- Sharpen every knife you own like a pro quickly, easily, and with repeatable, consistent results
- Comes with premium abrasive belts to meet all your sharpening needs: coarse, medium, and fine
- Precision sharpening guides provide fast, easy, repeatable and consistent results
- Can also be used to sharpen a wide range of bladed shop tools and lawn and garden tools
- 1-year warranty valid for North American 110v power source applications
Work Sharp’s WSKTS knife and tool sharpener is specially designed to sharpen any number of knives and tools in your collection. Thanks to its flexible abrasive belts, the WSKTS sharpens knives with straight blades, serrated blades, and any other silhouette or sort of blade. Get quality-grade sharpening functionality in your own shop or job site with the WSKTS’s precision-sharpening guides that consistently hone the correct angle needed.
Engineered for Consistent Professional-Grade Results
The WSKTS employs flexible abrasive belts to create a convex edge that is guarantees the sharpest edge for your knives and other tools with blades. Between these belts and the precision sharpening guides, this sharpener promises exceedingly sharp blades with ease, speed, and consistency. It allows tradespeople and hobbyists alike to get professional-grade razor-sharp edges on their own at home, in the workshop, or on the job site.
The WSKTS employs flexible abrasive belts to create a convex edge that is guarantees the sharpest edge for your knives and other tools with blades. Between these belts and the precision sharpening guides, this sharpener promises exceedingly sharp blades with ease, speed, and consistency. It allows tradespeople and hobbyists alike to get professional-grade razor-sharp edges on their own at home, in the workshop, or on the job site.
Sharpening Guides for Accurate Angles
The WSKTS’s precision angle sharpening guides assure that users get the correct angle every time. Included with purchase is a 50-degree angle guide for hunting and outdoor knives (25 degrees per bevel) and a 40-degree angle guide for thinner blades and kitchen knives (20 degrees per bevel). All a user has to do is set the knife in the guide and pull it through for a razor-sharp edge. (The outdoor knife guide also works well for scissor and serrated-blade sharpening.)
The WSKTS’s precision angle sharpening guides assure that users get the correct angle every time. Included with purchase is a 50-degree angle guide for hunting and outdoor knives (25 degrees per bevel) and a 40-degree angle guide for thinner blades and kitchen knives (20 degrees per bevel). All a user has to do is set the knife in the guide and pull it through for a razor-sharp edge. (The outdoor knife guide also works well for scissor and serrated-blade sharpening.)
Designed for Versatility and Portability
In addition to knives and tools with straight and serrated blades, this sharpener also refines curved knives, tanto blades, filet knives, gut hooks, and more. Garden pruners, lawn mower blades, shovels, and other household and yard tools are also easily sharpened with the WSKTS. It even works as a handheld detail grinder for light-duty grinding and deburring projects. Plus, it can be used with a 12-volt power inverter for use at tailgates, RV sites and camping grounds.
In addition to knives and tools with straight and serrated blades, this sharpener also refines curved knives, tanto blades, filet knives, gut hooks, and more. Garden pruners, lawn mower blades, shovels, and other household and yard tools are also easily sharpened with the WSKTS. It even works as a handheld detail grinder for light-duty grinding and deburring projects. Plus, it can be used with a 12-volt power inverter for use at tailgates, RV sites and camping grounds.
What's in the Box
One Work Sharp WSKTS knife and tool sharpener, two P80 coarse belts, two P220 medium belts, two 6000 fine belts, one 40-degree kitchen knife sharpening guide, one 50-degree outdoor knife guide (including serrated knife guide and scissor guide), a user’s manual, and an instructional DVD.
One Work Sharp WSKTS knife and tool sharpener, two P80 coarse belts, two P220 medium belts, two 6000 fine belts, one 40-degree kitchen knife sharpening guide, one 50-degree outdoor knife guide (including serrated knife guide and scissor guide), a user’s manual, and an instructional DVD.
By Dave
I'll bet I tried 7 different "sharpening systems" until I stumbled on the Work Sharp. This is a great tool that works. I've never been able to master the skill of putting a consistant sharp edge on steel. The WSKTS does the work for you.
The tool comes complete with color coded belts of three different grits. The green belt (6000 grit) will finish an edge to "scary sharp". I was careful to warn others in the household when I used it on the kitchen cutlery!
It's not at all difficult to use the Work Sharp, but practice on some old, unloved cutlery first, just to get the feel. If you're not paying attention, it is possible to round the tip of your knife.
