20 Best Bench Grinder For Sharpening Knives (2022 Updated)

The Tormek T-8 is versatile once one purchases a number of extra pieces, the jigs that I purchased are good to high quality fit and finish and capable of doing what Tormek claims they are able to do.

The standard SG 250 stone has no visible run out in the horizontal or vertical axis. it does grade out to a finer or coarser behavior as promised. The included truing tool works well and the universal support is easy to adjust to get the angle one desires to grind a tool to.

The included Angle Master set up tool works reasonably well but there are times a third hand would be useful in setting up to grind. Those are the positives. The drive wheel had about 1/4 inch lateral run out at the outer edge new out of the box.

it can be fitted in two position 180 degrees apart, the run out is the same in both positions; when I mount the honing wheel to the drive wheel the run out increases (the honing wheel has a greater outside diameter so this isn’t surprising) The honing wheel can be mounted in three different positions due to the three attachment points 120 degrees apart.

none of the three positions improves the run out. I have shimmed the drive wheel hub at the shoulder of the shaft but cannot eliminate the run out in the drive wheel through shims. I have stacked shims under the honing wheel mounting screws in various combinations and have reduced the run out at the honing leather edge to perhaps an eighth of inch which is usable but not ideal.

I contacted Rockler customer service when I first set the T-8 up before using it thinking they might send a replacement drive wheel and was told that the run out is normal; ‘they all do that’ was the comment.

Having watched a few Tormek produced videos it is clear the ones they use in the videos do not have any visible run out at the honing wheel so maybe some of them ‘Don’t do that” or maybe a Tormek technician shims those units up before the video starts.

My take away is an $800 plus precision sharpening system should not require the purchaser to shim anything upon receipt. I ordered it online and it was delivered to my shop. If I have any advice to offer, it would be to buy in person and don’t leave the store until the you observe the drive wheel and honing wheel in operation.

Would I buy it again? Yes but not online. I have sharpened several plane irons, too many kitchen knives to count, most of my wood chisels and a couple hatchets and draw knives and am pleased with the consistently sharp edge I achieve without much trouble, way quicker than my efforts with bench grinder and bench stones.

Following an accident with a hand held sharpener, I purchased this product for its inherent safety. Sure enough this product attaches to the kitchen work surface very securely. obviously this needs to be smooth or you will need to locate any other secured smooth surface.

What I did not expect was the fact that the products ability to sharpen is infinitely better than my old one. With virtually no effort I now have a set of razor sharp knives. With my old product I was always wary of sharpening right to the tip as this required sharpening strokes that left the blade tip with the obvious dangers this caused, but with this product, your hands are positioned on the knife handle with no possibility of injury and the sharpening process goes along the entire blade length.

Add to this the very low cost (a cost so low that I doubted the quality of the product before purchase) and you have a winning quality product.

It works very well and sharpens knifes to a good finish with a sharp edge. Does what it states very well, good sucsion base which stays secure with a good air tight seal. A knife sharpener that realy works with very little effort when sharpening knifes.

Excelent value for money a must have for any home. Small in size it can be put away in any draw. Always clean small metal traces from knife and sharpener when sharpening is completed.

Sticks very reassuringly solidly to a clean polished worktop. Sharpens quality knife in 2-3 quick strokes. Sharpening V is tiny (2mm?) but highly abrasive (dont overdo it) and seems perfectly aligned for good performance.

Non-adjustable, but that is probably better for ham-fisted operator (me) who just needs a sharp set of kitchen knives. Great example of good, compact design. Longer-term performance currently unknown but looking forward to finding out, already convinced it will eventually be replaced with same product.

First off, I am not a knife or sharpening snob. I typically use a sharpening steel when needed on my kitchen knives and an inexpensive diamond rod pocket tool on utility blades when the edges need attention.

This has always been sufficient for me. That said, the ease (with a little practice) and CONVEX edge that this sharpener can put on a blade it just something else. A convex edge is said to be able to last longer than other edges, produce less drag, and because it carries more meat than other edges is less prone to rolling or chipping.

Many feel it’s a superior edge for many tasks. I don’t know, but it sure looks pretty! The sharpener comes ready to use right out of the box on a dull blade. They are set up before packaging at Work Sharp so the preinstalled belt tracks right although tracking is adjustable.

It comes with a very good instruction booklet, a really good quick start card listing various knife styles with recommended angles and sharpening instructions based on use and degree of blade dullness, and a full set of five belts with 120/220/1000/3000/6000 grit equivalents.

Oh, and some stickers. While waiting on this to arrive, I watched several videos both from Work Sharp and independent users and also read several independent reviews. I’d recommend anyone else do the same.

A friend of mine loaned me two cheap Old Hickory 7″ butcher knives to practice with. It did not take long at all to get the hang of it. I used the Work Sharp recommended 20 degree angle and recommended belts/strokes when sharpening them and in just a few minutes they were slicing held up paper.

One needed a couple passes on the 120 grit belt to remove a couple imperfections. The edges were mirror-like and stood out on the otherwise tarnished steel. After gaining some confidence, I moved on to some of my personal knives that I kinda thought were already sharp or sharp enough for what I used them for: A Walther tac knife with a clip point (used Work Sharp recommended 25 degree angle), a Victorinox pocket knife with a drop point (used manufacturer recommended 17.

