I have looked at these for a while and was leaning toward the pro 1 kit any one have this likes dislikes and reasons to go with the pro 2 if any I will be sharpning my and family knifes no bussiness use just personal thoughts and first hand experience would be great.

A good dual grit whet stone.
Use it under running water, it'll put a scalpel edge on good steel in just a few strokes.

I have the Edge Pro and really like it. You can get a knife to a level of sharp that most people dont know exists. However if I were doing it over I probably would go with the Wicked Edge, its design looks easier and faster to use.

Thanks all stuff that will help in my purchase

I used a friend's Wicked Edge last year and was very impressed. Much easier to get a great edge than using a Lansky.

405wcf

Anyone use the WorkSharp?

Steve.

I do, it works great.

I too plan on getting the Wicked Edge in the near future. I just like how the knife gets clamped down vs. how the Edge Pro works. Prolly helps to eliminate any human error. Edge Pro will handle really large blades though...which isn't a concern for me.

Just a few strokes huh. You must be one strokin' mofo.

I will not be doing long blades as well and have used lansky and smiths nock of of it just wanted to go with a quality product that will last for years and work well the pro 1 is a lot cheeper than the pro2

+1. That extension cord/generator can get heavy though.

I heard Smokepole favors river rocks!

I used a river rock to skin a T. Rex once

I ran it under water to sharpen it

Indeed!

I carry a small diamond stone with me in the field and my knife is always razor sharp before i go. Easy to keep there.

Seriously, a little DMT folding "whetrock" in blue(220 IIRC) and a small steel will keep a good knife sharp indefinetely. If you find yourself without a steel to remove the wire edge from the arris, a smooth stone from a stream will serve that role nicely. Don't call it a "river rock" though, the MT mafia will make you a figure of ridicule, not that that means anything:)

With a price of 500 bucks, my Lansky looks mighty fine. And I don't know how my knife would be any sharper.

Just say'n

I also carry a steel with me in the field but I would like to be able to shave with my cold steel again

The pro is 389 I'm On my fourth fourth dollar kit and just would like to have a product that will last

No need to explain yourself ... you could do much worse things with your money. Bet you'll say you should have gotten it sooner.

Let us know how it works out.

Paper wheels. But they are not for everybody.

Accusharp. Bought my first after moving down here in March. Made in the USA though I don't recall ever seeing them. Bought two more for the houses in Texas and Idaho. Best $25 ever spent, trust me.

http://www.accusharp.com/

KME, out of New Jersey. Excellent sharpener, excellent people to deal with.

my wife bought me one of these for christmas,and it actually works pretty good.

https://www.getedgeofglory.com/?uid...6E0&gclid=CIL55KC0nLoCFa0-MgodiTQA8w

Interesting comments here. As a retired meat plant owner, I can tell you for a fact that using diamonds as sharpening agents are really tough on blades. They are much harder than any blend of knife steel, and while they will sharpen a knife, the finished edge will be much rougher under a scope, than if water stones were were used instead.

Personally, we used a set of 6 edge pro's all set with a different stone so as to save my butchers time in sharpening. Every one of the boners loved those edge~pro's!!

Respects,
Richard

One of these; SPYDERCO SHARPMAKER

Ed

Just ordered a wicked edge pro1 pack with the ceramic stones as an add on I will report how I like set up and easy of use in a couple weeks

Congrats ~ anxious to hear your comments after using it a time or two

Wow, you should have a perfect setup there. I look forward to hearing your thoughts after using your set up.

Respects,
Richard

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?...PLA&gclid=CNy8nseTn7oCFUdk7AodoSAAXg

1000 grit is a starting point.

I don't know about the wicked edge but do have the edge pro and like it very much, but don't use it as often as I should because of being somewhat cumbersome to set up.

Here's what I have learned in my 15 year quest to be able to sharpen knives.

It's not about the media you use to sharpen. Paper wheels, bench grinders, lansky, edge pro, whetstone, or cobblestone will all work fine in the hands of somebody who knows what they are doing, and sharpening a good knife.

