Best and WORST powered sharpeners I've ever tested⬇ Possibly the best?⬇ amzn.to/42uqvCC The WORST⬇ amzn.to/493qwjj Affiliated links As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is NOT sponsored, I purchased everything in this video with my own money. And I am free to link to anything I want.
I used to sharpen my blades by hand, but carpal tunnel and arthritis took that away. The old Work Sharp device sounded good, so I tried it. Almost as sharp as manually, and without the pain. Good buy, in my opinion.
Thanks, I appreciate it! I primarily try to keep it interesting for me to make. Otherwise I get bored making the same old review videos. Thanks again for watching I really appreciate it 🙏👍
I have the Ken Onion version. At $140, it's great and a better value than the Mk.2. More robust, better motor, 4 angle settings, and 5 belts: 120, 220, 1000, 3000, 6000. I'd argue that the jump from 220 to 1K is still a bit too big, so I can't imagine skipping grits like the Mk.2 does. Thanks as always, Alex. Great video!
Same here. And the prophecies say you will need to buy the freehand Blade Grinding Attachment, which you can get leather belts for, which will give you a superb stropping experience! I was able to sharpen a VG10 blade to around 90 BESS.
They've made that big canyon size grip gap on purpose i think. That way users got that toothy edge and fast. And wow factor of fresh saw-like edge is huge.
@@ichich3276 Nice! I may decide to spring for that also, but I have another fabricobbled sharpening system that I'm invested in. I built a knife jig setup to use with my WS3000 outfitted with diamond lapping plates. I also have the leather stropping wheel for it. I don't have a BESS tester yet, but I'm planning on adding that at some point. The KO is my weapon of choice for garden tools: pruners, hatchets/axes, spades. I love a convex edge for those things.
I too have the ken onion version- and like the one demonstrated in the video- it’s meant for righties. That being said left handed people have had to adapt to a lot of things that are designed for right handed people and they figure it out. Chalk boards- white boards, spiral notebooks. Lefties find a way
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
So this is not just a wonderful review, that goes in-depth on not just what it does or doesn't work for, but why, and how it could possible be fixed, but it's also laden with fantastically sincere movie references that are hilarious but don't distract from the subject matter. The editing and sort of cheesy green screen use is exactly up my alley. Your Agent Smith is fantastic, it was legit so good that I want to watch the Matrix again now. Thanks for the time and expertise you put into both the review and the videography, it's been a blast watching your stuff and learning so much! Cooking is 100x more fun with sharp knives, and you've helped me a lot with that.
I love that you're slowly putting more cinematics in it again. I remember in the time when your workshop was this unheated shack in the woods, you sometimes made these huge cinematic cuts that were both cool and hilarious! I know it's not your core business, but it was a signature trait with an optimal sense of humor... I'd say, better humor than that of a Burr... (which is already up there)
@@shockwave6213 while I do actually sharpen a lot for friends and family I’m not going to charge them. I would rather they have a sharp blade. I don’t need to make money or break even on account of friends and family.
I have one for several months now. I think it works pretty well. After the 6000 belt I use a leather strop with green compound and the edges are way sharper than anyone really needs. It's not as fun as using all the stones I have, but if you''ve got an edge in really bad shape it beats tons of grinding on stones. I think it's best use could be just getting a good edge that you could finish on stones? It is also really great for quick touchups. Just a few swipes on the 6000 and then strop!
I tend to leave my leather strop on and just run a knife through it after each use, and I leave a 6000 grit on my 1-inch belt in the shed when I need to reshaped a lot of knives (I have everything from 40-grit up through leather strops for it, so I can go from bulk removal of a new handmade knife up through a razor edge on a single machine).
You would LOVE the Ken Onion edition of this sharpener with the blade grinding attachment. It is easy to use and the angle can be whatever you want it to be. The WS Ken Onion edition is my go-to solution when doing any "Heavy Lifting" to repair a knife or establish the secondary bevel on a knife that is in need. Thanks for the video!
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
@@Jordan-jy7pg The steel you are using is 56 HRC, most of the time the knife is dull. Better knives and a means to sharpen them would be a game changer for you. That said the Worksharp would allow you to quickly sharpen and maintain your current knives. I sharpen knives for people in my neighborhood. Most of the knives are very low cost. Good luck.
It's crazy that an actually functional and good value product actually exists at this price point when there are super shitty stones on amazon for like 55 bucks or more which are soul crushingly awful and most people just think it's their own fault. This is great for all of those people that don't want to go down the rabbit hole, that's what these systems are for and I'm stunned that there's actually a good one out there for 90% of people.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
I use the free grinder attachment. Never go back. A "uniform" belt system cant handle all blades. Thats impossible. But for someone who just needs sharp knives in the kitchen its ok. My 70 year old mum can handle this, and she has REALLY cheapo knives which have to be sharpen very often (and they work hard in her kitchen. Porcelain cutting included). But a few rotations on that thing and she can work without the fear of one of these "blunt knife" injuries. For my spyderco and other more expensive blades the ken onion free belt system is better. But you have always to consider.....you will round up the tip of the blades if youre not really careful. But on the other hand i managed to get some very old knives of my grand grandfather working. They are made of nice steel back in the days and are pre 3rd Reich (im german), with no akward symbols on it. Also his tools and files are better than anything you can buy today.
Long story short (or not). My grandfather had some really nice files too. They used them to make the German tanks to new usable items after the war. At least that's the story I was told by my father. Not gonna lie, they indeed were better than random chineseium cheese. But they were the only files in the household. My father believed what the old guy said and did not see any need to get new files. These are good, so why get new ones. So I had to make a note: that old and good file probably actually filed through couple actual German tanks of material. Whatever they used to be it ain't it anymore after what they seen in their lives. And while there is clear issue with big box stores tools quality, there are other shops that sell tools for work. Price ain't nice but we ain't on a budget for tools. So we spent round hundred euro for a set of new good files. Just a set of useful profiles for daily use. Those old files still exist, but for some whatever reason when we actually need to file something we use the new ones.
Yeah, I have three chisels, and two mill files, that I KNOW my grandfather used in and before 1927 when he built his house. British Steel from Sheffield, and they are so much better than anything else I have seen that I actually don't let anyone know I have them. I am sure my brothers would steal them if they knew they still existed.
@@Kregorius my grand grandfather was a fineworker\finesmith\tinker....so he had the really good stuff. I never met him, but in remember the days as a kid when me and my brother played as kids in his workshop. the smell of iron and oil is something i like till today. I have several "high quality premium diamantine" files, but none of these work like the old stuff. I think its because of the fact that newer products made of steel have a big portion of recycled material in it, where the 1900 to 1945 stuff was "pure krupp steel".
@@Gloomshimmeryou may be right that the old ones are better files. But let's face the facts. You can sharpen a chisel. No worries there. But a file can only lose sharpness. There is no such thing as sharpening a file. Over the last hundred years they have only gone more dull. No matter how good they used to be in their youth, it has been hundred years of dulling. No sharpening at any point in their lives. Under no circumstances I believe there are no new files on the market that are out of the package worse than a file after hundred year of wear and tear. Longevity is another matter but I seriously don't care at this point that my tools last a hundred years. And neither did our grandfathers. The stuff they bought and sent to a rust bucket did not make it to our collections of the good old tools. There's mountains of the old stuff that did not make the selection. So I am not worried that not all of my tools will last a hundred years. Maybe some will. Most won't. But in the meantime I can get some serious work done without worrying about damaging some old relics.
I've gotta say, whether you're outsourcing your videos to an editor, or doing all of this yourself, the production value of the last few months, and of this video specifically, is top-notch! The cook can always throw more into the pot, but more/better ingredients or seasoning doesn't necessarily make a better stew. (This analogy got away from me...) From a technical perspective, you *_could_* upgrade your hardware to some studio-quality setup, like an obscenely high megapixel professional camera, or professional digital video editing rig replete with all of the requisite subscription software...I'm not sure where I was going with that... Oh right! All of those tools would be effectively worthless in the hands of a novice, whereas a pro can make even subpar or defective tools look "good enough". A lesson you've illustrated, and I keep learning from all sorts of UA-camrs more generally, the quality of tools available do little without the skills to use them properly or effectively. A fitting example just came to mind (which I subsequently spent an hour fine-tuning before scrapping entirely.) I think the difference between talent and skill is important here. While it's certainly possible that anyone *_could_* be naturally talented in any number of things, abilities which took others a lot of practice to achieve, the same can't be said in reverse about skill. Developing a skill from beginner or novice, up to subject matter expert requires commitment, the ability to admit you have more to learn, and the willingness to actually learn. I've known plenty of examples of these, specifically in the tradecrafts. People who've been in a particular field for decades, widely regarded as experts, but they'd just been coasting on their initial talents, never actually honing skills. So high on their own supply that they couldn't learn anything from anybody, and it showed in their work... I'm sorry, I'm not sure why this became some esoteric argument, when I was originally just complimenting you on something impressive I'd noticed (which I still haven't done...) It's become clear to me you're intrigued by contrasting what's in focus with what's out of focus, and I'm here for it. I've seen many microscopic extreme closeups of sandpaper grit in the past, but this was the first time I've seen it illustrated with such care and precision! (This also showed through in your memery.) And it was gorgeous Anyway, I don't assume you'll read this comment, but I hope so, and that it makes sense through my rambling...