5 degree angle), and a Rada kitchen knife (used manufacturer recommended 22. 5 degree angle). All of them were able to shave hair off my arm in just minutes. The Victorinox was the only one that I was not able to use the fold out blade support/rest on and I was a little hesitant but did not have much of an issue.

In conclusion, I know that some people take pride an joy in being able to use a stone kit or other methods to hone their edges but I don’t believe anything else comes as close in speed and ease to getting a really good edge on a blade as this tool does.

Plus this tool is also able to fold for larger tasks and there is a grinder attachment available that uses wider belts (1″ vs 3/4″) and gives a wider range of usage for the tool as it’s designed to be similar to what professional blade makers use.

Also available are diamond belts for ceramic blades. I’ve already purchased two extra sets of the standard belts as I can see myself working through all the blades in my home with this tool.

The WORK SHARP Knife And Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition is a high quality tool that is well-designed and does an excellent job of what it is intended to do. It comes with several different grits of sanding belts and after changing them once or twice they are simple and easy to change.

The angle of the blade is easily selected on the dial and the instructions explain why you want sharpen your knife at a particular angle. I started out with my two most-used knives, my Gerber Flat Iron knife which is always on hand for opening boxes and packages etc.

and my Gerald M. Hintz hand-crafted kitchen knife that gets used every day for almost everything food-related. The Flat Iron knife is sharpened only on one side of the blade and it was easy to adjust the angle on the sharpener to match the existing angle on the knife.

After a few passes with the medium grit belt and a few more with the fine grit it is as sharp as it can be. My Gerald M. Hintz knife only needed a few passes with the fine grit belt because it is sharpened daily with a diamond sharpening rod, which I still did as a final step and it felt sharper than ever before.

These are the only sanding belts I’ve ever used that do not have an arrow indicating which direction they should turn when installing them so that just makes changing belts a little quicker and easier.

There is a grooved roller at the bottom of the sharpener that the belt fits into that keeps it tracking accurately and if there is a tracking adjustment I have not looked for it or needed it. The same roller is spring-loaded and switching belts is just a matter of pushing up on the roller to allow removal and installation.

Next I proceeded to restore the edges of two of my very old kitchen knives which it did a perfect job of. On those two knives I used three different grits, ending with the honing belt. They are sharper than they have ever been.

It even put a nice edge on two of my old diver’s knives which were made to be strong and rust-resistant and have never held an edge for very long. They are also sharper than I’ve ever managed to get them before.

It also did a good job of restoring the edge on a folding, stainless steel diving knife that I once used to open a tin can while traveling and there was no can opener available. The motor is variable speed however so far I’ve just left it where it was at just above the medium speed.

I have not yet found a need for faster or slower, but it’s good to know it’s there and they probably did it for a good reason. For sharpening most knives this sharpener is used stationary on a work bench or kitchen counter, but it can also be used hand-held for sharpening lawn mower blades and hedge clippers etc.

The only feature that I have found so far that does not seem to be completely satisfactory is the scissors sharpening ledge. It is very small and I find it difficult to hold and slide the scissors on it and get a nice, even edge.

It seems to me it would work better if there was an additional rolling, edge guide for the scissors ledge.

The Build: The build quality on the Worksharp WSKTS Ken Onion Edition is exceptional, it will certainly lasts years without any degradation in quality. The contoured grip handle, and ergonomics, make it effortless to use when sharpening those blades you don’t normally sharpen on a tabletop.

The locking power button assures you two hands on your blade when you do sharpen everything from a pocket knife to serrated, filet, gut hooks and your everyday kitchen knives and scissors. The 4 button stabilizer feet.

2 under the motor and 2 under the handle back, will assure the unit is stationary while using this tool. Features: The adjustable sharpening guide knob will position from 15 degrees to 30 degrees, depending on the blade needed to sharpen, and every point in between.

A dial under the power button controls motor speed from 1200 to 2800 SFM. A rotating edge guide to move it out of the way for those knives with thumb studs that can hinder sharpening the whole blade.

The removable sharpening guide allows you to turn the grinder forward where you can attach a tool grinding head, (sold separately), for lawn mower blades, axes and deburring metal pipe. There is also a Tool Grinding Belt Kit, (sold separately), which will give you even more versatility and ability to regulate the blade/belt manipulation.

There are 5 belts that come with the unit Extra- Fine, Fine, Medium, Coarse, Extra-Course. If you go to the company website there are additional belts of varying abrasions, even one for ceramic sharpening and repair.

Performance: Being a retired butcher I can appreciate a very sharp edge on all my knives and here comes, finally, a unit like this to make sharpening effortless. When I was working we had a service of professional sharpeners come every week and deliver razor sharp knives so you always had 2 sets of knives, one you were using and another being sharpened and they would rotate weekly.

After retiring, I found it impossible to find someone who would do it. I used a stone but it was messy and I had multiple knives to sharpen often as I utilize them daily. As soon as the unit came iy had its’ work cut out for it, (pictured), and that’s not counting the clever and pocket knives I have.

I started with the 120 grit, as they desperately needed it, and worked my way down to the strop. One after the other the Worksharp performed excellently and the knives were razor sharp once again. The edge it left was perfectly ground, (pictured) and, again, razor sharp.