Lastly, it does seem like the belts will last a very long time. Still, if you send in your warranty card, Work Sharp will send you a fresh package of spares.
The tool comes complete with color coded belts of three different grits. The green belt (6000 grit) will finish an edge to "scary sharp". I was careful to warn others in the household when I used it on the kitchen cutlery!
It's not at all difficult to use the Work Sharp, but practice on some old, unloved cutlery first, just to get the feel. If you're not paying attention, it is possible to round the tip of your knife.
Lastly, it does seem like the belts will last a very long time. Still, if you send in your warranty card, Work Sharp will send you a fresh package of spares.
By knife nut
I saw a product review video on youtube on the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener (WSKTS) and decided to give it a try. Over the years, I've pretty much been a stone and/or ceramic stick guy. I've owned various natural and diamond stones. I own a Lansky system, but find it too clunky. Also, the clamp never seemed to hold all my knives very securely. As of late, I've been using a Spyderco Tri-angle Sharpmaker with much success. I typically used the ceramic sticks freehand because different knifes are made with different angles and they frequently don't match up with preset angles on sharpeners.
OK, on to the WSKTS. This thing is basically a hand held mini-belt sander. This sharpener puts a convex grind on knives due to the tension of the belts. The head rotates from a table top position to various positions intended to be used free hand. I've sharpened all kinds of knives and even my lawnmower blade with excellent results each time. Haven't tried scissors yet. Yesterday I sharpened several older knives and was done in a few minutes. Last week I even sharpened my 3 Cold Steel Kukri's and 1 machete with hair-popping success.
There was a small learning curve/technique issue not mentioned in the included DVD. Don't push your blade towards the belt while drawing it through the guides. This will round the point. You should draw the knife keeping light pressure away from the belt and towrds the guide. Being a belt grinder though, I ran the belt down the spine at the tip to get my point back. Other than that, I'm extremely pleased with the versatility and ease of use. Yes it has guides with preset angles, but you can quickly conform a blade to the guide angle by letting the grinder do the work.
Excellent sharpener or the money!
OK, on to the WSKTS. This thing is basically a hand held mini-belt sander. This sharpener puts a convex grind on knives due to the tension of the belts. The head rotates from a table top position to various positions intended to be used free hand. I've sharpened all kinds of knives and even my lawnmower blade with excellent results each time. Haven't tried scissors yet. Yesterday I sharpened several older knives and was done in a few minutes. Last week I even sharpened my 3 Cold Steel Kukri's and 1 machete with hair-popping success.
There was a small learning curve/technique issue not mentioned in the included DVD. Don't push your blade towards the belt while drawing it through the guides. This will round the point. You should draw the knife keeping light pressure away from the belt and towrds the guide. Being a belt grinder though, I ran the belt down the spine at the tip to get my point back. Other than that, I'm extremely pleased with the versatility and ease of use. Yes it has guides with preset angles, but you can quickly conform a blade to the guide angle by letting the grinder do the work.
Excellent sharpener or the money!
By PJL
I bought this device yesterday, and today about 20 of my kitchen knives are razor sharp. With a machine shop background, I was familiar with small "3 wheel belt sanders" - we used to sharpen shop tools with them 40 years ago! Work sharp has essentially crossed a mini - belt sander with a mini electric chainsaw power head and "Walla" - the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener!!! Well built, and with angle guides to make sharpening a snap, it is a great little tool. One big advantage of this sharpener (over stones, wheels and other "hard" sharpeners) is that the belt will FLEX. That allows for contouring to a blade, and also prevents grinding off excessive metal. With three grades of abrasive belts, there is wide versatility for sharpening, grinding and honing. The belts seem to be holding up very well, and can be swapped out in just a few seconds. Also of interest to me is that the "belt head" can be rotated to several positions - allowing for standard sharpening, compact storage, and also use as a mini finishing / deburring tool! Quite ingenious.
By Kerrey
I have never found a good sharpener that could sharpen faster or better than whetstones until now, I have shown this off to everyone I know with the same response every time "where do I get one" they actually thought I was a salesman, the next question is "how much" they all agree that it is a great price trade off for the quality durable plastic it is made of and how sharp it gets saving time and money, and the last most common question is "how long do the belts last" I have sharpened at least 20 knives of all sizes from big survival knives to small blades on a multi-knife also sharpened chisels and other tools.
