If you think this is fool proof you haven't met me.

A nice tool but a bit too addictive for me. I just know that if I buy this, every single metal object I own will soon be shiny sharp, including the door hinges, saucepans and internal computer components :(

"Nothing is foolproof for a sufficiently talented fool." - Douglas Adams

"That's not going to fit in there, that is simply too thick" That's what I hear every night. When I would work in construction atleast. Working with steel beams was difficult.

I purchased this machine based off this video and am quite pleased with how it sharpens my swords.

It is rare to see informative, useful and detailed user instruction like this.

I was going to make a joke about sharpening and polishing one's sword, but I feel I'm above that. (Not really, I just didn't know how to make it sound good)

Mine just arrived, I'm going to sharpen EVERYTHING

***** I'd also like to note that people who are "better" at hand-sharpening can still use this to do the first hours of work in a short time and then finish with their own skill if that's what they need to stroke their ego.

just bought it and I love it. In edition to a superior grind (for swords and most survival knives) the edge are more smooth and shiny. So it looks better as well. Can also be used to grind other things than just edged weapons and tools.

Love that Ken Onion Work Sharp, it's super convenient like you said. I find that cleaning the swarf out of the belts with a rubber eraser every so often helps keep them cutting consistently and for even longer.

The blade is sharp enough when its shadow can slice through flint.

Totally getting this for my dad for his tools

thumbs up for using gloves.

Freaking LOVE this sharpener. I got the Ken Onion model a few weeks back and now every knife in the house is razor sharp with a mirror polish...

That thing looks the business! While I'm happy enough with Opinel sharpening stone & am learning how to better use it for sharpening, that little contraption looks like a must have once my collection gets larger. Thanks a million, Skal!

Thank you very much for this video, also the one for how to clean a sword. It's a big help :)

Nice video! I am glad you suggest using this for swords. Be advised the worksharp does remove metal quickly. Also, sharpening the tip can be tricky, and the worksharp has rounded many of the tips on my knives. To deal with that will take some practice and maybe some other online tutorials.

I'm very excited I'm just about to buy my first sword that isn't just a wall hanger. I'm gonna be looking up all your guide videos!!!

I've been watching reviews and "how to" videos on sharpening for a few months now, and I believe this is going to be the right path for me. I doubt I have the time or steady hands for hand sharpening with a diamond plate (which is where I thought I was headed before this video).

While I'm not looking to get into hardcore collecting, I do plan on buying a sword soon and I own one knife in particular that I want shave sharp at all times. I want to get good at hand sharpening knives, but I was dreading what that would look like with full-sized sword. That dread is gone seeing this. Will definitely get one when the time comes. Thanks Skallagrim!

Thanks I’m looking at this after spending most of the day with a wet stone and something like this will help me from making my edges all messed up

have the regular worksharp. It works fantastic have sharpened axes knives and other blades for a year without having to replace the belt.

thats a really nice little tool to have for sharpening swords, might have to see if i can get my hands on one

thanks you Skall, my family business have been looking for a way to mass produce sword and knife sharpening

I got one with both the extra attachments-it's pretty cool once you figure it out.

Thanks for making this video. I own one of their basic models the Original Knife and Tool Sharpener and have wondered how it would do on my swords. I have not tried it yet because I did not want to damage anything. I would take one point with your video. I have had no problem sharpening very thick blades including a traditional Kukri. One more thing people might want to know. Be VERY careful when you get to the point. You can round off the point of a knife with one of these tools

I have piratical skill with hand sharpening, and have used everything from porcelain rods, to razor hones to wheels and belts. I much prefer a soft sanding wheel or belt to any other method. For speed and repeatability with a nice mirror shine convex edge, love it.

This is pretty awesome! I'm pretty great at hand sharpening (it's the one skill I can brag about, lol), but the speed in which this fixes up an edge that well is really impressive! Good job Ken Onion, lol

hey skall I too use the work sharp for knives, and my first sword, which i think you called it a sharpened crow bar lol. I found a product that will turn the worn out 6000 grit belts into about a 8000 grit belt, Its called J-B Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound. It seems to work really well Honing even farther and better.

That is a pretty expensive, though quite useful tool. Most of my knives remain as sharp as new, since I don't use the vast majority of them(I have around 35 or so), but the ones I do use I tend to sharpen by hand on a stone or with a lansky system. I'm no expert or anything, but I've always been happy enough with the edges I put on my knives by hand. Good video, Sir.

Thank you so much!I have been wondering lately on how am l EVER going to get my Windlass swords sharpened.

Great product glad you could show us.

thanks a bunch! just bought my first sword and was wondering how i was going to sharpen it when it gets here.