I purchased one maybe 2 years ago now and at the time it was impressive as hell because of the speed to sharpen compared to stones and it removed a lot of the skill issue on getting a perfect angle. This video was extremely informative because i dont have any of those super cameras you have to tell the difference! Thanks.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
I have the 'ken onion' edition of this sharpener. I absolutely stand by this sharpener. I'm not a professional knife sharpener, and don't intend to spend hours on end sharpening a knife. The results it provides are more than adequate for the 2 minutes it takes me for one knife. Because it's that quick, I am able to keep all my knives and tools sharp consistently. As for longevity of belts, I own the sharpener for over 2 years, using the same belts it came with on a by-monthly basis. I sharpen on average 5 knives per session and the belts still work fine. This tool is by far the most fun to use on my axe.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
I just found this channel recently. This is by FAR the most in depth explanatory, comprehensive guide to sharpening a knife. I've only known about this channel for less than a week and I now have the first, literal, hair-whittling edge (on a cheap, old Japanese- style Ginsu chef knife that was left in my apartment from the previous tenant who apparently liked knives even more dull than a spoon) I've ever even come close to getting. Using nothing but a Husky dual sided 400#-600# diamond plate and a leather strop with the cheap green wax compound. (Waiting on my DMT diamond plate set and DMT stropping compound, although I don't see how it could get any sharper. Can anyone recommend a test to see if it gets even sharper than hair- whittling?) THANK YOU SO MUCH! You have a new subscriber.
I have the original Work Sharp and the Ken Onion special edition; they're both great and get incredible results, but you are absolutely correct---there are gaps in the grits, and getting some extra belts takes it to that next level you're looking for. I ordered one extra set of belts for each, and I've been using them for years---they still have plenty of life left in them, so these belts, and the tools themselves, will last a very long time. They'll sharpen machetes, axes, katanas, and all kinds of edged tools really nicely and quickly. Never had a knife that didn't get a lot sharper out of the box after a few seconds on my Work Sharp, and I have a lot of knives. And we haven't even started talking about convexity...
This is for me. I've bought it and I love it. I've tried stones, I've tried those guided system, I've tried them all and honestly I suck as sharpening. However, with this thing, I could actually sharpen my knives, my Ax, my putty knives, even my woodworking chisels (gasp, I know I'm a heathen). Honestly I don't want to shave myself with a knife, so slicing a tomato is the hardest thing I want to do or chop wood.
I’m getting into professional sharpening myself and I’m SO glad that people like you exist. Cause I’m just starting out and I never would have thought about details like how skipping too much in grit can make burr removal more difficult and lead to a less sharp product 🤯
Awesome. Way more informative than any other reviews of this system. Most say that rounding of the tip is a big danger for beginners but it sounded like your brother mastered that problem pretty quick.
I bought one recently and whilst I'm not a huge fan of it [keep rounding off my points but its a skill issue] it has been a godsend since I've started getting pains in my hands/wrists from non powered sharpeners which turned it from therapeutic to agony. Still recommend it though when it's on sale.
I rounded off a few points also. I figured out the instructions are incorrect in the advice of raising the rear of the knife to follow the edge. Do not raise the rear, keep pulling straight back and VERY SLIGHTLY angle the rear to keep the edge in contact as it gets closer to the tip.
@@ilikepork247 the knife I cared about is a fallkniven pxl, beautiful knife. I tried to get some point back on it but was mostly unsuccessful. The worksharp definitely makes edges sharp but the destructions should be written better. Best of luck
One thing I really like about this premise of knife sharpener is that it is fairly cheap and easy to experiment with different grits and grit progressions.
You do a great Mr. Smith! I threw away a tabletop (powered) sharpener like the one you discarded. I'm NOT an expert, but at least I fully agreed with you on that one!
Instruction and a show. I fkn love it. I have one of these. Works good for high use edges that you don’t have time or want to spend time sharpening. Can’t replace a good set of stones but is quick and easy.
Thanks .... been using a harbor freight 1x30 belt sander .. for fish cleaning knives... and after watching your channel I was wondering if I was missing out compared to your diamond stone approach... I learned a lot and I will keep the belt sander with reasonable grit steps to get 'good enough ' edges .. And keep watching your vids ! Thanks !
That's super interesting that you didn't get all the belts. I ordered a slightly different version years ago, the "Ken Onion" version and it has a course, medium, fine and xtra fine belts and I believe the fine is 1000 and the extra fine is a stropping belt. I only sharpen 2 knives, both kitchen knives. One is a nice Wustoff chef knife and one is a relatively inexpensive stainless steel chef knife and both get hair whittling sharp if I spend like 10minutes on them with just the last 2 belts now. I profiled them the first time to the 17 degree with all 4 belts the way they say in those other YT videos and now I just fine tune once every couple months with the finest 2 belts. I think if you can get your hands on all the belts, you will have a better experience for sure. When I ordered mine, I ordered an extra pack of belts and I just started using the second set a few months ago.
@@vgullotta Yeah and my brother just got the same office chair as I did 2 years ago and it is 50% more expensive, inflation (greed) is going nuts right now.
A tip worth sharing. Clean oil free metal will load up belts less and result in longer life of the belt. Not exponentially longer life, but it will make a difference.
I absolutely love your videos. Your video editing and writing skills are on par with your sharpening skills, very creative. Looks like you have fun while also being educational. And I actually am learning!! Thanks.
for those interested, I turned my index and my middle finger into Goulash. I sliced the flesh right off the finger in two big chunks. Thankfully no sinews or bones have been damaged, but it will take a while to regrow now.
I bought the full belt kit with my Work Sharp. I have no skills when it comes to free hand sharpening. So this tool works great for me. Worth the money for the extra belt set...
Been around since about 10k subs and I've never seen you do this much effects and showmanship, please continue. As for the sharpener, I have the Mk1 and I use it as you said, on kitchen knives I don't really care about but I just want a quick sharp edge. The fact that you can take the guide off and take the thing to an axe or sheers is great. I've been running the same belts on mine for about 5 years and they still work, so longevity isn't a problem, they just need to include some additional belt grits.
My two cents. 1 maybe a leather strop belt with the kit would deal with those burrs.2 If I was left handed or not, I would have it fixed to a bench for more consistent accuracy. I sharpen all my knives on my 1x30 belt sander with my 20 degree jig I made. I finish with 30 microns, but what really makes the difference is the leather strop belt.
Dead serious. Your channel is insanely good. Geniusly edited. Makes my videos look extremely amateur. I don’t think there is another knife channel that even comes close to this one. So good man. So so good.
