Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

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Mark in PA
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Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Mark in PA »

Hello All,

I have recently purchased the Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener and, I have been asked by some to give my own personal review. I have never done anything like this before, so please excuse my amateurism.

The unit is called a precision adjust because the shaping angle can be adjusted from anywhere from 15 to 30 degrees. There is no set angles. You can dial into anything in between that you desire. From the photos below, you can see that the left side of the chassis is marked with 15, 20, 25, and 30 degree increments while the right side is graduated in 1 degree increments.

Before I go much further I thought it would be a good idea to post the supplied instructions below. I hope that they are legible.
Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Instructions1.jpg
Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Instructions2.jpg
Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Instructions3.jpg
Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Instructions4.jpg
Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Instructions5.jpg
Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Instructions6.jpg
Next, I thought it would be good to post some of my own personal photographs. The below image shows all of the individual components together.
SAM_0827.JPG
The below image is the v-clamp.
SAM_0828.JPG
The below image is the chassis.
SAM_0829.JPG
The below image is the base.
SAM_0830.JPG
I don't seem to be able to attach anymore photos. Not sure if there is a size limitation. I will post a reply to this message and see if I can continue.
Mark in PA
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Mark in PA »

Continued from above.

The below image is the sharpening rod.
SAM_0831.JPG
The below images are of kniv
SAM_0832.JPG
SAM_0834.JPG
es attached.

The first knife I tried to sharpen was an old pocket knife of unknown origin with carbon steel blades. It was dull as could be before I started and I decided to adjust the chassis to put a 25 degree angle on it. I followed the instructions working my way through the grits from coarse to fine and in no time I was able to put a sharp edge on the blade. I did not time myself but it may have taken 15 minutes.

The next knife I tried was a Uncle Henry 168 Walleye fillet knife. This knife proved to be more challenging but I was still able to put a fine edge on it. I decided to put a 20 degree bevel on it and proceeded to start the process. As soon as I started because, of the shallow sharpening angle and the narrow blade, I found that the sharpening rod was hitting the clamp instead of the knife. I was able to readjust the clamp so that it closer to edge of the knife and move on. The next issue I ran into was because the blade was so thin, narrow, and not very rigid, the blade flexed considerably while trying to sharpen. I was able to solve this problem by clamping down the base allowing use of my other hand to hold onto the knife handle to give it stability. The length of the blade was no problem as the sharpening rod had ample length to reach the ends of the blade.
SAM_0835.JPG
I was going to post some photographs of the sharpened blades but, they just come out blurry when I try to take an image that close to the camera. Guess I don't have a good enough camera for that kind of fine detail.

Truth be told, the Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener is very much like the Lanksy guided rod sharpener and those by other names but, I think it has several advantages. The most obvious advantage is being able to dial it into any angle that you desire. When using the Lansky, the guide itself will have some degree of flex to it where this system is rock solid. I also liked how the sharpening rod worked much more smoother because of the positive attachment to the chassis. No slop between the guide rod and the guide. I like that the clamp on the Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener has rubber lining the jaws so that it does not mar the knife blade when clamped down. I understand that you can avoid leaving a mark on your knife blade on the Lansky by using blue painters tape on your knife blade.

One of the problems with these type systems has always been the clamp getting in the way of the sharpening rod and I did run into this problem. Extremely small knives and shallow sharpening angles will persist to create issues.

I've used a Gatco system for several years and was able to put good edges on knives with it. I'm confident that I will be able to put good edges on my knives with the Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener as well. Was I able to tell any real difference between the edges that they put on my blades? I'm not sure. They both put very good edges on the blades.
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OLDE CUTLER
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

Verrrrrrry interesting. I was not familiar with this product and appreciate your review and testing of it.
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Railsplitter »

Thank you for the review, Mark. Seems like a good product.

It's hard to tell from the pics but it looks like the knives when clamped, are only a couple inches above the table. Does the unit need to sit close to the edge of the table to allow the stones and rod to clear the table?
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Mark in PA
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Mark in PA »

The clamp is about 2 3/4" from the table top. I don't think you would want the front of the base anymore than 4" from the end of the table top.
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by cudgee »

Mark, excellent review, nothing amateur about it. ::tu:: Always good to get a review from someone who has tried the product and has no financial allegiance to the product or company. All sharpeners, no matter the cost, have their pros and cons. Thanks again and i'm sure you will sort out any bugs and have a good sharpening unit. :)
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Railsplitter »

Mark in PA wrote: Sun Feb 07, 2021 9:08 pm The clamp is about 2 3/4" from the table top. I don't think you would want the front of the base anymore than 4" from the end of the table top.
Thanks, Mark.
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by jmh58 »

Thank You.. ::handshake:: Excellent review.. I am seriously thinking about one of these units.. Thanks for taking the time and effort here!! ::tu::
John :D
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by kootenay joe »

Good review. Thank you.
I think it is more complex (and likely more expensive) than needed.
There is no need or advantage to being able to adjust sharpening bevel by one degree increments. A sharp edge is what is needed. 17 degrees will not slice differently from 15 degrees, etc. Five degree increments will make some difference but less than this will make no difference to how well a blade will slice or cut.
kj
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Railsplitter »

The leather belt that I wear every day has 5 adjustment holes. I only use 2 of them but I don't mind having the other ones there.