This thing is cool and just ordered one hope it do's as well with my karambit's and arrow heads

I consider myself to be decent at sharpening blades and swords, and I'm really impressed tbh.

This is awesome!! Will definitely get one of these.

I'm really impressed by the effectiveness and how useful it will be for swords, but I'll always stick to the hand sharpening for my bushcraft knives and kitchen knives though ;)

A very good machine and a very good video on it, thanks

I was already thinking of buying this thing, now I have to!

Yeah, some years ago i’ve sharpened a Hanwei Lowlander with that thing!

Thanks for the tip, Skallagrim. I am a sort of an amateur puukko refurbisher, and this will save a lot of blood, sweat, and profanities! I just wonder why I haven't heard of this before.

Thanks so much for this Skallagrim. Very informative and well done demo to a great mystery that so many fail to ponder :) ...now i know! yay! Have always loved your vids and hope it is all working out well for you. cheers!

i like hand sharpening, its relaxing to me and kills a bit of time. but still nice guide for people who are not into it.

I've used the less expensive, older model before this more premium model came out. I don't have trouble using it, but I actually prefer using stones, files, rods, and diamond plates and just doing it by hand. I'm not an expert but after doing it long enough I once took a brand new 18 inch Tramontina, which came squared off with no edge and using a puck, 2 DMT Diafold stones, and a strop, I was able to give it an edge and shave hair in about 15-20 minutes during my morning break at work while eating. If only you saw the look on my supervisor's face.

This looks useful you could do most of heavy grinding and finnish by hand and save a lot of time. 👍

I'm usually kind of leery about automatic sharpeners and the like, but if this thing gets the Skall seal of approval I might have to look into it. Personally I like hand sharpening on a stone for the zen quality, but it is a pain on longer blades.

Nuts man, I'm a chef... this never occurred to me to try this

I use a bench mounted belt sander then finish with a dressed silk wheel polisher for a fine edge. But that is one nifty belt sander you got there.

Omg, new video. wew! :3 I need to binge watch the last like 3 posted, I have been neglecting this channel a bit.

Hey Skall! love your video. Would you happen to be able to make a video showing how to sharpen irregular swords and blades, such as your schimitar, khukri's, axes and such?

I appreciate the UK amazon link. Thanks!

I've been planning on getting this. Now I will

Ooo…ken onion edition. i just got the regular model and I'm loving it. still practicing on cheap knives right now.

I want to put a decent edge on my bastard sword for totami cutting so this is perfect thanks Skall you really know your stuff ☺

+Skallagrim Greetings! I have one of these and I would like to ask you what preset angle you use on swords and the like. Do you use the 30 or the 25? I don't think you mentioned it in the video, but then again, I might be going mad.

Hey skal, when you're sharpening something like that where you want to stop at a certain point, get a grease pencil or something else(lipstick or even lip balm) that will clean off easily and mark a straight line across the blade. It's a little extra piece of mind that you won't take off metal in the wrong spot.

Ooh, Skall in 60fps, so pretty!

Slack Belt Sanders are excellent for sharpening. I have a larger more multi-purpose version but it works beautifully. I usually use a 20 degree angle and only go up to a 240 grit when I sharpen (to me, going above 240 is just polishing).

Thanks, mine arrived today.

You got there high tech machine thingy and all Iam using is just bottom of my coffee cup.

Sharpening becomes really meditative once you get the hang of it. Set aside some time, put on some music, a podcast or a favorite audiobook and let your steel become sharp. And if you're really worried about screwing up with sharpening, take a really cheap knife, machete and practice on that until you can get it to cut a sheet of paper.

I remember that sharpening machine from cutlery corner. I need one.

1. I took the risk years ago and found that the Worksharp does put a nice edge on a sword; 2. I also learned that if a blade is too thick it will not fit. I keep my Worksharp and accessories in a clear plastic Snapware storage container near the garage door. Buy TSA confiscated knives off eBay and sharpen. Normally, only two passes on each side are necessary. Haven't tried the following on my Worksharp, but it works fine on my cheap Harbor Freight 1 inch grinder. Each belt has to edges. You sharpen a tooth (indentation on a serrated blade) by running it against the edge of the sandpaper on the belt sharpener. One pass on each indentation.

Really enjoying the 60 frames per seconds

Thanks purchased a chefs 130 doesnt work like the one you have here so ordering now..

Great video, love the presentation lots of information, love the new camera image quality. 9/10- Did not like the table moving around with the tool.