I watched one reviewer on You Tube who said that he noticed less edge retention with the Work Sharp compared to sharpening with stones. He attributed the loss of edge retention that he noticed to a weakening of the metal due to increased friction. He agrees with you that the added friction from the Work Sharp is not anything extreme, but assumes that it is still present to some degree and therefore weakens the metal, resulting in a reduction in edge retention. As you continue with testing this product in the future, it would be interesting to see if you get a similar result or not. Always look forward to your posts. Great content and very entertaining,
While the edge retention might possibly be due in part to weakening from heat, there are more important factors involved here. I would argue the biggest is simply due to the angle of the grind. The grind is straight, and ideally you want the grind to be at an angle. The edge simply will be weaker if it is in the same direction of the cutting. Having an angle grind will make the edge stronger. With it weaker it simply will not have the same degree of edge retention. On top of this, most types of steel apparently per this review is getting it sharp but not hair whittling sharp. This means there is still some roughness to the edge which will only impact that even more. Those small microscopic rough edges will simply lead to the sharpness degrading faster as it catches whatever you are cutting and wear it down faster. If you can get the edge to hair whittling sharp, it likely will have better edge retention. Which all falls back to the angle of the grind again. If you can get the edge to hair whittling sharp, the angle of the grind will matter less, but as that is not happening in most cases the angle of the grind matters more so making the edge retention to be also be less.
factory knives are sharpened with a belt, yet it doesn't affect the edge retention. I think he is barking up the wrong tree. More likely the rough apex as shown
I'm a professional knife sharpener and I actually use the Ken Onion Edition for my business. I wouldn't necessarily call it a "no skill" sharpener as there is a learning curve with it and I absolutely 100% would not recommend worksharp's belts. The grit combination is not the best and I've actually had far more and repeatable success with far less expensive aftermarket belts with a very specific grit sequence that I use and I finish it off with a leather belt. Thing is, though, I also had to modify the machine by attaching felt to the angle guides to prevent scratching (I believe the V2 Ken Onion fixed that problem though) and I go through A LOT of blade guides because the plastic they use for them just doesn't hold up with how sharp my knives constantly get. It is a great tool and will get your knives "sharp enough" out of the box but it takes some figuring out, testing, knowledge, practice to get any knife shaving sharp every time within about 5 minutes like I can do. I love these systems because of the consistency (after you figure them out of course) and ease of use. Far easier physically to use these 8 hours a day in my opinion than manually sharpening each knife by hand and I can sharpen a lot more in a day with these machines than I could manually. Oh and you're right about them being relatively safe for heat treatments but, it is possible, if you don't know what it are doing or are trying to do so, to burn the edges, especially with certain types of steal and high speeds. I've done it one single time when I was first learning the machine. Only one time but it is possible. More common to accidently touch the blade handle to the belt though then burning the edge. That's where the most common damage comes from so you gotta be careful. Still great tools though if you learn to use it properly and honestly, the directions worksharp provides on how to use it are mediocre at best. It can have far better results than what you get by just following directions with the factory belts.
@@OUTDOORS55Don't sell yourself short Alex -these skits you were doing were amazing and the editing was spot-on, so thanks for making the effort and I hope you had a blast making them because it sure looled like you did? ☺️👍
@@therogers4432 thanks! I like doing these since its super boring making standard "table top" reviews. I guess you never know what youll get when you click on one of my videos 😂 Thanks again my friend 🙏👊
@@grilledflatbread4692 there’s obviously qc issues in general then or really low quality parts to maximize their profits. The idea of what it is and how it’s supposed to work is certainly great! But poor quality products turned me off. I don’t generally toss something so quick but it really ticked me off to fizzle so fast and seeing all the money they spend on advertising all over stores and online that’s what immediately popped into my head. They got their money out of me because I didn’t warranty it, but lost me for the rest of my life and lost whoever else’s business that asks me about it. Maybe most the rest of their electric sharpeners are fine, but I doubt they’re in it for too much use. I bought a bunch of sanding belts that day too lol. But I’ve found other uses for them on different stuff.
Never thought I'd be this guy and probably not the first to point this out but... you're not supposed to use the 80 grit green belt on knives. In the instructions it says something like it will make to deep of scratches and blah blah blah. Maybe that information was only in the videos I don't remember. But that's probably why you had those pesky micro burs. Oh and side note this thing absolutely kicks ass for sharpening swords! I have a couple of double edged swords and I sharpened both of them to damn near shaving sharp in like 5 mins. Just skip the green belt. You're 100% right with everything you said. This system does kick ass but it's not exactly... exact. Edit: swords I have are each 30" double edged. That's roughly 120" of high carbon steel in about 5 minutes.
I have the Ken Onion edition of the Worksharp knife and tool sharpener. Totally agree that 20 degrees is the ideal setting. I believe the belts mostly use the NORaX grit scale though the coarse belt is a FEPA P. The Ken Onion edition comes with 5 belts: P120, X65, X22, X4, and then a very thin, light belt that just says 6000 grit. I just mostly use the X65 (220 grit), X22 (600 grit), and finish with the X4 (3000 grit) for my kitchen and utility knives. Between the jump from the X22 to the X4 I'll drag the edge of the knife through the end grain of a 1x4 board a couple of times to pull the wire bead off the edge. Then, leather strop on green compound after the X4. The fine 6000 grit belt is for scissors which I've turned some very dull scissors into some nice push cut through wrapping paper scissors. And the coarse p120 belt I've used to sharpen a badly beat up lawn mower blade. I'd say it's more than paid for itself by the number of bits of steel I've woken back up for real use in the kitchen and the garage. I've even sharpened my toe nail clippers with it 😂
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
Future video request: I’ve had a Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener sitting in my drawer since the middle of 2020, and never had enough knowledge to feel comfortable using it until this and your last couple of videos. Can you take a look at this tool and tell us everything about it? In particular I’d like to find out your take on hoe it handles the knives on the common premium multitools. Victorinox blades (440?), Leatherman Charge & Arc (S30V & Magnacut). In particular: 1) the geometry of the Field Sharpener interferes with the handles of the Charge, and 2) the strop appears to be tougher than you would approve of. Is the leather good enough I could strip it and apply diamond compound? Or should I just cut it off and glue belt leather down? The above would make an awesome video of direct interest to every LM & SAK owner.
Thank you for reviewing this! I have one and always questioned how good it was when compared to someone with a mountain of skill. Watched through to end and am happy. Thanks for what you do !
Found the Work Sharp Ken Onion edition at flea market couple weeks ago priced at $20, ordered belt kit for it. Had some issues where an old belt had gotten stuck onto the lower drive pulley. Sent email to customer service and the reply told me how to repair it myself and adjust the belt tracking. I've been practicing with it on a box of cheap Chinese pocket knives and kitchen knives. So far I'm impressed with it. Arthritis is making my sharpening on stones and diamond plates more difficult. Wouldn't say it is getting them "shaving sharp" but that isn't what I use my knives for anyway. Good info on this video, thanks.
I’ve had this since day 1 of it’s release!!! It works great….. except for a few things. It’ll round the edge, the point too, and sadly mine broke a wheel the first day!!! They said to send it in but I haven’t had a chance yet, had to fix it, make it work, or not be able to sharpen customers knives without a bunch of headache and no profit!! Lol I’ve not had to replace my belts yet but they only offer certain grits, which sucks!! I started making my own haha 😂🤷♂️ EDIT-I have the first gen!! NOT the pro like you have here, or Ken onions random thing Lol whichever
Would be interesting to see how long the edge lasts in a cut test with the belt system vs a hand sharpened knife in the same steel along with a proper progression of belts and stones at 20°. Thanks for the great vid and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable.
After 6 months of your original review of the work sharp sharpener I feel another visit is overdue. I have Ken Onion version of the machine with the blade sharpening attachment and bought 1" wide belts ranging from 240, 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 3000 from other sources. I finish it with a leather belt and Norton cloth belt. I get hair whittling edge. Once you try this combination, I hope that you will change your view about this wonderful sharpener. Thanks again for the best knife sharpening channel on UA-cam.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
as a left handed person, i love the fact that you pointed out that this tool can be really hard for a lefthanded person to use, alot of the time when i see tool reviews or anyother kindof review often left hand use is not pointed out at all. This is also in my opinion a huge problem especially since most products are not designed to be used with the left hand, which is also why most left handed tools for example scissors or rulers are often more expensive than the right handed counterpart
I've got this one and the Ken Onion and the grinder attachment. I found the guides on both to be troublesome at best. Chunk the guides and unleash some real sharpening ability...
Man, your videos are getting more and more entertaining. Now, even though they are gettting more and more entertaining, your content is still top notch. Great combination and I am looking forward to getting more education on knife sharpening and having my side hurt from so much laughing. Thank you for your great videos!
You nailed it man, loved the matrix theme. I have one of these and i love it for getting my knives and tools "almost there". I still finish on a high grit stone or diamond plate, then ceramic and finish with stroping. Its great for saving time and elbow grease. Especially for tools like shovels, axes, lawnmower blades etc.
