This section is simply to show the basic use of the machine. There’s one key thing to note about Pro Tool Reviews: We’re all about the professional tool user and tradesman! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. The Work Sharp Ken Onion is for anybody who’s sick of working with blunt blades. Typically, the easier a system is to use, the higher the trade off in results or performance. The standard Knife & Tool Sharpener comes with a 2-way toggle button with on & off. It’s not a good idea to sharpen chisels with a width exceeding ¾”. The amount of information that Work Sharp provides to help you determine what kind of edge angle to use and how to achieve it is outstanding. Don’t use too much pressure, no matter how much your manly manliness wants to. For many of us knife users, we just don’t have time to learn how to be master knife sharpeners. It’s important to note that you can’t sharpen the serrations themselves, like you can with a Lansky and the right sharpening stone. I also sharpened a machete for a friend of mine. And...we'll even send you our "Best Tools for Your Hard-earned Dollars" white paper! I don’t know what the minimum and maximum speeds for the Ken Onion Edition are. But does it live up to its reputation? You’ll notice in the video that I held the ax in my hand. The only thing that I’d really like to see Work Sharp add is some markings to the speed dial to give users a better idea of how close to low or high they are on speed selection. This creates a convex edge that is very sharp yet resists damage better than a straight edge grind. It’s versatile. 0°. But there are certain knives, like paring knives, that would do better with a lower angle, like 15 to 20 degrees. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve previously sharpened this particular ax with a Lansky sharpener, which gave it a keen edge. In other words, you’d remove the sharpening guide and rotate the sharpening cassette. For most of us mortals, that’s not a given. All of us carry one just about anywhere we go and feel somewhat naked if there’s not one attached to us. Done. DCS spends most of his time watching Mythbusters, trying to figure out what the labels that they blur out say, so that he can recreate the explosions. Rest the blade on the belt before starting the machine. If you use this guide you’ll create razor sharp edges, time after time, quickly and efficiently, without burning your blades. It works fast and clean and provides an excellent edge. The Work Sharp Ken Onion box comes with the following: Make sure your Work Sharp is plugged into a wall outlet and the machine is standing comfortably on a stable platform, like a table. 1 x 6000 grit for scissors and stropping. You can use it to sharpen all sorts of kitchen knives (including circular blades found in pizza cutters), axes, machetes or scissors. Note that there’s no accurate speedometer on the machine. Not sure what the heck he does but he’s putting Victorinox’s product through its paces. My machete’s edge was in a terrible condition, but the Ken Onion did a fine job of sharpening it. The mostly plastic outer construction is suitable for the intended use of this sharpener, though it could benefit from some additoinal rubber overmold in places and perhaps a metal angle dial. The before and after pics aren’t too hot. Nevertheless, I gave it a sharpen with the Ken Onion and it worked exceedingly well. Since the Work Sharp guys have been sharpening knives far longer than I have, I believe them when they say you need different speeds for different applications. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The Work Sharp Blade Grinding Attachment is designed for use with the Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener, adding enhanced sharpening control and surface area for the ultimate knife sharpening experience. For honing blades, use the smoothest belt (6000) at the lowest speed. The Victorinox’s blades are so small that it’s hard to properly use the guide slots so I mostly ignored them. Well, not quite, but you can work it harder than the standard machine. The fact that there’s flex in the belt means the belt conforms to the edge that’s already present, which makes it a forgiving tool. Pull the knife through until you’ve raised a burr, then switch to the other side of the blade (if it’s a double bevel knife). Although, you probably don’t need it. That’s just the length. One of the big advantages of hand sharpening and wet stone systems is the ability to control temperature. Work Sharp put plenty of effort into making knife sharpening easy to understand and do. If you also purchase the Blade Grinding Attachment for the Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener (works only on the Ken Onion model) you can sharpen your shovels, axes, machetes swords, chisels etc. Add to Cart; View Specs Will not fit the original WSKTS. It’s still available through Amazon though, so perhaps jump while you can get it. You can only sharpen the smooth side of a serrated blade. Never pull a blade all the way past the abrasive belt. A machete should actually be sharpened the same way you’d do an ax. David does his own stunts. I bought a secondhand machete for my green woodworking endeavors. When I was looking for a knife sharpening system, I had two requirements. I didn’t take video footage and pictures of everything, but I think you’ll find my tests sufficient. Don’t sharpen the bevel side of a serrated knife. Done. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. They’ve even got a handy flow chart printed on the packaging to help you decide what process to use. So my second requirement was a system that wouldn’t take a beginner hours of practice on the weekends to get an edge to be proud of. I highly recommend the Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition. The Ken Onion Edition comes with a 120VAC / 1.5 amp, variable speed motor. The fact of the matter is that sometimes they get so dull that you could almost let your kids have them as a toy. It can handle any smooth edge blade, including: Read on to see the sharpening tests I performed on some of the above items. The included instructional DVD will give you pretty reasonable overview of the sharpener’s capabilities as well as some visual examples of how to sharpen. A friend asked if it would be possible to sharpen a circular knife blade (AKA pizza cutter wheel) to which I replied, “let’s see…”. Therefore, getting the correct angle on your ax head has little to nothing to do with the Ken Onion’s angle tool. There are exceptions, like when you sharpen a serrated knife, which requires you to only sharpen one side. In today’s world of Internet news and online content, we found that more and more professionals researched a large majority of their major power tool purchases online.