The learning curve was very short, just set the angle, turn it on and go. The unit comes with a short, but comprehensive, user-guide that spells out all you need to know to get started. I cannot stress how well this unit worked and how effortless it was to operate it.

I am completely blown away by Worksharp Knife and Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition and will certainly purchase the Tool Grinding attachment and the Blade Grinding Attachment.

I was in the position of having a quantity of chisels and planes that had belonged to my father that were in need of sharpening. Some were in quite poor condition. I had no idea about sharpening until I watched a number of videos on YouTube and decided that a Tormek would be a good buy.

The larger T5 seemed unnecessary for my purposes and considerably more expensive. so I went for the T4. I found it fairly easy to use and gave quite good results. I expect it/I will improve with practice.

I’ve only done the chisels so far, the plane irons will be attempted soon. My main complaint is not with the product but the way Tormek make me feel like a cheapskate for choosing the T4. On videos they tell you about wonderful additional wheels, but these are only available for the T5.

What is particularly annoying is that the angle-setting gauge doesn’t quite go small enough to accomodate the honing wheel on the T4. If I really was a cheapskate I would have gone for one of the numerous cheap copies that are available.

I had a different wet grinder for a while but lacked the necessary jigs to make best use of it. Then I progressed (?) to a Pro-Edge but failed to master it. I found that my tools felt sharp to a thumb test but didn’t seem to cut very well.

Finally, I bit the financial bullet an bought the Tormek T4 and the very expensive Woodturners kit. The shape of the bevel, even after careful setting up, marker pen etc, is different. In particular, the way the wings relate to the flute has changed.

Some of my gouges have needed lots of metal removal to restore them to ‘normal’ ie. to the shape I thought I was going to achieve previously. Results are most satisfactory but, as the instruction videos suggest, removing lots of metal takes a lot of time.

What is not mentioned is the ease in which one can wear a groove in the stone. It’s rather too easy and requires a lot of dressing to get back to flat. Biggest gripe- there is not a dressing tool in the kit or with the T4 but there is with the T8.

Biggest plus – wow. What an edge.

I bought a ceramic flattening stone. Which worked initially. Second time I used it I thought it was good but my chisels were taking a long time to create bevel and secondary bevel. I realised the ceramic flattening stone had become cupped and did the same to my wet stones.

I purchased the diamond stone to flatten wet stones and it flattened the ceramic flattening stone. It starts off aggressive but quickly looses that and feels like it is not doing anything fast. With flattening edges of tools or bevels etc it has an initial bite then looses it very quickly and becomes like two wet glass plates just sliding over each-other.

I purchased a second diamond flat plate which glues on aluminium plate about 400 grit. When I switch over the 400 grit has an initial bite then looses it quickly and does nothing even though it is not clogged.

I found by switching diamond stone grits constantly I can keep the diamond stones working to remove material quicker. I don’t know why they loose their bite on metal quickly but the diamond stones are great on flattening Waterstones.

I restored my late father’s stones which he was using to sharpen his barber-shop scizzors. They were severely cupped from decades of use and now look brand-new. I am pleased with that. I purchased it to help with rapid flattening of chisels / blades.

I’m not that impressed for that. I believe it has lost most of its coarse grit quite quickly. It is still hard work to flatten a tool.

I have bought this one to finish up my sharpening procedure (this and stropping). Extra extra fine meant “really fine” to me. First: there was lots of “debris” or a layer of rough leftover (from production?) on it.

Unusable that way. Second: Even after wearing that layer off it never really became the super smooth surface I had expected. I find it disturbing that it is left to the customer to “prime” that plate.

It could have been / should have been done prior to selling it really.

I’ve bought a number of ebay planes and chisels and enjoy hand sharpening and fettling. However, getting some irons/blades flat and beveled to 25 degrees was taking forever using my 80, 120 grit sandpaper then a 250 grit diamond stone.

Often, I would give up when my arms became tired rather than when the result was correct. So, I took a punt on this as an alternative. and wow! This bites and tears into metal when new but settles down to become easier to manage and leave less scoring after a bit of use.

Because it’s so aggressive I find I don’t need to apply as much pressure to remove steel as I had previously. Still, this is no routine sharpening stone – it’s too aggressive for that. This is for taking a tool that needs a bit of metal removing before routine sharpening.

None of my tools would need this level of aggressiveness again after being set-up and sharpened initially. Once this stone is worn in a little, I can then take a blade to my 250, 600 and 1200 grit diamond stones and strop to a mirror finish in a few minutes.

I don’t have to spend long on any of my routine sharpening stones. This stone is much more effective than large grit (80 say) sandpapers and a job that would have taken me an hour or more previously now takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

It may be due to the sparse layout of the diamonds. The nickel plating seems robust so being able to blast this under a tap and dust off with a brush when dry is also a nice feature. Yes it’s a bit expensive but it has truly transformed my initial blade preparation from a real chore into something quick that doesn’t worry me.

Over the past 50+ years, I have collected hundreds of knives (pocket, kitchen, butchering, hatchets, machetes, defensive, etc. ) ranging from dollar store ”cheapos” to exotic and expensive ones. Yes, I may have a knife fetish or, as my wife suggests, a hoarding disorder that includes knives – perhaps both.