I sharpened my knives strictly on stones all my life until I finally decided to give it a chance. Mine was the Work Sharp Ken Onion edition and Ive used it pretty regularly for probably 5 yrs or more now. It sure saves you a lot of time and usually comes out with very satisfactory results. I have used up a lot of belts over the years, but as long as you pay attention to what you're doing and don't push them too hard, the belt life is not too shabby. After a fewbelt changes, the number of which usually is dictated by whatever it is you happen to be working on at the time, you end up nearly where you want it to be. By quickly getting most of the "heavy lifting" done by using the Work Shop, it is a great time saver. I usually finish up the process on a wooden braced leather strop with a little diamond dust on it for burr removal followed by a few minutes on a normal leather strop Just mainly have to make sure you strop using the same angle and direction as on the belt sharpener...anyway, works for me. I've enjoyed your videeo as I've had an interest in making things sharp as far back as I can remember. Is that a little creepy?..........Anyway, thanks for the effort you put into your videos, from North Carolina
I have the Ken Onion Edition(KOE) with Blade Grinding Attachment. Now the regular KOE has the same size belts as the MK2, but you can adjust the grind angle anywhere between 30-15 degrees and you have an adjustable speed setting and you can also lock the the power button down, so you do not have to hold the handle while sharpening. Now the big upgrade to all of this is the Blade Grinding Attachment(BGA), sold seperately round about $80, and the first thing you'll notice is that the belts are much larger. MK2 and KOE both use 1/2in x 12in belts. The BGA uses 1in x 18in. And you'll notice there is no "guiding tool" for the knife, you're basically free handing it at this point. Cant wait to see if you ever get the KOE with BGA and compare!
I really like my ken onion edition. It is even great that you can use it on lawnmower blades as just a hand held belt sander. I don't remember what all the grits are, but mine came with a 4th grit. I just looked and it came with 5 grits. These included 120, 220, 1000, 3000, and 6000. So it definitely has the missing in between steps.
I have the “Ken onion” version of this, with 15°-25° adjustability, and I am also left handed. Doing it right handed hasn’t been an issue and I’ve had pretty good results with belt longevity. With the simpler carbon steels I normally make knives out of it works quite well, although I typically call it good when it shaves and slices heavy belly leather easily. It’s not as good on my s90v knife that’s mid 60s hrc but I use diamond for stuff like that
Also not sure if it makes a difference but the Ken onion version also has much more speed adjustability and has a blade rest you can fold out of the way. I’d spring for that version over the mk2 but it is more expensive. Good diamond stones are better but it wasn’t until I watched these videos that I was able to even get a decent edge from stones and for doing lots of consistent sharpening on softer knives it’s pretty sweet
Always enjoy your videos! I have the older version of this tool and love it to death for my kitchen knives. My edc I use stones and strop, because the one that may save your butt needs the extra 10%. 😉
I used the Ken Onion Worksharp for a few years. I was an immediate fanboy. It came with 1000 and 3000 grit belts, and I had good luck getting my knives very sharp. Not only does the edge get sharper and more durable with the finer belts, but you can touch up a dull edge with the the 1000 grit belt and remove material a little more slowly, which gives greater control That's important for the first reason I don't recommend the Worksharp. 1) It's difficult to use without changing the profile. You may not notice after one or two sharpenings, but eventually you'll observe the knives changing shape. If you're like me, you'll notice embarrassingly long after you should have. I ruined the profile on several kitchen knives before I realized the damage I was doing. Once the profile was messed up, I couldn't use the worksharp to fix it. Furthermore, once I was aware of the problem, it took me a lot of practice to maintain the profile. It's hard not removing too much material from the heel and the tip. A tool that seems ridiculously simple at first, was actually pretty hard to use properly. 2) Bits of steel and abrasive get embedded in the plastic guides and scratch the knives. Personally, I don't care what my knives look like as long as they function well, but I know a lot of people spend big money on nice knives and want them to stay pretty. This isn't a good sharpener for that. 3) I would probably still be using the Worksharp except the trigger broke. At which time I learned that they don't sell repair parts. It's not a particularly well-made tool, and when (not if) it breaks, you throw it away and buy a new one. I switched to a 1x30 belt sander with Trizact belts. The initial investment was slightly more than the Worksharp (about $160) because of the cost of the belts, but they're worth it. They cut faster and stay cooler than Aluminum Oxide or SiC. Knives get just as sharp, just as fast as with the Worksharp, but it's easier to maintain the blade's profile, and if you damage a blade you can use it to reprofile the edge.
I have bought at least four different knife sharpeners systems. Finally got the Work Sharp. Think it came with 5 or 6 belts. It still has some learning curve. It maybe does not give a perfect edge but it makes my knife sharper than any other knife sharpener device I have tried. Love my Work Sharp. It was worth the price.
I really respect the fact that even as a professional sharpener, he's being completely honest about the strength of the product. He could have pushed people to send him more business but he's all about transparency.
Thanks for this review! I recently purchased the Worksharp Professional Precision Adjust Sharpening System and I absolutely love it, but it is quite expensive and more involved to use properly but the results are amazing. It comes with an angle meter, pocket knife jig, and a 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, a Fine Ceramic and a Leather Strop plate. It makes all my knives scary sharp. I use 17 degrees for my Damascus Slicing and Chef's knives, and 20 degrees for all the German Steel knives. Oh, and it's ambidextrous.
I have the MK. 1 of the work sharp. Yes, they dont become as sharp as I can get them with whetstones, but it literally takes me a few minutes to sharpen all my kitchen knives with it, while hand-sharpening takes much, much longer. And it has seen a lot of knives, scissors and tools over the years and still works just great. I have used it for everything from small vegetable knives up to garden machetes - it never failed. I like it very much.
Best and WORST powered sharpeners I've ever tested⬇
Possibly the best?⬇
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The WORST⬇
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You probably like the ken onion edition you can set your angle from 15° to 30° and change the speed of the motor
I'd been wondering if this thing kinda negated the need for the hundreds in stones, and intricacy of FAS, etc ... Thank you again.
, especially with the 3d printed guides people have created.
Mine come with a strop belt. My knifes get sharp enough to shave on all my knives.
@@deansavie3958 yeah I’ve got that version and it’s great. Not on the level of good diamond stones but much easier to use
As a longtime viewer it is interesting to watch your inner showman coming to the surface.
I get bored sometimes with the standard "tabletop" reviews. Its more for me to keep my sanity doing the same things for years on end🙂👍
That's a valuable thing and also adds value for us viewers !
I thought the matrix was the funniest part until I saw the ending with 300. OMG ROFL!😂
And a pretty good "Smith" impersonation!
I have to sopot the video just to write that this is one of funniest videos he did
I used to sharpen my blades by hand, but carpal tunnel and arthritis took that away. The old Work Sharp device sounded good, so I tried it. Almost as sharp as manually, and without the pain. Good buy, in my opinion.
He makes his videos look like fun. Obviously, they're actually tremendous work, but, they're pretty awesome for just a knife-sharpening dude.
Thanks, I appreciate it! I primarily try to keep it interesting for me to make. Otherwise I get bored making the same old review videos. Thanks again for watching I really appreciate it 🙏👍
I have the Ken Onion version. At $140, it's great and a better value than the Mk.2. More robust, better motor, 4 angle settings, and 5 belts: 120, 220, 1000, 3000, 6000. I'd argue that the jump from 220 to 1K is still a bit too big, so I can't imagine skipping grits like the Mk.2 does. Thanks as always, Alex. Great video!
Same here. And the prophecies say you will need to buy the freehand Blade Grinding Attachment, which you can get leather belts for, which will give you a superb stropping experience! I was able to sharpen a VG10 blade to around 90 BESS.
They've made that big canyon size grip gap on purpose i think. That way users got that toothy edge and fast. And wow factor of fresh saw-like edge is huge.
@@ichich3276 Nice! I may decide to spring for that also, but I have another fabricobbled sharpening system that I'm invested in. I built a knife jig setup to use with my WS3000 outfitted with diamond lapping plates. I also have the leather stropping wheel for it. I don't have a BESS tester yet, but I'm planning on adding that at some point. The KO is my weapon of choice for garden tools: pruners, hatchets/axes, spades. I love a convex edge for those things.
@@bazzzker I'm sure you're right, and I also don't think that's a terrible thing for certain use cases.
I too have the ken onion version- and like the one demonstrated in the video- it’s meant for righties. That being said left handed people have had to adapt to a lot of things that are designed for right handed people and they figure it out. Chalk boards- white boards, spiral notebooks. Lefties find a way
Love my Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition knife and tool sharpener. After two years, no issues and easy to use.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
So this is not just a wonderful review, that goes in-depth on not just what it does or doesn't work for, but why, and how it could possible be fixed, but it's also laden with fantastically sincere movie references that are hilarious but don't distract from the subject matter. The editing and sort of cheesy green screen use is exactly up my alley. Your Agent Smith is fantastic, it was legit so good that I want to watch the Matrix again now.