For the rest of us that suck at it, It's about being able set an edge on a repeatable angle, and them hone the edge you created at that same good angle.

The cheapest way to do that, with the least amount of work required IMO is the spyderco sharp maker. No gimmicks, fast setup, and you can re-bevel any knife to a 40* edge, and hone it to shaving sharp in less than 5 minutes on good steel. You need to add a pair of diamond stones to speed up resetting a bevel on hard steel or crappy knives.

People may argue about media and angles and steel. But the name of the game is being able to consistently remove material from your knife blade at a consistent, repeatable angle. And that's an irrefutable fact. So choose however that's easiest/cheapest for you to do.

You can spend literally any amount of money on knife sharpening. But if it's for an actual WORKING knife, the humble, simple, and dirt cheap Smith carbide/ceramic sharpener is one of the few times where going cheap is THE way to go!!



http://www.smithsproducts.com/product/50293/

But if you're a knife snob and just uber anal, you'll hate it; it's not perfect. You get one angle and it gets a little less effective on the tip and won't do the first 1/8" at the shank of the blade. But the tip can be sufficiently sharpened, while the rest of the blade gets shaving sharp. And the one angle you get is ideal and all you need. The carbide side I really never use, just the ceramic side.

But if your knife is a serious working blade, then you'll absolutely LOVE this cheap little sharpener. I bought 4 of them to put in various places because I paid like $4 apiece.

But seriously, 4-5 swipes and you're back in business; sharp enough to shave with. I have completely abandoned all other sharpeners because these are just so easy and practical.

You see, what I'm looking for in a knife is it's ability to do the job it was intended to do. I don't find knife sharpening to be a hobby or particularly "fun", but a dull knife is nearly as useless as an unloaded gun.

So if you're looking to impress your friends, then spend a couple hundred dollars on some "system" contraption that takes 6 times as long to use, comes with extensive instructions and more parts and accessories than a teenage girls makeup case, and does perhaps a 2% better job...if you do it all right.

For someone who would rather spend his time doing something productive, then spend 30 seconds with the cheap little Smith and snicker at this little gem you've discovered.

actually the cheap Smith sharpeners are what i use(different model but works the same) because i want to be able to touch up the blade whenever.....ive got 3 or 4 of the Smiths scattered around so one is usually handy no matter where i am......ive got a Lanskey but found it usually wasnt handy when i needed to touch up the blade(in other words it was at home in a drawer or some such thing).....

course im also an oddball in that i like D2 or full blown carbon steels over some super hard stainless that while keeps its edge for a long time is a pain in the arse to sharpen when i do need to touch up the blade.....

Another vote for the Spyderco Sharpmaker. They are idiot-proof and it's easy to put a scary sharp edge on any blade. I also bought the diamond sticks for mine for cutting the back bevels and reshaping edges on new blades with hard steel.

I've been at it for nearly 40yr, and for the last 35 or so, I was the guy folks asked to sharpen their knives, and I've mostly done it freehand with, at first, Smith Arkansas stones. I bought a set of DMT Diamond "stones" in 1987, and still use them today. The blue one with a Gerber steel will deliver a hair-shaving, flesh cutting edge, on good steel, faster than ANY technique/gadget I've ever seen. It can be done just fine by hand, it just takes practice to get the muscle memory. You need to position your body in a similar position when you sharpen, as YOU are the jig. You need light to be able to see the arris. This will tell you if you need to adjust the way you hold/stroke the knife. When the knife will "nick" your nail, it might be sharp enough to steel.

or you could save oodles of time and money and use the little Smith and get 98% the results in 30 seconds. They're just outstanding.

Don't get me wrong, all the others are good, but they're typically a knife sharpening production. You have to get everything out, set it all up and then make sure you hold the knife just so. The Spyderco really is excellent, but it's like $100 for only maybe 2% better results. I have a Lansky that was rather expensive. It's a serious production to set everything all up and in the end I will end up with a SLIGHTLY sharper knife. But seriously, the little Smith gets my knife shaving sharp and I've never once been using a Smith sharpened blade and felt it needed to be sharper. The Smith does a fantastic job and it's completely idiot proof. I just freshened up my Swiss Army Knife that goes with me anywhere. 5 swipes down each blade and I'm on my way. And it will do that to S30V or VG-10 just as easy; how can you go wrong.