Most of my knives have been purchased from retailers, but I have found many quality knives at thrift stores across the west and southwest. It seems that some folks get rid of their expensive knives once they become dull, or have tried to sharpen them without success.

All used knives and almost all new knives require sharpening. So, with all of those knives to sharpen and keep sharp, I have tried a variety of sharpening devices and systems (see pic below showing some of my sharpeners and the Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Model MK.

2 that I am reviewing here). I have been interested in Work Sharp products for years. I bought the Ken Onion Edition of the Work Sharp Knife sharpener several years ago and use it regularly to keep my many knives their sharpest.

The new Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Model MK. 2 that I am evaluating is similar to my Ken Onion model, but has narrower belts and fewer settings (20 & 25 degree vs 15, 20, 25, and 30 for the Ken Onion).

I find the MK. 2 model easier to use for sharpening kitchen knives and many of my pocket knives. The instruction guide for the Work Sharp is very clear about what belts to use for type and condition of the knife you are going to sharpen.

Changing the belts can be a challenge, especially the first few times and after you haven’t used the system for a while. But, with practice, the belt changing becomes routine and the effort is worth it to get the very sharp edges that can be achieved with the Work Sharp system.

Once you have followed the clear sharpening steps in the Work Sharp instructions, and now have a very sharp knife, be sure to protect the edge with a sheath or guard of some kind – I fashion custom fit guards from vacuum seal bag material for all knives that don’t come with their own guard and will go into a drawer with other knives or utensils.

Most very sharp knives become “dull” when the very sharp edge bends over through use. To “re-sharpen” such a knife, use a steel or strop to unbend and straighten the sharp edge. The Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Model MK.

2 has a selection of belts that includes polishing belts. Use these as the final step when you have the edge at its sharpest. I am a fan of Work Sharp sharpening products and they fit well into my wide array of knife and tool sharpening devices and systems.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Model MK. 2 and recommend it to those seeking a quality sharpening system for their pocket and kitchen knives and tools.

Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Mark 2 hones virtually every blade with new features that make sharpening fast, easy, and consistent. I didn’t get the more expensive Ed Onion Edition, because this version does all the same things without my buying a stepvan full of pricey add ons.

[Now a Jason Statham edition? Well, we’d be talking another thing. ] A better reason than celebrity names for you to know it’s a solid choice is that your Work Sharp MK 2 is covered by a 3-year warranty.

And actually quality checked before it leaves the factory. This sturdy little precision machine not only speeds up the sharpening task, but it speeds up the work you’re sharpening the tool to do. The first thing my younger brother did with it was sharpen my old hatchet blade that had never been that sharp in the first place.

[Snarky aside about sharpness of little brothers omitted. Because now he’s holding a really sharp tool. ] In not even an hour, everything in his big backyard met its match, from a pile of storm-dropped branches for his pot-belly stove; to a thick and thorny climbing rose that will not die; to a few pine logs that are now individual disks so he can make his firepit crackle this summer.

Better than a whet stone, flexible belts put as sharp an edge on your blades as a professional could, but without the cost. The belts conform to your tool to ensure a razor-sharp edge all along any outdoor, pocket, or kitchen blade, including serrated, scissor, clipper, and many other common edge tools, like hoof knives pruning shears, and axe heads.

We’re not talking only Damascus steel here, but any blade whether old, cheap, exotic, or high-tech. All you need is a few pulls on each side. The only belts not include are diamond rough and diamond fine ones for delicate ceramic blades.

These are readily available on the Work Sharp website. But, yes, finally, you can sharpen ceramic blades, which are the only means I’ve found so far to cut certain plastic material without bunching. * The green belt is first, for heavy grinding to develop the edge profile.

* The red is medium for sharpening into a cutting edge. * The grey is fine grit for final honing. * If you really need a razor-sharp edge to shave your face, you’ll want add a last refining step using an old-fashioned leather strop.

[Have a smile at how sharp you will look shaving with a Bowie knife at the club—just don’t jump if some guy snaps a towel. ] The multi-angle sharpening guide increases precision for the proper edge angle every time.

Quickly toggle from 25° outdoor knives to 20° Kitchen knives on the same guide. The front-edge blade guide supports it all the way to the tip and makes sharpening easier without getting in the way. The variable speed motor delivers a low speed for more control when sharpening a knife, yet still provides big power you need for heavier sharpening and grinding tasks on thicker blades for common lawn & garden tools like modern lawnmowers.

You’ll need a simple transformer if you have 240-volt current, because the belt moyors are made for the North American 120-volt standard. The guides, variable speeds, and various belts are there to help you get reliable, safe effective sharpening every time throughout a range of tasks.

That’s also why there are video tutorials on YouTube. Only to sharpen woodworking chisels or blades for wood planes do you need the Wood Tool Sharpener from WorkSharp, because any sharpener’s flexible abrasive belt deforms slightly when grinding, which is necessary for curved blades.

But woodworking tools need a flat grind. CAREFUL 1. Your blade is really sharp now. Be careful when washing dishes. 2. Realize that if you press as hard as you used to do when cutting food, you’ll waste the honing and your time as you deeply score your cutting board by accident.

3. its body is made out of heavy impact-resistant plastic rather than metal, but I doubt we’ll ever be pushing hard enough against a belt to move it. Use its ergonomic front handle if you need. 4. Another thing thing to watch out for is that as the knife leaves the belt with your final draw, the belt twists slightly and you might grind off the very tip if you’re not careful.

