Dad always said "There is nothing more dangerous than a dull knife." You push or pull too hard and then it happens, the knife slips and you cut yourself. I’ve been a knife collector for years. I started my collection with a Kershaw Folding knife more than 40 years ago. I still have it. Today, I have dozens of knives from small pocket folding knives to large bowie knives. Not to mention my entire kitchen cutlery collection. I use all of my knives every day. I’ve struggled with keeping them all sharp. I’ve tried everything from Diamond encrusted hand held sharpeners to Arkansas whetstones, all with varying degrees of success. But when I really wanted a sharp knife, I loaded up my car and drove up to see my good friend and custom knife maker, Chuck Stapel. Using a professional motorized belt driven knife grinder/sharpener, Chuck gets them razor sharp, every time.
Recently I picked up a new sharpener made by the folks at Darex called the Work Sharp KTS (Knife and Tool Sharpener). It’s a compact hand held electronic belt sharpener that takes care of the knife sharpening duties with little effort. I was skeptical at first but after using the Work Sharp KTS to sharpen my German 12" chef’s knife, I was hooked. After dealing with the chef’s knife, I proceeded to sharpen everything in the kitchen knife drawer ...in about 7 minutes. This devise is amazing. It really does the job, and on all kinds of knives, big and small. Serrated knives too! It’s so easy to use. It comes complete with sharpening guides that ensure the knife you are about to sharpen, is held at the correct angle. And it takes charge for the sharpening of other types of cutting devises. I tried it on an old pair of my grandmother’s scissors. It brought them back to life in a matter of moment. Remove the sharpening guides and use the Work Sharp KTS to sharpen other tools in the garage or work shop. I tried it on my machete, garden pruners, axes, picks and even the post-hole digger. It’s perfect for the Texas outdoorsman who needs to keep his skinning and fillet knives sharp. It works on any tool that requires an edge.
The Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener (KTS) is an electronic belt sharperner that works on any blade. Photo: Darex
The Work Sharp KTS comes with 3 different flexible belt grits to exact perfect sharpening on all your knives and tools so that you’re sure to get the best edge possible. It also arrives with a handy DVD instructional disk, which I highly recommend you review before pressing the Work Sharp KTS into service. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked and you won’t be able to stop. Everything in your home or work space is going to get a new sharp edge.
Just arriving in stores and online October 2012 is the new Work Sharp Field Kit, the complete sharpening package for home and the field. The Field Kit includes a power Knife & Tool Sharpener, Honing Rod, Tote and Abrasive kit.
For more information on the Work Sharp KTS or any of their other fine sharpening products, visit their website, www.worksharptools.com.
