I really like my precision adjust. Yes it takes awhile to re profile an edge but once you do it on a knife if it doesnt feel as sharp anymore it only takes a few minutes for the knife to be a razor again. I just feel the sanding belts bite of way more material than needed on the ken onion. And also. The satisfaction of getting a razor sharp edge by hand really sells it to me
How long would you say it takes you to go from a 25 to a 20 deg edge? I feel like I can do 100 passes on each side on 320 and it still doesn’t get it all down.
@@BrandenGM look up hapstone holder. Gritomatic do you have any more sharpeners? If you have questions I can tell or show what I have built. Using either the 4inch guided field sharpener diamonds or the 6inch guided sharpening system diamonds with the ceramic from the Bench Stone knife sharpener stuck to the back of a 800 grit diamond plate from the guided sharpener. It might be over kill but now I have options.. small knifes i use the precision stones larger knifes or if I want fast results I use the 4inch or 6 inch hapstone... Know what I know now.. I wouldn't buy the 4 inch hapstone holder. Nothing wrong with it just the 6inch allows me the use of the ceramic and the leather strop
Speed (comfort) + Edge Retention the Ken Onion. I’ve got older hands and can do many more times the work with the KO. Also shaping, profiling and sharpening a LEATHER-MAN (and what guy doesn’t have a LEATHER-MAN?) or an AXE…. KO. For shaving I may get an Elite PA. I’ve been using the KO for 2 years now and it still makes me smile. I always offer to sharpen anyone guest to the house, to sharpen their pocket knife.
Excellent content! I have several of your systems. Everything has its strengths and speeds. Would really love to see you guys do a vs video with most of your systems.
Best review by product manufacturer ever! The only thing I would like to see is material usage during years of sharpening. A good handle and balanced knife can grow on you during prolonged use. While production knives keep the same design and are replaced regularly. As quick sharpening is essential. And I have a strong feeling that manual sharpening with care will win over machines. Thanks for all the videos, you really know what you're talking about and have some great products. I swear on 58-60HRC knives and a Ken Onion portable kit. Every user has his own needs. Mine is like my avater, catering meat on location. So non electric is a pre. And smoking gives me plenty of time to do maintenance. And I definitely show professional skills to my customers too. Your total range is simply excellent to cover everyone's needs. And these videos are the best to find your tools. Not to mention your companies social contributions. And products which help the environment against consumer waste. Greetings from PuraLeña in Spain.
If you added a price category in the scoring, precision adjust would take it, then they would be tied, and the best sharpener would be dependent on what is most important to the person purchasing it... One reason I bought my precision adjust was cost, and the results I can achieve for money spent are just amazing.
Same here, when I go hunting I'll bring it along to touch up knives during mid-day mostly for something to do. Unless I brought a generator along, I couldn't do that with an electric sharpener.
@@BOOMER-rs5qn to me this is the most important part. A knife is a very useful tool when away from electricity and having to need electricty to shrapen it isnt ideal.
Both of these systems seem amazing. Thank you for giving a head to head test. Is it weird that I find the precision version to be therapeutic? Man I need to get one.
Great video guys! Thanks! I would love to see a supplemental video, or at least a write-up, on what exact steps and belt/ stone progression you used for each machine.
Great test. It is just natural that a very sharp edge dulls faster than a less sharp edge. If you think about edge retention as amount of usage until you reach unacceptable dullness, I find this test inconclusive. You should decide what is unacceptably dull, and then keep on testing until you reach that same dullness in both knives. If you had done that, the one sharpened on the Precision adjust was in the lead when you stopped....
The whole reason I went with the K.O. Over water stones was the speed while still giving a good edge. In about 45 minutes I get through all my kitchen knives including setup and cleanup.
I have both. I use the precision for my higher end pocket knives and use the other for almost all my chef knives and house knives at work. Both are awesome
Having differing angles does change things a bit, but probably minimized with 20CV steel. Getting 300+ on the Ken Onion after the sharpening seems quite high from my experience. I average just under 200 with that system, depending on the edge angle of course. I can get sharper with the Precision Adjust, but yeah, it takes much much MUCH longer to get those results. I use both, especially with new knives that I want to reprofile. Essentially, if I'm sharpening for someone else, the Ken Onion is the way to go. Unless you're fighting some crazy wear resistant steel that's super dull, you're done in minutes. Just remember to fully deburr the blade (I'll run it over a block of wood a couple times in between the fine or super fine belt passes to help with this). The Precision Adjust is great for getting those instagram edges; all super shiny (especially with lapping films after the ceramic). The V edge it produces feels a little better to me when cutting specifically cardboard and rope, but most other tasks I can't tell much of a difference. I like that I can easily use it wherever I want, including the couch so I can leisurely multitask.
The big difference is the use case also. The onion in the shop is great where we have power but the precision adjust is much better out in the field where power may not be an option.
I have both and like others have said it’s nice to have the speed of the electric sharpener when I have to do a lot of knives or they’re completely thrashed. But the precision is nice for touch up and when you have a chisel grind it’ll put a wicked edge on my Emerson.