So it does take some understanding of what you should do and how to avoid messing up your knife especially when you get down to the tip. Check out this YouTube tutorial video to start you off. Just paste these words into YouTube’s search box: how to sharpen any knife with the work sharp tool and knife sharpener mk 2 After you watch, Subscribe to see their weekly video Work Sharp Workshops on all things blade [except Wesley Snipes].

This sharpener puts a fine sharp blade to most all indoor knives. To get the best edge it’s important to read the instructions carefully. Failure to do this might lead to disappointing results. I say this because there are two speeds and two sharpening angles on this machine.

To use either one incorrectly will pretty much ensure you get a less than satisfactory edge to your knife or work tool. With that said, I’ve noticed that it’s best to stop sharpening a blade when the tip of the blade is centered on the flexible abrasive belt.

This ensures the tip is not rounded but is kept to a sharp point, if that’s what you want. The Mark-2 uses flexible abrasive belts similar to sandpaper belts to do the sharpening. There are a few different types that come with the sharpener, each with a slightly different use.

Work Sharp, the manufacturer of this sharpener, recommends you visit their YouTube video for an indepth look at how best to use this product. Below briefly explains what you’ll find when you inspect this sharpener: 1.

It has two sharpening speeds, Low and High. Low for sharpening indoor knives, and High for grinding tools, those usually found outdoors. 2. It has two angle positions, 20 and 25 degrees. 20 degrees for your kitchen and pocket knives, and 25 for outdoor blades and tools.

3. It has a front edge guide that supports and guides the knife during the sharpening process, very helpful. 4. The manufacturer recommends that you learn certain procedures and methods while using this Mark-2 no matter what knife you’re sharpening.

For example: Place the knife in the slot; Turn on the sharpener; Draw the knife through the machine. Mixing these up will result in poor performance and a less than razor-sharp knife. Owners of the Mark-1 may find that the Mark-2, with only two angle settings and only two speeds, does not compare favorably.

They’ll be satisfied with their Mark-1, I’m sure, and won’t find the Mark-2 worth the “upgrade. ” I have always sharpened my blades with an angle grinding wheel, but love the ease of use with the Mark-2.

It takes the guesswork out of sharpening. I found no cons with this product other than it may be considered pricey to those used to using a grinding tool.

I have a variety of knives, and I like to keep them sharp. To help with this, I mostly use a few Japanese water stones. It’s just what I started off using for my first chef knife, so just used them for any knives that got dull.

Honestly, though, it’s pretty burdensome to get out the stones and soak them in water and get a towel to clean up the mess, etc. So, this portable knife sharpener was something that interested me. I’ve been considering getting some diamond stones for in-between touch-ups to test out for a while now, and also a small sharpener that I could use on pocket knives more easily than the giant stones.

So, this was a good opportunity for me, with 2 diamond stones (though admittedly, they’re pretty small. Too small to easily do my big kitchen knives, but it can sharpen my paring knives and, of course, pocket knives.

This little guy comes in at a very fair price, and the diamond stones don’t seem like they’re going to dull or flake away quickly (as many people complain cheap ones can do. ) I really like that they’re removable, as well.

Unfortunately, one drawback of the design means that I can’t use this as my only sharpener for around half of my knives. Read on for details. I learned how to use this pretty quickly with the instruction sheet.

It has you sharpen blades on 3 different grit surfaces, coarse diamond, fine diamond, very fine ceramic. This works pretty well. Each stone has a guide set in it at a specific angle. These angles become steeper as you move to increasingly fine grits, starting at 20° on the coarse, then moving up to 30° for the finest and the strop.

However, I did not find all of the guides to be helpful when configured in this manner. I think they by increasing the angle, they’re aiming to to put a micro-bevel on the very edge of the blade. The problem is that it’s really not done in a way that puts a proper micro-bevel on the edge! The final stone is just too fine for this.

In my experience, if I used the guides religiously, the blade got quite sharp on the first stone, and perhaps a little bit sharper on the 2nd stone, but by the time I got to the 3rd, finest stone (which should be giving it some of the final touches, the stone was actually not helping the blade get sharper–and was removing sharpness, if anything.

) Perhaps some blades respond well to this treatment, but mine did not. The final step is a leather (I think) strop. It works as a strop should, but AGAIN, they’ve set the angle just a bit high, in my opinion.

Also, look up how to use a strop on your own for the best results. Leather isn’t very abrasive, so it takes the right technique to clean up the burrs on blade edges. Anyway, it’s a nice inclusion, even if not strictly necessary for a portable tool.

There’s one more significant design flaw I’ve found, which I alluded to earlier. The plastic frame that makes up the body of this sharpener can get in the way of sharpening the entire blade, depending on the design of the handle/width of the blade.

Basically, if the blade is too short, or the handle too close to the cutting edge, the handle jutting against the plastic edges prevents the very base of one’s blade from making contact with the sharpening surfaces.

This isn’t a big deal for occasional sharpening, really, but if you were to use this sharpener exclusively for a knife that was like this, you would eventually end up with a significant heel jutting out at the bottom of the blade, which would get contact the surface before the actual cutting surface at the base of the blade.

