Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener

Product Description

Knife Sharpener, Dry, Adjustable Trigger Phase, Voltage 120, 60 Hz, 1. 5 Amps AC, 2800 RPM, 120 Grit, Features Adjustable Angle Guide from 15 Degrees to 30 Degrees F, Variable Speed Motor for Slow Hone or High Speed Grind, Flexible Abrasive Belts to Conform to the Shape of the Blade, For Sharpening Kitchen Knives, Pocket Knives and Hunting Knives, Sharpening Lawnmower Blades, Axes, Scissors, Serrated Edges, Gut Hooks and Other Tools, CAN, CSA

Features

• ADJUSTABLE SHARPENING GUIDE- produce precise edge bevels from 15 to 30 degrees. motor- 120 Vac 1.5 amp. Duty cycle-1 hr. Continuous
• VARIABLE SPEED MOTOR- handle every sharpening task, from grinding to honing. More power with improved cooling and the option of slow speed honing or high-speed grinding.
• PREMIUM FLEXIBLE ABRASIVE BELTS- deliver a strong, long lasting razor-sharp convex edge.
• FAST, PRECISE, and REPEATABLE- sharpening results with no set up or calibration time. The 6000 grit belt measures .5 x inches for better contact with serrations and other hard to reach edges.
• PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN COMPANY- Work Sharp is part of Darex, a 4th-generation family-owned company in Ashland, Oregon. For over 40 years we have been engineering industry-leading sharpening tools.

Top Reviews

Great little sharpener. Beautiful convex edges. Tape the sides of your blades to avoid scratches.
by bubbadog (4 out of 5 stars)
February 27, 2018

I really like the Ken Onion Work Sharp. I purchased it because I wanted to try convex edges on my knives without the risk of ruining them while learning to do it freehand. My first attempt on the Work Sharp involved a brand new Ontario Knives Rat-1, an inexpensive, well-made knife with a pretty AUS-8 satin finished blade. In just a few minutes, I was able to produce a razor-sharp, beautifully mirrored edge. I also produced a LOT of UGLY scratches on that pretty AUS-8 satin finish because the metal particles that come off the edge during sharpening build up on the angle guides. When you pull the knife through as instructed, you get scratches. I honestly don't mind if my knives get banged up during use but I just can't see defacing them during sharpening. It's just not necessary. A quick search of Blade Forums confirmed others have experienced the same problem, especially with highly polished finishes. After reading a bit further, I decided to use painters tape on a different knife to protect the blade. Problem solved, a perfectly sharp convex edge in minutes and not a scratch to be seen. Other sharpeners like the Apex Edge Pro actually suggest this method. It would have been nice if the Work Sharp folks had done the same. Despite that issue, if you want to try convex edges, (they really are better), the Work Sharp is a great little machine at a fair price. I highly suggest reading the instructions carefully and taping the sides of your blades. Cheers and thanks for taking the time to read my review.
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Hands down best knife sharpener ever.
by Jason Neal (5 out of 5 stars)
November 11, 2017

To begin with, let me give you some background. I live to hunt and fish. I learned to sharpen knives on a wet stone 40 years ago. I've used a lansky sharpener, and stones for the past twenty years. I saw this electric sharpener and thought it was a gimmick product. No self respecting woodsman would use something electric to get a great edge on their blades. I've always prided myself on have sharp knives, my pocket knife can shave the hair off your arm. Fast forward to this purchase...holy moly, who knew knives could get this sharp? Now every knife I have is sharper than surgical instruments. I can split hairs with every knife I own. I've thrown away my razor blades for shaving. This thing can put an edge on a blade that would make a ninja smile. A few times in your life you will invest in something that truly revolutionizes your life. This is one of those products. It's like braided line to polymer lines, it's like Blu-ray is to vhs. This will take your knives from 8-track to Bose surround sound. Buy it, it's fricken amazing.
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Way better products here on amazon. Wet stone grinder wheel much better
by Taylor (1 out of 5 stars)
July 9, 2018

