Guided knife sharpeners

[deanmm56]

Hello all,

I'd like to hear the pros and cons from people that use guided knife sharpeners such as Lanky, Apex, and Wicked Edge, and of course any others that might be worthy to buy.

While I have no problem hand honing a knife I think the guided systems offered would produce a much sharper blade.

Any insight to a really great product would be helpful.

Thanks,

Dean

[mrwatch]

I do not own the ones you mentioned. But I would like to know how to properly use my crock sticks. I have a couple for scissors but I seem to do better with my one inch belt sander for large ones. Iv'e watched a man use the scary sharp method for wood plane blades at the senior's center wood shop. I prefer my large vintage Norton tri hone with a jig for those.

[treefarmer]

In my opinion, there are many variables when it comes to sharpening a blade. The type of steel, the shape of the blade, the original angle, all these things seem to dictate what type of sharpening system to use. It probably comes down to what system we are the most comfortable. I've got a box full of whet rocks, a Lansky set, a Worksharp machine, quartz light cores, and several ceramic sharpening devices.

Recently I've been using a 2 stage Crock Stick device with very satisfactory results. I suppose it should be classed as a "guided knife sharpener". It has a "course" and a "fine" set of rods that plug into a wooden base at different angles, the thing works very well for me.

I must not forget to mention finishing up a blade on my Monark strop with its' "course" and "fine" strips. The course strip is boar hide, the fine or smooth strip is horse hide. There is also a Dexter steel that is handy when tuning up a blade in the middle of a big job like lots of meat or veggies.
Have I muddied the water sufficiently?
Treefarmer

[just bob]

I have had mixed results trying to use a stone. I bought a Lansky at a yard sale for $10 and consider it to be idiot proof knife sharpening. It is easy to set up and use. Gives a great edge in less than 5 minutes.

[KnifeSlinger#81]

I have a lansky and an edge pro apex, the edge pro is so much better than the lansky there's no reason for me to use the lansky anymore. My favorite thing about guided sharpeners is the consistency, especially when setting a bevel. I mix it up which blades I sharpen on the edge pro or freehand. The only real con I can think of with the guided sharpeners is it's more difficult (sometimes impossible) to sharpen very small or very large blades, but your average pocket knife is no problem.

[Railsplitter]

I've been getting good results with the Work Sharp Guided Sharpener. In my opinion, it's more like a hybrid guided/freehand unit because the guides only set the angle at the beginning of the stroke and it's up to the user to maintain that angle throughout the stroke. The guides can be removed for freehand sharpening which is the way I've been using it lately but the guides were helpful at first to get the muscle memory necessary to maintain the desired angle.

The reason that I like this product so much is that it solves one of the biggest issues I always used to have with sharpening. Maintaining the correct angle at the blade tip.

The Work Sharp has a feature that they call the Pivot Response System. As the edge of the blade begins to curve toward the tip, the stone holder pivots to compensate for the change in angle. I was a bit skeptical about it until I used it and discovered that it actually works and isn't just a gimmick. A very simple yet effective solution to a problem that many people have with sharpening.

Here's a link to the product and a pic of my own.

http://www.worksharptools.com/sharpener ... ystem.html

[terryl308]

Well here is what I use, a wicked edge and a Norton mulltistone set up. I really like the wicked edge but it is probably too expensive for the part time knife guy. (around $400). It is adjustable for degrees and comes with 3 sets of diamond stones, 400-600 grit , 800-1000 , and a set of leathers. I also rely on the old Norton multi stone outfit that I've used for 15 years. It is a hand operation, no jigs, so it takes a little time to get the angle right. I have replaced the fine India stone with a soft Arkansas stone, so it has a med, course, and the arky. Practice and patience is the key. Also use the Russell steel and a large round crock stick. Terry

[XX Case XX]

For my good knives, I use a "Dan's Whetstone" by hand. For my EDC or thrasher knives I don't care about, I use a "Work Sharp" Ken Onion Edition. The Work Sharp is great for a fast edge on my junker knives and just about any other non-expensive bladed items. It's very easy and you can buy extra belts on eBay and Amazon.

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Mike