I have 2 questions. 1) as you were doing an edge comparison, why didn't you sharpen both knives to the same angle? 2) by adjusting the pivot 2nd from the top, the KO can achieve a flatter convex grind. How would the flatter convex compared with the other two edges?
i own both products and am very happy, the Precision adjust has problems with Full flat grinds and small knives like Swiss army Knives. The KO Elite has no problems of that sort but has issues with material removal. it quickly ruins a knife if you are not reeeaaaally carefull
Agreed,i just couldnt get an edge i was truly happy with on the KO,its amazing on garden tools and kitchen knives.I use my precision adjust with venev cerberus plates and get stupidly sharp edges on all my other knives.I also find using the precision very easy and relaxing to use.
Thanks for this video. I use the precision adjust and I really appreciate the result I can get with this tool and with a leather strop after. Can't get your bugout in France, any suggestion ? Regards
Hi, I bought directly and payed the shipping and tax to Spain. And never regretted it. If you really find the product which suits your use best. Then they'll have it.
Both are useful, I like the speed and ease of the electric but sometimes a quick touch up with a manual stone/diamond/steel sharpener out the drawer is handy
A question regarding WorkSharp Precision Adjust. Some knives have a wider blade, others a narrower one. How do I choose the sharpening angle? The wider the blade, the lower the angle, and the angle on the gradation is no longer the same as the recommended / wanted one. For example, if I put a pioneer victorinox and the zt 308 that has a wider blade, and set the angle to 20 on the gradation, the angle of the file on the blade on both knives is not the same. differs due to the width of the blades.
I am glad you guys did this. I have the Ken Onion but have been very interested in the Precision Adjust. I like that the PA doesn't seem to have as much chance to be off on strokes as I feel like I get off sometimes with my KO. Great review and much appreciated! Also, how big of a knife can the PA handle? I have a large slicer (for brisket) and am curious if it can handle it.
Great video. I think both are a great option, but it would have been better if both used the same angle (17 deg). I would have also used the higher polishing belt and strop - you still would have had time for a couple of coffees....
Hi Guys, thank you for the great videos. Would you consider showing which of your Sharpeners and at what angle would be best for farriers knives. There are any way between 20k and 40k of farriers in the USA. I believe there is a market out here for one of your Sharpeners for us. Thank you for your consideration. Ron.
7:50 Forgive my comment, but how is the tool being used to sharpen a function or representation of edge retention as opposed to the type of grind, material and angle??
Don't have the elite KO edition just have the standard KO but the precision elite sharpner I do have and hair splitting sharp and to me worth every penny
The KO comes with 5 belts and a 6000 grit mico-mesh as its finest belt. It's not necessarily a "strop" but works similarly for honing and touching up edges.
On a full flat like the bugout if you set it to 20 it’s more like 22-25 cause if the flat grind when you put it on the flat pad it’s on a different angle
Couldn’t the Ken onion produce the same results as the PA at Ken Onion speeds if it just had a backing plate like a belt sander instead of making the convex edge?
Great video guys but please complete this videos with a safety precaution about fine dust by saying that it's very important to protect your lungs against the devastating effects of fine dust inhaling and always use a dust mask. Thank you.
Could the slight difference in the angle of the edges have been the cause of the KO being less sharp to start, and also better at keeping its edge better?
Great video. I don't have the Ken onion but I do have the precision adjust for one main reason. I personally buy into the idea that sharpening on any sort of belt sander can heat up the very edge of the blade enough to pull temper out of it.
Hey Tyler, thanks for watching. That is a reservation we have heard before. Probably a subject we should tackle in a future video. For now, just know we have tested extensively on our powered sharpeners and when used correctly, the blade never gets even close to a temperature that would effect the temper.
Excellent review but the test depends on different angles 20 for K O and 17 for complete divine angle set. They did very well but ignored these details which make the difference in all comparison's sides like sharpness edge retention etc. I suggest to retest them depending on 20 degree angle both. This can make it clear to anyone to choose. The hole test isn't accurate due to the easy thing ( different angles). I can't imagine they did the hard side very well but ignored easy side.
What’s a good sharpener for a benchmade bugout s30v steel & someone who has never sharpened a knife with anything other than a csrbide one I use on bootleg knives? Thanks in advance
Its hard to beat the Precision Adjust for a beginner. The rod and clamp system take the guess work out of what to do and create consistent repeatable results.
I own both products. I prefer the Precision Edge, because I can make my knifes razor sharp. Unfortunately, I can't sharpen my kitchen knifes with the Precision Edge, because the blades are >10" in length. Please, come out with newer version of the Precision Edge that handles longer blades.
I use my ken onion with the tool sharpener attachment to strop my straights. (After market leather strop). I also use it to hone if required. I'll never pay for a razor to be sharpened again.
Do you ever have an issue with the magnet part falling out? While making strokes? I've read that in a few reviews but you didn't seem to have an issue though you may have edited the video to not show that?