I have finally retired my whetstones for all but camping.
one last bit of advice, if you register it for warranty they send free replacement belts 2 day shipping.
I have finally retired my whetstones for all but camping.
one last bit of advice, if you register it for warranty they send free replacement belts 2 day shipping.
By Knex
I have to say that, over the last twenty years, I have purchased so many knife and scissor sharpeners it makes my head spin. Well, finally, my search for the perfect sharpener has come to an end. This thing sharpens EVERYTHING, and it does it on a professional-quality scale.
I've tried many, many other sharpeners, including the following, in the last year alone:
* Presto 08800 EverSharp electric knife sharpener(and a much more expensive, higher-grade model of the same type, which was a terrible waste of $150+ bucks),
* Dremel A679-02 Sharpening Attachment Kit (A total waste of money--don't bother!),
* Smith Abrasives CCKS 2-Step Knife Sharpener and Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener (Both handy little sharpeners for knives, if you're on the go), and
* Accusharp 012C Combo Pack Knife Sharpener (Does alright in a pinch, but results are minimal; definitely not for regular sharpening duties).
The Work Sharp WSKTS Knife and Tool Sharpener beats every other sharpener I've tried. It has precision angle guides that fit around the belt to help you guide your blade along at just the right angle, depending on your need. The guides on the light grey guide-mount are even magnetized to help you keep your blades in place (I'm about to install a couple of earth magnets to the inside of the black guide-mount to help me while using it as well, since I'm a leftie).
I've spent the last week sharpening everything that moves, and this thing has done it all flawlessly.
- Being a large, creative family, we have at least a hundred pairs of scissors, including several pairs of thinning shears. This thing has honed the edges of every pair to like-new condition.
- I've used it on all the knives we have, from expensive kitchen cutlery and chef's knives to my son's hunting gear. I even touched up the edges of my serrated blades, since there is a special guide just for serrated items (sharpening them can be tricky, though, so do it in small, quick bits as to keep from grinding the serrated edge down too much).
- We've restored most of our old, dinged-up garden tools and shears, (Sadly, I couldn't do them all; I haven't yet discovered a way to sharpen ones with short blades and no way to unhinge/separate the blades from each other. If you have any ideas, please let me know!)
- I was able to sharpen the blades on my food processor and blender. (I know, I need "help".)
- I've sharpened all my hair-cutting, sewing, and other specialty scissors. So happy that I don 't have to take them to be professionally sharpened anymore! And, instead of dealing with more frustration over yet-another sharpening product that didn't live up to its marketing, I finally have a tool that I KNOW won't ruin my blades, but will instead keep them razor-sharp.
- I even sharpened an entire box of old scissors I've ruined over the years trying to sharpen them with other devices...to my awe, scissors that couldn't even cut through paper now cut like new again. I never thought I'd be able to get them sharp again, but it only took a minute.
And, most surprising: after ALL THAT SHARPENING, the belt I used for it all still looks BARELY USED (I did order Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener (WSKTS) Replacement Belt Kit, thinking I'd need them soon with all the sharpening I needed to do, but these belts are apparently made to last).
A FINAL NOTE FOR LEFT-HANDED USERS: This product, like so many products on the market, is designed for RIGHT-HANDED USE. In other words: the placing of the motor, the placement of the guides, etc. are all designed for right-handed use. Thus, you can attempt to use it left-handed, but it's extremely awkward. It also is almost impossible to keep the taper of the blade against the sanding belt as you draw to the end of it if you use your left-hand. I've tried adjusting the angle of the guide-platform every way possible, but it's just not made for drawing blades with your left hand.
(***EVERYONE SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL ADJUSTING THE ANGLE OF THE GUIDE-ATTACHMENT FRAME, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE MOTOR-HOUSING, BTW--IT CAN SCREW OFF QUITE EASILY AND YOU MIGHT END UP PULLING THE GUIDE PLATFORM OFF THE MOTOR GEAR, WHICH REALLY SUCKS TO HAVE TO RE-ATTACH.***)
Anyhow, for lefties, I definitely recommend using it right-handed (in other words: hold the tool with your left hand, and guide the blade with your right), if you can--you'll get much better results, rather than trying to use it the other way around--and you are less likely to apply too much pressure onto the blade, anyway, which could result in an uneven or improperly-angled blade surface.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anecdote to my original review:
------------------------------
My son got a large kukri (knife) for Christmas. For some reason, it was sent, basically, raw--with a flat, unsloped 1/4" thick piece of stainless steel. As those of you familiar with kukris know, the blade is over 1/4" thick, so this thing needed to be shaped and contoured from flat metal into a working blade. I felt like I was in Knifeshaping 101. Since the blade is also contoured with a considerable interior pitch, I was NOT looking forward to trying to thin out, shape, and sharpen its edge AT ALL.
