Work Sharp MK2 Professional Electric Knife and Tool Sharpener, Adjustable Tool and Knife Sharpening System

Product Information

You can also find aftermarket belts to fit most Work Sharp belt grinders. They're cheaper, but they have a reputation for being less durable. This sharpener is great for tools and folding knives, but not a good choice for kitchen knifes. Unfortunately, the fixed angles of 20/25 degrees are too wide: today, most kitchen knives have angles of 17 degrees or less (each side). You can sharpen them to 20 degrees, but you will be sacrificing some performance if you do so. (That is, the knife will feel slower and more cumbersome to use.) Work Sharp is best known for their belt grinder knife sharpeners, but they also make pull-through sharpeners, guided rod systems, whetstones, and more.

The good is that the flexible sharpening belts are replaceable, and you can grind to different levels of smoothness by changing the belt, which is easy to do. I find that the results are quite good, although possibly not quite as good as might be expected from a patient professional sharpening service/person. Much faster and simpler to use than a whetstone, V-notch sharpeners have hardened materials (typically ceramic or carbide) installed in a preset V-shape that’s set into a notch in plastic housing. The knife is dragged from heel to tip through the notch, allowing the sharpening material to remove metal until the knife conforms to its preset angle (also known as the grind).The sharpening system comes with the following diamond sharpening stones: 220, 320, 400, 600 and 800 grit. The 220 and 320 grit sharpening stones are coarse stones for repairing a damaged edge or changing the sharpening angle. The 400 and 600 grit sharpening stones are medium grit stones for sharpening relatively blunt knives. And the final 800 grit sharpening stone is a fine-grit for making and keeping your knives razor-sharp! For the finishing touch, there's a ceramic sharpening stone that you can use after the 800 grit stone. There is a leather strop too, which also fits into the holder. You use this to polish the edge after using the ceramic sharpening stone.

Here are some important features to look for when you're buying a belt grinder knife sharpener. Ease of Use A honing rod--also called a sharpening steel or just a steel--doesn't technically sharpen a blade because it doesn't remove any steel. Even so, it's an essential tool for keeping your kitchen knives sharp.We really liked the fast-working design of the Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener. It operated more quietly and efficiently than other electric models. With only four to six strokes per side on progressively finer-grit belts, we completely renewed a damaged and dull chef’s knife in about 5 minutes. The finest grit belt honed the edge to a mirrorlike finish.