At CarnivoreWeb.com, we independently review products and outfitters. However, we may earn a commission when you purchase products through links on our site. Read our affiliate policy. Read about how we test products.
With the Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2, you’ll never be dull.
Whether dressing game in the field or prepping ingredients in the kitchen, a sharp knife is essential — not only is it more effective, but it’s also safer. While you can (and should) learn how to sharpen knives by hand (see CARNIVORE Issue 1), motorized sharpeners also have their place, with some particularly useful benefits.
Born of a family business that has spanned four generations, Work Sharp makes a variety of knife and tool sharpeners for use on the benchtop, in the field, and in the kitchen. Their newest benchtop system is the Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2, designed and engineered in partnership with the legendary knife maker Ken Onion, probably best known for inventing the SpeedSafe assisted-opening mechanism for folding knives.
The sharpener is a corded, powered unit that uses flexible abrasive belts to sharpen your knife or tool. Its biggest advantages are precision, consistency, and speed. Precision and consistency go hand in hand with the system, from its sharpening guides to its electronic speed control. The dual sharpening guides are leather-lined and adjustable in half-degree increments from 15 to 30 degrees, to consistently achieve exactly the edge angle you desire. And the new digital speed control provides seven repeatable settings to suit the job at hand.
Notably, because it sharpens with a belt that flexes while removing material, it creates a lovely convex edge that folks covet for their durability and performance. If you have some items on which you wish to maintain a flat grind, this sharpener isn’t for them. But the flexible belt allows you to easily tackle normally tricky tasks like sharpening curved blades and gut hooks. In addition to typical kitchen and carry knives, you can sharpen serrated knives, fillet knives, scissors, axes, pruning shears, and more. Work Sharp includes five belts from extra coarse to extra fine — the company provides recommended speed settings and number of strokes with each belt based on the type of knife or tool. To swap belts, simply rotate the edge guide, then pull up the belt change lever to release tension on the belt.
The sharpening cassette is attached to the side of the handle and motor assembly. It rotates and clicks into three positions — storage, sharpen, and grind mode.
Use sharpen mode, with the angle guide pointing straight up, for most knives. Place the unit on a flat surface, install the appropriate belt, dial in your edge angle, and set the speed control. Hold the handle with your left hand and your knife with your right hand. Place the blade in the guide, leaning gently on the guide. The guides will flex as you add pressure, so don’t go unga bunga on them, just use them to set your blade position. With the heel all the way in, squeeze the trigger to start the belt and pull out steadily at 1-inch per second. Power off when the point reaches the center of the belt, so you don’t round off the tip. Finesse is important — focus on being smooth and maintaining proper positioning and don’t exert pressure; just let the weight of the blade and the sharpener do its work. Follow the instructions on repeating the process and switching sides.
Rotating to grind mode opens up the belt for you to handhold the sharpener on larger tools. Just clamp them down and grind the edge.
The Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2 is a cleverly designed and effective tool. In our testing, it worked efficiently and very well. With our OCD, it took some time to learn how to properly finesse the blade to keep it as perpendicular to the belt as possible while aligned with the angle guides, all with a light touch while moving it smoothly. Definitely start with a practice blade to dial in your technique. Once you do, you’ll make quick work of the sharpening tasks on your to-do list.
Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener Mk.2
MSRP: $200
URL: worksharptools.com
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Carnivore Magazine Issue 6.
Why You Can Trust CARNIVORE
Since its launch, CarnivoreWeb.com has been a trusted authority on hunting, fishing and wild food, delivering expert insight for outdoorsmen who live the field-to-table lifestyle. More than a hunting and fishing site, CarnivoreWeb.com covers the full spectrum of the modern outdoors—from rifles, bows, and fishing gear to cooking, conservation and adventure.
Our contributors are drawn from across the hunting and angling world, including seasoned guides, lifelong hunters, competitive shooters and outdoor writers with decades of field experience. Every review, article and feature is built on firsthand testing, deep research, and an unwavering commitment to accuracy.
Commitment to Journalistic Principles
At CarnivoreWeb.com, upholding journalistic integrity is our top priority. We follow strict editorial standards to ensure all content is accurate, transparent, and unbiased. Our editors and writers operate independently, free from outside influence, advertisers or stakeholders. We adhere to established journalistic codes of ethics, holding ourselves accountable for the information we publish, correcting errors when they occur and disclosing any potential conflicts of interest.
This commitment ensures that our readers can trust CarnivoreWeb.com to provide reliable, honest coverage that helps them make informed decisions—whether selecting gear, honing outdoor skills or preparing wild game.
Find out more about our Editorial Standards and Evaluation Process