There’s a workaround, and that is to remove the diamond plates from the holder (they’re magnetic) and use them by themselves. You wouldn’t really want to have to do this much, because they are hard to hold onto without the holder and cutting oneself seems likely.

Unfortunately, at least half of my pocket knives have this particular issue with this sharpener, including my sizes of Opinels (like the one shown in the photo. ) Like I said, not the end of the world, just means I can’t make this my primary sharpener for them.

The other minor design flaw isn’t such a drawback, and is just what I’ve already mentioned–the bevel guides. One other thing I should note about those is that not all knives need to be sharpened to the same angle.

For a pocket knife, 20-25° is pretty standard, but if your knife has been sharpened to a more or less steep angle, you’ll want to free-hand it for sure. (Unless changing the bevel. but if so, you’ll want a better sharpener than this for the re-honing itself.

) So, in summary, it’s a legit portable sharpener. It’s not perfect–but honestly with so much variation in blades, it’s hard to make a sharpener that is perfect for everything. Even so, it’s more than adequate for what it’s designed to do–be a sharpener for blades on the go.

(And actually, with the way that the stones remove, you could probably use them to sharpen axes and such as well. On that front, I should mention that it does have a fishhook sharpener. ) If this thing is in your price range, and you need something like this, go for it.

It’s lightweight and has diamond plates that are good for just about any blade. Just don’t count on the angle guides being helpful for every knife, and know about the issue with sharpening the very base of some knife blades.

Otherwise, solid tool!.

Worksharp Guided Field Sharpener produced outstanding results on my outdoor, garden tools, Kitchen knives, and fishing/camping equipment. My first task was to sharpen my favorite, fish fillet knife in order to get familiar using this tool.

The angle guide simplified my knife sharpening and allowed me to make my fillet knife as razor sharp as it never has been before. Impressive, love it! The compact design made it so easy to use, especially since there are permanent, printed instructions on the back side of each diamond plate.

Both the fine and coarse sharpening plates, are magnetically-held and removable for cleaning and to access limited storage. A detailed, paper User’s Guide with illustrations is also included stored under the diamond plates.

This WS Sharpener easily fits in my fishing tackle box and I can take it along wherever I go. Fits nicely in my pocket too. How cool is that? This is the first knife sharpener I have ever used on my serrated Kitchen knives.

They were dull and I did not know they could be sharpened. The WS Guided Field Sharpener restored them to like new by using the ceramic rod and matching the bevel angle of each serration. It took me a little time to sharpen my serrated knives, but the razor sharpened results are well worth it.

The detailed User’s Guide explains the whole process of sharpening to include honing on the proper ceramic rod and stropping on the leather strop. The ceramic rod can be turned to “C” for coarse, “F” for fine, and a fish hook icon for the fish hook groove.

The leather strop also has a guide, and should be oiled if it becomes dry. I have a full stropping belt for my garden tools and put a little Mink Oil I purchased from Walmart on the WS leather strop.

Following the included instructions detailing the Sharpening on the diamond plates, Honing on the ceramic, and stropping on the Leather Strop produces excellent results. I highly recommend this Worksharp Guided Field Sharpener 221.

I do not have to press hard to cut through anything with my WS sharpened knife edges. They cut as easy as if going through butter.

This item is reallllly great. For years as a professional chef I originally used a three sided stone to sharpen my knives and a diamond steel to realign the edges between sharpening on the stones as I used them daily.

Once a month a professional sharpener would stop by our kitchen and do all my knives. When I retired from food service I used a steel to maintain my edges and a shop grinder when needed to fix the edges (somewhere I misplaced my three sided stone in moving).

I was given a Chef’s Choice Model 110 as a gift around 25 years ago. It was great until it just wore out a year or so ago and I was left with some really dull knives. Local sharpening services were not very good.

I called Chef’s Choice and while they mourned the death of my 110. but after asking me how I used my knives, suggested I buy the 1520 instead of refurbishing my 110. The 1520 offers both 15 degree fine edges (thin bladed slicing knives) and 20 degree angles (more sturdy) for standard chopping and chef’s knives.

It also has a honing stone to finish both 15 and 20 degree edges. After a few minutes on each of my “well round edged” 20 knives I was once again back to factory edges without all the hassle of using a three sided stone and a steel which my wife was unable to easily master.

My wife can now also easily sharpen and touch up (hone) our knives. To save wear and tear on the 1520 electric honing wheel I am buying the Chef’s Choice M475 Steel Pro (manual not electric) which takes the place of the electric honing wheel with a nifty manual “steel” and magnetic guides that guide the knives (both 15 and 20 degree edges) through a “steel” without having to get out the electric 1520.

My wife is also now able to easily “STEEL” our knIves manually before and after each use. At around $120 I highly recommend the 1520 for household and light commercial use. They also make a commercial model 2100 that comes in around $500 which I am told will satisfy the most demanding professional food service situations and allow for interchangeable sharpening stones.

I bought this to sharpen a set of 10 year old Global knives. It took a few minutes with each knife to get the edge back, a few stropping passes and the knives are sharper now than when they were new.

It can also sharpen European and American knives and even traditional single edge Japanese knives, so very versatile too. Cant be used to sharpen scissors or anything other than knives, so keep that in mind if you need a sharpener that can do that.

