Experimenting with Work Sharp WSKTS and straights

[ps49556n]

If you haven't heard of the Work Sharp WSKTS, please look it up....the product is essentially a handheld belt sander/grinder (depending on the grit used) that is designed to be a professional-level sharpening tool emphasizing results and speed. This product is excellent for sharpening everything and up until today I had been very curious to see if it would be useful with straight razors. I am pleased to report that it works INCREDIBLY well with straights and is very quick. Earlier today I had been trying to perform an initial bevel setting and sharpening of a Clauss USMC that was NOS but had minor rust that needed removal. After that light work was completed I worked on the initial sharpening for an hour or two but noticed that the spine was uneven, causing the bevel to be uneven and non-existant in some areas.

A few weeks ago when I first got the WSKTS unit I ordered additional belts in various grits, up to 12,000. Starting at 1,500 => 2,500 => 4,000 => 6,000 => 8,000 => 12,000. I followed the 12,000 with about 3 minutes of stroping on latigo and the results blew me away....my criteria for "shave ready" is its ability to shave my face as-is, meaning no prep, literally putting the fresh blade to an area of my face and shaving hairs. The Clauss shaved the 3 day old whiskers so well I can say honestly i've never had such good results. Please see photos and ask questions if anything is unclear.

 

[Seraphim]

That's crazier than using lapping films!




Congrats!

 

[Doc226]

***

 

[ps49556n]

Hi Seraphim,

Lapping films still are the best value and work very well in my opinion...I still plan on using them but I am very pleased that this gadget works on razors too.

That's crazier than using lapping films!




Congrats!

 

[ladykate]

Do you have a picture of how you held it in the machine? I'm assuming you didn't use the attachments but...

 

[Puerco]

That's crazier than using lapping films!




Congrats!

+1

It looks like a very small bevel, did you lift the spine or did you keep it on the belt?

 

[Kentos]

Its a joke right?

If not, you have some mad skills with that contraption there.

 

[ps49556n]

Kentos: This is certainly not a joke...to be honest this really does not require much skill at all. Please take a look at the photo below that shows the contact points.

Puerco: Most bevels that I have seen are around this size shown in the forst post or smaller...No I didn't lift the spine, all I did was lay the blade flat on the belt and apply firm pressure and pull towards me. The spine controls the angle like it would using a stone or film.

ladykate: Photos below. No, I didn't use any attachments.

I used a razor with a wedge in the photos only because it was around...I am fairly certain that you wouldn't want to sharpen a wedge with this tool for obvious reasons....

 

[Walter Sobchak]

Interesting. Nice pics.

The Work Sharp looks really good for knives (although I still use stones), but I would never have dared with any of my straights.

 

[Kentos]

That's pretty good dude. If you can perfect it you might put all the honemeisters out of business.


How long did it take?

 

[ps49556n]

Kentos: Total time including stropping was no more than 15 min. Each different grit consisted of about 10-15 seconds of belt contact per side. I have a few more straights that I am going to work on tonight and I suspect they will be rather fast.

 

[Wid]

I like that gizmo. Just might pick one up for my knives.

 

[ps49556n]

Interesting. Nice pics.

The Work Sharp looks really good for knives (although I still use stones), but I would never have dared with any of my straights.

For knives the work sharp offers a few major advantages over a stone system:

1.) Extremely consistent, especially using the guide. Even without the guide the results are very consistent. Even the best "honemeister" can have trouble holding an EXACT angle on a stone.
2.) Convex edge...I am no expert on the specifics of blade design but from my simple understanding, convex edges increase durability. Please feel free to correct me with facts on edges.
3.) Speed...

 

[Doc226]

Where did you get the 8000 and 12000 belts

 

[Kentos]

I wonder if you can grind a Kamisori profile with that?

 

[ps49556n]

Where did you get the 8000 and 12000 belts

http://micro-surface.com/ You could also make your own, the size is 12" x 0.5"

I wonder if you can grind a Kamisori profile with that?

Aren't kamisori razors essentially a wedge on one side? I havent used one for a while but I used to have a tosuke and from what I remember it was not concave. I really have very little experience with wedges and kamisoris so I cannot answer your question honestly....

 

[Kentos]

I guess what I was wondering is does it have enough power for stock removal? Both sides of the Kamisori are hollow ground, but with different radiuses.

 

[Puerco]

Amazing, simply amazing. Great find!

There is a club here, the "banned for life on that other forum club", I'm sure posting this on that other forum will earn you a lifetime membership of this club

 

[ps49556n]

I guess what I was wondering is does it have enough power for stock removal? Both sides of the Kamisori are hollow ground, but with different radiuses.

It definitely has the power to remove large amounts of metal...the mfg advertises this product for sharpening lawnmower blades and other large tools. The grit of the abrasive belt is what does most of the work.

 

[honed]

I've heard mixed reviews about the Work Sharp.
Some friends saw it at the BLADE show & didn't like it at all, others loved it.

In any case it isn't that far from a "regular" belt-sander & people who are good with these can put a literally shaving edge on a knife within minutes.
So no reason it wouldn't work on a razor. And you obviously have both knowledge & skills how to use it properly.

Personally I can see problems with the convexing that occurs, not on the initial edge but in the long run, especially if you at some point want to hone it using only stones.
My dream machine would also have a flat platen to work against.
But that is just me...

Thanks a lot for sharing & please keep us updated!