Thanks for the time and expertise you put into both the review and the videography, it's been a blast watching your stuff and learning so much! Cooking is 100x more fun with sharp knives, and you've helped me a lot with that.
I love that you're slowly putting more cinematics in it again. I remember in the time when your workshop was this unheated shack in the woods, you sometimes made these huge cinematic cuts that were both cool and hilarious! I know it's not your core business, but it was a signature trait with an optimal sense of humor... I'd say, better humor than that of a Burr... (which is already up there)
If you get one of these don’t tell anyone. I made that mistake and now sharpen all the knives for all my coworkers and family.
That's on you for not adding a price lol.
Family maybe but co-workers should be paying for your time n belt usage.
Tell them it's $5-$10 per blade. Belts aren't cheap to replace
@@shockwave6213 while I do actually sharpen a lot for friends and family I’m not going to charge them. I would rather they have a sharp blade. I don’t need to make money or break even on account of friends and family.
Like being the guy that has a truck.
I have one for several months now. I think it works pretty well. After the 6000 belt I use a leather strop with green compound and the edges are way sharper than anyone really needs. It's not as fun as using all the stones I have, but if you''ve got an edge in really bad shape it beats tons of grinding on stones. I think it's best use could be just getting a good edge that you could finish on stones? It is also really great for quick touchups. Just a few swipes on the 6000 and then strop!
by 'after the 6000 belt' I thought you mean you goes through 6000 of these belts 😂
That's the reason he included more in the sentence to keep regular people from thoughting that 😸 @@Armorpiercer
That sounds like a very reasonable conclusion. 👍
Realllly, @@Armorpiercer .!?
I tend to leave my leather strop on and just run a knife through it after each use, and I leave a 6000 grit on my 1-inch belt in the shed when I need to reshaped a lot of knives (I have everything from 40-grit up through leather strops for it, so I can go from bulk removal of a new handmade knife up through a razor edge on a single machine).
I normally don't watch the whole video for stuff like this but the editing kept me hooked
You would LOVE the Ken Onion edition of this sharpener with the blade grinding attachment. It is easy to use and the angle can be whatever you want it to be.
The WS Ken Onion edition is my go-to solution when doing any "Heavy Lifting" to repair a knife or establish the secondary bevel on a knife that is in need.
Thanks for the video!
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
@@Jordan-jy7pg The steel you are using is 56 HRC, most of the time the knife is dull. Better knives and a means to sharpen them would be a game changer for you. That said the Worksharp would allow you to quickly sharpen and maintain your current knives. I sharpen knives for people in my neighborhood. Most of the knives are very low cost. Good luck.
@@barkingspider2007 I see. Thanks for the info!
It's crazy that an actually functional and good value product actually exists at this price point when there are super shitty stones on amazon for like 55 bucks or more which are soul crushingly awful and most people just think it's their own fault. This is great for all of those people that don't want to go down the rabbit hole, that's what these systems are for and I'm stunned that there's actually a good one out there for 90% of people.
Ken Onion edition solves all the issues 😀 In fact it has to be a default version.
Definitely solves the problems, especially if you also get the grinding attachment as well. I think they even sell leather stropping belts now for it.
@@ajk71486 yes, the attachment is amazing!
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
I love using this to sharpen lawn mower blades. The rotating head is so much control vs a bench grinder. That's all I have on this.
I use the free grinder attachment. Never go back. A "uniform" belt system cant handle all blades. Thats impossible. But for someone who just needs sharp knives in the kitchen its ok. My 70 year old mum can handle this, and she has REALLY cheapo knives which have to be sharpen very often (and they work hard in her kitchen. Porcelain cutting included). But a few rotations on that thing and she can work without the fear of one of these "blunt knife" injuries.
For my spyderco and other more expensive blades the ken onion free belt system is better.
But you have always to consider.....you will round up the tip of the blades if youre not really careful.
But on the other hand i managed to get some very old knives of my grand grandfather working. They are made of nice steel back in the days and are pre 3rd Reich (im german), with no akward symbols on it. Also his tools and files are better than anything you can buy today.
Long story short (or not).
My grandfather had some really nice files too. They used them to make the German tanks to new usable items after the war. At least that's the story I was told by my father. Not gonna lie, they indeed were better than random chineseium cheese. But they were the only files in the household. My father believed what the old guy said and did not see any need to get new files. These are good, so why get new ones. So I had to make a note: that old and good file probably actually filed through couple actual German tanks of material. Whatever they used to be it ain't it anymore after what they seen in their lives. And while there is clear issue with big box stores tools quality, there are other shops that sell tools for work. Price ain't nice but we ain't on a budget for tools. So we spent round hundred euro for a set of new good files. Just a set of useful profiles for daily use. Those old files still exist, but for some whatever reason when we actually need to file something we use the new ones.
Yeah, I have three chisels, and two mill files, that I KNOW my grandfather used in and before 1927 when he built his house. British Steel from Sheffield, and they are so much better than anything else I have seen that I actually don't let anyone know I have them. I am sure my brothers would steal them if they knew they still existed.
@@Kregorius my grand grandfather was a fineworker\finesmith\tinker....so he had the really good stuff. I never met him, but in remember the days as a kid when me and my brother played as kids in his workshop. the smell of iron and oil is something i like till today. I have several "high quality premium diamantine" files, but none of these work like the old stuff. I think its because of the fact that newer products made of steel have a big portion of recycled material in it, where the 1900 to 1945 stuff was "pure krupp steel".
@@Gloomshimmeryou may be right that the old ones are better files. But let's face the facts. You can sharpen a chisel. No worries there. But a file can only lose sharpness. There is no such thing as sharpening a file. Over the last hundred years they have only gone more dull. No matter how good they used to be in their youth, it has been hundred years of dulling. No sharpening at any point in their lives. Under no circumstances I believe there are no new files on the market that are out of the package worse than a file after hundred year of wear and tear. Longevity is another matter but I seriously don't care at this point that my tools last a hundred years. And neither did our grandfathers. The stuff they bought and sent to a rust bucket did not make it to our collections of the good old tools. There's mountains of the old stuff that did not make the selection. So I am not worried that not all of my tools will last a hundred years. Maybe some will. Most won't. But in the meantime I can get some serious work done without worrying about damaging some old relics.
I've gotta say, whether you're outsourcing your videos to an editor, or doing all of this yourself, the production value of the last few months, and of this video specifically, is top-notch!
The cook can always throw more into the pot, but more/better ingredients or seasoning doesn't necessarily make a better stew. (This analogy got away from me...)
From a technical perspective, you *_could_* upgrade your hardware to some studio-quality setup, like an obscenely high megapixel professional camera, or professional digital video editing rig replete with all of the requisite subscription software...I'm not sure where I was going with that...
Oh right! All of those tools would be effectively worthless in the hands of a novice, whereas a pro can make even subpar or defective tools look "good enough". A lesson you've illustrated, and I keep learning from all sorts of UA-camrs more generally, the quality of tools available do little without the skills to use them properly or effectively. A fitting example just came to mind (which I subsequently spent an hour fine-tuning before scrapping entirely.)
I think the difference between talent and skill is important here.
While it's certainly possible that anyone *_could_* be naturally talented in any number of things, abilities which took others a lot of practice to achieve, the same can't be said in reverse about skill.
Developing a skill from beginner or novice, up to subject matter expert requires commitment, the ability to admit you have more to learn, and the willingness to actually learn.
I've known plenty of examples of these, specifically in the tradecrafts. People who've been in a particular field for decades, widely regarded as experts, but they'd just been coasting on their initial talents, never actually honing skills. So high on their own supply that they couldn't learn anything from anybody, and it showed in their work...
I'm sorry, I'm not sure why this became some esoteric argument, when I was originally just complimenting you on something impressive I'd noticed (which I still haven't done...)
It's become clear to me you're intrigued by contrasting what's in focus with what's out of focus, and I'm here for it. I've seen many microscopic extreme closeups of sandpaper grit in the past, but this was the first time I've seen it illustrated with such care and precision! (This also showed through in your memery.) And it was gorgeous
Anyway, I don't assume you'll read this comment, but I hope so, and that it makes sense through my rambling...
agent smith, your review rocked!
I purchased one maybe 2 years ago now and at the time it was impressive as hell because of the speed to sharpen compared to stones and it removed a lot of the skill issue on getting a perfect angle. This video was extremely informative because i dont have any of those super cameras you have to tell the difference! Thanks.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
I have the 'ken onion' edition of this sharpener. I absolutely stand by this sharpener. I'm not a professional knife sharpener, and don't intend to spend hours on end sharpening a knife.