Easy and safe to use, not too noisy and does exactly what you would expect, without hassle or fuss. Although it is pricey, it appears to be well made and that it could last many years. Very happy with the purchase and I recommend it.

The Model 1520 has a powerful and quiet motor mounted inside a sturdy casing. I was able to sharpen about 15 knives at one time without overheating the motor. The solid gripping knife guide secure the blade at the proper angle during sharpening.

Use the 15 degrees slot for Asian knives to retain a sharp edge. The 20 degrees slot is meant for the American knives. I was able to sharpen my meat cleaver and the serrated bread knife with this machine.

Sharpening a small pocket knife is not as easy because of the guides.

I read and re-read the manual several times before using the sharpener. and I’m glad I did. The main thing is to use the sharpener (#1) until you feel a burr along the FULL edge of the knife. My knives were so dull, it took about 40 sets of strokes before that happened.

Don’t worry! The burr will happen, but for dull knives, it may take longer than you think. Once I got the burr from stage 1, I simply followed the manual for the honing and stropping stages. Easy peasy! The end result is that I have never had such sharp knives.

I have seen YouTube videos where professional talk about being able to shave your armhairs with your knife. Maybe it sounds gross, but I don’t care. It worked (I tried it). That’s how sharp my knives are.

Lastly, the manual also talks about something Edgeselect Feature. I have no idea what the manual is talking about, so I am waiting for a callback from the company. The manual should have included some definitions (e.

g. exactly what IS Edgeselect? What is “field dressing”? The manual assumes that we, the general public, are familiar with these terms (I’m not). Neverthless, this annoyance is minor compared with the absolutely terrific job this machine does.

I bought this expensive knife sharpener after watching YouTube reviews but didn’t believe the hype until I tried it out for myself. My old cheapo knives all have never been this sharp. I had a habit of running my dish scrubber sponge along my knives when washing to get them clean.

But now I avoid the sharp edges because they have become that sharp and can easily slice the sponge in two. I’ve also sharpened my ceramic knife and it cuts like a dream! I think I won’t need a new set of knives anytime soon as I can always sharpen them in a few seconds using just the honing groove (3) to top up the sharpened edge.

I can only imagine what this thing can do to expensive knives that retain their sharpness. Maybe it’s time too look for a set of global knives…my advice to anyone buying this knife sharpener is read the manual.

I learnt a lot about how to sharpen well from the manual.

Item is as good as advertised. Performance is undoubtedly good to produce razor sharp blade. Requires some learning and practice use it smoothly, as unable to see when the blade touch/contact with grinder, it would be more controllable if able to see.

Manual instruction is clear and simple. Stage numbering label is not very clear, but is not an issue. Vendor deliver item out within 3 days after order. Packing is nicely done with lots of foam filler to prevent impact.

Vendor also provide complimentary wine voucher as surprise.

So the basic product is solid. It was well packed. The disc was true. The belt needed a little simple adjustment. You get a good value for your money. I found that it was hard to fix the disc table in place.

It would creep as I tightened the knobs and move from 90. I had to file one of the circular slots as it had a bur. And I disassembled the tightening knobs and used a wider and beefier washer underneath the underlying screw.

I tighten the table knobs with a 12 mm ratchet wrench and it doesn’t move. I put a magnet on the cover to hold the wrench. Much easier and stronger than original. This sander sands. It removes material quickly.

I wish it was slower or had an adjustable speed. It does sand nicely as it is but you need a light touch. It is a little loud. Overall a 4 star.

So this is an excellent sander, its powerful, quiet, dust collection works well. It does not bog down when pushing hard stock across the full width of the belt. , the direct drive motor doesn’t even slow down.

Hook up a shop vac to the dust ports and dust collection works well. But a few features could use a little improvement. The tables are a bit flimsy, but once you get them square to the belt or disk and tighten them, they stay put.

The miter gauge is also a bit loose in the slots, not super high precision. Finally the dust ports have adapters that worked with one of my CenTec vac hose, but the adapters don’t stay tight on the sander and slip off easily if you bump the hose.

Also the dust port on the belt is in a position where you must remove the hose to change from vertical to horizontal, or figure out how to mount a 90 deg adapter to it. If you don’t plan to switch from vertical to horizontal often, its a non issue.

I melted down a 1″ 90deg PVC elbow and made it fit, but for a few pennies more this design could have been done right by the manufacturer. Bottom line, I’m happy with the sander, it does what its supposed to do very well and the minor gripes about fit and features don’t really effect its solid usability.

Good, powerful sander. /Dave.

Before: a Sears Craftsman 4″ & 6″ bench sander. My tried & true for 30+ years of hobbyist woodworking & furniture making. After: This Buck Tool 4″ & 8″ bench sander. Difference: Very significant. I got years of use out of the cast iron Craftsman sander.

But it would judder in response to any but the lightest loads. And there’s no dust collection system. This new Buck Tool is a sweet upgrade. The 8″ disc is bigger. The 4″ x 36″ belt runs smooth and strong.

The dust collector is appreciated (works just OK with a small $20 Costco shop vac, in my open-door garage, with a fan in the wall nearby pushing out garage air, but it’s not going to remove all the dust; an N95 or K95 is still recommended).

