Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener

txhunter58

Long Time Member
Messages
8,496
My brother has NEVER been able to sharpen a knife, until I got him a work sharp! Worked so well for him, I had to get myself one. Works as advertised! Only word of warning is to be careful and not overheat the blade or you can damage it.

Not only do I get fast results with all my hunting knives, but my wife loves that all of her kitchen knives are sharp again!

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
I've never been much good sharpening blades. I've got a work sharp and it does the trick for me. I have to pay attention so as to not round off the tip.
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-07-14 AT 03:15PM (MST)[p]I bought one a year ago and still have not tried it out on some old knives and for sure not on the wifes kitchen knives. Why you ask; "she might either cut her fingers off or turn against me". Dull is better as she cuts veggies backwards and for sure would get hunt.

Besides, we use the Havalon Knife now. Gets dull, pop off the dull blade and put a new one on...presto, back in business.


Brian
http://i44.tinypic.com/es7x8z.jpg[/IMG]
 
They are fantastic!
I have sharpened:
Knives, hunting knives, shovels, lawn mower blades....
They get them razor sharp.
Great product
 
>A few years ago I bought
>a havalon, best thing I've
>ever done.


+1 skinned quartered and boned 2 bull elk,2 buck antelope, and a buck muley last fall ....5blades....no sharpener! Weighs 3 ozs with a doz replacement blades!
 
I like the Havalons too - even if I do average 3 blades per elk. I'm thinking of trying the new Outdoor Edge replaceable this year. I can't ever see going entirely to Havalon style knives so the Work Sharp will see a lot of use at my place. There is no way I would want my wife using Havalon in the kitchen.
 
I have a worksharp and its awesome!2 razor sharp knives will bone out an elk FAST. And i dont have to spend hours with a lansky any more. 2 knives razor sharp in 2 min.
 
U guys are gonna make me look at 1 of these things as I've got other knives besides the Havalons.
 
+++ on the Worksharp. One of the best products I've ever had period! Sharpened about 10 different tools as soon as I opened it and just couldn't stop looking for other things to sharpen!
 
I keep the kitchen knives to include steak knives sharp now as they used to dull the fastest at my house. Take about 15 knives to the work bench in the garage and in about ten minutes they are very sharp and it's pretty fool proof as well. Works great on pocket knives and hunt knives however I still like the Havalon for big game.

Still on the first belt and well worth the $70, but I bought it for more some how at $90!

Ed
 
Best knife sharpening system I have tried. I really like that you can remove the knife guide and than rotate the housing to sharpen shovels and pruning shears. Stellar product.
 
I hate to WEAR down a knife like the Work Sharp does to a blade. they do sharpen the blade good but I still cringe a little when I use this sharpening machine. It will wear the blade down (off) on any knife. I carry an Outdoor Edge replaceable knife blade while hunting Colorado.
 
I have a Work Sharp and it certainly does work. My only concern is that it may be taking a lot of steel off the blades I sharpen with it.
 
Totally agree. I've been using an oilstone on all knives for 40 years and bought one of these tools for my son in laws for Christmas, then decided to get one for myself, and man it does a good job!!!!! They also have a worksharp field sharpener that I just purchased and it works GREAT as well!!!! No more oil, no more inconsistant edges!!!!
 
The Work Sharp is a very good tool. I have a multitude of sharpening systems including Edge Pro Apex, Wicked Sharp, Lansky, Chef's Choice, and some others. I can get a razor edge with most of them but the Work Sharp is much faster than the others.

Most people over sharpen their knives. No, I don't mean they make them too sharp, but they sharpen too often. Get a good (smooth) steel to touch up the blade as you go and it will stay razor sharp assuming you know how to cut intelligently. The edge is still there, it just gets rolled over and needs to be aligned. No diamond steels, grooved steels, or other crap that many sell. Just a smooth hardened steel rod will do the deed.

I have Havalon knives and they stay at home. While you are monkeying around trying to get the blade off, I can touch up with the steel and be back to cutting. A properly hardened and tempered blade and a steel will clean an elk just fine.
 
The Ken Onion knife grinder is outstanding upgrade. It is repeatable and when used correctly, is fast and efficient.

Work Sharp is releasing a new sharpening tool this month. Stay tuned for a review.
 
I have a Lansky and other sharpeners. My grandfather taught me how to use a stone and leather strop when I was young and I'm pretty good with them. However I've had a worksharp for the last 6+ years and I can sharpen 10 knives perfectly in about the same or less time than it takes to sharpen one with a stone.