Technically speaking, the Ken Onion’s edge diminished slower than the Precision Adjust but I still like that the PA kept a sharper edge. I feel like there is a math question out there like “The PA starts sharper but the KO diminishes slower. How long will it take for the knives to equal the same “Best Tester” score” or something. Also, any idea on how the angles could play a factor into any of the results? 17° vs 20° isn’t a huge difference but over the course of time it could factor in, right?
Edge decay isn't linear. If a knife starts super sharp it will pretty quickly drop to just really sharp, it will then take longer to just be sharp, and even longer again to get to barely sharp. If both edges were identical except one was sharper than the other, the sharper one would always be sharper after theoretically identical use.
The Ken Onion Elite would do a better job on any knife with a curve, especially a karambit. The belts ability to flex and bend allows it to follow along the edge and maintain factory profiles.
@@WorkSharpOutdoor hola muchas gracias por la respuesta me cabe una duda si no es mucho pedir yo le escribo desde peru y siempre veo sus video a raiz de que en el peru jugamos gallos de combate y utilisamos navajas cuevas con doble filo en ambos lados y mi inquietud era saber si de las dos maquina que presentan cual me recomiendan para compralo para afilar la navaja si no es mucho pedir le podria enviar una foto de dicha navaja para que tengan una idea de la navaja ala que me refiero de ante mano se lo agradeseria
IMO Factory sharp is not sharp enough. I have both the Ken Onion and the Precision sharp. I use the Ken Onion for my Kitchen knives, my machete and ax's. For my personal knives, I use the precision system. I enjoy the process and stress releaf of sharpening my knives. It's relaxing to me.
I guess sharpening knives for knives lovers is having a good time! So in my personal opinion PA it’s something I enjoy more than KO, although it’s seems that KO it’s a better tool for faster and efficient results, considering both as great sharpening tools
Rogue Valley resident here, proud of Work Sharp Tools for being a great company with great products! Love my Ken Onion model belt sharpener! Great coffee cup, love to Dutch Bros. another great company founded here in Grants Pass, at the other end of the Valley!!
This test doesn't make sense... You need to sharpen to the same angle. And you only went to the X22 (1000 grit) on the Onion. Of course the narrower 17 degree angle that was stropped (precision) is sharper and has better polish, and of course the wider 20, with lower grit grinding, and covexed (which is more like 22 degrees) angle has better edge retention and less mirror polish (onion).
I like the belt sander version better personally. With a little patience and enough belts you can put a mirror polish on an edge in a fraction of the time. Plus belts are easier and cheaper to find online or at hardware stores. Anything past 4-5000 grit from my experience is unnecessary for a daily used knife. Not gonna spend the extra time putting a perfect mirror on an heavily abused edc or kitchen knife, just my collectibles. Time is money, amd I don't have time to be setting schedules for knife sharpening. A good system like Ken Onions or really any other belt sander, and I can take a butter knife and put a razor edge on it in 10-15 minutes. Also it's a belt sander, it can do more than just sharpen a knife. Last night I took the flats, spine, tang of one of my fixed blades and put a mirror finish on the whole thing. Cons to a belt sander: -Requires electricity, for efficiency anyways, it's still sandpaper at the end of the day. -Takes material off the steel at a much faster rate. You'll notice really heavily used knives getting smaller in dimension after awhile. -Creates a lot of fine dust. Wear a respirator mask if your gonna be sharpening a whole bunch of knives. Doesn't matter what type of fine particles it is, it's not good to be breathing in any particulates on the norm. -Noise. Not terribly loud, but it's enough to notice from the next room over or so in a quiet environment. Would I recommend it to others? Yes, as I've purchased one for myself, and four others as gifts for family. Everyone I've introduced it to loves it, makes blade maintenance really easy and fast.
I have the precision adjust, and I love seeing absolutely mirror edges in the microscope, but occasionally I need to sharpen something bigger than a knife, and that's where I am considering the Ken Onion. Especially with the 12,000 & strop belts it would be great. But having the Precision Adjust already, I could finish a knife on there if I ever wanted to anyway. So it's the best of both worlds.
I am a die-hard WSKO\BG user and strop almost everything to a shinny sharp edge. I'm admittedly shocked that both elite sharpeners were that far apart in sharpness testing. Plus the angles should be equal, 20 vs 20 or 17 vs 17. There needs to be a rematch and this time guess who needs to spend a little more time on his blade. Yes the machine is faster but....!
Well at the egde test, when the guy on the left (when watching) cut the cardboard, he drowe the knife into the table, you could here it clear. so ofcause that blade will have a bad day
Nicely done. I tried my new Precision Adjust for the first time last night. Overall it did an excellent job achieving extremely sharp edges on the 2 blades I sharpened. Very easy to set up and use. I found the button to release and turn the blade holder is a little stiff to push. Generally I found it easier to remove the holder, turn and reinsert. At times I was wishing that the Diamond Plates were a little wider. I'm sure I'll get used to them, but I found them a little unstable while pushing. I also wish there were natural stone options.
I think if this would have been a truly fair test y’all would have sharpened at the same bevel angle… and with what was seen in the video the KO worksharp didn’t go to the finest belt that it comes with
I’m pretty sure if a knife is still as sharp after the cutting test as the other one was before it had even cut anything then that sharpener won by a landslide.