I was excited to get this based on the reviews. It arrived and I read all the instructions. Well it made square edges sharp blunt edges and made sharpe edges blunt. Belts were toast in about 10 minutes while making my blunt edges. This works for soft steel knives. It's not for knives made of tool steel. If you are into making knives skip this and get a wet stone wheel grinder like the Wen 10" wet stone grinder with the tormex blade fixtures. I am much happier with wet stone grinder and sharpen knives that I have made with a hair shaving edge
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Skimping in material on the most critical component is a huge no-no!
by Trevor (2 out of 5 stars)
September 13, 2016

Just got it today. While sharpening my knife I noticed the belt became misaligned while making a lot of noise. Taking off the sharpening jig and looking at the handle+motor, I noticed that the drive shaft (which was plastic) had snapped off from the motor. Looking back at previous reviews, it seems other people have also experienced the same issue.

It had still sharpened my knife well though, so I'm not giving it a 1/5. But I already started the return process for it.
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Works well as advertised!
by fwoom (5 out of 5 stars)
November 8, 2017

**UPDATE**

The company promptly and completely took care of the issue. Turns out it was the drivetrain, and they offered a no-hassle resolution to my complete satisfaction! Within a week, I was back up and running and all my knives are sharp once again! This is within my expectations, and I'm very satisfied with the unit and the wonderful customer service I received. The tech assigned to me was superb.

The replacement works beautifully!
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I went to use the sharpener today for the first time in a couple months and noticed one of the plastic rollers that holds the sharpening belts is broken. I've had this unit less than a year and have always been gentle, and given it very light use in that year. Very poor design to put breakable plastic parts where they can get warm and brittle. Abysmal longevity on this otherwise decent sharpener. I've always just used the weight of the blade I'm sharpening, and have never applied pressure or used it contrary to the instructions. There is no reason this should've broken the way it did.

I have submitted a warranty request with the company. It is my hope that they'll honor the warranty on this never abused, always treated with care product. I will come back and update my review after the company responds to my request - whether positive or negative.

See photos for representation of broken part. I tried to get a couple angles so you can see what this did for no apparent reason.

I otherwise like this unit. I've never been able to really get the knack of sharpening my knives on a stone, which is always the superior way of doing it. I just can't seem to get my knives sharp that way. I know it's me, and I don't have the patience to practice to get it right. I'm 44 and never got the hang of it, even as a boy scout or a scoutmaster in my adult years. This is a great "cheater" tool to sharpen my knives quickly and easily. But it's an awful design to use so many plastic parts that break - especially in the moving areas such as the rollers.
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Excellent tool...if you are right-handed (I'm not)
by Tuffy McF (4 out of 5 stars)
March 16, 2017

This is a great tool, particularly if you are right handed. I, however, am not. All of the other reviews sum up the positive aspects of the WSKTS-KO well: it is fast, powerful, customizable, and effective-especially if you follow the directions. I spent an afternoon sharpening my kitchen and pocket knives (both straight blades and serrated) and loved every minute of it. It's not especially loud, and once you get into your rhythm, it's a pleasant task.

BUT: if you are left handed, it is actually a little dangerous to use. I am, and have much better long-use control with my left hand, so using the Work Sharp requires me to use my right hand for the delicate task of inserting and pulling the knives. I wish Work Sharp would make a left-handed version of this tool. I would be first in line to purchase. Fatigue and loss of stability will set in as a result of using your non-dominant hand for this precise (albeit forgiving because of Work Sharp's good design) task.