Tormek. You won't find better!

Of course I am a knife snob and just uber anal as you say Kevin.

GFY

Geo

I also have two Bark River knives that come with a convex edge. Im new to the whole convex edge thing but bought the leather paddle and sharpening compound that goes on it. Im trying to learn the process but it seems like the more I sharpen the duller it gets! May end up putting it in the Edge Pro and putting a flat bevel on it. I love those two Bark Rivers by the way.

I think the Worksharp is a better tool for knives and scissors, if you are going to resort to 120V. Having said that, I lust for a Tormek for woodworking tools but I'll most likely struggle along with the Makita sharpener I've used for years.

Many here may not realize that a tool to cut wood, like a plane iron, needs to be WAY sharper than a knife needs to be to cut flesh. A knife sharpened to cut flesh, under a loupe will have a serrated appearance. Such an edge won't shave wood that well.

Convex? Try 320 (max) grit black paper on cardboard on a board, trailing edge held steep enough to matter. Going through all the grits and grades just rounds off what you've done with the coarser stuff. Don't wind up in a dark room soaking your water stones and dreaming of shaving the bark off a hair.

I used one of these when I was a kid now I have a job and like to have quality products . Plus all my friends use light sabers and I can't afford one so I need to keep my blades very sharp . Really thanks for the gfy and making me slightly dumber after reading your expert opinion

I don't recall ever saying GFY. And I have no issue if someone just likes to spend more, or is just more "into" knives and sharpening. Me, I think it's silly, but I'm not "into" knives; they're tools to me and that's it. So my opinion was from that angle solely. Although I have nicer knives, my absolute favorite is the Victorinox I carry with me everywhere I go, because it's exactly what I need and nothing more. Actually it's probably the cheapest knife I own. Like I said, working knives only. For someone who uses his knife every day, often rather heavy duty, I love the simplicity and quickness of the little Smith. With my Smith sharpened knife I can do anything you would do with a knife. I have a high end Lansky and I just don't care for it. But like I said, I'm not "into" knives; they're just tools to me.

Perhaps if you would read the topic of the thread before you opined and referred to others as snobs?

GFY... there I did it again... Couldn't help myself!

Geo

Even if you get a clamp or jig system, learn to freehand sharpen. It is one of those things a man needs to know how to do like shooting a rifle, changing a tire, etc!

I used a Lansky for years and could get knives sharp with it but once I learned to freehand I found I could get the knife just as sharp or sharper, quicker and easier. The fixed angle systems are nice for re profiling or setting an edge on a new knife.

Also, for hunting purposes you don't need to polish your edge to an extremely high level and knowing this can save you some money regardless of what you use. A clean, burr free edge off of a Soft Arkansas, 500 to 1000 grit water stone, or fine diamond is plenty good. You don't need to go to the extra extra fine grits unless you just want to and an edge with some tooth to it might be better depending on what you are doing.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=1508767

Ok my pro pack showed up yesterday set up was very easy .
Use knifes come out like new but much sharper easy to use I would recommend the kit to any one looking to have a razor sharp knife with them all the time

I've had a Tormek in my shop for ten or so years. Great system for knives/tools.
It is a bit pricey just to sharpen your pocket knife.

The Smith is a good gadget for a variety of blades but there are blade profiles it doesn't work on and are too thick for it.

I've a Wicked Edge and think highly of it. You have to get your own base and I put mine on a thick wooden cutting block from Walmart.
Keep it under the computer desk and it takes no time to put in a knife and be sharpening.
You can re-profile a blade with it and sharpen a bunch of kitchen knives in no time at all.
It is expensive as every stone is X2 and you need a couple that don't come with the kit.