I own the ken onion knife and tool sharpener and the precision..and 2 more bench sharpeners...witch one can you watch TV and sharpen knifes while you watch...oh and it also use the diamond stones from the bench sharpener.. PRECISION for the win..but I ain't giving up my onion either . I just bought 6 new belts for it the 12inch and 18 inch 80 grit. I put a 6 inch ceramic on the back of my 800 diamond plate to use in my hapstone holder to use in my precision..
why bother caring so much about the level of sharpness the knife is if you need some sort of precision tool just to see the difference. I'll take the ken onion elite sharpener any day of the week. Plug it in, sharpen my knife in 10 minutes or less and go about my day. Plus did the dude who used the Ken onion sharpener know how to use it? LMAO! I see the boys over at Dutch Bushcraft Knives using the ken onion elite all the time and they get their knives in the mid to low 100's almost every time.
A knife I respect and love, I would never sharpen on any electric sharpener. Simply because it is a poorly controlled process. That said, I realize that an electric sharpener will sharpen a knife well. But once again, poorly controllable! An electric sharpener is the most likely to over-sharpen a knife. I'm currently sharpening with a Precision Adjust Elite sharpener and other manual sharpeners, including Work Sharp GUIDED FIELD SHARPENER.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for being a loyal customer! We really appreciate it. Electric sharpeners do take a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, they can be fantastic for sharpening your knives quickly and effectively. It's great to hear you're enjoying the Precision Adjust Elite and the Guided Field Sharpener. If you ever need any tips or have questions about using our products, just let us know!
Sounds like a good idea for another video. Changing the angle does impact the result, sure but how much? Does a convex 17 and a flat grind 17 really come out the same? What if you have a hollow grind 17? How much did one knife being sharpened free hand the other knife on a rod and clamp system impact the angles? WE NEED ANSWERS!!! 😂 Seriously though, appreciate the feedback. Something to tackle in a future episode.
@@WorkSharpOutdoor You also only went to X22 on the Onion, you need to use the X4 and 12000 to make it fair. One of the Onion benefits is that is can do convexed edges which should help with the retention. You could probably do 15 on the onion and 17 on the precision and come out with the same edge retention.
I really like my precision adjust. Yes it takes awhile to re profile an edge but once you do it on a knife if it doesnt feel as sharp anymore it only takes a few minutes for the knife to be a razor again. I just feel the sanding belts bite of way more material than needed on the ken onion. And also. The satisfaction of getting a razor sharp edge by hand really sells it to me
How long would you say it takes you to go from a 25 to a 20 deg edge? I feel like I can do 100 passes on each side on 320 and it still doesn’t get it all down.
@@BrandenGM i bought the other kit with the extra sharpening stones. The 220 grit really helps get the reprofiling done a bit quicker
@@BrandenGM look up hapstone holder. Gritomatic do you have any more sharpeners? If you have questions I can tell or show what I have built. Using either the 4inch guided field sharpener diamonds or the 6inch guided sharpening system diamonds with the ceramic from the Bench Stone knife sharpener stuck to the back of a 800 grit diamond plate from the guided sharpener.
It might be over kill but now I have options.. small knifes i use the precision stones larger knifes or if I want fast results I use the 4inch or 6 inch hapstone...
Know what I know now.. I wouldn't buy the 4 inch hapstone holder. Nothing wrong with it just the 6inch allows me the use of the ceramic and the leather strop
I can attest to the aggressiveness of the Ken Onion sharpener, I turned a serrated blade into a straight blade with little effort.
this is one of your best videos, guys. Absolutely useful. Have both of these sharpeners. Thank you :)
I would've liked to see them sharpened at the same angle. I think a 15 degree convex would match a 17 degree flat.
Yes totally I agree with you. They did very well but ignored these details which make the difference
Speed (comfort) + Edge Retention the Ken Onion. I’ve got older hands and can do many more times the work with the KO. Also shaping, profiling and sharpening a LEATHER-MAN (and what guy doesn’t have a LEATHER-MAN?) or an AXE…. KO. For shaving I may get an Elite PA. I’ve been using the KO for 2 years now and it still makes me smile. I always offer to sharpen anyone guest to the house, to sharpen their pocket knife.
Excellent content! I have several of your systems. Everything has its strengths and speeds. Would really love to see you guys do a vs video with most of your systems.
Enlightening. Thanks Work Sharp!
Best review by product manufacturer ever!
The only thing I would like to see is material usage during years of sharpening.
A good handle and balanced knife can grow on you during prolonged use.
While production knives keep the same design and are replaced regularly. As quick sharpening is essential.
And I have a strong feeling that manual sharpening with care will win over machines.
Thanks for all the videos, you really know what you're talking about and have some great products.
I swear on 58-60HRC knives and a Ken Onion portable kit.
Every user has his own needs.
Mine is like my avater, catering meat on location. So non electric is a pre. And smoking gives me plenty of time to do maintenance. And I definitely show professional skills to my customers too.