The results it provides are more than adequate for the 2 minutes it takes me for one knife. Because it's that quick, I am able to keep all my knives and tools sharp consistently.
As for longevity of belts, I own the sharpener for over 2 years, using the same belts it came with on a by-monthly basis. I sharpen on average 5 knives per session and the belts still work fine.
This tool is by far the most fun to use on my axe.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
VERY ENTERTAINING. Seriously, a great review that never got boring
Plz make an update video when you get the other belts plz
I just found this channel recently. This is by FAR the most in depth explanatory, comprehensive guide to sharpening a knife. I've only known about this channel for less than a week and I now have the first, literal, hair-whittling edge (on a cheap, old Japanese- style Ginsu chef knife that was left in my apartment from the previous tenant who apparently liked knives even more dull than a spoon) I've ever even come close to getting. Using nothing but a Husky dual sided 400#-600# diamond plate and a leather strop with the cheap green wax compound. (Waiting on my DMT diamond plate set and DMT stropping compound, although I don't see how it could get any sharper. Can anyone recommend a test to see if it gets even sharper than hair- whittling?) THANK YOU SO MUCH! You have a new subscriber.
I have the original Work Sharp and the Ken Onion special edition; they're both great and get incredible results, but you are absolutely correct---there are gaps in the grits, and getting some extra belts takes it to that next level you're looking for. I ordered one extra set of belts for each, and I've been using them for years---they still have plenty of life left in them, so these belts, and the tools themselves, will last a very long time. They'll sharpen machetes, axes, katanas, and all kinds of edged tools really nicely and quickly. Never had a knife that didn't get a lot sharper out of the box after a few seconds on my Work Sharp, and I have a lot of knives. And we haven't even started talking about convexity...
This is for me. I've bought it and I love it. I've tried stones, I've tried those guided system, I've tried them all and honestly I suck as sharpening. However, with this thing, I could actually sharpen my knives, my Ax, my putty knives, even my woodworking chisels (gasp, I know I'm a heathen). Honestly I don't want to shave myself with a knife, so slicing a tomato is the hardest thing I want to do or chop wood.
You have a great sense of humor; you should use it more often in your videos. Your impression of Mr. Smith is spot on.
I’m getting into professional sharpening myself and I’m SO glad that people like you exist. Cause I’m just starting out and I never would have thought about details like how skipping too much in grit can make burr removal more difficult and lead to a less sharp product 🤯
Video quality, editing, pacing and sense of humor was really, really good! Amazing content as usual
I friggin love how much fun you're having with your videos. It's awesome!
I would watch these videos without the added entertainment value, but it’s a great bonus😁. I think I’m going to watch the matrix tonight…
4:37 "Surely you can't be serious." "Stop calling me Shirley!" (Yes, I noticed the background.)
What's your vector, Victor?
Awesome. Way more informative than any other reviews of this system. Most say that rounding of the tip is a big danger for beginners but it sounded like your brother mastered that problem pretty quick.
I think that problem is solved bu sharpening at 20 degree's rather than 25.
I really like my work sharp ken onion edition. I have sharpened more knives than i could count with it. It works great. Love your videos 🙂👊
I bought one recently and whilst I'm not a huge fan of it [keep rounding off my points but its a skill issue] it has been a godsend since I've started getting pains in my hands/wrists from non powered sharpeners which turned it from therapeutic to agony.
Still recommend it though when it's on sale.
I rounded off a few points also. I figured out the instructions are incorrect in the advice of raising the rear of the knife to follow the edge. Do not raise the rear, keep pulling straight back and VERY SLIGHTLY angle the rear to keep the edge in contact as it gets closer to the tip.
@@randallbollinger9625 yeah started to figure that out myself. Now I just have to work out how to put em back, my squeak misses its point lol
@@ilikepork247 the knife I cared about is a fallkniven pxl, beautiful knife. I tried to get some point back on it but was mostly unsuccessful. The worksharp definitely makes edges sharp but the destructions should be written better. Best of luck
Like the extra entertainment skits you are adding.
Thanks! It keeping me occupied anyway 🙂
One thing I really like about this premise of knife sharpener is that it is fairly cheap and easy to experiment with different grits and grit progressions.
LOVED the Matrix references! Awesome as always.
And that sharpener was better than I was expecting..
You do a great Mr. Smith!
I threw away a tabletop (powered) sharpener like the one you discarded. I'm NOT an expert, but at least I fully agreed with you on that one!
Thanks appreciate the kind words 🙏
Good job sharpening your wit. Nice balance of humor and useful info😂
"Oh, I'm dead serious, and please, dont call me Shirley."
Picked a bad week to quit smoking?
Instruction and a show. I fkn love it. I have one of these. Works good for high use edges that you don’t have time or want to spend time sharpening. Can’t replace a good set of stones but is quick and easy.
Hi. Just want to say......I LIKE KNIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me too.
Knives frikkin rock ☺️👍
I like turtles 😂
Thanks .... been using a harbor freight 1x30 belt sander .. for fish cleaning knives... and after watching your channel I was wondering if I was missing out compared to your diamond stone approach...
I learned a lot and I will keep the belt sander with reasonable grit steps to get 'good enough ' edges ..
And keep watching your vids ! Thanks !
Your production value is way higher that we deserve ^^
That's super interesting that you didn't get all the belts. I ordered a slightly different version years ago, the "Ken Onion" version and it has a course, medium, fine and xtra fine belts and I believe the fine is 1000 and the extra fine is a stropping belt. I only sharpen 2 knives, both kitchen knives. One is a nice Wustoff chef knife and one is a relatively inexpensive stainless steel chef knife and both get hair whittling sharp if I spend like 10minutes on them with just the last 2 belts now. I profiled them the first time to the 17 degree with all 4 belts the way they say in those other YT videos and now I just fine tune once every couple months with the finest 2 belts. I think if you can get your hands on all the belts, you will have a better experience for sure. When I ordered mine, I ordered an extra pack of belts and I just started using the second set a few months ago.
Not „slightly“ different, more like double to triple the price?!
@@PM-wt3ye mine was 129 on Amazon when I got it, but that was like 3 or 4 years ago
@@vgullotta Yeah and my brother just got the same office chair as I did 2 years ago and it is 50% more expensive, inflation (greed) is going nuts right now.
….also, I love taking this when we go to friends places. Cabins and such. Fun to put a keen edge on all of the knives, tools, etc.
You're a fantastic Mr. Smith!
Just absolutely love your editing style and way of story telling!
@5:11 you do a killer Agent Smith impersonation, haha. Great vid as always!
So much artistic effort put in a sharpener review. Standing applause.
A tip worth sharing. Clean oil free metal will load up belts less and result in longer life of the belt. Not exponentially longer life, but it will make a difference.
One of those sanding belt cleaning blocks work really well for clearing them out and I use it myself
I absolutely love your videos. Your video editing and writing skills are on par with your sharpening skills, very creative. Looks like you have fun while also being educational.
And I actually am learning!! Thanks.
its fun to watch videos like that sitting in the ER because I slipped while working with my knife and shaving of big chunks of meat from my fingers.
aaarrrrgghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
for those interested, I turned my index and my middle finger into Goulash. I sliced the flesh right off the finger in two big chunks. Thankfully no sinews or bones have been damaged, but it will take a while to regrow now.
@@blitzkriegfritz2779 I hope you get well soon! 🤍
I have the Ken Onion edition of the Work Sharp. I love it.
Can you show us how to properly sharpen longer blades like swords and machetes using whetstone?
I bought the full belt kit with my Work Sharp. I have no skills when it comes to free hand sharpening. So this tool works great for me. Worth the money for the extra belt set...
I lost it at “THIS IS - WORKK SHARRPPP!!! “ 😂 🤣
I’ll never unsubscribe
I came here for the review, but the production quality is much better than what I expect from UA-cam reviews. Well done.
I've started watching your videos and I'm learning a lot. I have a 6" WÜSTHOF chef knife. I'm nervous about sharpening it I don't wanna ruin it.
OMG the references! Love the Agent Smith bits! 😂
Been around since about 10k subs and I've never seen you do this much effects and showmanship, please continue. As for the sharpener, I have the Mk1 and I use it as you said, on kitchen knives I don't really care about but I just want a quick sharp edge. The fact that you can take the guide off and take the thing to an axe or sheers is great. I've been running the same belts on mine for about 5 years and they still work, so longevity isn't a problem, they just need to include some additional belt grits.