Overall: if you value your knives, this is the tool for you. I opted to buy this over the other Cooks' Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen knife sharpeners, and if you are considering those Chef's Choice offerings, I'd strongly consider you give this tool some researching. But if you are left handed, be aware that this tool cannot be used in a manner that's as comfortable, stable, and safe as it would be for righties.
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Great way to Dull Knives
by D. Farr (1 out of 5 stars)
June 18, 2018

My brother and I tried everything to sharpen knives and scissors but all Ken Onions Edition did was dull them. We meticulously read the manual, changed belts and followed instructions but everything came out worse than when we started
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Service Life
by Amazon Customer (1 out of 5 stars)
October 5, 2018

Bought 2 of these units for Christmas 2016. One for my son-in law and one for myself. My unit has seen very little use. I have used it to sharpen my wife's kitchen knives (Chicago Cutlery) and my Kershaw pocket knife. I have sharpened my wife's knives once and my pocket knife 3 times.

Today the drive pulley broke off of the motor and jammed between to motor drive and the belt guide when I was trying to sharpen my wife's prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday coming up.

I have sharpened a total of 12 kitchen knives 1 time and my pocket knife 3 times.

I would not recommend anyone buying this unit. BTW - I am still waiting to hear back from the manufacturer for parts or repairs.
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If You Don't Read and Follow the Instructions, You're Going to Have a Bad Time
by Para Badge (5 out of 5 stars)
February 24, 2016

Bought this to bring back the life to our kitchen knives and touch up our pocketknives. The instructions are extremely easy, this is possibly why people are making mistakes and feel they can just gloss over them. I would say there are 3 sets of instructions on how you can sharpen a blade; I prefer the ones located on the cardboard table. This system has already paid for itself since my husband and I did not need to buy new kitchen knives and or take them in on occasion. The construction is very solid and can turn the most novice knife sharpener into a pro if judging the blade edge. If you want to have razor sharp knifes on a moments notice this will exceed your expectations. Only thing I warn is yes the old saying is correct "A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one". However, I would add a razor sharp blade is not as forgiving as a sharpened blade. After sharpening with this system be very careful your knives, they will be scary (in a pleasant way) sharp; more so than from the factory!

Some tips below I've picked up that have helped me sharpen my blades quick, precise and without mishap:
1. Tape the Blade Up: I place some masking tape on then peel it carefully over the edge to cut a silhouette 1x per side. I peel off then place it aside then with both silhouettes I place them back on just revealing the blade where is will make contact with the belt. This protects the blade while learning efficiently without having to fatting up the knife with tape.
2. Practice With a Cheap Knife: The real skill is when to let go of the trigger so that is does not grind more on the tip of the blade than the recommended "1 inch per second" and following the contour of the knife edge while maintaining proper contact with the belt.
3. It Can Make a Mess: After sharpening 8 or so blades I noticed my dining table (live in an studio so no man cave garage here) covered in shavings and whatnot. I later noticed it was all to the right of the sharpener. So I placed it to the left of my kitchen sink after making sure there was no water and whatnot on my counter. This made most of the shavings fall in the sink making for easy cleanup.
4. Wear Eye Protection: I noticed (thankfully while wearing eye pro) that left grind shoots debris shoots straight up in your face if you're like me watching closely if the knife is properly being inserted and pulled. It would really suck to get that in your eyes and looking back after sharpening 14+ knives. I also wished I had a face mask for the first marathon since you will be looking and making excuses to sharpen every blade in the house to make it pass the paper test.
5. Master the Marathon: I noticed that the main difference between say a kitchen knife and pocket knife is the angle since they both use the same main 3 belt grits (coarse, medium and fine). If I'm going to have a sharpening marathon I separate my kitchen and pocket knifes yet use the same belts instead changing the belts per group of knives. The only thing I change is the angle degree. This helps speed up the process instead of changing everything out for each pile or worse per knife.
6. Check For Crooked Burrs While Keeping Count: I've noticed the best way to ruin your edge is losing count or what side went in last, thus causing an annoying crooked burr. My method is the right side is "odd" numbers while the left is "even" to help with remembering where to start. I count to the total number of strokes ie if it calls for 10 I count to 20 total. This also means I go to right to left until I reach 10 which would be 5 per side and good time to check for burrs. Then 10 more starting at 11 so the "right" side of the system. With this method I have yet to notice burrs ever occurring thus speeding through the process precisely.