I've never made a knife before, so I had no idea how long it would take to shape the metal. With the green belt, it took me about a half-hour to contour the edges into a very respectable blade. Then, I used the red belt to sharpen it up, and it turned out beautifully!
Honestly, I cannot believe I was able to take 1/4" thick piece of stainless steel and, in about forty minutes, turn it into a legit kukri blade with this sharpener. If that's not a testament to how great this product is, I'm not sure what is.
I've tried many, many other sharpeners, including the following, in the last year alone:
* Presto 08800 EverSharp electric knife sharpener(and a much more expensive, higher-grade model of the same type, which was a terrible waste of $150+ bucks),
* Dremel A679-02 Sharpening Attachment Kit (A total waste of money--don't bother!),
* Smith Abrasives CCKS 2-Step Knife Sharpener and Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener (Both handy little sharpeners for knives, if you're on the go), and
* Accusharp 012C Combo Pack Knife Sharpener (Does alright in a pinch, but results are minimal; definitely not for regular sharpening duties).
The Work Sharp WSKTS Knife and Tool Sharpener beats every other sharpener I've tried. It has precision angle guides that fit around the belt to help you guide your blade along at just the right angle, depending on your need. The guides on the light grey guide-mount are even magnetized to help you keep your blades in place (I'm about to install a couple of earth magnets to the inside of the black guide-mount to help me while using it as well, since I'm a leftie).
I've spent the last week sharpening everything that moves, and this thing has done it all flawlessly.
- Being a large, creative family, we have at least a hundred pairs of scissors, including several pairs of thinning shears. This thing has honed the edges of every pair to like-new condition.
- I've used it on all the knives we have, from expensive kitchen cutlery and chef's knives to my son's hunting gear. I even touched up the edges of my serrated blades, since there is a special guide just for serrated items (sharpening them can be tricky, though, so do it in small, quick bits as to keep from grinding the serrated edge down too much).
- We've restored most of our old, dinged-up garden tools and shears, (Sadly, I couldn't do them all; I haven't yet discovered a way to sharpen ones with short blades and no way to unhinge/separate the blades from each other. If you have any ideas, please let me know!)
- I was able to sharpen the blades on my food processor and blender. (I know, I need "help".)
- I've sharpened all my hair-cutting, sewing, and other specialty scissors. So happy that I don 't have to take them to be professionally sharpened anymore! And, instead of dealing with more frustration over yet-another sharpening product that didn't live up to its marketing, I finally have a tool that I KNOW won't ruin my blades, but will instead keep them razor-sharp.
- I even sharpened an entire box of old scissors I've ruined over the years trying to sharpen them with other devices...to my awe, scissors that couldn't even cut through paper now cut like new again. I never thought I'd be able to get them sharp again, but it only took a minute.
And, most surprising: after ALL THAT SHARPENING, the belt I used for it all still looks BARELY USED (I did order Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener (WSKTS) Replacement Belt Kit, thinking I'd need them soon with all the sharpening I needed to do, but these belts are apparently made to last).
A FINAL NOTE FOR LEFT-HANDED USERS: This product, like so many products on the market, is designed for RIGHT-HANDED USE. In other words: the placing of the motor, the placement of the guides, etc. are all designed for right-handed use. Thus, you can attempt to use it left-handed, but it's extremely awkward. It also is almost impossible to keep the taper of the blade against the sanding belt as you draw to the end of it if you use your left-hand. I've tried adjusting the angle of the guide-platform every way possible, but it's just not made for drawing blades with your left hand.