My two cents. 1 maybe a leather strop belt with the kit would deal with those burrs.2 If I was left handed or not, I would have it fixed to a bench for more consistent accuracy. I sharpen all my knives on my 1x30 belt sander with my 20 degree jig I made. I finish with 30 microns, but what really makes the difference is the leather strop belt.
Dead serious. Your channel is insanely good. Geniusly edited. Makes my videos look extremely amateur. I don’t think there is another knife channel that even comes close to this one. So good man. So so good.
Thanks appreciate it🙏
I watched one reviewer on You Tube who said that he noticed less edge retention with the Work Sharp compared to sharpening with stones. He attributed the loss of edge retention that he noticed to a weakening of the metal due to increased friction. He agrees with you that the added friction from the Work Sharp is not anything extreme, but assumes that it is still present to some degree and therefore weakens the metal, resulting in a reduction in edge retention. As you continue with testing this product in the future, it would be interesting to see if you get a similar result or not. Always look forward to your posts. Great content and very entertaining,
While the edge retention might possibly be due in part to weakening from heat, there are more important factors involved here. I would argue the biggest is simply due to the angle of the grind.
The grind is straight, and ideally you want the grind to be at an angle. The edge simply will be weaker if it is in the same direction of the cutting. Having an angle grind will make the edge stronger. With it weaker it simply will not have the same degree of edge retention. On top of this, most types of steel apparently per this review is getting it sharp but not hair whittling sharp. This means there is still some roughness to the edge which will only impact that even more. Those small microscopic rough edges will simply lead to the sharpness degrading faster as it catches whatever you are cutting and wear it down faster. If you can get the edge to hair whittling sharp, it likely will have better edge retention. Which all falls back to the angle of the grind again. If you can get the edge to hair whittling sharp, the angle of the grind will matter less, but as that is not happening in most cases the angle of the grind matters more so making the edge retention to be also be less.
factory knives are sharpened with a belt, yet it doesn't affect the edge retention. I think he is barking up the wrong tree. More likely the rough apex as shown
I'm a professional knife sharpener and I actually use the Ken Onion Edition for my business. I wouldn't necessarily call it a "no skill" sharpener as there is a learning curve with it and I absolutely 100% would not recommend worksharp's belts. The grit combination is not the best and I've actually had far more and repeatable success with far less expensive aftermarket belts with a very specific grit sequence that I use and I finish it off with a leather belt. Thing is, though, I also had to modify the machine by attaching felt to the angle guides to prevent scratching (I believe the V2 Ken Onion fixed that problem though) and I go through A LOT of blade guides because the plastic they use for them just doesn't hold up with how sharp my knives constantly get. It is a great tool and will get your knives "sharp enough" out of the box but it takes some figuring out, testing, knowledge, practice to get any knife shaving sharp every time within about 5 minutes like I can do. I love these systems because of the consistency (after you figure them out of course) and ease of use. Far easier physically to use these 8 hours a day in my opinion than manually sharpening each knife by hand and I can sharpen a lot more in a day with these machines than I could manually. Oh and you're right about them being relatively safe for heat treatments but, it is possible, if you don't know what it are doing or are trying to do so, to burn the edges, especially with certain types of steal and high speeds. I've done it one single time when I was first learning the machine. Only one time but it is possible. More common to accidently touch the blade handle to the belt though then burning the edge. That's where the most common damage comes from so you gotta be careful. Still great tools though if you learn to use it properly and honestly, the directions worksharp provides on how to use it are mediocre at best. It can have far better results than what you get by just following directions with the factory belts.
This is that million dollar production video 😂👌👌👌
More like a $0.10 production video 😂👍
@@OUTDOORS55Don't sell yourself short Alex -these skits you were doing were amazing and the editing was spot-on, so thanks for making the effort and I hope you had a blast making them because it sure looled like you did? ☺️👍
@@therogers4432 thanks! I like doing these since its super boring making standard "table top" reviews. I guess you never know what youll get when you click on one of my videos 😂 Thanks again my friend 🙏👊
Never imagined a knife sharpening video would be this entertaining. Thank you!
Dude, your cutting and dramaturgic skills are on par with your sharpening and knife building skills. Love it!
Had it, hated it, top idler bearing burned out after a few uses and I tossed it in the trash and haven’t bought anything worksharp since.
mine burned out, they replaced it with a new one. so they stand by the warranty at least
@@grilledflatbread4692 there’s obviously qc issues in general then or really low quality parts to maximize their profits. The idea of what it is and how it’s supposed to work is certainly great! But poor quality products turned me off. I don’t generally toss something so quick but it really ticked me off to fizzle so fast and seeing all the money they spend on advertising all over stores and online that’s what immediately popped into my head. They got their money out of me because I didn’t warranty it, but lost me for the rest of my life and lost whoever else’s business that asks me about it. Maybe most the rest of their electric sharpeners are fine, but I doubt they’re in it for too much use. I bought a bunch of sanding belts that day too lol. But I’ve found other uses for them on different stuff.
Thank you for including the left handed thing!! I hate finding out something doesn't work for me after I bought it.
Never thought I'd be this guy and probably not the first to point this out but... you're not supposed to use the 80 grit green belt on knives. In the instructions it says something like it will make to deep of scratches and blah blah blah. Maybe that information was only in the videos I don't remember. But that's probably why you had those pesky micro burs. Oh and side note this thing absolutely kicks ass for sharpening swords! I have a couple of double edged swords and I sharpened both of them to damn near shaving sharp in like 5 mins. Just skip the green belt. You're 100% right with everything you said. This system does kick ass but it's not exactly... exact.
Edit: swords I have are each 30" double edged. That's roughly 120" of high carbon steel in about 5 minutes.
I have the Ken Onion edition of the Worksharp knife and tool sharpener. Totally agree that 20 degrees is the ideal setting. I believe the belts mostly use the NORaX grit scale though the coarse belt is a FEPA P. The Ken Onion edition comes with 5 belts: P120, X65, X22, X4, and then a very thin, light belt that just says 6000 grit. I just mostly use the X65 (220 grit), X22 (600 grit), and finish with the X4 (3000 grit) for my kitchen and utility knives. Between the jump from the X22 to the X4 I'll drag the edge of the knife through the end grain of a 1x4 board a couple of times to pull the wire bead off the edge. Then, leather strop on green compound after the X4. The fine 6000 grit belt is for scissors which I've turned some very dull scissors into some nice push cut through wrapping paper scissors. And the coarse p120 belt I've used to sharpen a badly beat up lawn mower blade. I'd say it's more than paid for itself by the number of bits of steel I've woken back up for real use in the kitchen and the garage. I've even sharpened my toe nail clippers with it 😂
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
Future video request: I’ve had a Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener sitting in my drawer since the middle of 2020, and never had enough knowledge to feel comfortable using it until this and your last couple of videos.
Can you take a look at this tool and tell us everything about it? In particular I’d like to find out your take on hoe it handles the knives on the common premium multitools. Victorinox blades (440?), Leatherman Charge & Arc (S30V & Magnacut).
In particular: 1) the geometry of the Field Sharpener interferes with the handles of the Charge, and 2) the strop appears to be tougher than you would approve of. Is the leather good enough I could strip it and apply diamond compound? Or should I just cut it off and glue belt leather down?
The above would make an awesome video of direct interest to every LM & SAK owner.
HOW not HOE. Doh! My horrible spelling typos strikes again.
Thank you for reviewing this! I have one and always questioned how good it was when compared to someone with a mountain of skill. Watched through to end and am happy. Thanks for what you do !
Found the Work Sharp Ken Onion edition at flea market couple weeks ago priced at $20, ordered belt kit for it. Had some issues where an old belt had gotten stuck onto the lower drive pulley. Sent email to customer service and the reply told me how to repair it myself and adjust the belt tracking. I've been practicing with it on a box of cheap Chinese pocket knives and kitchen knives. So far I'm impressed with it. Arthritis is making my sharpening on stones and diamond plates more difficult. Wouldn't say it is getting them "shaving sharp" but that isn't what I use my knives for anyway. Good info on this video, thanks.
I’ve had this since day 1 of it’s release!!! It works great….. except for a few things. It’ll round the edge, the point too, and sadly mine broke a wheel the first day!!! They said to send it in but I haven’t had a chance yet, had to fix it, make it work, or not be able to sharpen customers knives without a bunch of headache and no profit!! Lol I’ve not had to replace my belts yet but they only offer certain grits, which sucks!! I started making my own haha 😂🤷♂️ EDIT-I have the first gen!! NOT the pro like you have here, or Ken onions random thing Lol whichever
Would be interesting to see how long the edge lasts in a cut test with the belt system vs a hand sharpened knife in the same steel along with a proper progression of belts and stones at 20°. Thanks for the great vid and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable.