Your total range is simply excellent to cover everyone's needs.
And these videos are the best to find your tools.
Not to mention your companies social contributions.
And products which help the environment against consumer waste.
Greetings from PuraLeña in Spain.
If you added a price category in the scoring, precision adjust would take it, then they would be tied, and the best sharpener would be dependent on what is most important to the person purchasing it...
One reason I bought my precision adjust was cost, and the results I can achieve for money spent are just amazing.
Same here, when I go hunting I'll bring it along to touch up knives during mid-day mostly for something to do. Unless I brought a generator along, I couldn't do that with an electric sharpener.
@@BOOMER-rs5qn to me this is the most important part. A knife is a very useful tool when away from electricity and having to need electricty to shrapen it isnt ideal.
Both of these systems seem amazing. Thank you for giving a head to head test. Is it weird that I find the precision version to be therapeutic? Man I need to get one.
Great video guys! Thanks!
I would love to see a supplemental video, or at least a write-up, on what exact steps and belt/ stone progression you used for each machine.
Great test. It is just natural that a very sharp edge dulls faster than a less sharp edge. If you think about edge retention as amount of usage until you reach unacceptable dullness, I find this test inconclusive. You should decide what is unacceptably dull, and then keep on testing until you reach that same dullness in both knives. If you had done that, the one sharpened on the Precision adjust was in the lead when you stopped....
The whole reason I went with the K.O. Over water stones was the speed while still giving a good edge. In about 45 minutes I get through all my kitchen knives including setup and cleanup.
I have both. I use the precision for my higher end pocket knives and use the other for almost all my chef knives and house knives at work. Both are awesome
I have both sets, and they complement each other well for different purposes.
Having differing angles does change things a bit, but probably minimized with 20CV steel.
Getting 300+ on the Ken Onion after the sharpening seems quite high from my experience. I average just under 200 with that system, depending on the edge angle of course.
I can get sharper with the Precision Adjust, but yeah, it takes much much MUCH longer to get those results.
I use both, especially with new knives that I want to reprofile. Essentially, if I'm sharpening for someone else, the Ken Onion is the way to go. Unless you're fighting some crazy wear resistant steel that's super dull, you're done in minutes. Just remember to fully deburr the blade (I'll run it over a block of wood a couple times in between the fine or super fine belt passes to help with this).
The Precision Adjust is great for getting those instagram edges; all super shiny (especially with lapping films after the ceramic). The V edge it produces feels a little better to me when cutting specifically cardboard and rope, but most other tasks I can't tell much of a difference. I like that I can easily use it wherever I want, including the couch so I can leisurely multitask.
It definitely changes things. It's a flawed experimental design if they are not comparing the same angle.
Awesome test!!!
Incredible the two sharpeners. I would have both for different situations and different knives congratulations very well video
The big difference is the use case also. The onion in the shop is great where we have power but the precision adjust is much better out in the field where power may not be an option.
Are we ever going to get a Ken Onion M2 with some of the improvements from the normal M2? I would love that.
Bought both. Precision adjust for standard beveled edges, KO for convex ones. Hoping the KO will be capable of handling longer convex edges on swords.
I have both and like others have said it’s nice to have the speed of the electric sharpener when I have to do a lot of knives or they’re completely thrashed. But the precision is nice for touch up and when you have a chisel grind it’ll put a wicked edge on my Emerson.
I have 2 questions. 1) as you were doing an edge comparison, why didn't you sharpen both knives to the same angle? 2) by adjusting the pivot 2nd from the top, the KO can achieve a flatter convex grind. How would the flatter convex compared with the other two edges?
This test was so skewed because the angles were different.
Could you also produce stones whit a curved angle so you can make a convex and specialy full convex(like on barkriver) edge's whit the elite adjust?
i own both products and am very happy, the Precision adjust has problems with Full flat grinds and small knives like Swiss army Knives.
The KO Elite has no problems of that sort but has issues with material removal. it quickly ruins a knife if you are not reeeaaaally carefull
Thank you your review. It was very helpful in my decision.
Agreed,i just couldnt get an edge i was truly happy with on the KO,its amazing on garden tools and kitchen knives.I use my precision adjust with venev cerberus plates and get stupidly sharp edges on all my other knives.I also find using the precision very easy and relaxing to use.
just add a blade clamp brace. I have the Venev Dog stones, they're great.
Where did you get your adapter to hold the Venev stones?
Thanks for this video. I use the precision adjust and I really appreciate the result I can get with this tool and with a leather strop after. Can't get your bugout in France, any suggestion ? Regards
Hi, I bought directly and payed the shipping and tax to Spain. And never regretted it. If you really find the product which suits your use best. Then they'll have it.
Both are useful, I like the speed and ease of the electric but sometimes a quick touch up with a manual stone/diamond/steel sharpener out the drawer is handy
A question regarding WorkSharp Precision Adjust.
