Knife and tool sharpeners
Equipment
Does anyone have any experience with the Work Shop electric belt knife and tool sharpeners (ken onion model)? I am tired of running all my kitchen blades to the shop a couple times a year to have the edge put on and I figured I might as well just invest in a good sharpener and use it for my hunting blades and tools as well. Not interested in hearing "learn to use a stone" as I know how, but trying to save time with multiple blades. Thanks for your opinions! Kip
I have one and like it just fine. It takes a minute to get the edge right but, after that it's a snap. Gets all kinds of blades sharp and they seem to stay sharp longer. My wife is hell on knives but they seem to hold up to even her abuse.
I have the older model. I think it’s a great sharpener. I’ve used it on just about every kind of knife. Kitchen, fillet, hunting, pocket, and multi tool knife blades, and serrated. Quick, easy, and produces a very sharp edge.
Have not used the Onion model. The main difference I can see is the width of the belts. With Onions being wider.
Have used mine on scissors, lawn mower blades, pruners, shovels, etc.....
It’s a very handy tool to have.
It's the only knife sharpening "gimmicky" thing I've ever purchased. And I LOVE the thing! LOL. Works well, sharpens quickly, easy to use.
I love mine too, I had the older model and upgraded last year to the multi tool and knife one. They are great!
I have the basic model and I love it. I use it for my wife's knives and I can go through the batch in less than an hour.
My hunting knives I still stick with my KME and strop (As I think the edge is a little better)
I have both, I bought the Onion model to sharpen a 15 degree Chefs knife. I actually use the cheaper model the most. I prefer the blade guide better especially on smaller blades. The onion model has wider belts and a variable speed and more angle adjustment.
works excellent, wish I could figure out how to round off my he tips...otherthen that it’s excellent
One inch by 30 inch belt sander with the metal belt. Around $30 or so on sale at Harbor Freight. Works as good as the more spendy ones.
Chef’s Choice Edge Select 120 with coarse and fine diamond wheels plus strop wheels has worked great for us for 15 or 20 yrs. The model is still available the last time I checked at Cabelas. Kitchen and hunting knives, replaceable blade broadheads and heck it will even sharpen Havalon 60A blades if you want.
For lawnmower blades, axes, retipping screwdrivers, other coarse grinding and sharpening I use a 4” x 30” belt sander, 4” angle grinder or a 6” grinder in the shop. You need to be careful to not burn (overheat) the blade by staying in one spot too long.
Good luck!
I just bought a 1"x30" belt sander from Harbor Freight and then bought some 400 grit belts and a leather belt for it from Amazon. Talk about razor sharp lickety split, only done my broadheads on it so far, but it's the same setup basically that's used at the local knife sharpener place I frequent except they use a belt sander and then a special buffing wheel with rouge instead of the leather belt
I just bought the Chefs Choice 120, on sale at Cabelas. The first job was to restore the dull, nicked edge on an heirloom hunting knife belonging to my son-in-law. From bad to shaving hair in about three minutes work. We were both very, very, impressed! Did just a quick pass and hone on a quality kitchen knife with the same result.
I'm eager to see how well it does on a pile of Spitfire blades that I've been putting off till a slow winter's day.
Not for axes or lawn mower blades, for sure, but should be great for my needs. I have and Outdoor Egde Razor Lite knife with five replaceable blades. Good knife, but the blades are definitely not as sharp as the Havalon. I can now quickly sharpen all five then use them on an animal. Repeat many times without buying new or spending a good deal of time on the EzzeLap
Cutting up a bunch of thick boned salmon for the smoker should go smoother now too.
Leather belt for 1'x30' sander - now that's one heck of an idea. What's it called on Amazon?
Stropping belt. You can also buy a pack with three progressively finer sanding belts and the stropping belt tailored to tool/knife sharpening.
V-Sharp Classic-II Works like a champ. My wife loves it for her kitchen knives It will sharpen my expensive hunting knives and Outdoor Edge replaceable blades to like new...Costs about $80.00
I'm tuned in here as well. Looking at KME, Work Sharp Ken Onion, and Chef's Choice 120. For those of you that have used the Chef's Choice, would it work for a thicker hunting knife like a 5mm knife?
Heat,
I have all three, and I don't like the Chef's Choice for my hunting knives. If I was going to do it over, I would probably buy the buffing wheels for a bench grinder, and just use that. My has this set up and the knives are very, very scary sharp!! The KME is awesome and I use the Work Sharp for tools, scissors and some of our kitchen knives... I like them all:)
I sharpen all the knives I have from the Wusthoff kitchen knives, Leatherman tools and to Buck knives on the Chef's choice. Shaving sharp in a few passes to resharpen once the sharpening angle is established the first time on the coarse diamond wheels. It sure works great for me! Wouldn't want to cut moose/elk/deer/bear up without it. It also keeps the kitchen knives razor sharp with about 3 minutes work every few weeks.
