Fixed angle knife sharpener

[ElPollo]

Got a Sharpal 202h fixed angle knife sharpener for Xmas this year and have used it now for a half dozen knives or so. Really like it. It’s inexpensive compared to the KME, WorkSharp, and other options. The diamond hones are good quality and are inexpensive to replace. It comes with 220, 325, 600, and 1000 grit diamond hones, 3000 and 6000 grit whetstones and a leather strop which I have not used. Prefer to use my own strop with diamond compound and traditional whetstones won’t cut some of the steels I use. I have used the kit on knives ranging from carbon steel and 12c27 up to MagnaCut and M398 with no issues. It’s pretty easy to use, consistent and repeatable. I used it yesterday to reprofile a larger scandi-grind knife and it worked slick as snot. The coarse diamond hones take off material well for this kind of work and the 600 & 1000 grits leaves a nice smooth edge that can be stropped nicely.

I only have two minor negative comments. First the knives are clamped at a slight upward angle compared to the base as opposed to flat horizontal. This means you have to do a little math to double check your angles if you are using a magnetic angle cube. That is something I can deal with. Second, the case for the sharpener is nice but is about twice as big as it needs to be.

If you are looking to get into a fixed angle system, but have not wanted to drop $300-400. This is a really good option.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0FS7ZPGCV?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[nm.otter]

I bought one on a BF deal at $144 and have been impressed so far.

Added a tube of this for the strop.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

That Amazon price is nearly double a Worksharp.

 

[ElPollo]

That Amazon price is nearly double a Worksharp.

The Sharpal is a better system than any of the comparable WorkSharp models that come close to it. The $69 basic version will do a good job on pocket knives but taps out on anything bigger. Give this Sharpal a look and compare them. It’s got a lot more bang for the buck.

 

[RWT]

thanks for the information. Looks like a decent system. Not sure I am pitching my WS as it appears to involve less math and if faster to deploy. I am sharpening challenged.

 

[ElPollo]

thanks for the information. Looks like a decent system. Not sure I am pitching my WS as it appears to involve less math and if faster to deploy. I am sharpening challenged.

So most of these systems have an angle gauge on them and so does this one. The issue is that it really doesn’t mean anything and varies by how wide your blade is, how you clamp the blade, and ultimately how far the edge is from the clamps. The Sharpal system has two of those gauges set for different distance from your clamps and has handy measurement markers on all of the hones. Which makes it quick and easy to be repeatable. But if you want to check your angles with an angle cube, it does require a little simple math. That’s the only critique I have for this system. That said if all you are doing is small pocket knives of about 3” or less the simple WorkSharp will definitely do what you need for less.

 

[nm.otter]

I did a partial regrind on couple of cleavers and my 10" chef's knife the other day. Took a minute to get everything clamped straight and a bit of patience, but worked great. Pile of shavings on the counter afterwards, but sharp!