I make knives and have a $3,000 plus Burr King grinder in the garage. I have the knock off of the Tormek machine by Grizzly manufacturing, and I have a Lansky kit I've had since I was a Boy Scout. If you want a Moran edge on a knife, I use the slack belt. To sharpen it, since it's convex, you have to sharpen it on a belt or fine sand paper on a mouse pad. I tell people that I think it's a superior slicing edge but they should know that a flat stone won't maintain a Moran edge. I get knives back every deer season to sharpen... I do it on the belt.

I put a 20 degree edge on most knives with the water stone. The Grizzly is a copy or the Tormek and I think I paid $150 for mine 4 or 5 years ago. It's very consistent and I can grid a .020" edge down to a sharp edge in about an hour. When you're done, there is a leather strop on the other side to play with but the edge will be very rough. It cuts very well. I use a ceramic stick from my Henckels kitchen block to clean up the edge.

Before I made knives, I used a Lansky kit and I still use it to travel and keep it around. It's at my Mom's house and I bring it to the gun club to touch up other people's knives... It works and I have put it through the ringer. If you are going to sharpen a lot of knives or edged tools, a wheel is really nice. It shaves a lot of time off the job and, unlike a belt, you can't heat up the blade enough to alter the temper of the edge. I wouldn't pay the ridiculous price of the Tormek. The Grizzly (the metal one, not the plastic one) is solid and has lasted me a long time. The stones, I bought my Brother a new Lansky kit and I still use mine.

Try one of the worksharp sharpeners. They use a belt so it will be a convex grind. The convex grinds don't feel as sharp as bevel grind but tend to hold the edge longer.

can you fix this

Yes I can. I just made a 200 year old French bayonet snapped in half into a bowie knife for a guy. I re shape knives, put points on broken off blades... all the time. I'm not a professional but I have a really nice grinder. I'd grind it back on the belt grinder and then put a new edge on it with the water wheel. Is the knife worth enough to you to send it to me in Rhode Island? I'd surely do my best.

look like a good setup, also looks a tad dangerous.

I've got an edge pro, so I don't need a new one - this one will get things razor sharp as it is.

I do like how you can set the depth of the knife, the dual sided stones, and the strops. I would buy stoop material separately from this kit, I have had strops that are much larger than these.

I think the price is too high for what you get, I'd go after a system with 200 - 1000 grit, with strops and possibly a few extra fine stones. The issue here for me is the cost of adding new stones - IIRC my edge pro has up to 1,200 grit stones, then I have polishing tapes.

I will tell you that speed with a really sharp knife is not a good thing, I'd have to see how easily those stones can catch and twist your fingers into the blade. I like pushing the stone into the blade which personally I think results in a cleaner edge than dragging the edge across the stone (pushes material to the edge).

yes its a cold steel san mai 3 steel blade.

This is a good thread guys. I have a Lansky but suck at using it and have been thinking I need something else. I'm going to try the Spyderco Sharpmaker...thanks for the advice

Harbor Freight Chi-com belt sander for the convex edge and Paper wheel for final stropping. I can get any blade shaving sharp in less than 3 minutes. Pumas and old Bucks have some pretty hard steel and they are no match for this setup. Even some knives that I have made from old files get it quick. The convex edge lasts much longer and you only have to touch up the stropping on the paper wheel every now and again.

I started free-handing 45 yrs ago and got pretty good. Lansky, good. Spyderco, good. I have other stones that I use for my straight razors but for a working knife that needs to hold up, check out the convex edge systems.

I would love to have someone in the Billings area teach me how to freehand sharpen.

I am like the guy who said, "the more I sharpen, the duller it gets."

It frustrates me to no end not being able to put an edge on a knife.

The only thing I'm good at sharpening knives with is the Spyderco Set with the triangular ceramic sticks. I can make my knives "shaving" sharp in less than 5 minutes, no matter how dull they are.

The edge is getting better and easer to use my knifes are sharper than new and it takes about ten min to take a knife from butter knife to razor sharp