(***EVERYONE SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL ADJUSTING THE ANGLE OF THE GUIDE-ATTACHMENT FRAME, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE MOTOR-HOUSING, BTW--IT CAN SCREW OFF QUITE EASILY AND YOU MIGHT END UP PULLING THE GUIDE PLATFORM OFF THE MOTOR GEAR, WHICH REALLY SUCKS TO HAVE TO RE-ATTACH.***)
Anyhow, for lefties, I definitely recommend using it right-handed (in other words: hold the tool with your left hand, and guide the blade with your right), if you can--you'll get much better results, rather than trying to use it the other way around--and you are less likely to apply too much pressure onto the blade, anyway, which could result in an uneven or improperly-angled blade surface.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anecdote to my original review:
------------------------------
My son got a large kukri (knife) for Christmas. For some reason, it was sent, basically, raw--with a flat, unsloped 1/4" thick piece of stainless steel. As those of you familiar with kukris know, the blade is over 1/4" thick, so this thing needed to be shaped and contoured from flat metal into a working blade. I felt like I was in Knifeshaping 101. Since the blade is also contoured with a considerable interior pitch, I was NOT looking forward to trying to thin out, shape, and sharpen its edge AT ALL.
I've never made a knife before, so I had no idea how long it would take to shape the metal. With the green belt, it took me about a half-hour to contour the edges into a very respectable blade. Then, I used the red belt to sharpen it up, and it turned out beautifully!
Honestly, I cannot believe I was able to take 1/4" thick piece of stainless steel and, in about forty minutes, turn it into a legit kukri blade with this sharpener. If that's not a testament to how great this product is, I'm not sure what is.
By Dr. A. Meal
As a former chef, restaurateur and food service professional, I've had a life-long interest in sharp knives. It took me years to master a good set of oil stones and no machine has come close to replacing them for me. Then along comes the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener.
For my first trial, not wanting to risk a good knife to a machine, I selected an old abused chef's knife and in short order returned it to excellent working order using the Work Sharp! I discovered that the Work Sharp leaves no mess to clean up and poses very little risk to the blade, even in the hands of a novice.
Since that first blade, I have trued up numerous neglected knives in professional kitchens with the same great results. At less than half the price of a good set of oil stones, I recommend every professional and home cook add one to their must-have list!
For my first trial, not wanting to risk a good knife to a machine, I selected an old abused chef's knife and in short order returned it to excellent working order using the Work Sharp! I discovered that the Work Sharp leaves no mess to clean up and poses very little risk to the blade, even in the hands of a novice.
Since that first blade, I have trued up numerous neglected knives in professional kitchens with the same great results. At less than half the price of a good set of oil stones, I recommend every professional and home cook add one to their must-have list!
By Sam P.
After receiving a bush-crafting knife for Christmas I found myself spending way too much time trying to figure out how to sharpen it to my satisfaction. It turns out knife sharpening is quite a black art. There are a plethora of opinions about the "right way" to sharpen a knife and what tools to use. Add to this that there are different types of edges you can create. Sharpening stones and tools of that ilk produce a flat edge which using a strop or mouse-pad-backed sharpening set up produce a convex edge. I certainly learned a lot, but on a topic that I really wasn't particularly interested in. All I wanted was a sharp knife. I had attempted sharpening it on a diamond-impregnated stone. I tried the sandpaper on a mousepad approach. But I could never get the edge as sharp as I wanted. As I read various forums the advice seemed to be "keep trying, sharpening takes time to master." That's fine but what if I don't really care to spend hours sharpening my knife?
In the process of researching I came across a youtube video where a guy was sharpening my exact knife on the Work Sharp. In a matter of minutes he had it sharp enough to shave hair. The Work Sharp seemed a bit expensive so I didn't seriously consider it. After even more research and failed attempts to sharpen my knife to my satisfaction I kept coming back to this product but I was conflicted. Is this just the easy way out? Will I loose all outdoorsman cred by using this product (like I have any in the first place)?
I think one video on YouTube in particular helped me make my decision. It was another video where a guy was sharpening my exact knife and spent 8 hours giving it a convex edge. 8 HOURS??? You've got to be kidding. I don't know if this guy was just bad at sharpening, was using a slow technique or what, but there's no way I want to spend anywhere close to that much time sharpening any knife. In addition, I learned that if you pay get your knife professionally sharpened, all they do is run it on a belt sander which is exactly what the Work Sharp is, a mini belt sander. Add to this that the sharpening systems I was looking at purchasing were in the same price range as the work sharp AND that I would be able to quickly sharpen all our dull kitchen knives and other blunt tools around the house as a bonus. I finally let go of any and all ideas of being a hand-sharpening master and purchased the work sharp.
