 45 rpm creates no heat in the blade(assuming common sense) New favorite tool in
the shed. Just need belts to continue on with the remainder of my knifes.
Here is a few high res pic.



I just did about 6 kitchen knives and 1 folder with mine. Used 4 different belts for the folder and 3 for the kitchen knives. No point doing the polishing one on kitchen knives. Why do you need more belts right away?

I ruined them putting the tip back on the Kershaw.
The Damascus blade is very hard as well and it was brutal on the belts too.
Mine only came with 3 belts and a real coarse one. You?

I think mine came with 5 but one is p120 extra coarse which i have never needed

Been sharpening and skinning for over 60 yrs. Tried a few systems and ways in my time.
Incl the sloooow Japanese water stones.
You get old just doing it that way.
Nowadays. I find. myself. that the easiest and most constant ANGLES kept. Which is the most important part of sharpening.
Along with the finish. Is using the DMT Diamond plates.
modded to fit in the RUIXO Angled sharpener tool.
Cheap. Chinese. had for yrs. still works. Gives me Euro and Japanese blade angles to suit every time.
With a small diamond 600 Grit tool (5in by 1 in.worn down well over 30issh yrs. to top off in the field.

I got on well with a small oil soaked 3 in Axe stone. fine/med, in my pocket for longer than I remember.
(50odd yrs ago)
So anything will do the job. Try ’em all.

Those powered tools do nothing for me. When I look at them all I see is a grinder…
My PUMA Prince. Duke. Are still (after 1973/’81 purchase) as new, with hand sharpening only.
Along with a coupla Custom skinners.
Plus I strop blades to finish with an old ex UK army 3in by 1\4in Donkey saddle strap.
was about 8 ft long to start, made 2 for me 1 left.
Beautiful oiled leather though.