The work shop is from the same company that makes the drill Dr., if that works as good as the work shop does I may have to get one of those as well.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-19 AT 06:31AM (MST)[p]I cant seem to get my drill dr to work worth a hoot. I can take an 1/8" off of a bit messing around every way I can and still cant knock a hole in 3/16" steel. I have a drawer full of short dull bits if you need any :). Don't waste your $

Hey tx, bring that gizmo to the cabin. Sounds perfect for a lazy guy sitting on the deck.

Bluehair
Splitting my time time between the winter and summer range......
May you live long enough to cash in those preference points. Amen
 
Have bought a lot of different sharpeners over a lot of years. The kids gave me a Work Sharp for Christmas three years ago and I have no need to buy anything else. It's the best sharpener I have ever owned. No need to wear a blade out as some have suggested. Once you get the blade angle established it's just matter of about 2 or 3 swipes across a fine grit belt and it's razor sharp again.
 
it's almost like cheating.....makes me feel guilty after growing up With a stoning and steeling expert knife sharpening uncle......he was good as they get but damn....it took forever....
 
I have used the mechanical WS with the belts for several years now. About once a year, I dig out all the knives in the kitchen & redo them.

A little over a year after I bought mine for about $65 from a retail site, a small plastic drive gear broke. I called the company about getting a replacement part under warranty & mentioned that I had used it maybe twice on fewer than six knives. I was informed that the warranty had expired. The gear was a fixed part of a major component & cost $40.

Sooo...I politely told the lady what I did for a living & that she would likely regret that decision once I began posting the negative publicity all over the Web. Seems she was then amenable to making a one time exception. But to get it, I had to cut the power cord, which was attached to the broken component, take a photo of it & email her a copy. I received the part a week later. It's been working fine ever since.
 
I have used the mechanical WS with the belts for several years now. About once a year, I dig out all the knives in the kitchen & redo them.

A little over a year after I bought mine for about $65 from a retail site, a small plastic drive gear broke. I called the company about getting a replacement part under warranty & mentioned that I had used it maybe twice on fewer than six knives. I was informed that the warranty had expired. The gear was a fixed part of a major component & cost $40.

Sooo...I politely told the lady what I did for a living & that she would likely regret that decision once I began posting the negative publicity all over the Web. Seems she was then amenable to making a one time exception. But to get it, I had to cut the power cord, which was attached to the broken component, take a photo of it & email her a copy. I received the part a week later. It's been working fine ever since.
Is that Blackmail OW LOL
 
Years ago I bought a Harbor Freight 1in.x30in. belt sander for wood working projects. Then I discovered I could get lots of different grit belts, from 60 grit up to 800 grit. It's my knife sharpener now. And my lawn mower blade, and my axe sharpener.
 
it's almost like cheating.....makes me feel guilty after growing up With a stoning and steeling expert knife sharpening uncle......he was good as they get but damn....it took forever....
That brought back some memories… thanks!
 
i just cant bring myself to take a power tool to a knife. always been a stone and leather strop for me. kitchen knives maybe but even my daily carry i keep sharp enough to shave my arm with. its always been relaxing for me sharpening knives. i keep a strop by my arm chair and sharpen my knives more then then i need to. guess im old school
 
Years ago I bought a Harbor Freight 1in.x30in. belt sander for wood working projects. Then I discovered I could get lots of different grit belts, from 60 grit up to 800 grit. It's my knife sharpener now. And my lawn mower blade, and my axe sharpener.
That's basically what the electric Work Sharp is. It's compact & just happens to have a rest that supposedly provides correct angles.

I've been using my table 6" belt/disk sander to sharpen bigger tools & to put new edges on wood chisels for years. I generally finish up the latter on stones, tho.

Vintage from the early 1980s!
1640285247345.png
 
That's basically what the electric Work Sharp is. It's compact & just happens to have a rest that supposedly provides correct angles.

I've been using my table 6" belt/disk sander to sharpen bigger tools & to put new edges on wood chisels for years. I generally finish up the latter on stones, tho.

Vintage from the early 1980s!
View attachment 63147
I have one just like that, from that same era. I used to make scull oar blades and used it for sanding and shaping.
 
The only
I have one just like that, from that same era. I used to make scull oar blades and used it for sanding and shaping.
The one thing I'm careful of is to not overheat the blades of the tools. For the chisels, I keep a small bowl of oil to cool them between light passes.
 
I have a Work Sharp. I couldn’t put an edge on a knife with that thing if it had an auto control adjustment on it. I may as well scrape the blade on a chunk of lava rock. That’s the honest truth. And it’s not the most expensive piece of carp I’ve ever tried and failed with.