Nice! totally getting one! Thanks again Skall =D

I'm very experienced with sharpening my knives with a Wicked Edge unit and get them shaving sharp... However, the best thing about this Work Sharp and swords is the time saved. Plus, a convex edge is perfect for a sword. It would take me an annoying amount of time and effort to hand sharpen a sword like this from being that dull to as sharp as you got that. Time saved and consistent angles = Win, win.

Quality is so good I thought it was a picture at the beggining lol.

very cool machine I have nice waterstones, it is like meditating putting a good edge on a blade, i 'zen out' lol

Do you think (with caution) this would work on a differentially tempered sword? My Paul Chen katana is in dire need of re-honing.

So Skall, if and when you would sharpen your Kopesh, would you use this? If so would you naturally start with the finer grit as opposed to the coarse given the retaliative softness of the bronze as opposed to most steels?

"fool-proof" and "sword" should never appear in the same sentence.

Wow, that's pretty damn sharp!

Oh I know I have one and it's awesome .

I keep up to my Whetstones. Its kinda meditating to sharpen with them...

What a great tool!! Good post skill!!

Greetings Skall, was wondering what edge angle would you recommend for a longsword?

Ken Onion? Is this in any way related to Ser Davos or endorsed by The One True King, Stannis Baratheon?

From what I understand from sharpening n shit you should polish your swords and not only put toothy edges on them since it will greatly reduce friction(think about how much longer the edge is if it has all these bumps going up and down) and produces a cleaner cut. plus if you hack the sword into wood you don't have a real advantage in using the coarse edge because you don't use the thing that's useful about it which is the "sawing" aspect. for cutting test with water bottles the coarse edge may be the way to go(or polished with coarse micor bevel) since with water bottles you would want higher pressure per inch to penetrate the very slick plastic and with the tatami it's kindof a draw. The coarse edges' micro teeth would "micro-tear" the fibres really nicely and it would bite very well but it would also affect the mat higher physically(say: pull it with the blade) whereas the polished edge would zip right through the mat but wouldn't bite that nicely initally. But since there's a lot of force and pressure behind it it shouldn't have a problem getting the cut started, so I would favor the draw slightly towards the polished edge and wow I should really not spend my night writing comments this long :D To end it: I only have experience with sharpening knives, not swords etc. and have never done a cut test or the like so sorry if I got something totally wrong here. If someone want's to discuss it or has the opinion that I told some utter bullshit here feel free to fire away :D

Got something else to try with my work sharp, though I'm guessing it gets difficult to sharpen the the blade from the weak to the tip of it's a longsword

Most exciting video ever

It would take me 30 minutes to do that with an oil stone, although I could get the blade sharper. I also like the convex grind that this gives. You can't easily get that with a normal stone and it is much stronger than a flat grind and just as sharp.

Would anyone recommend this or with the additional grind attached to use on Katana or euro swords? Can you avoid a secondary bevel with the freehand grinding attached?

Thanks! I just got one

I have noticed that although this is a very nice tool...I think the motor should flip the direction of rotation when you use the other end. Is this option available?

This looks pretty good, but I think I'll want to get the Tormek T7.

for your swords i bet you could create a table with a sliding mechanism to maintain a consistent angle.

Hey Skalla, if you see this comment, what angle do you use on most swords? I was thinking between 25-30 degrees, but I'm not sure which would be better.

I was taught how to hand hone a blade. It feels natural but I have never machine honed but to each his own.

I looked at this sharpening tool and wanted to get it but didn't have enough money, so i bought whetstones.. that's 3 years ago, now i can hand-sharpen my knives to the point where i can( with a few knives as an exception) literally shave with my kitchen knives and hunting knives. It's also astounding how smooth a real comfortable shave with your own knives can be :D

The work sharp is the best! I have the standard version, and I can do machetes in minutes

i like to use this to start my dull knives, then i hand sharpen them on ultra fine stones. you all should attempt to master hand sharpening, it is a skill worth learning. especially if you want the most magnificent edges you have ever seen...i think this metaphor works here this is a great expediter, but for the best results you need to go onto some fine hand stones. just my po

my blade is like that 2 cutting edges do u stop then angle for the top portion of the blade?

I used to have a similar item but it used stones.Problem was the stones wore away faster than some blades

Just tried my Ken Onion on my kitchen knives, worked great. Used it on my arming sword, ended up duller than the Windlass sharpening service it came with. Followed the instructions from the maker's DVD and your video. Used the right belts, right number of strokes, right angle. Any suggestions?

what's the best angle to use for sharpening the windlass scimitar from the kult of athena sharpening service to razor sharp? also, it would be great if you could do a video on edge geometry, different edge grinds etc.

was the place that u stopped then re started the end of the blad work well

I've learned to never call something fool proof, people seem to take it as a challenge.