Some knives have a wider blade, others a narrower one. How do I choose the sharpening angle? The wider the blade, the lower the angle, and the angle on the gradation is no longer the same as the recommended / wanted one. For example, if I put a pioneer victorinox and the zt 308 that has a wider blade, and set the angle to 20 on the gradation, the angle of the file on the blade on both knives is not the same. differs due to the width of the blades.
I am glad you guys did this. I have the Ken Onion but have been very interested in the Precision Adjust. I like that the PA doesn't seem to have as much chance to be off on strokes as I feel like I get off sometimes with my KO. Great review and much appreciated!
Also, how big of a knife can the PA handle? I have a large slicer (for brisket) and am curious if it can handle it.
8 inches
@@WorkSharpOutdoor thank you for the reply! I appreciate it.
Great video. I think both are a great option, but it would have been better if both used the same angle (17 deg). I would have also used the higher polishing belt and strop - you still would have had time for a couple of coffees....
Yeah, I wish to say to him please don't take it too easy in comparison do your best details to make us see the differences clearly.
I would like to see this test done again but with both add ons the precision adjust with the extra stones an the ken onion done with the extra belts
I enjoy the Ken Onion sharpener, but a traditional strop always seems to improve the edge a little more.
Great video Work Sharp 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Have both. Both great.
Hi Guys, thank you for the great videos.
Would you consider showing which of your Sharpeners and at what angle would be best for farriers knives.
There are any way between 20k and 40k of farriers in the USA.
I believe there is a market out here for one of your Sharpeners for us.
Thank you for your consideration. Ron.
Can you sharpen a knife with Scandi-grind on Precision Adjust?
Does the stones on the precision adjust need water or oil?
So how do I know when to replace the belts on my ken onion add on and original
7:50 Forgive my comment, but how is the tool being used to sharpen a function or representation of edge retention as opposed to the type of grind, material and angle??
Don't have the elite KO edition just have the standard KO but the precision elite sharpner I do have and hair splitting sharp and to me worth every penny
What is that microscope? Can you share it, thinking of getting one.
Nice comparison. Question, does the Ken Onion have a stropping band and how many different grits does it come with?
The KO comes with 5 belts and a 6000 grit mico-mesh as its finest belt. It's not necessarily a "strop" but works similarly for honing and touching up edges.
On a full flat like the bugout if you set it to 20 it’s more like 22-25 cause if the flat grind when you put it on the flat pad it’s on a different angle
I really enjoy the Ken onion but I wouldn’t mind a adjust elite
I use a leather strop after sharpening with Ken Onion to achive a mirror-like finish.
Is there a stropping belt that you can purchase for the Ken Onion?
Couldn’t the Ken onion produce the same results as the PA at Ken Onion speeds if it just had a backing plate like a belt sander instead of making the convex edge?
Great video guys but please complete this videos with a safety precaution about fine dust by saying that it's very important to protect your lungs against the devastating effects of fine dust inhaling and always use a dust mask.
Thank you.
Could the slight difference in the angle of the edges have been the cause of the KO being less sharp to start, and also better at keeping its edge better?
clearly...
I don't understand the differences between the powered units at 159 vs 199$. Could you help with those differences?
Where can I get that magnifier??
I think it’s best to have a variety of knife sharpening systems and learn how to use them to the best.
No shit, I literally thought to myself, man I wish worksharp would post another video and what do ya know! Lol
What about the angel difference, 17 vs 20 .
I have both, I find this had to believe but I mean can't really argue with it
Great video. I don't have the Ken onion but I do have the precision adjust for one main reason. I personally buy into the idea that sharpening on any sort of belt sander can heat up the very edge of the blade enough to pull temper out of it.
Hey Tyler, thanks for watching. That is a reservation we have heard before. Probably a subject we should tackle in a future video. For now, just know we have tested extensively on our powered sharpeners and when used correctly, the blade never gets even close to a temperature that would effect the temper.
Excellent review but the test depends on different angles 20 for K O and 17 for complete divine angle set. They did very well but ignored these details which make the difference in all comparison's sides like sharpness edge retention etc.
I suggest to retest them depending on 20 degree angle both. This can make it clear to anyone to choose. The hole test isn't accurate due to the easy thing ( different angles). I can't imagine they did the hard side very well but ignored easy side.
What’s a good sharpener for a benchmade bugout s30v steel & someone who has never sharpened a knife with anything other than a csrbide one I use on bootleg knives? Thanks in advance
Its hard to beat the Precision Adjust for a beginner. The rod and clamp system take the guess work out of what to do and create consistent repeatable results.
@@WorkSharpOutdoor I got the elite edition. Hoping to get a razor edge on my benchmade bugout this week
I own both products. I prefer the Precision Edge, because I can make my knifes razor sharp. Unfortunately, I can't sharpen my kitchen knifes with the Precision Edge, because the blades are >10" in length. Please, come out with newer version of the Precision Edge that handles longer blades.
Thank you your review. It was very helpful in my decision.
I use my ken onion with the tool sharpener attachment to strop my straights. (After market leather strop).
I also use it to hone if required.
I'll never pay for a razor to be sharpened again.
Do you ever have an issue with the magnet part falling out? While making strokes? I've read that in a few reviews but you didn't seem to have an issue though you may have edited the video to not show that?