Give me a EZE Lap like Hatfield gives for free with his knives and it beats anything I’ve ever owned. It may not shave hair but it cuts and I don’t have honing skills.

2B592157-C8E8-43D6-8396-C8EC5B801D07.png
 
Last edited:
I have a Work Sharp. I couldn’t put an edge on a knife with that thing if it had an auto control adjustment on it. I may as well scrape the blade on a chunk of lava rock. That’s the honest truth. And it’s not the most expensive piece of carp I’ve ever tried and failed with.

Give me a EZE Lap like Hatfield gives for free with his knives and it beats anything I’ve ever owned. It may not shave hair but it cuts and I don’t have honing skills.

View attachment 63208
Are you talking about the electrical WS, Lumpy?

Before I got mine, I used a sharpener set I got from Spyderco. It served me well for 3 decades or so. In addition to the ceramic stones, I had the diamond sleeves for it.


1640360647009.png
 
Most people that want to can get it figured out ODW. Not me. I’ve tried a half dozen or more knife sharpening systems, included the Work Sharp. I can take a semi sharp knife and dull it everytime.
 
Most people that want to can get it figured out ODW. Not me. I’ve tried a half dozen or more knife sharpening systems, included the Work Sharp. I can take a semi sharp knife and dull it everytime.
You're not alone. Lots of people struggle with it. I never really caught on until I worked in the filing room at the sawmill. We had an inspection station with lighted magnification and that really told the story. It checked our angles too. It was an unpardonable sin to put a dull saw on the mill. Of course the machine did all the work but the set up was critical and you had to understand how and why. That carried over to knife sharpening.
 
You're not alone. Lots of people struggle with it. I never really caught on until I worked in the filing room at the sawmill. We had an inspection station with lighted magnification and that really told the story. It checked our angles too. It was an unpardonable sin to put a dull saw on the mill. Of course the machine did all the work but the set up was critical and you had to understand how and why. That carried over to knife sharpening.
I remember some time ago you said you worked in the mills tool sharpening shop. No doubt that an amazing skill set.

A couple years ago, I met a guy from New Zealand, up in Alberta, who guided in the fall and and built hand carved log cabins. His draw knives were made from 3/8”
thick cutting blades, from some kind of mill log shearing equipment. That guy could put an edge on those thing you could shave a porcupine with. He was amazing.

I admire folks that can make a tough job look easy.
 
Most people that want to can get it figured out ODW. Not me. I’ve tried a half dozen or more knife sharpening systems, included the Work Sharp. I can take a semi sharp knife and dull it everytime.
it is electric and needs to be plugged in Lumpy.......
 
it is electric and needs to be plugged in Lumpy.......
And the ol' joke...

A man goes to a tool store to buy a chainsaw. The server sells him the top-of-the-line model, saying that it will cut through over 100 trees in one day.

The man takes the chainsaw home and begins working on the trees but after working for over three hours he only cuts down two trees.

“How can I cut for hours and hours and only finish two trees?” he asks himself.

The next morning he gets up early in the morning and works until nighttime, but still only manages to cut down five trees.

The very next day the man brings the chainsaw back to the store and says it doesn’t work properly.

“Hmm, it looks okay,” says the server, and starts the chainsaw.

The man jumps back in shock and cries, “What’s that noise?”
 
And the ol' joke...

A man goes to a tool store to buy a chainsaw. The server sells him the top-of-the-line model, saying that it will cut through over 100 trees in one day.

The man takes the chainsaw home and begins working on the trees but after working for over three hours he only cuts down two trees.

“How can I cut for hours and hours and only finish two trees?” he asks himself.

The next morning he gets up early in the morning and works until nighttime, but still only manages to cut down five trees.

The very next day the man brings the chainsaw back to the store and says it doesn’t work properly.

“Hmm, it looks okay,” says the server, and starts the chainsaw.

The man jumps back in shock and cries, “What’s that noise?”
lol....I'm glad you posted that...I was too lazy
 
............ all kinds of helpful suggestions....... so unusual, must be the Christmas spirit.......
 
I remember some time ago you said you worked in the mills tool sharpening shop. No doubt that an amazing skill set.

A couple years ago, I met a guy from New Zealand, up in Alberta, who guided in the fall and and built hand carved log cabins. His draw knives were made from 3/8”
thick cutting blades, from some kind of mill log shearing equipment. That guy could put an edge on those thing you could shave a porcupine with. He was amazing.

I admire folks that can make a tough job look easy.
Saw filers in that part of the world are called 'saw doctors'. True story.

 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom