I don’t use the button to twist. I just remove the clamp, flip it and place it back in. I find that different knives just like different system. Good to get comfortable with all sorts of sharpening and systems. Great review.
This is the FIRST honest review I've seen so far. Others want to keep getting free stuff from WS so they are 'easy' on the negatives if they mention then at all. I have a lot of overbuilt knives n no one mentioned they would not fit. THANK YOU, stay safe, Be Blessed
I've had one for about a month, and I think you've covered it well in this review. It's a decent starter sharpening tool for someone less confident in their ability to hold the knife at the correct angle. The only issue I've had is on smaller blades with steeper angles (18 or less), the clamp actually gets in the way, so I've taken the corners down a bit in the course of sharpening. You can try to clamp the blade a bit shallower but then it becomes more difficult to level the blade, since that is what that V cut in the clamp is for. I'm also not thrilled with the amount of slop in the whole assembly, but that does help train you to use less force when working it.
👍 from personal experience I just struggle to hold blades consistently at the correct angle. Used the Precision Adjust and even with only the basic Tri-brasive I got good results in no time.
I got this recently and I like it. I use my Ken Onion Work Sharp Belt sharpener to re profile blades quickly. I use this to just touch up a blade quick.
I got Work Sharp's Pocket Knife Sharpener after seeing you talk about their field sharpener. I have to say it was phenomenal. I thought it was going to be another gimmick waste of money, but to made my ESEE-6 shaving sharp in a minute or two. Thanks for the heads up. I'll probably get their field sharpener next.
I've had mine for a few weeks now and I think it's incredible for the price. I normally reprofile by hand use my DMT benchstones and normally give them a microbevel or touch up on the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I like this system though to be able to really hone in to what degree my bevels are set at, and also help even everything out. I always get my knives shaving sharp, but with the help of this system it's helped bring that sharpness up a notch. I can't wait until they offer other grit options! A tip for anybody that's not very experienced with sharpening...It's always good to apply Sharpie marker to the entire edge bevel before you start sharpening, that way you can really see where you're removing the steel on the edge, and then can adjust the degree accordingly.
I have the original work sharp belt system. It can really jack up a blade if you aren’t careful. I use spyderco sharpmaker 95% of the time. It doesn’t get dings a nicks out good it maintains edges really well.
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm ruclips.net/user/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
I have a similar model. The further the stone contacts the blade as it travels too far left or right of the center of the clamp, the more the sharpening angle changes.
A good tip that I learned while using my lansky system. Use some double sided tape and slap on whatever grit sandpaper you want to the stones and now you have whatever grit you want. I hardly use my course stone so that's the one I used and I have that with between 1000 and 2500grit paper to really get those 600 marks off with, I also cut a piece of leather off from an old strop and use that as well with some autosol metal polish.
That is a great tip! I like the lansky system and its really compact for storage. I'm trying a D2 knife and I've heard how much harder it is to sharpen. Might take twice as long regular stones. I was going to order the lansky diamond system, apparently that cuts much faster. But with your tip I might just use some 3M Cubitron sand paper and see if that handles the harder steel better.
@@LTT.Official You've got me thinking and I might even make some wooden sanding blocks that can work with the Lansky system rods. I've always wanted slightly larger stones on the Lansky for bigger jobs and so I can make these little sanding blocks the size I want and have a wing nut system to clamp sandpaper for fast and easy paper change.
@@practicalguy973 I've done that as well and they too work well, just trace out the existing stones to a block and cut it out, drill a hole for the rods to go into and you're in business
I'm currently using this to reprofile my Cold Steel Code 4 drop point. The tip of the blade is slightly damaged and the S35VN is really tough for the 320 diamond stone to fix. I have been at it for a while. Pros: allows adjustment for multipule angles, consistent blade profile. Changing my hand position at the base with three finger under the blade has provided great control and edge feedback. Cons: need different grits. Maybe one slider with 220,320 and 400grit for damages or reprofiling. And 600, 800 and 1000 for regular sharpening, then another set for mirror finish. Backlash, me or my system has some wiggle to it. The fix: I have my free hand under the blade with three fingers underneath touching/ steady the blade and my knuckles on the edge of the base. This provide amazing controls and feedback where the edge might need extra attention. And like you said, it can't handle a thick blade. I touched up one of my wife's kitchen knives so shes happy and the divorce for buying more knife gear seems to be off the topic for today! Lol! I own the worksharp Ken Onion edition sharpener but I didn't want to use it on my EDC knife collection, so when I saw the price of this I went for it. No regrets so far, I just need some different grits and this would be an awesome unit. I always enjoy watching your videos and value your opinion. Thanks again!
Great video thanks. I still have not gotten the hang of free hand sharpeners other then a flat stone and scandinavian grind. So I was happy to get the Work Sharp precision adjustable sharpener. Good price and has worked good for me so far. I was not able to sharpen the super small pen blade on my slip joint knife as it would rub the clamp and miss the blade when I tried at 20 degrees. I think it may work at 25 degrees or more so I will try again as the rubbing problem was when sharpening at 20 degree angle as there was not enough of a blade to clamp on to. I would recommend it to anyone.
Actually you can just buy the pressure sensitive lapping films in 4-1/2”x11” sheets, cut them in 1/2” strips and apply them to the ceramic plate on the sharpener. A set of seven sheets ranging from about 30 microns down to 0.3 microns will get you at least 20 sets of strips for about $15. Works really well.
I have a precision adjust work sharp . I haven’t used it on much . The first blade I tried it on was a Camillus carnivore . It was to big for the work sharp precision adjust . Yet I was still able to get a decent edge on the carnivore . Being the precision adjust is made by work sharp I can almost bet that there will be a up grade kit that makes it able to sharpen bigger and thicker blades.. Worksharp may even add more in the way of stones with more of a verity of grits
I just ordered one last week, should be arriving this week. I have looked at a lot of reviews and for the price I was impressed overall. It should bring back the profile on all my kitchen knives.
Boy, I wish I'd seen this sharpener before I bought the Russian knife sharpener. I paid over 10 times the price for it and it takes a lot of room to store.
More expensive systems, such as the KME, have the same issue with thumb stud knives. It’s better, if possible, to remove the studs before sharpening. I used a KME as a crutch for sharpening but decided to dedicate the time to learn to freehand and I’m happier I did. Sold the KME and bought some nice bench stones with the money. If I was to buy a new angle guided system it would probably be this, as you can buy a secondary market adapter to add lapping films for like $10-20 and get mirror polished products for far cheaper than the KME or other competitors.
I mentioned this on my own comment, but it came across as him blaming the system for a design flaw of a knife. Your comment has the same connotation, of which is bullshit and not fair to anyone.
It's significantly better. It fixes all the little issues that the lanky has like clamping. The clamp is awesome. It's sturdier on the table than the Lansky, even with lansky's full setup. I switched from lansky to this and it hasn't been touched since. Now Lansky has a better offering of grits, but that's now been solved with the lapping film setup (google worksharp lapping film) that's available for the worksharp. And Also an aftermarket stone holder is available from gritomatic ($20) that can hold any 4inch stone of any grit that you'd like.
@@1980JPA , thanks for your response and insights. I ended up getting the lansky kit with the diamond stone options. The selection of stone types is great and I can get my knifes screaming sharp. BUT...the clamp is a pain in the a*s.It's a bit tricky to get it to stay tight and had the knife slip out on a few occasions. I find it especially challenge to clamp my outdoors knife where the spine may not be as flush/flat like my kitchen knifes.
I have the Worksharp guided sharpening system(table top), as well as two of those field sharpeners. These work fantastic for sharpening mom's scissors she uses for cutting cloth. She and my sister do a lot of sewing, and extremely sharp scissors are a must have.
Have you ever used the lansky sharpening system and if so how would it compare? I’ve been using my lansky for many years and love it but I made a mount for my vise and that means I can only sharpen knives in the shop. I could see using this one at a kitchen table.
I own and use several large survival-ish knives in length of 6~10 inches as well as smaller bushcrafty knives. Many of my larger knives have recurved blades. Can it sharpen those? Or is it back to the good ol' Lansky rounded stones?
None of the controlled angle sharpeners can really do convex edges... except maybe the KME using the convex rod... but even then it's probably not ideal. Bench stones will always be best for convex edges.
I purchased a magnetic leather strop and cut a piece to fit onto the 320 grit plate. Throw a little compound on it and good to go, just make sure to only stroke down, and not up and down or you'll shred the strop lol. I end up with a mirror finish when finished.
How about larger blades like The Cold steel 1917 Frontier Bowie ?? The blade is a bit thicker so I wonder if it will fit in the narrower jaws of the clamp
I was thinking about buying one, seems you weren’t very happy with it. Which sharpener would you recommend that’s not a free hand type of sharpener. I must have some birth defect but I can’t hold a knife in the same place or angle to be able to sharpen it to save my life.
It works great on certain knives - sharper than anything I've gotten before. But reprofiling the angle does take a lot of time and work. The stones are quite small so not much steel is removed on each stroke. It's important to actually feel a burr, and that takes quite a while when reprofiling a thicker blade.
Not sure about that gerber specifically, but I've found that for many knives the thumb stud is removable so that you don't drag it when you go on the finer side with your sharpening angle.
I believe you’re supposed to use 220 or 320 grit stones to reprofile an edge.. that’s why it took so long. The extra stones can be purchased for the work sharp. The Elite model has 9 different stones instead of only 3.
I don't think this is really designed to re-profile a knife. I use other systems for that. What this excels at is it small physical profile, does not take up much room, yet provides that guided format that many larger systems do. Its great for putting a same angle edge back on a knife that you neglected stropping for too long,. Like most us have learned its easier to strop when you haven't dulled a knife and keep it tuned up than to resharpen it. I also would be hard pressed to try to fix an edge with this. If you got a chip in your edge you need a beefier system to fix damage.
I used it to even up the bevels on one of my knives. I wanted to bring one side from nearly 19 degrees to match the other side at 17. It's possible, but it took a couple hours just for the one side. A lower grit for this system would work much faster if this is what people have to use for sharpening. Definitely better options for an actual reprofile job, but it can get it done...just takes some patience. I have a Spyderco PM2 with a minor chip in the S30V blade and was thinking of giving this a try at fixing it just for the heck of it, instead of my DMT benchstone that I know will work much faster. I can report back once I do if you're interested?
@Xyz I ended up using this system over the weekend to remove the chip from the blade. The chip was fairly minor, and I was able to remove it using the 320 grit side in around an hour at 17 degrees. I even up both sides bevels nicely at 17 degrees, gave it around 25 scrubs on each side with the 600 grit option, then right to my leather strop. I use my knives in warehouse, so I don't care much for a flashy mirror edge. It's got a nice coarse, yet very sharp edge that's ready to work!
Or you can simply remove the thumb studs, every thumb stud removal I've done personally has been fairly simple as it just requires to pairs of pliers to unscrew the set. Granted some companies might put loctite on the threads but if you're careful and have decent grip strength they remove fairly easily
This is a common issue with thumb stud, happens also to other similar sharpening systems. You also have issues with possibly hitting the handle of the knife, that is why I often create a sharpening choil.
@@matthewtaylor9063 Good to know, I'm not a folder guy I own an Ontario Rat that's my only one LOL. Aus 8...an ugly beast but it works great. I just bought this sharpener today and used it to reprofile my new Benchmade Bushcrafter. I usually agree with almost everything Aaron says when it comes to knives but this time I disagree a bit with his opinion on using the angle sharp. There is no way could you get the edge thats now on my Bushcrafter using that portable one . This sharpener just made my new blade become 100% better. BENCHMADES grind on these bushcrafters is absolutely useless. It was sharp but cutting wood with it was like using a shaprened window scraper. It has the most abrupt V grind something you would put on a big chopping blade. Now I have a higher 19° beautiful edge its WICKED SHARP. You can also use 3m lapping paper to polish the edge... Just cut strips and stick it to the ceramic stone. I highly recommend this one over the belt sanders which destroy your blades.
Do you have the system and if so how do you like it? Would you recommend it? I’m on the fence about the Elite version or the Guided Sharpening System with the upgrade kit.
That's weird that you couldn't get as much of an edge? I did my pm2 in S30v as well and it took forever to get the burr but after all 3 stones it got much sharper than the guided system ever could. It does take forever but not bad for the price. Keep up the great videos!!
Tbats one of the coolest knife sharpening tools I've ever seen, course i dont get out much but still. Been wanting to purchase a sharpener for awhile now. Great video. Thanks, bro
I agree with your assessment. I got it for more precise edges than I get with sharpening by hand. It does take a long time to reprofile as you said. I'd say overall it's a decent system for a reasonable price. I'll pick up the extra coarse stone when available. In the mean time I'll still mostly sharpen by hand.
That is something that you could do depending on the model. My argument is that shouldn’t be needed many designs would require you to reapply Loctite every time you have to re-sharpen your blade wish for some people could be a weekly or twice a month occurrence.
I see you sharpen in a way I was taught not to do a long time ago, I could be wrong but my method has worked for me. When you draw the abrasive across your knife edge I see your removing material with movement in both directions across the blade edge. I was taught that when sharpening cutting edges to just remove material when drawing away from the blade this will give you a thinner and sharper edge. When I sharpen a blade we’re I want more strength in the edge like in a cleaver or axe I draw towards the edge. This will compact the molecules of the steel giving a stronger edge. Sometimes I start one way and then switch depending on the results I’m looking for. The way your doing it will probably not have great effect on a sharp slicing edge but will give a chopping edge a blade that’s not as strong as it could be
I messed up the profile on my ESEE 3 using the Lansky system, I felt that there was too much play and the angles were not right even after following those instructionss. I’ll order this sharpener and hopefully I can fix that edge. This looks like it is solid and will perform accurately every single time.
I like the precision adjustment but the whole plastic vase and all….is it sturdy. Trying to decide if this will replace my Lansky. I have all the stones and then some and it has served me well. Only complaint about the lansky is the 4 holes for angle, and KME is too pricey.
As good as the workshatp ken oinom is the belts do not like cpm m4. They wear pretty quick most notably the super fine.Im planning on getting this worksharp,it will be replacing my lansky which I have every one of the stones which can still be used.
Thanks Gideon for the non-sponsored technical view of the pros and cons of this system I'm looking at picking up a sharpening system in this is helping me Wade through the hype and the reality and where I should be investing
@@gideonstactical Excellent. Thanks for the reply. I was on the edge of getting this (can't afford the pro) but wanted to make sure the ole strongarm would work with it. Based on the specs, I knew it was right on the edge. Keep up the great content!
Spent £1200 on wicked edge sold it for £600 hated it clamp was rubbish hole thing just too time consuming. I’d advise anyone not to waste there money broke my heart because I was thinking it was going to be amazing!!!
Seems like a complex KME. I have no plans of replacing my KME any time soon but I would be interested to see a comparison to see what this can do better.
The KME has a knurled bar on the back of it's scissor accessory. I don't know it's diameter. Trying to find out if that knurled bar would fit in the clamp of the Work Sharp clamp?
Nice review. I have a Kabar BK9. The blade is 9.5" long. The blade thickness is .188" = 3/16". Will that 1/16" reduction in blade thickness from your 1/4" knife blade allow the BK9 to fit into the clamp? Can the WORK SHARP sharpener reach the ends of the BK9 blade? What is the longest blade it can handle? Thanks!
Love the sharpener! I bought it to replace my lansky sharpener. I love the flexibility with the angles and being able to easily match the factory angle. Only dislike I have is I wish the abrasive surfaces were wider and longer.
I don’t use the button to twist. I just remove the clamp, flip it and place it back in. I find that different knives just like different system. Good to get comfortable with all sorts of sharpening and systems. Great review.
Thanks 🙏, your video was excellent on it!
This is the FIRST honest review I've seen so far. Others want to keep getting free stuff from WS so they are 'easy' on the negatives if they mention then at all. I have a lot of overbuilt knives n no one mentioned they would not fit. THANK YOU, stay safe, Be Blessed
Awareness of the thumb stud is a major eye opener and tip for all users of this sharpener. Thank you indeed.
I love mine. No mirror edges with stock equipment, but perfect, very sharp edges.
I think if you're gonna get this system definetly save for the upgraded version with the strop and extra stones, makes a world of a difference.
thanks 🤝
I've had one for about a month, and I think you've covered it well in this review. It's a decent starter sharpening tool for someone less confident in their ability to hold the knife at the correct angle. The only issue I've had is on smaller blades with steeper angles (18 or less), the clamp actually gets in the way, so I've taken the corners down a bit in the course of sharpening. You can try to clamp the blade a bit shallower but then it becomes more difficult to level the blade, since that is what that V cut in the clamp is for. I'm also not thrilled with the amount of slop in the whole assembly, but that does help train you to use less force when working it.
This is the problem with all of these systems the week point is the clamp
👍 from personal experience I just struggle to hold blades consistently at the correct angle.
Used the Precision Adjust and even with only the basic Tri-brasive I got good results in no time.
I got this recently and I like it. I use my Ken Onion Work Sharp Belt sharpener to re profile blades quickly. I use this to just touch up a blade quick.
I got Work Sharp's Pocket Knife Sharpener after seeing you talk about their field sharpener. I have to say it was phenomenal. I thought it was going to be another gimmick waste of money, but to made my ESEE-6 shaving sharp in a minute or two. Thanks for the heads up. I'll probably get their field sharpener next.
I bought the stick on lapping films for this and get an amazing mirror finish now! This sharpener works great just need patience!
Do you have a specific brand of lapping films you could recommend?
Why didn't you just take the thumb stud off ? I have an Edge Pro Apex and I always take the thumb studs off because it has the same problem...
That was my same question..
Yep
Because that would of been common sense and been logical thing pretty much anyone would do
Most well designed knives allow you to remove the thumb studs.
That's what I was thinking. But they don't all allow for that.
Why would you want to do that every time you sharpen your knife
The best knifes dont have thumb studs lmao # spyderco
@@b3higgs330 Fixed blades* lol.
@@b3higgs330Yeah but they look funny 😆
I've had mine for a few weeks now and I think it's incredible for the price. I normally reprofile by hand use my DMT benchstones and normally give them a microbevel or touch up on the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I like this system though to be able to really hone in to what degree my bevels are set at, and also help even everything out. I always get my knives shaving sharp, but with the help of this system it's helped bring that sharpness up a notch. I can't wait until they offer other grit options!
A tip for anybody that's not very experienced with sharpening...It's always good to apply Sharpie marker to the entire edge bevel before you start sharpening, that way you can really see where you're removing the steel on the edge, and then can adjust the degree accordingly.
Yeah, it is good for someone just getting into sharpening because it locks in the bevel angle.
I have the original work sharp belt system. It can really jack up a blade if you aren’t careful. I use spyderco sharpmaker 95% of the time. It doesn’t get dings a nicks out good it maintains edges really well.
1.25 speed required for this one fellas.
Thanks🙏🏻
I forget about that feature. I could probably be cramming in 25% more videos
I watch nearly all vids at 1.5 speed.
Good call
Thank you
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm ruclips.net/user/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
I have a similar model. The further the stone contacts the blade as it travels too far left or right of the center of the clamp, the more the sharpening angle changes.
A good tip that I learned while using my lansky system. Use some double sided tape and slap on whatever grit sandpaper you want to the stones and now you have whatever grit you want. I hardly use my course stone so that's the one I used and I have that with between 1000 and 2500grit paper to really get those 600 marks off with, I also cut a piece of leather off from an old strop and use that as well with some autosol metal polish.
That is a great tip! I like the lansky system and its really compact for storage. I'm trying a D2 knife and I've heard how much harder it is to sharpen. Might take twice as long regular stones. I was going to order the lansky diamond system, apparently that cuts much faster. But with your tip I might just use some 3M Cubitron sand paper and see if that handles the harder steel better.
@@practicalguy973 it would, I use a 120 grit 3m paper as well.
@@LTT.Official You've got me thinking and I might even make some wooden sanding blocks that can work with the Lansky system rods. I've always wanted slightly larger stones on the Lansky for bigger jobs and so I can make these little sanding blocks the size I want and have a wing nut system to clamp sandpaper for fast and easy paper change.
@@practicalguy973 I've done that as well and they too work well, just trace out the existing stones to a block and cut it out, drill a hole for the rods to go into and you're in business
Wish you guys would make a vid of your excellent mods n hacks. Blessings
I'm currently using this to reprofile my Cold Steel Code 4 drop point. The tip of the blade is slightly damaged and the S35VN is really tough for the 320 diamond stone to fix. I have been at it for a while.
Pros: allows adjustment for multipule angles, consistent blade profile. Changing my hand position at the base with three finger under the blade has provided great control and edge feedback. Cons: need different grits. Maybe one slider with 220,320 and 400grit for damages or reprofiling. And 600, 800 and 1000 for regular sharpening, then another set for mirror finish. Backlash, me or my system has some wiggle to it. The fix: I have my free hand under the blade with three fingers underneath touching/ steady the blade and my knuckles on the edge of the base. This provide amazing controls and feedback where the edge might need extra attention. And like you said, it can't handle a thick blade. I touched up one of my wife's kitchen knives so shes happy and the divorce for buying more knife gear seems to be off the topic for today! Lol!
I own the worksharp Ken Onion edition sharpener but I didn't want to use it on my EDC knife collection, so when I saw the price of this I went for it. No regrets so far, I just need some different grits and this would be an awesome unit.
I always enjoy watching your videos and value your opinion. Thanks again!
You can also get the upgrade kit for that system, and it has more stone options, and a leather strop side also.
Great video thanks. I still have not gotten the hang of free hand sharpeners other then a flat stone and scandinavian grind. So I was happy to get the Work Sharp precision adjustable sharpener. Good price and has worked good for me so far. I was not able to sharpen the super small pen blade on my slip joint knife as it would rub the clamp and miss the blade when I tried at 20 degrees. I think it may work at 25 degrees or more so I will try again as the rubbing problem was when sharpening at 20 degree angle as there was not enough of a blade to clamp on to. I would recommend it to anyone.
on ebay there is an attachment for it that you can put 3m lapping film on it to take it to the next level well worth it
Awesome! Thanks for the heads up on that.
You are the real MVP, I ordered mine just now!
Actually you can just buy the pressure sensitive lapping films in 4-1/2”x11” sheets, cut them in 1/2” strips and apply them to the ceramic plate on the sharpener. A set of seven sheets ranging from about 30 microns down to 0.3 microns will get you at least 20 sets of strips for about $15. Works really well.
How do you attach the lapping film to the ceramic stone?
@@andrewtucker7990 you use the lapping film that is pressure adhesive backed
I have a precision adjust work sharp . I haven’t used it on much . The first blade I tried it on was a Camillus carnivore . It was to big for the work sharp precision adjust . Yet I was still able to get a decent edge on the carnivore .
Being the precision adjust is made by work sharp I can almost bet that there will be a up grade kit that makes it able to sharpen bigger and thicker blades.. Worksharp may even add more in the way of stones with more of a verity of grits
I just ordered one last week, should be arriving this week. I have looked at a lot of reviews and for the price I was impressed overall. It should bring back the profile on all my kitchen knives.
Well worth the money makes short work out of the harder CPM steels . I was able to sharpen my Esee 6 with it but it maxed out the clamp for sure .
Thanks for your info. How do you get your pocket knive to open and close so smooth?
Will this eventually have more stone alternatives? It would be awesome to have more higher grit stones for this system.
I think as of now the only way would be to get the upgrade pack with the strop and use stropping compound
Worksharp brought out the upgrade kit recently... It even included a leather strop
Interesting video. How do you keep a consistent, true blade angle for knives of different width? Thanks
Use a digital angle finder, Amazon has a Kleun model for 30.00
$130 in Australia and you need to have all 5 booster shots before you are allowed to shop online.
Boy, I wish I'd seen this sharpener before I bought the Russian knife sharpener. I paid over 10 times the price for it and it takes a lot of room to store.
If you are talking about the tprof, you have a greater variety of stones to use and a more rugged unit.
@@jeffcaptain6738 yes and yes
More expensive systems, such as the KME, have the same issue with thumb stud knives. It’s better, if possible, to remove the studs before sharpening.
I used a KME as a crutch for sharpening but decided to dedicate the time to learn to freehand and I’m happier I did. Sold the KME and bought some nice bench stones with the money.
If I was to buy a new angle guided system it would probably be this, as you can buy a secondary market adapter to add lapping films for like $10-20 and get mirror polished products for far cheaper than the KME or other competitors.
I mentioned this on my own comment, but it came across as him blaming the system for a design flaw of a knife. Your comment has the same connotation, of which is bullshit and not fair to anyone.
Thanks for the review. How would you rate this versus the very popular Lansky system? Thx
Haven’t used the lansky so could say
It's significantly better. It fixes all the little issues that the lanky has like clamping. The clamp is awesome. It's sturdier on the table than the Lansky, even with lansky's full setup. I switched from lansky to this and it hasn't been touched since. Now Lansky has a better offering of grits, but that's now been solved with the lapping film setup (google worksharp lapping film) that's available for the worksharp. And Also an aftermarket stone holder is available from gritomatic ($20) that can hold any 4inch stone of any grit that you'd like.
@@1980JPA , thanks for your response and insights. I ended up getting the lansky kit with the diamond stone options. The selection of stone types is great and I can get my knifes screaming sharp. BUT...the clamp is a pain in the a*s.It's a bit tricky to get it to stay tight and had the knife slip out on a few occasions. I find it especially challenge to clamp my outdoors knife where the spine may not be as flush/flat like my kitchen knifes.
I have the Worksharp guided sharpening system(table top), as well as two of those field sharpeners. These work fantastic for sharpening mom's scissors she uses for cutting cloth. She and my sister do a lot of sewing, and extremely sharp scissors are a must have.
Have you ever used the lansky sharpening system and if so how would it compare? I’ve been using my lansky for many years and love it but I made a mount for my vise and that means I can only sharpen knives in the shop. I could see using this one at a kitchen table.
I haven’t use a Lansky version
I own and use several large survival-ish knives in length of 6~10 inches as well as smaller bushcrafty knives. Many of my larger knives have recurved blades. Can it sharpen those? Or is it back to the good ol' Lansky rounded stones?
Great presentation. Can it do convex edges because I don't see how? Thank you.
None of the controlled angle sharpeners can really do convex edges... except maybe the KME using the convex rod... but even then it's probably not ideal. Bench stones will always be best for convex edges.
I actually really liked the critical eye you used in this video...a nice balance 👍
I purchased a magnetic leather strop and cut a piece to fit onto the 320 grit plate. Throw a little compound on it and good to go, just make sure to only stroke down, and not up and down or you'll shred the strop lol. I end up with a mirror finish when finished.
Nice video it looks like a great little sharpener .
How about larger blades like The Cold steel 1917 Frontier Bowie ?? The blade is a bit thicker so I wonder if it will fit in the narrower jaws of the clamp
Hi
Thanks for good your video
What are the sharpeners made of? They look like knife sharpeners.
To make it as sharp as you can, do you spend more time on the 320 or 600?
What angles do you use? Do you change angle with lower grit ? Do you do less strokes ? With higher grit ?
Another take on the Apex Pro I use, with a couple of improvements, and a lot cheaper.
I was thinking about buying one, seems you weren’t very happy with it. Which sharpener would you recommend that’s not a free hand type of sharpener. I must have some birth defect but I can’t hold a knife in the same place or angle to be able to sharpen it to save my life.
It works great on certain knives - sharper than anything I've gotten before. But reprofiling the angle does take a lot of time and work. The stones are quite small so not much steel is removed on each stroke. It's important to actually feel a burr, and that takes quite a while when reprofiling a thicker blade.
It's something I was considering, but then I bought the KME, and didn't see the need for it. I do use the worksharp KO with blade grinder attachment.
Not sure about that gerber specifically, but I've found that for many knives the thumb stud is removable so that you don't drag it when you go on the finer side with your sharpening angle.
I believe you’re supposed to use 220 or 320 grit stones to reprofile an edge.. that’s why it took so long. The extra stones can be purchased for the work sharp. The Elite model has 9 different stones instead of only 3.
I don't think this is really designed to re-profile a knife. I use other systems for that. What this excels at is it small physical profile, does not take up much room, yet provides that guided format that many larger systems do. Its great for putting a same angle edge back on a knife that you neglected stropping for too long,. Like most us have learned its easier to strop when you haven't dulled a knife and keep it tuned up than to resharpen it. I also would be hard pressed to try to fix an edge with this. If you got a chip in your edge you need a beefier system to fix damage.
I used it to even up the bevels on one of my knives. I wanted to bring one side from nearly 19 degrees to match the other side at 17. It's possible, but it took a couple hours just for the one side. A lower grit for this system would work much faster if this is what people have to use for sharpening. Definitely better options for an actual reprofile job, but it can get it done...just takes some patience. I have a Spyderco PM2 with a minor chip in the S30V blade and was thinking of giving this a try at fixing it just for the heck of it, instead of my DMT benchstone that I know will work much faster. I can report back once I do if you're interested?
@Ryan Boswood F. ?? I don't know what you're trying say here.
@Xyz I ended up using this system over the weekend to remove the chip from the blade. The chip was fairly minor, and I was able to remove it using the 320 grit side in around an hour at 17 degrees. I even up both sides bevels nicely at 17 degrees, gave it around 25 scrubs on each side with the 600 grit option, then right to my leather strop. I use my knives in warehouse, so I don't care much for a flashy mirror edge. It's got a nice coarse, yet very sharp edge that's ready to work!
Or you can simply remove the thumb studs, every thumb stud removal I've done personally has been fairly simple as it just requires to pairs of pliers to unscrew the set. Granted some companies might put loctite on the threads but if you're careful and have decent grip strength they remove fairly easily
I found that finishing this off on the Worksharp withe the “purple” honing belt finished off the edge nicely.
I just picked one of these up. How do you know what the original angle of the blade is??
Looks like a winner.
This is a common issue with thumb stud, happens also to other similar sharpening systems. You also have issues with possibly hitting the handle of the knife, that is why I often create a sharpening choil.
Ain't they removable?
I don't understand why people don't just remove the studs .
@@Airik1111bibles some can easily be removed and some are extremely difficult 😕
@@matthewtaylor9063 Good to know, I'm not a folder guy I own an Ontario Rat that's my only one LOL. Aus 8...an ugly beast but it works great.
I just bought this sharpener today and used it to reprofile my new Benchmade Bushcrafter.
I usually agree with almost everything Aaron says when it comes to knives but this time I disagree a bit with his opinion on using the angle sharp.
There is no way could you get the edge thats now on my Bushcrafter using that portable one .
This sharpener just made my new blade become 100% better. BENCHMADES grind on these bushcrafters is absolutely useless.
It was sharp but cutting wood with it was like using a shaprened window scraper.
It has the most abrupt V grind something you would put on a big chopping blade. Now I have a higher 19° beautiful edge its WICKED SHARP. You can also use 3m lapping paper to polish the edge... Just cut strips and stick it to the ceramic stone.
I highly recommend this one over the belt sanders which destroy your blades.
Thanks for the review. Do they offer additional sharpening stones for this system?
Not currently 👍
for the thumb stud problem, couldn't you just clamp it near the tip? should make the angle enough to miss the thumb stud...
What about OTF knives where you have two sides to sharpen. Is that clamp ok for them
can you push this to lower angle? Japanese knives generally are 10 - 12 degrees.
I haven’t messed with this sharpener in a while. Not sure on that question.
They sell stabilizers on Etsy that keeps the blade holding arm from flexing while sharpening. It keeps a more consistent angle
Do you have the system and if so how do you like it? Would you recommend it? I’m on the fence about the Elite version or the Guided Sharpening System with the upgrade kit.
Thanks for this video🙏🏻been so curious about this thing. Still love your content after all these years!
Thank you so much!
When setting the blade in the clamp, it there a way to check if the blade is set to have the same angle on both sides or is it just by eye?
Will it Sharpen blades with a blade thickness of up to 4.7mm ? Using the Clamp that comes with it ?
So how thick of a blade will the clamp hold? 3/6"?
Did it work for your gerber strongarm?
Any tips for longer/bigger knifes for this system? Say a buck 119/120 or Ka bar? Getting em to fit or what y'all may use for any longer blade.
Can't you just move the top gasket down before the thumb studs to stop the stone before the top of it hits it?
That's weird that you couldn't get as much of an edge? I did my pm2 in S30v as well and it took forever to get the burr but after all 3 stones it got much sharper than the guided system ever could. It does take forever but not bad for the price. Keep up the great videos!!
Tbats one of the coolest knife sharpening tools I've ever seen, course i dont get out much but still. Been wanting to purchase a sharpener for awhile now. Great video. Thanks, bro
Will it sharpen a Scandi Grind knife?