No issues there. If that does happen our customer service team would make it right.
Technically speaking, the Ken Onion’s edge diminished slower than the Precision Adjust but I still like that the PA kept a sharper edge. I feel like there is a math question out there like “The PA starts sharper but the KO diminishes slower. How long will it take for the knives to equal the same “Best Tester” score” or something.
Also, any idea on how the angles could play a factor into any of the results? 17° vs 20° isn’t a huge difference but over the course of time it could factor in, right?
Ken onion set at 20 on a full flat grind is really like 22-25 degrees depending on the angle of the grind
Edge decay isn't linear. If a knife starts super sharp it will pretty quickly drop to just really sharp, it will then take longer to just be sharp, and even longer again to get to barely sharp. If both edges were identical except one was sharper than the other, the sharper one would always be sharper after theoretically identical use.
Whats the point if one sharpened at 17 and the other at 20?
yes they have to be the same angle, and they didn't use a belt higher than 1000 grit, do the x4 and the 12000 to make it fair
Hola quisira saber cual de las dos maquinas me es util para navajas karambit de dos filos o navajas curvos o concavos gracias
The Ken Onion Elite would do a better job on any knife with a curve, especially a karambit. The belts ability to flex and bend allows it to follow along the edge and maintain factory profiles.
@@WorkSharpOutdoor hola muchas gracias por la respuesta me cabe una duda si no es mucho pedir yo le escribo desde peru y siempre veo sus video a raiz de que en el peru jugamos gallos de combate y utilisamos navajas cuevas con doble filo en ambos lados y mi inquietud era saber si de las dos maquina que presentan cual me recomiendan para compralo para afilar la navaja si no es mucho pedir le podria enviar una foto de dicha navaja para que tengan una idea de la navaja ala que me refiero de ante mano se lo agradeseria
IMO Factory sharp is not sharp enough. I have both the Ken Onion and the Precision sharp. I use the Ken Onion for my Kitchen knives, my machete and ax's. For my personal knives, I use the precision system. I enjoy the process and stress releaf of sharpening my knives. It's relaxing to me.
Right on
I guess sharpening knives for knives lovers is having a good time! So in my personal opinion PA it’s something I enjoy more than KO, although it’s seems that KO it’s a better tool for faster and efficient results, considering both as great sharpening tools
to compare one would have to sharpen to the same sharpening angle, no?
What benchmade knife is that
Rogue Valley resident here, proud of Work Sharp Tools for being a great company with great products! Love my Ken Onion model belt sharpener! Great coffee cup, love to Dutch Bros. another great company founded here in Grants Pass, at the other end of the Valley!!
Thanks, David! Kyle from our videos was a regional manager for DB before coming to Work Sharp. Win Win!
This test doesn't make sense... You need to sharpen to the same angle. And you only went to the X22 (1000 grit) on the Onion. Of course the narrower 17 degree angle that was stropped (precision) is sharper and has better polish, and of course the wider 20, with lower grit grinding, and covexed (which is more like 22 degrees) angle has better edge retention and less mirror polish (onion).
So what is the point of standing around instead of sharpening the knife correctly to get a good score?
I like the belt sander version better personally. With a little patience and enough belts you can put a mirror polish on an edge in a fraction of the time. Plus belts are easier and cheaper to find online or at hardware stores. Anything past 4-5000 grit from my experience is unnecessary for a daily used knife. Not gonna spend the extra time putting a perfect mirror on an heavily abused edc or kitchen knife, just my collectibles. Time is money, amd I don't have time to be setting schedules for knife sharpening. A good system like Ken Onions or really any other belt sander, and I can take a butter knife and put a razor edge on it in 10-15 minutes. Also it's a belt sander, it can do more than just sharpen a knife. Last night I took the flats, spine, tang of one of my fixed blades and put a mirror finish on the whole thing.
Cons to a belt sander:
-Requires electricity, for efficiency anyways, it's still sandpaper at the end of the day.
-Takes material off the steel at a much faster rate. You'll notice really heavily used knives getting smaller in dimension after awhile.
-Creates a lot of fine dust. Wear a respirator mask if your gonna be sharpening a whole bunch of knives. Doesn't matter what type of fine particles it is, it's not good to be breathing in any particulates on the norm.
-Noise. Not terribly loud, but it's enough to notice from the next room over or so in a quiet environment.
Would I recommend it to others? Yes, as I've purchased one for myself, and four others as gifts for family. Everyone I've introduced it to loves it, makes blade maintenance really easy and fast.
The two different sharpening angles 17 and 20 skew the data.
I have the precision adjust, and I love seeing absolutely mirror edges in the microscope, but occasionally I need to sharpen something bigger than a knife, and that's where I am considering the Ken Onion. Especially with the 12,000 & strop belts it would be great. But having the Precision Adjust already, I could finish a knife on there if I ever wanted to anyway. So it's the best of both worlds.
I am a die-hard WSKO\BG user and strop almost everything to a shinny sharp edge. I'm admittedly shocked that both elite sharpeners were that far apart in sharpness testing. Plus the angles should be equal, 20 vs 20 or 17 vs 17. There needs to be a rematch and this time guess who needs to spend a little more time on his blade. Yes the machine is faster but....!
Add another column called therapeutic
That is worth 2 points and give to the precision adjust.
YES! Hard to put a price on the zen mindset of manual sharpening! 🙏😂☮
Well at the egde test, when the guy on the left (when watching) cut the cardboard, he drowe the knife into the table, you could here it clear. so ofcause that blade will have a bad day
3:19 17 vs 20 degrees is going to perform differently. Why didn't you guys design this test so that they were sharpened at the same angle?
Nicely done. I tried my new Precision Adjust for the first time last night. Overall it did an excellent job achieving extremely sharp edges on the 2 blades I sharpened. Very easy to set up and use. I found the button to release and turn the blade holder is a little stiff to push. Generally I found it easier to remove the holder, turn and reinsert. At times I was wishing that the Diamond Plates were a little wider. I'm sure I'll get used to them, but I found them a little unstable while pushing. I also wish there were natural stone options.
if you buy a 1x4 stone adaptor you can use natural stones from KME or Gritomatic or Hapstone.
@@kerryrwac Thanks. I'll check it out
I think if this would have been a truly fair test y’all would have sharpened at the same bevel angle… and with what was seen in the video the KO worksharp didn’t go to the finest belt that it comes with
yup, they only wen to x22 which is 1000 grit, not even the x4, and definitely not the 12000
That versatility category is a draw, due to the different angles you can achieve with the Precision Adjust.
Precision adjust elite vs km2
I think it would have been a fairer compilation if both knives were sharpened at the same angle.
I take from this is that i’ll use my KO to do the donkey work and finish the sharpen with my elite:)
I’m pretty sure if a knife is still as sharp after the cutting test as the other one was before it had even cut anything then that sharpener won by a landslide.
You guys should also start to demo with big knives, and I dont mean kitchen knives.
I own the ken onion knife and tool sharpener and the precision..and 2 more bench sharpeners...witch one can you watch TV and sharpen knifes while you watch...oh and it also use the diamond stones from the bench sharpener..
PRECISION for the win..but I ain't giving up my onion either . I just bought 6 new belts for it the 12inch and 18 inch 80 grit. I put a 6 inch ceramic on the back of my 800 diamond plate to use in my hapstone holder to use in my precision..
Who wants a 1/2 sharpened knife? Of course a thinner{sharper} edge is going to ware faster!
Double edge razor is 55 not 154!, Utility knife is 154
Wish your test was at the same angle.
Thanks for watching. We did! Watch it here: czcams.com/video/3MBVrHa05Oc/video.html
Precision Adjust for the win!!
Ill settle this question .
look at which one has a glaze , and which one does not .
Why wouldn't you sharpen at the same angle!? Let me guess.. gotta make both models look good and win a round
It just worked out that way. We ran it back to solve for that though in the rematch. czcams.com/video/3MBVrHa05Oc/video.html
Clearly Kyle was the winner.
why bother caring so much about the level of sharpness the knife is if you need some sort of precision tool just to see the difference.
I'll take the ken onion elite sharpener any day of the week. Plug it in, sharpen my knife in 10 minutes or less and go about my day.
Plus did the dude who used the Ken onion sharpener know how to use it? LMAO!
I see the boys over at Dutch Bushcraft Knives using the ken onion elite all the time and they get their knives in the mid to low 100's almost every time.
A knife I respect and love, I would never sharpen on any electric sharpener. Simply because it is a poorly controlled process. That said, I realize that an electric sharpener will sharpen a knife well. But once again, poorly controllable! An electric sharpener is the most likely to over-sharpen a knife. I'm currently sharpening with a Precision Adjust Elite sharpener and other manual sharpeners, including Work Sharp GUIDED FIELD SHARPENER.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for being a loyal customer! We really appreciate it. Electric sharpeners do take a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, they can be fantastic for sharpening your knives quickly and effectively. It's great to hear you're enjoying the Precision Adjust Elite and the Guided Field Sharpener. If you ever need any tips or have questions about using our products, just let us know!
Lots of holes in this test
Bullshit comparison, you sharpened one knife with a 17 degree bevel, the other a 20. Apples and Oranges
Sounds like a good idea for another video. Changing the angle does impact the result, sure but how much? Does a convex 17 and a flat grind 17 really come out the same? What if you have a hollow grind 17? How much did one knife being sharpened free hand the other knife on a rod and clamp system impact the angles? WE NEED ANSWERS!!! 😂 Seriously though, appreciate the feedback. Something to tackle in a future episode.
@@WorkSharpOutdoor You also only went to X22 on the Onion, you need to use the X4 and 12000 to make it fair. One of the Onion benefits is that is can do convexed edges which should help with the retention. You could probably do 15 on the onion and 17 on the precision and come out with the same edge retention.
So cutting cardboard and hitting the table doesn’t effect the edge. Your testing was flawed
Hilarious video, just shows kids picking the easy way rather than a superior edge