Thank you I hope this helped, I wouldn't have spent the time to write this if I didn't feel this Worksharp didn't impress me as it did.
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I crossed the "Line", I'm and glad I did!
by tikkidaddy (5 out of 5 stars)
February 20, 2014

The Worksharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Ken Onion edition...For 7 months I debated w/ myself over and over about "biting the bullet" and getting a power tool to help me sharpen knives more efficently.

Im almost 48, and since age 12 I have used my grandfathers' tried and true stone & ceramic methods to put a razors' edge on a cutting tool.

And the old methods WORK. Period.

But I cant see quite as well as I used to, and if you get off count sharpening and stropping, it causes big problems that you have to be able to SEE the edge to correct.

I swore up, down, and sideways never to "go powered".

But w/ the WSKTS systems, my edges seem to true up faster...way faster. I chose the WSKTS-KO because of the options it has available over the standard... My personal favorite?? A slow speed mechanism that keeps me from skrewing up a good blade. I can watch the process as it unfolds.

Slow on the WorkShap systems is still "jack-rabbits' ass on fire!" fast compared to almost any hand sharpening rigup.

I particularly like the medium and fine "white surface" belts. They sharpen and hone like Spyderco ceramics, and still leave the door wide open for me to finish by hand w/ leather strops. They have a "gunmetal" lookin' deposit as you use them, just like a ceramic rod. You can clean them w/ a white gum eraser on slow speed too, or the standard cleaning "stick" widely available for belt abrasives.

The angle adjustment guide is a stroke of genius. If the weight of the knife is all the pressure you use, the blade can easily be "leaned back" and hovered past the belt and the sharpness you seek comes faster. Now, "leaned back" sounds like a relaxed term. Thats' the idea. Set the knife into the sharpener, and REST it on the angle guide, using JUST enough pressure to keep it sliding against the guide.

The tool motor in and of itself has more than enough power to handle almost any job, if you use the right belts in succesion and TAKE YOUR TIME. This is a great tool for beginners, and a Godsend for experienced sharpeners, but it doesn't possess the power of an angle or bench grinder

Remember that sharpening isn't a race, and if you don't feed your family doing it, its far better to proceed SLOWLY and watch what youre doing. Pay Attention. Don't crank this baby to max on your Sebenza, and then give this tool a bad review if you are foolish enuf to do that.

You can and WILL RUIN a very expensive knife in a heartbeat!!

Read the directions. Watch Youtube. Call Worksharp, ask questions. Read the directions again. Find some old user knives to practice on. NEVER drag the tip of any knife blade more than 1/2 way off the belt. Start w/ tool OFF, set blade into the angle guide, and using the weight of the blade, and GENTLE guidance, manuver the blade toward the tip, following the shape of the blade. If you are using the "crossbar" blade guide, DO NOT press the knife edge into it, that will dull your knife, defeating the purpose. This IS NOT a bench grinder you just turn on, and leave it that way 'till you finish. Its rated for 1hr. before you need to let it cool completely off.

Then when you get good, and I mean good enough to feel that edge and say "Damn!, now that's freakin' sharp!", THEN its time to "Dress up your babies for school".

In less than 45 minutes, you can turn a butter knife into a razor w/ the WSTKS-KO, and you can bleed easier than you think.

Keep the tool clean and free from sharpening residues as much as possible w/ a dry bristle brush, air compressor nozzle etc.

The coarser belts will produce loads of fragments that can gum up the sharpening guide, cassette workings etc. This produces scratches on surfaces you don't want them on. Use masking tape if necessary to stop that from occuring. Put the masking tape in a single layer on the guide "sliderpads" too, if you can, stop and clean often.

I sharpened a RUSTY old HC steel butcher's knife, started w/ the coarsest belt I could find, established a "working edge", and went from there. That rustbucket Old Hickory will now SHAVE hair.

