Opinions on the best Knife Sharpener

[GMan14]

Since I’m not very proficient at sharpening knives and seem to destroy diamond sharpening tools. What are peoples opinions for an easy to use sharpener? Looking at a Work Sharp electric belt fed. U


I use an Any Sharp at home for kitchen knives but probably due to user error I don’t get a great finish, it sharpens but a bit jagged.

 

[brandon]

Warthog

 

[Will the chippy]

Robert sorby pro edge. Expensive but great.

 

[angusb1]

These are very good ^^^

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

I've a worksharp belt sharpener bought about 5 years ago. It can ruin knives if you're not careful. I used it once or twice but haven't used it since. I much prefer whet stones and a strop. You've much more control over the material removed

 

[Merlyn]

Do what the butchers do. Never more than £20 for a knife. Frequent run down the steel and and a strop.
Nothing else needed. Maybe a Lanksy in your pocket.

 

[jthyttin]

At least here butchers go through a pile of (boning) knives during the day, and those are then sharpened in batch run on grindstone or whatever (motor assisted) method is in use.

Some places sell the knives that are "sharpened for the last time" by the bucket. They have maybe two thirds of the blade eaten away.

So yes, frequent maintenance while in use (steel etc.) but when a knife gets dull it's moved aside and the blade is restored at different time, and preferably by somebody who's expert in sharpening.

I use the same method for hunting knives, pile of reasonably priced Moras, have few on your body, few in car. Move the blade aside if it gets damaged, dull on just dirty and no way to 100% clean. Take care of maintenance later.

 

[JockStalk]

Since I’m not very proficient at sharpening knives and seem to destroy diamond sharpening tools. What are peoples opinions for an easy to use sharpener? Looking at a Work Sharp electric belt fed. U


I use an Any Sharp at home for kitchen knives but probably due to user error I don’t get a great finish, it sharpens but a bit jagged.

Avoid anything powered, it’ll eat your blades afore your eyes.

Personally, I use this and carry one with me if an edge is dulled. I can personally attest to it being idiot proof

OutDoor Edge Sharp-X

 

[Overlay]

I've a worksharp belt sharpener bought about 5 years ago. It can ruin knives if you're not careful. I used it once or twice but haven't used it since. I much prefer whet stones and a strop. You've much more control over the material removed

yep i got a good belt one in my man cave with all the different belts scared to use on a decent blade, only because i’m a donk
only use it for the mora blades I use when I do a day out with scouts on rabbit prep

 

[Bowland blades]

ITS NOT THE TOOL IN THE HAND, ITS THE HAND ON THE TOOL !
Sharpening is very easy when you have been through about 100 knives correctly . Training and perfect practice and then you dont really think much at all about it
Oil or water stone no great difference so long you use honing oil ( nothing else ) on your oil stone and only water on your waterstone ( nothing else ) Never switch or you stone might never be of use again ! The flat Diamond stones are actually very good and way the easiest ( do not lube them with anything ) . A joiner / woodturner friend found some cheap Faithfull brand diamond stones . Set of three with the case that functions as a stand in use 400# ,600#, 100# . They are very cheap ! I put them in the truck a while for when folks are struggling at first but i soon got quite into them , those now live in the gunroom and they manage most sharpening tasks on our own kitchen knives . Perhaps i am someplace near 100 re- sharpening jobs now with them ? That's a lot for the average stalker of course and they are just fine ! The box is your stone holder and works well just plonked on the granite tops in the kitchen . They also avoid the stone slurry that creates such a mess or the kerosene based oilstone " oil" .
Just a final bit Sharpening steels dont really sharpen , they straighten up the cutting edge and polish a bit . Using to harshly will blunt your edge
In the Workshop i have one of my own build 2x72 belt grinders that i run at very slow speed along with a trizac belt for removing damaged edges , putting in the primary to the stage of burr on some new knives before moving to hand sharpening on my really old oil stone. Just for kicks i have a hand cranked sharpener that's likely at least 150 years old or more that i inherited , its some kind of sandstone and it needs to be quite well wetted in its bath before it does any good . Not really used it from my last show a few years before covid hit
Dont get into sharpening gadgets its not all about the tool and many knives sold today will simply not hold a burr modern lower price knives are cut to the bone on price running only just over 50 rockwell or under in some cases lower still on cheap supermarket stuff and those are not going to raise a workable burr.

 

[Bowland blades]

yep i got a good belt one in my man cave with all the different belts scared to use on a decent blade, only because i’m a donk
only use it for the mora blades I use when I do a day out with scouts on rabbit prep

heat -up of the blade can be a big issue with a lot of powered belt machines . The speed i run at putting in the edge is about what an assistant could hand crank comfortably and i would still be quenching as i progressed . Some steels really dont like getting warm 01 tool steel can be painful in this regards doing scandi grinds , blink and its burnt!

 

[norcan]

Since I’m not very proficient at sharpening knives and seem to destroy diamond sharpening tools. What are peoples opinions for an easy to use sharpener? Looking at a Work Sharp electric belt fed. U


I use an Any Sharp at home for kitchen knives but probably due to user error I don’t get a great finish, it sharpens but a bit jagged.