I received it yesterday and was not disappointed. I had already watch a few instructional videos online so I knew how to use it. Within minutes I sharpened all our dull knives. I started with the crappiest knives to test it on to ensure I had the technique right which I would recommend. That way if you do something wrong you don't damage a knife you care about. I had read about some people having problems with it blunting the tips of knives and found that if you follow the instructional video you shouldn't have any problems. Just pull the knife straight out at the right speed (which you can learn from the instructional video). On one knife I tried tipping it so that the knife would remain horizontal to the counter as I pulled it through and found that it slightly blunted the tip, so I just stuck with the recommended technique for the rest.
After sharpening the kitchen knives to a level that's crazy sharp I was ready to try my bush-craft knife, a Becker BK2. I was a little paranoid about the tip getting blunted but I followed the same technique, checking the tip after every pass. The one difference with the BK2 was that I used the course green belt for a few passes which was unnecessary for the kitchen knives. After doing several passes with each belt, the BK2 was razor sharp with absolutely no blunting in the tip. The Work Sharp had saved me hours of pain. It had one me points with my wife who now has a set of knives that are like new. I have more confidence at work. I lost 20 pounds... Ok, it won't change my life, but I am extremely pleased with the purchase.
Even though I have the Work Sharp, I won't let my newly-acquired knife sharpening knowledge go to waste. I am going to use a homemade leather strop to keep my knife sharp while on camping trips and away from the work sharp. That will at least ease my soul and make me feel like I'm not a total cop-out.
So here's the summary for those who could care less about my tale:
PROS
- Saved me endless hours of hand sharpening my bush-craft knife.
- Won me points with the Mrs. for sharpening all the kitchen knives (in mere minutes).
- The unit is more compact than I was imagining. It's about the size of a drill or other power tool.
- It sharpens very quickly to a razor-sharp level. We actually didn't sharpen some knives as much as we could have because we were afraid we'd injure ourselves inadvertently.
- The unit costs about the same as most of the highly rated manual sharpening sets out there. I was cheaper than many.
- I'm happy I'll be able to use it one just about anything around the house with a blade
- It gives the knives it sharpens a convex blade which is superior to a flat edge (there may be some controversy on that point). The two reasons convex is superior are 1) there's more metal behind the edge making it last longer and 2) the angle of the edge doesn't flatten as the knife wears down.
CONS
- I slightly blunted the tips of one test knife, but that was because I didn't follow the recommended technique. Even so, I have never once used the tip of a pairing knife so I don't really care.
- Of course I would have like to have spent $20 on a cheap sharpening stone and been able to quickly sharpen my knife to my satisfaction. In that light $70 is hard to swallow. But seeing as how that was a very unrealistic expectation, and that other high-quality sharpening systems out there are a comparable price, $70 for this tool is not unreasonable.
So am I lazy or smart? Let's just say I'm both.
In the process of researching I came across a youtube video where a guy was sharpening my exact knife on the Work Sharp. In a matter of minutes he had it sharp enough to shave hair. The Work Sharp seemed a bit expensive so I didn't seriously consider it. After even more research and failed attempts to sharpen my knife to my satisfaction I kept coming back to this product but I was conflicted. Is this just the easy way out? Will I loose all outdoorsman cred by using this product (like I have any in the first place)?
I think one video on YouTube in particular helped me make my decision. It was another video where a guy was sharpening my exact knife and spent 8 hours giving it a convex edge. 8 HOURS??? You've got to be kidding. I don't know if this guy was just bad at sharpening, was using a slow technique or what, but there's no way I want to spend anywhere close to that much time sharpening any knife. In addition, I learned that if you pay get your knife professionally sharpened, all they do is run it on a belt sander which is exactly what the Work Sharp is, a mini belt sander. Add to this that the sharpening systems I was looking at purchasing were in the same price range as the work sharp AND that I would be able to quickly sharpen all our dull kitchen knives and other blunt tools around the house as a bonus. I finally let go of any and all ideas of being a hand-sharpening master and purchased the work sharp.
I received it yesterday and was not disappointed. I had already watch a few instructional videos online so I knew how to use it. Within minutes I sharpened all our dull knives. I started with the crappiest knives to test it on to ensure I had the technique right which I would recommend. That way if you do something wrong you don't damage a knife you care about. I had read about some people having problems with it blunting the tips of knives and found that if you follow the instructional video you shouldn't have any problems. Just pull the knife straight out at the right speed (which you can learn from the instructional video). On one knife I tried tipping it so that the knife would remain horizontal to the counter as I pulled it through and found that it slightly blunted the tip, so I just stuck with the recommended technique for the rest.