Tnere was rust and metal frags/sanding matl. all over that cassete. KEEP it squeaky clean.

If you think that this tool can be mastered in 5 mins. w/ no practice etc. you will need to take your knives to a professional edgemaker!! All belted abrasive tools need time/patience to get good, but it'll be less time than with stones!! The "medium grit" belt is normally used for sharpening a well-cared for blade on occasion as needed, the fine grit for semi-regular honing, where you want something more aggressive than a steel, but less than attempting to adjust a primary grind to facilitate sharpness.

EDIT: 2/24/14 I used the 6k purple belt to polish away the tiny imperfections from the back of my Spyderco H1 Salt Pacific, and now it shaves hair! Make sure you polish AWAY FROM the edge if you do that...or you'll cut the belt! Also, if you have a combo edge knife, each portion of the edge must be sharpened INDEPENDENTLY. Sharpen the plain edge parts as normally done and then follow the directions for sharpening the serrated parts the way you would a fully serrated blade.

Tantos must be VERY carefully done, because the flat portion on the nose needs to be treated as if it is a seperate small blade, otherwise you will ruin your knife. My suggestion is the Spyderco TSM for these, unless youre REALLY good on the WSKTS-KO.

I will update this review as I go along, but as for now, this is a "TD Essential Sharpening Gizmo List" chart-topper. Highly recommended.

Edit 6/19/15

Still well satisfied----just keeps getting better!....I'm thinking about snagging the Wskts field kit to complete the lineup!.....May consider a 1 by 30 too. Everything comes full circle.
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Ken Onion Edition Rocks!
by Secret Squirrel (5 out of 5 stars)
January 1, 2019

I held off writing anything about this system as I really wanted to make sure that it actually worked for me. I'm happy to say this sharpening system is by far the best I have ever used! I have gone through tons of sharpening systems over the last 25 or so years, and nothing has come close to working as well as this! I took out old beater knives that I have never been able to put a decent edge on and managed to get them RAZOR SHARP using this tool. Now granted, I'm not mister expert with sharpening systems. Every system I have used was by hand. Arkansas Whetstones, Spyderco Sharpmaker, Japanese Whetstones, Diamond Hones, Razor Edge System, Steels and Strops. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking any of them, all of those systems worked for me on most of my knives. This system though was the only one I have ever used that could put a professional factory looking razor sharp edge on every knife I own. For example, I have two Chef Knives that I purchased from Costco a few years ago. They were purchased sharp, but like every kitchen knife, they got dull. I tried honing them with whetstones, tried ceramics, tried diamond hones. The end result was always the same, could barely cut butter! Same with my Old Hickory Knives. I could never get them as sharp as a kitchen knife needs to be. With this system, first time I tried it, I was able to get those knives hair popping sharp! After that I got bold, and busted out my old Windlass Steelcraft Kukri that I bought when I was a teenager. 30$ big hunk of made in India steel that I could never get sharp if my life depended on it. It took longer to sharpen than the kitchen knives, but the end result was the same. You can shave with it! I even took a piece of junk folding knife "Made in China" gas station 5$ special and turned it into a razor sharp piece! That to me is an impressive tool! I have sharpened at least 30 different knives with this so far and have not replaced the original belts yet just to give you an idea on how long they last. For those of you considering buying it, I have this advice for you. Watch the YouTube videos about it! I can't stress this enough! The included directions are good, but it's not the same as watching someone actually using it. Start off with a beater knife! Do not try and sharpen your prized possession knife with this on your first try. This tool can remove alot of steel very quickly and you can ruin your knife if you don't know what you're doing. Practice with a knife you do not care about. You will notice the first couple of times that it can get tricky when sharpening towards the point of your knife. Again watch the YouTube videos for instructions. You can blunt the point of your knife if you're not following the instructions. Just like with any sharpening system, it takes practice, but once you get a feel for it, you will not regret it! Good luck!

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