Don't use a pull-through device (I hesitate to call it a sharpener) if you care about your knives.

The electric belt is OK if used very carefully, but as others have mentioned, it can easily ruin a knife. I would suggest a manual guided system; the old Lansky sharpener works fine, and among the many newer choices available, the Work Sharp Precision Adjust seems to be the one to have without spending outrageous amounts of money on the likes of TSProf, Edge Pro, KME and Wicked Edge.

 

[Bowland blades]

Do what the butchers do. Never more than £20 for a knife. Frequent run down the steel and and a strop.
Nothing else needed. Maybe a Lanksy in your pocket.

Most proper butchers have two knife classes . The Victorinox range type that get no more than the steel then disposed of these are the boners etc. Then the good knives they will pay a good bit for often cleavers etc ( many of these are handed down to the next generation) and get specialist sharpening . Have a look at butchers suppliers Victorinox boners are bought in bulk and are treated as semi disposable but not so the good stuff .
No different withing knife makers , my EDC is a swiss army knife in various sizes . I give them minimum maintenance, i use Victorinox boners in the larder for heading and legging etc . Yet i use a good knife while staking to gralloch fast and well under time pressure safely , also because they are designed to be carried . Last thing i need with a few beasts down is a badly performing knife or one that is hard to carry in comfort . I do have one particular maker of folders who i will likely buy off one day unless i start making the folders myself ( currently my shop would need a re-design and some fair investment in new machines )

 

[Pellet Pinger]

Ive been on the tools for over 35years and can sharpen a chiesel with my eyes shut, buggered if i can get an edge on a knife though!!
Had the Lanskey was ok but bought one of these and its a peice of pee to sharpen a knife, wouldnt be without mine and for the money you cant go wrong.

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[Bowland blades]

Ive been on the tools for over 35years and can sharpen a chiesel with my eyes shut, buggered if i can get an edge on a knife though!!
Had the Lanskey was ok but bought one of these and its a peice of pee to sharpen a knife, wouldnt be without mine and for the money you cant go wrong.

Grinding System Professional RUIXIN PRO RX-008 Sharpener + 4 whetstone Tkk | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Grinding System Professional RUIXIN PRO RX-008 Sharpener + 4 whetstone Tkk at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

Single bevel against double is why you and many struggle. Mate who is a brilliant joiner is likewise

 

[maximus otter]

I have several guided systems, as l can’t be bothered to practise on whetstones.

For a typical stalking knife of 4” to 6” blade length, l would recommend either of the following:

a) The Spyderco Sharpmaker. £91

b) A Lansky (correct spelling) setup. (£63 Deluxe set linked to.)

If you choose the Spyderco, make sure to buy a coarse diamond stone to get your blades to the necessary angle initially. After that, all you’ll need will be the standard stones to keep your blades shaving sharp.

Do not under any circumstances buy either a powered or a pull-through system if you care about your knives. Both types simply grind away far too much steel far too quickly.

maximus otter

 

[Heym SR20]

Simple answer is to learn to sharpen a blade by hand. A water stone or oil stone both work well, followed by a leather strop. You don’t to spend lots of money. You just to start very slowly and be patient. Once you have the technique to hold a blade at correct angle pretty much any abrasive can work.

 

[angusb1]

Ive been on the tools for over 35years and can sharpen a chiesel with my eyes shut, buggered if i can get an edge on a knife though!!
Had the Lanskey was ok but bought one of these and its a peice of pee to sharpen a knife, wouldnt be without mine and for the money you cant go wrong.

Grinding System Professional RUIXIN PRO RX-008 Sharpener + 4 whetstone Tkk | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Grinding System Professional RUIXIN PRO RX-008 Sharpener + 4 whetstone Tkk at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

I also have one of these Ruixin sharpeners. Excellent results with no skill required from me and it was only £25 odd off ebay, plus it packs away into a small bag and needs no electricity, just something to clamp it to. My Dad and another friend both have the Robert Sorby powered linisher which is also excellent, easier to set the angle on, and quicker but is also a lot more expensive, less portable, and needs electricity. I am very happy with my choice and so are the linisher owners. Horses for courses.

 

[Hook'N'Bullet]

I have several guided systems, as l can’t be bothered to practise on whetstones.

For a typical stalking knife of 4” to 6” blade length, l would recommend either of the following:

a) The Spyderco Sharpmaker. £91

b) A Lansky (correct spelling) setup. (£63 Deluxe set linked to.)

If you choose the Spyderco, make sure to buy a coarse diamond stone to get your blades to the necessary angle initially. After that, all you’ll need will be the standard stones to keep your blades shaving sharp.

Do not under any circumstances buy either a powered or a pull-through system if you care about your knives. Both types simply grind away far too much steel far too quickly.

maximus otter

I might pick up one of those Lansky ones

 

[norcan]

pretty much any abrasive can work.

That really depends on the steel.