Work Sharp Precision Knife Sharpener

[David Stone]

I see that Work Sharp now sells of of those sliding whet stone knife sharpeners, in addition to the belt and the pull through. Anyone know how these compare to the Work Sharp belt sharpener? I e Ben using that for a while, and although it puts a sharp edge on the blade, the edge doesn’t last long.

[AHill]

It's slower than the belt sharpener, but much better from an accuracy standpoint. The belt sharpener will put a convex edge on your knife. The Work Sharp Precision will put a flat grind edge on your knife. A convex edge is almost always tougher than a flat grind edge, but you can put a micro bevel on the edge with a flat grind to compensate. Depends on how you use your knife. For smaller knives, the WS Precision will be more of a challenge to hold the knife steady.

[FS7]

I love to cook. I love good knives, and I use them almost every day. My favorite is a Yoshihiro kiritsuke (sword tip chef's knife).

I have multiple sharpening systems, from the basic pull-through to a Work Sharp Ken Onion, the grinder attachment, and the Precision Adjust with the upgrades.

Honestly, I rarely take the time to really do a full hone on any of my blades. A few passes through a ceramic hone and it's perfect again. A good blade with good steel and a good grind won't need more than that, and my blades that do - the ones that dull quickly or are prone to chip - they just don't stay sharp so it doesn't matter what you do. If the blade is good enough to deserve "the best," it probably doesn't need it. For my Wusthof utility knives (which get used a lot for quick and dirty cutting, like quick stuff for my kids), a few passes through something like a Rada wheel will do. I don't overthink it.

A lot of people turn sharpening into a hobby and a passion in and of itself, which is fine. None of it is necessary for cooking, and you can put a pretty sharp edge on a knife in seconds as long as you haven't ignored it for years. That last 20% of sharpness accomplishes almost nothing in practicality.

[Timberwolf]

I see that Work Sharp now sells of of those sliding whet stone knife sharpeners, in addition to the belt and the pull through.  Anyone know how these compare to the Work Sharp belt sharpener?  I e Ben using that for a while, and although it puts a sharp edge on the blade, the edge doesn’t last long.

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although it puts a sharp edge on the blade, the edge doesn’t last long.

How long an edge lasts is determined by several factors...How good is the steel, how steep is the bevel angle, how polished is the edge, what you are cutting and what kind of cutting board you're using...A convex edge is usually stronger, no matter what type of steel it is while a true hollow ground edge is sharper but not nearly as strong...And edge that thin will roll pretty easily no matter what the steel is..You have to match the edge with the type of cut it will have to do...If the edge is folded or rounded over, usually a good stropping will put it right again...For a really super edge, you might want to try a hard stitched muslin buff that is charged with chrome oxide..It has a learning curve, and can be dangerous if one is not very careful, but it's is hard to beat. I consider my cutting tools to be sufficiently sharp if it can pierce and slice a paper towel in two directions and leave a very smooth {not ragged} cut..I use a cutting board made of bamboo and find it the best on the market.