After sharpening the kitchen knives to a level that's crazy sharp I was ready to try my bush-craft knife, a Becker BK2. I was a little paranoid about the tip getting blunted but I followed the same technique, checking the tip after every pass. The one difference with the BK2 was that I used the course green belt for a few passes which was unnecessary for the kitchen knives. After doing several passes with each belt, the BK2 was razor sharp with absolutely no blunting in the tip. The Work Sharp had saved me hours of pain. It had one me points with my wife who now has a set of knives that are like new. I have more confidence at work. I lost 20 pounds... Ok, it won't change my life, but I am extremely pleased with the purchase.
Even though I have the Work Sharp, I won't let my newly-acquired knife sharpening knowledge go to waste. I am going to use a homemade leather strop to keep my knife sharp while on camping trips and away from the work sharp. That will at least ease my soul and make me feel like I'm not a total cop-out.
So here's the summary for those who could care less about my tale:
PROS
- Saved me endless hours of hand sharpening my bush-craft knife.
- Won me points with the Mrs. for sharpening all the kitchen knives (in mere minutes).
- The unit is more compact than I was imagining. It's about the size of a drill or other power tool.
- It sharpens very quickly to a razor-sharp level. We actually didn't sharpen some knives as much as we could have because we were afraid we'd injure ourselves inadvertently.
- The unit costs about the same as most of the highly rated manual sharpening sets out there. I was cheaper than many.
- I'm happy I'll be able to use it one just about anything around the house with a blade
- It gives the knives it sharpens a convex blade which is superior to a flat edge (there may be some controversy on that point). The two reasons convex is superior are 1) there's more metal behind the edge making it last longer and 2) the angle of the edge doesn't flatten as the knife wears down.
CONS
- I slightly blunted the tips of one test knife, but that was because I didn't follow the recommended technique. Even so, I have never once used the tip of a pairing knife so I don't really care.
- Of course I would have like to have spent $20 on a cheap sharpening stone and been able to quickly sharpen my knife to my satisfaction. In that light $70 is hard to swallow. But seeing as how that was a very unrealistic expectation, and that other high-quality sharpening systems out there are a comparable price, $70 for this tool is not unreasonable.
So am I lazy or smart? Let's just say I'm both.
By CPA - Salem
I received the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener as a gift, and I can honestly say this product is AWESOME!!! For years I have tried wet stones, oil stones, dry stones and all kinds of knife sharpening tools and for the life of me, I could never get a decent result! Within 5 minutes of receiving the Work Sharp product I had figured out how to use it (a quick glance through the manual is recommended, I know, real men do not read instructions, but in this case it really helps - especially when trying to figure out how to change the different levels of abrasive belts).
Needless to say, I probably sharpened 25 knives, including my wife's pride and joy Shun and Gerber knives, to razer sharp levels! The differing knife guides that come with the product make it really hard to screw-up! I am an accountant, not a mechanic, and I achieved amazing results. I went around the house sharpening the kitchen knives, my pocket knives and even some of my father's hunting knives that I inherited. Within 20 minutes, all of the knives were amazingly sharp!!!
The other nice thing is that I did not put scratched all over the blades, like what has happened to me in the past. This product really works well. I cannot give it any higher praise!!!!
Needless to say, I probably sharpened 25 knives, including my wife's pride and joy Shun and Gerber knives, to razer sharp levels! The differing knife guides that come with the product make it really hard to screw-up! I am an accountant, not a mechanic, and I achieved amazing results. I went around the house sharpening the kitchen knives, my pocket knives and even some of my father's hunting knives that I inherited. Within 20 minutes, all of the knives were amazingly sharp!!!
The other nice thing is that I did not put scratched all over the blades, like what has happened to me in the past. This product really works well. I cannot give it any higher praise!!!!
By EXLOGGER
This is one of the simplest sharpeners I have ever used. If you read and follow the directions from manual, I believe anyone could get a great edge on their knives, scissors, and other tools. I couldn't wait to sharpen my hunting knives, as soon as it arrived I read the directions and proceded to sharpen all of my knives the results were great, razor sharp edge on all of them again. This is a great product from a great company and also "MADE IN THE USA" by americans.Work Sharp WSKTS Knife and Tool Sharpener
By K. Null
We have used this sharpener and are very happy with it. We tried several before but none have performed like this. We've used it alot and it works great every time! Highly recommend it. Have gotten a few friends to try and they have gotten one of their own!
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