I agree with your assessment. I got it for more precise edges than I get with sharpening by hand. It does take a long time to reprofile as you said. I'd say overall it's a decent system for a reasonable price. I'll pick up the extra coarse stone when available. In the mean time I'll still mostly sharpen by hand.
Could you remove the thumb stud before sharpening the blade?
That is something that you could do depending on the model. My argument is that shouldn’t be needed many designs would require you to reapply Loctite every time you have to re-sharpen your blade wish for some people could be a weekly or twice a month occurrence.
Just used it for the first time on a couple of bushcraft knives… arm shave sharp 👍
I see you sharpen in a way I was taught not to do a long time ago, I could be wrong but my method has worked for me. When you draw the abrasive across your knife edge I see your removing material with movement in both directions across the blade edge. I was taught that when sharpening cutting edges to just remove material when drawing away from the blade this will give you a thinner and sharper edge. When I sharpen a blade we’re I want more strength in the edge like in a cleaver or axe I draw towards the edge. This will compact the molecules of the steel giving a stronger edge. Sometimes I start one way and then switch depending on the results I’m looking for. The way your doing it will probably not have great effect on a sharp slicing edge but will give a chopping edge a blade that’s not as strong as it could be
Could this handle a 5mm blade stock
So, can it?
I put my benchmade 940 in it and for some reason it makes contact with the steel of the clamps and leaves a dull spot right on the belly of the blade
I messed up the profile on my ESEE 3 using the Lansky system, I felt that there was too much play and the angles were not right even after following those instructionss. I’ll order this sharpener and hopefully I can fix that edge. This looks like it is solid and will perform accurately every single time.
Great notes, when I buy I will use the link:)
I think it would be good for light sharpenings and touch ups but it's Not really made to do reprofilings or super dull knives , just my opinion....
How does it compare to Lansky? Have you used the upgraded kit?
I like the precision adjustment but the whole plastic vase and all….is it sturdy. Trying to decide if this will replace my Lansky. I have all the stones and then some and it has served me well. Only complaint about the lansky is the 4 holes for angle, and KME is too pricey.
As good as the workshatp ken oinom is the belts do not like cpm m4. They wear pretty quick most notably the super fine.Im planning on getting this worksharp,it will be replacing my lansky which I have every one of the stones which can still be used.
Will it work on Scandinavian edged blades ?
So, no good for tracker variants?
Yep
Newbie here...would this hold my 1917 Frontier Bowie from Cold Steel(.25 inch)?
Thanks Gideon for the non-sponsored technical view of the pros and cons of this system I'm looking at picking up a sharpening system in this is helping me Wade through the hype and the reality and where I should be investing
They sent dozens of this plastic clap traps out to bigger outdoor channels with expectation of pimping favorable reviews.
@@stoneblue1795 thxs
Gotta love a very fine stroking pattern up to the tip.
Any particular angle you use on the spyderco knives? Thanks
Would this hold a Gerber Strongarm?
Yes 👍
@@gideonstactical Excellent. Thanks for the reply. I was on the edge of getting this (can't afford the pro) but wanted to make sure the ole strongarm would work with it. Based on the specs, I knew it was right on the edge. Keep up the great content!
What do you think about this system working on a 8, 10, or a 12" fillet knife?
Have to remove the thumb stud on some knives. You need a edge pro, wicked edge, etc. if you really want a great edge.
Spent £1200 on wicked edge sold it for £600 hated it clamp was rubbish hole thing just too time consuming. I’d advise anyone not to waste there money broke my heart because I was thinking it was going to be amazing!!!
Seems like a complex KME. I have no plans of replacing my KME any time soon but I would be interested to see a comparison to see what this can do better.
I think the blade stop that doesn't let you move the blade back is where the kme is better but other than that the price is good
The KME has a knurled bar on the back of it's scissor accessory. I don't know it's diameter. Trying to find out if that knurled bar would fit in the clamp of the Work Sharp clamp?
I really like mine. I works great on my benchmade knives so far.
Nice review. I have a Kabar BK9. The blade is 9.5" long. The blade thickness is .188" = 3/16". Will that 1/16" reduction in blade thickness from your 1/4" knife blade allow the BK9 to fit into the clamp? Can the WORK SHARP sharpener reach the ends of the BK9 blade? What is the longest blade it can handle? Thanks!
Can it do scandi grind blades such as a Morakniv?
Love the sharpener! I bought it to replace my lansky sharpener. I love the flexibility with the angles and being able to easily match the factory angle. Only dislike I have is I wish the abrasive surfaces were wider and longer.
Lanky is better
@@danparrigan1193 LANKY costs about ten times more so no surprises there😀
Is there a Convex adaptor available for this one?
Not that I know of.
Can u sharpen a gerber strongarm
Love the channel brother, I find alot of very informative and useful knowledge here!
Thanks so much Joe!!
My Gerber Strongarm is 3/16" thick. Do you think it will work ?