The disc runs true; the just-for-shipping protective steel plate did its job during transit. Yes, when vertical the belt sander’s dust/vac port doesn’t connect easily to the vac; but all that takes is a 3/4″ plywood board under the sander to raise the entire unit up that much off the bench.

The two adjustable tables were quick & easy to true; I like having the option of setting their angles. Because it runs so much smoother than the Craftsman, the weight of the Buck Tool is sufficient to hold in place, without being bolted down.

Highly recommended.

I decided to get Dewalt 60v Circular saw , Grinder and Sawzall the tools are amazing tons of power decent battery life. I got all three. each came with a 9 AH flex battery for 349 insane deal for the best tools.

The Circular saw had a quick charger with it. I can charge a battery as fast or little faster then grinder will kill one being used on full power. The grinder kills the battery’s in about 1. 5 hours.

not often will you run a Sawzall or Circular saw for an hour and a half with out turning it off so have not killed a battery in one or the other as of yet. I think 2 batteries and a quick charger for one person would be enough.

three is very nice though.

The Pivot Pro Knife and Tool Sharpener by Work Sharp Sharpeners is a sturdy and attractive product. It is made of durable hard plastic and is verry well assembled. The packaging for the tool is high quality yet easy to open without the need for scissors or a knife, just requiring a tear in the right place.

The handheld design is similar to other sharpening tools, but is a bit heftier and bulkier considering it has a wider variety of ways to sharpen your tools. There a five sharpeners on this tool each made for a specific way to sharpen your tools, while also being tool specific.

With my experience of sharpening tools this product is not ideal for sharpening knives or scissors. After applying a couple knives to the correct tool according to directions, my knives were no sharper than before.

A quick before and after paper cutting test showed no improvement and actually made my knife blades look frayed. When using the scissor sharpening tool according to directions, my scissors that I’ve been using for a decade did worse of a job cutting simple paper after using the tool and also scratched the sides.

The tool would skip and jump on the blade of the scissor. Didn’t test any of the other sharpeners on this tool from fear of damaging my own tools. This multi-tool is probably not the best thing to use if you like the way your normal sharpening tools work.

Although the product looks and feels great, it does not perform well. The packaging shows a three year warranty and it is sad that it may need to be taken advantage of right out of the box. The product packaging does not indicate country of origin and only states that it was designed, calibrated and quality checked in Ashland Oregon using foreign components.

It seems like as the years roll by I have amassed a collection of various sharpening stones, and tools that I don’t use very often because they are not very user friendly, and tend to get lost in the drawer, or toolbox over time and are not conveniently available when needed.

The first thing that I liked about the Work Sharp Pivot Pro is the fact that I now have one handy tool that can address most of my sharpening needs. The second thing I like about it is the large, easy to grip handle that adds safety to my sharpening operation.

I have yet to get a blade anywhere near my fingers, and I can hold the sharpener steady on a table or bench with no slipping around. I have already spent my time sharpening my pocket knives, multi tool knives, garden tools, scissors, including my big pair of utility scissors that I use for cutting everything (including plastic, rubber hose, cardboard etc.

) I can even sharpen my favorite pair of aviation snips (another tool I use for virtually everything), and my little cutter/scraper knife that I use for opening and flattening boxes. The only thing that this tool is not really designed to do is sharpen kitchen knives because the blade angle is too wide for most knives in the kitchen.

I have found that I can put an edge on a kitchen knife by carefully angling it in the “v”, but Work Sharp does make a powered sharpener made specifically for kitchen knives. If you find that this tool is a little large for on-the-go use, Work Sharp also makes a smaller version of this that just contains the main sharpener, honer, and a fishhook sharpener for camping and fishing.

Now I only have to decide where to keep my Pivot Pro, in the shed with my tools, or in the house. For either choice I can hang it on a large hook in plain sight, ready for action.

PIVOT PRO KNIFE SHARPENER™ Very impressive tool and knife sharpener, so easy to use and so versatile! After watching the website video which displays all of its features, I immediately grabbed some dull kitchen knives and began using the sharpener to bring each blade back to its original sharpness.

I had been planning on replacing the dull knives with new ones, but this sharpener saved me the cost of replacement and now I have sharper knives than they have been for awhile, probably since they were new.

This fiercely talented little sharpener has a three-stage sharpener for knives; a small red switch changes the sharpener from regular carbide to extra sharp followed by the ceramic stage to give a razor’s edge to the blades.

Pocket knives also do great with this sharpener. I then grabbed two pairs of scissors and began using the other end of the sharpener specially designed for garden shears and scissors. After a short time, I was able to master the technique in bringing them back to original sharpness.

I had forgotten how impressive a sharp pair of scissors can be since they become dull very slowly over time. The sharpener also is able to handle edges of hatchets and axes making it ideal for taking on camping trips.

I live in an apartment complex and so far have at least two neighbors have requested to borrow it for use on their knives and scissors. But I’ll be making sure I get it back soon!.

This machine packs a punch. The blades are very effective, the grinding is not very noisy at all and the design, with slanted surface, seems to really do the trick of more evenly grinding beans.

Simple, easy to use, more silent that some other brands. Results are perfect!

it needs a little more power

I be owned this and few other brands. I found it great for rough jobs like spade bits and rough chicles. But for drill bits and fine chisels the guides just weren’t stable/stiff enough to get a consistent angle.

When I buy another I will buy with better guides.