Knife Sharpening Techniques

[Goose10]

I use a Work Sharp guided bench and a Work Sharp power sharpener to establish the primary bevel. Usually this is 17 degrees and established first with a coarse belt or coarse diamond plate. Once the bevel is ground all the way to the edge, removing any nicks/rolls, etc., the bevel gets polished with finer grits. This alone will create a razor edge but to maintain the razor edge I use a Syderco Sharpmaker or crock sticks set at 20 degrees. The edge can be resharpened many times at the twenty degrees until the bevel needs to be reestablished again. What exact system you use is not as important as getting the bevel correct then maintaining that edge with something a couple degrees steeper when resharpening. I use this method for everything from kitchen knives all the way up to custom hunting knives.

 

[3sdad]

I have the larger work sharp for the kitchen as pictured earlier. Works great, and simple. They make a lighter and simpler one as well that goes in my pack.

 

[Chuck44]

The Workshop looks fun, but I don't like the idea of pushing on one side and pulling on the other. Is there enough room to work the blade on both sides of the edge from the pushing side of the belt?

I really like the idea of pushing with stones and then finishing by pulling with strops, I'll have to look into the pulling, I just can't imagine that it would be more durable than pushing with the way the metal would shape.

Worksharp now sells an upgrade to the original Ken Onion sharpener called "Blade Grinding Attachment". This replaces the original belt system with guides with a larger/wider belt and you sharpen both sides of the blade with the belt grinding away from the edge. I upgraded recently and was absolutely blown away by how much better (and faster) this setup sharpens the knife.
I always thought the original did not sharpen as well as it should because you are grinding towards the blade on one side and away on the other...as sdsliberty pointed out.
https://www.worksharptools.com/product/blade-grinding-attachment-ken-onion-edition/

 

[Clifford]

Worksharp now sells an upgrade to the original Ken Onion sharpener called "Blade Grinding Attachment". This replaces the original belt system with guides with a larger/wider belt and you sharpen both sides of the blade with the belt grinding away from the edge. I upgraded recently and was absolutely blown away by how much better (and faster) this setup sharpens the knife.
I always thought the original did not sharpen as well as it should because you are grinding towards the blade on one side and away on the other...as sdsliberty pointed out.
https://www.worksharptools.com/product/blade-grinding-attachment-ken-onion-edition/

As a flat bench kinda guy that new attachment has me somewhat interested. They basically made a nice little belt sander with a build in adjustable guide.

Thanks for posting this.

 

[RazAlGhoul]

Great Thread, Thanks guys.

 

[Fullfan]

Just bought a RADA off of Amazon for 8.00. Looks are deceiving, my pocket knife is always somewhat sharp. 6-8 passes over the RADA and it was shaving hair.

 

[bat-cave]

+1 for Wicked Edge. I am sharpening challenged and it's the only system that appears to be immune to be ineptitude. Works on my best kitchen knives and hunting knives etc ...

 

[shooterrdy]

Get a Worksharp. Brainless and most effective tool when you have to re establish a bevel. Then progressively go finer with your belts to hone. It has a guard that keeps a consistent angle for the bevel. Then in the field, a flip handle Jewellstick diamond hone is a wonderful tool. Few strokes and it’s shaving again.

Love My work sharp!

 

[Greyswandir]

Work sharps are awesome. I have a Ken onion version. Be careful though...in my eagerness to use it I inadvertently turned a tanto into a drop point

 

[cbeck36]

I have an edge pro and a work sharp. The edge pro is for my “good” knives that I don’t mind spending time on. The work sharp is for fillet knives that the work sharp flexes too much, and for the lady’s kitchen knives that she constantly fills like it is her favorite pastime.

I took 5 kitchen knives from “tomato smashing dull” to “oh shit sharp” in under 15 minutes with the Ken onion worksharp.

Yup