The Ken onion model solves all these issues. I love mine. Great video review btw!
After 6 months of your original review of the work sharp sharpener I feel another visit is overdue.
I have Ken Onion version of the machine with the blade sharpening attachment and bought 1" wide belts ranging from 240, 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 3000 from other sources. I finish it with a leather belt and Norton cloth belt. I get hair whittling edge.
Once you try this combination, I hope that you will change your view about this wonderful sharpener.
Thanks again for the best knife sharpening channel on UA-cam.
I only use one main knife… a $40 Victorinox Fibrox chef knife from Amazon. I also use a cheap paring knife here and there. Anyways, would it still be worth it for me? I just want a few cheap, sharp, and reliable knives to cook with! Thanks :)
as a left handed person, i love the fact that you pointed out that this tool can be really hard for a lefthanded person to use, alot of the time when i see tool reviews or anyother kindof review often left hand use is not pointed out at all. This is also in my opinion a huge problem especially since most products are not designed to be used with the left hand, which is also why most left handed tools for example scissors or rulers are often more expensive than the right handed counterpart
I've got this one and the Ken Onion and the grinder attachment. I found the guides on both to be troublesome at best. Chunk the guides and unleash some real sharpening ability...
The amount of work, effort and art you have put into this video is amazing.
Man, your videos are getting more and more entertaining. Now, even though they are gettting more and more entertaining, your content is still top notch. Great combination and I am looking forward to getting more education on knife sharpening and having my side hurt from so much laughing. Thank you for your great videos!
Thanks! I appreciate taking the time to watch and comment 🙏👊
You nailed it man, loved the matrix theme. I have one of these and i love it for getting my knives and tools "almost there". I still finish on a high grit stone or diamond plate, then ceramic and finish with stroping. Its great for saving time and elbow grease. Especially for tools like shovels, axes, lawnmower blades etc.
I sharpened my knives strictly on stones all my life until I finally decided to give it a chance. Mine was the Work Sharp Ken Onion edition and Ive used it pretty regularly for probably 5 yrs or more now. It sure saves you a lot of time and usually comes out with very satisfactory results. I have used up a lot of belts over the years, but as long as you pay attention to what you're doing and don't push them too hard, the belt life is not too shabby. After a fewbelt changes, the number of which usually is dictated by whatever it is you happen to be working on at the time, you end up nearly where you want it to be. By quickly getting most of the "heavy lifting" done by using the Work Shop, it is a great time saver. I usually finish up the process on a wooden braced leather strop with a little diamond dust on it for burr removal followed by a few minutes on a normal leather strop Just mainly have to make sure you strop using the same angle and direction as on the belt sharpener...anyway, works for me. I've enjoyed your videeo as I've had an interest in making things sharp as far back as I can remember. Is that a little creepy?..........Anyway, thanks for the effort you put into your videos, from North Carolina
Your videos are getting better, been a long time sub and your efforts and humor are awsome. To this day, your Damascus video cracks me up.
That god-awful Chinesium or Pakistanium "Damascus" made me feel sad, angry and frustrated... 😖
I love your videos!!!! You did a great job on this one. Can't wait for your review on the work sharp professional precision adjust 😂
I have the Ken Onion Edition(KOE) with Blade Grinding Attachment. Now the regular KOE has the same size belts as the MK2, but you can adjust the grind angle anywhere between 30-15 degrees and you have an adjustable speed setting and you can also lock the the power button down, so you do not have to hold the handle while sharpening. Now the big upgrade to all of this is the Blade Grinding Attachment(BGA), sold seperately round about $80, and the first thing you'll notice is that the belts are much larger. MK2 and KOE both use 1/2in x 12in belts. The BGA uses 1in x 18in. And you'll notice there is no "guiding tool" for the knife, you're basically free handing it at this point.
Cant wait to see if you ever get the KOE with BGA and compare!
Wow really appreciate the the work you put into this video. well done.
This was really good review. Please do a another one with ken onion and more belts grids.
I really like my ken onion edition. It is even great that you can use it on lawnmower blades as just a hand held belt sander. I don't remember what all the grits are, but mine came with a 4th grit. I just looked and it came with 5 grits. These included 120, 220, 1000, 3000, and 6000. So it definitely has the missing in between steps.
I have the “Ken onion” version of this, with 15°-25° adjustability, and I am also left handed. Doing it right handed hasn’t been an issue and I’ve had pretty good results with belt longevity. With the simpler carbon steels I normally make knives out of it works quite well, although I typically call it good when it shaves and slices heavy belly leather easily. It’s not as good on my s90v knife that’s mid 60s hrc but I use diamond for stuff like that
Also not sure if it makes a difference but the Ken onion version also has much more speed adjustability and has a blade rest you can fold out of the way. I’d spring for that version over the mk2 but it is more expensive. Good diamond stones are better but it wasn’t until I watched these videos that I was able to even get a decent edge from stones and for doing lots of consistent sharpening on softer knives it’s pretty sweet
Always enjoy your videos! I have the older version of this tool and love it to death for my kitchen knives. My edc I use stones and strop, because the one that may save your butt needs the extra 10%. 😉
I used the Ken Onion Worksharp for a few years. I was an immediate fanboy. It came with 1000 and 3000 grit belts, and I had good luck getting my knives very sharp. Not only does the edge get sharper and more durable with the finer belts, but you can touch up a dull edge with the the 1000 grit belt and remove material a little more slowly, which gives greater control That's important for the first reason I don't recommend the Worksharp.
1) It's difficult to use without changing the profile. You may not notice after one or two sharpenings, but eventually you'll observe the knives changing shape. If you're like me, you'll notice embarrassingly long after you should have. I ruined the profile on several kitchen knives before I realized the damage I was doing. Once the profile was messed up, I couldn't use the worksharp to fix it. Furthermore, once I was aware of the problem, it took me a lot of practice to maintain the profile. It's hard not removing too much material from the heel and the tip. A tool that seems ridiculously simple at first, was actually pretty hard to use properly.
2) Bits of steel and abrasive get embedded in the plastic guides and scratch the knives. Personally, I don't care what my knives look like as long as they function well, but I know a lot of people spend big money on nice knives and want them to stay pretty. This isn't a good sharpener for that.
3) I would probably still be using the Worksharp except the trigger broke. At which time I learned that they don't sell repair parts. It's not a particularly well-made tool, and when (not if) it breaks, you throw it away and buy a new one.
I switched to a 1x30 belt sander with Trizact belts. The initial investment was slightly more than the Worksharp (about $160) because of the cost of the belts, but they're worth it. They cut faster and stay cooler than Aluminum Oxide or SiC. Knives get just as sharp, just as fast as with the Worksharp, but it's easier to maintain the blade's profile, and if you damage a blade you can use it to reprofile the edge.
I didn’t expect to watch this whole video but it was so educational and entertaining! Great fair overview
I have bought at least four different knife sharpeners systems. Finally got the Work Sharp. Think it came with 5 or 6 belts. It still has some learning curve. It maybe does not give a perfect edge but it makes my knife sharper than any other knife sharpener device I have tried. Love my Work Sharp. It was worth the price.
I really respect the fact that even as a professional sharpener, he's being completely honest about the strength of the product. He could have pushed people to send him more business but he's all about transparency.
Thanks for this review! I recently purchased the Worksharp Professional Precision Adjust Sharpening System and I absolutely love it, but it is quite expensive and more involved to use properly but the results are amazing.
It comes with an angle meter, pocket knife jig, and a 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, a Fine Ceramic and a Leather Strop plate. It makes all my knives scary sharp. I use 17 degrees for my Damascus Slicing and Chef's knives, and 20 degrees for all the German Steel knives.
Oh, and it's ambidextrous.
I have the MK. 1 of the work sharp. Yes, they dont become as sharp as I can get them with whetstones, but it literally takes me a few minutes to sharpen all my kitchen knives with it, while hand-sharpening takes much, much longer. And it has seen a lot of knives, scissors and tools over the years and still works just great. I have used it for everything from small vegetable knives up to garden machetes - it never failed. I like it very much.
Do you have any issue with the grind not being even on each side of the blade?
@@37gdog No, it works just fine
Man thanks for bringing up the left handed part. We definitely live in a right handed world.