Better to have the increments and not need them than to need them and not have them. This looks like a good tool for 50 bucks.
Rick T.

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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by jmh58 »

So how is this unit working out for ya Mark???
John
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Working Edge »

kootenay joe wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:36 pm Good review. Thank you.
I think it is more complex (and likely more expensive) than needed.
There is no need or advantage to being able to adjust sharpening bevel by one degree increments. A sharp edge is what is needed. 17 degrees will not slice differently from 15 degrees, etc. Five degree increments will make some difference but less than this will make no difference to how well a blade will slice or cut.
kj
I agree that a 2° difference in bevel angle won't really be noticeable slice-wise, but the Precision Adjust feature is very useful when it comes to opting to hone and polish a microbevel.
This feature alone makes this unit a solid value for the dollar, much more so than the other rod-guided rigs [EDIT] at this price point.
The Precision Adjust Sharpener is much more rigid and dimensionally stable than other rod guided systems in its price point, and your chosen angle settings are repeatable, which is another bonus.
The Precision Adjust Sharpener is really handy for quickly creating a very sharp edge with decent polish, without painstaking attention to detail, and if you want to take a bit more time and pay more attention to nuances and detail, you can create an insanely sharp edge, with (again,) repeatable results.
I have not yet used the far-costlier Edge Pro nor Wicked Edge systems, but I'll bet that in order to create an edge of better quality than that produced by the Precision Adjust unit, I'd have to spend the bigger bucks on one of those higher-end sharpeners.
As it is, for an aggressively toothy edge, the Precision Adjust's 600 grit stone is a good point to end off; if you want more polish, end off with the ceramic stone.
You can achieve an even better polish by not sawing back and forth with the ceramic, but instead delicately polishing in one direction, which is part of the nuancing mentioned above.
I hope this helps...!!!
Mark
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by cudgee »

Working Edge wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:50 am
kootenay joe wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:36 pm Good review. Thank you.
I think it is more complex (and likely more expensive) than needed.
There is no need or advantage to being able to adjust sharpening bevel by one degree increments. A sharp edge is what is needed. 17 degrees will not slice differently from 15 degrees, etc. Five degree increments will make some difference but less than this will make no difference to how well a blade will slice or cut.
kj
I agree that a 2° difference in bevel angle won't really be noticeable slice-wise, but the Precision Adjust feature is very useful when it comes to opting to hone and polish a microbevel.
This feature alone makes this unit a solid value for the dollar, much more so than the other rod-guided rigs mentioned in this thread.
The Precision Adjust Sharpener is much more rigid and dimensionally stable than other rod guided systems in its price point, and your chosen angle settings are repeatable, which is another bonus.
The Precision Adjust Sharpener is really handy for quickly creating a very sharp edge with decent polish, without painstaking attention to detail, and if you want to take a bit more time and pay more attention to nuances and detail, you can create an insanely sharp edge, with (again,) repeatable results.
I have not yet used the far-costlier Edge Pro nor Wicked Edge systems, but I'll bet that in order to create an edge of better quality than that produced by the Precision Adjust unit, I'd have to spend the bigger bucks on one of those higher-end sharpeners.
As it is, for an aggressively toothy edge, the Precision Adjust's 600 grit stone is a good point to end off; if you want more polish, end off with the ceramic stone.
You can achieve an even better polish by not sawing back and forth with the ceramic, but instead delicately polishing in one direction, which is part of the nuancing mentioned above.
I hope this helps...!!!
Mark
Thanks for taking the time to give your views. For the price sounds like a good unit. Have a good one. ::tu:: :)
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by kootenay joe »

I have an Edge Pro, paid about $200 for it. What approximately is the cost of your Precision system ?
kj
Mark in PA
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Mark in PA »

I paid $49.95 plus shipping from Amazon.
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by kootenay joe »

Mark in PA wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:19 pm I paid $49.95 plus shipping from Amazon.
Wow. you got a lot of 'tool' for just $50. I doubt that my Edge Pro at $200 is any better at sharpening.
kj
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Working Edge »

I've really been wanting to get my hands on a copy of the Edge Pro; heard so many good things about it, and I love tinkering with good tools, but so far, just have not been able to justify the expense.

I do most of my sharpening freehand on bench stones, but sometimes enjoy using the Precision Adjust unit indoors at the kitchen table, instead of standing at my workbench in my unheated worshop...!!

I also use the Precision Adjust those times when I or my customers want that picture-perfect, dead-uniform, mirror-polished bevel which exceeds what I can accomplish freehand.
Mark
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Ripster »

kootenay joe wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:21 pm
Mark in PA wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:19 pm I paid $49.95 plus shipping from Amazon.
Wow. you got a lot of 'tool' for just $50. I doubt that my Edge Pro at $200 is any better at sharpening.
kj
That sure seems to be a good price,like you Roland, have spent a lot more than 50 bucks. This may be my next sharpening device, like the Lansky ,but think this is my next move.
Mark in Pa, Thank you for taking the time to post all the info ,pics and follow up.
JP
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Mark in PA »

When I checked the price on Amazon, I saw that they are currently out of stock.

I'm not going to try and compare the functionality or ability to more expensive systems but, for the value of what you pay for it, it is hard to beat.

It's kind of like a cheap pair of binoculars I take hunting with me. Now keep in mind that I hunt in woodlands here in Pennsylvania, so it's not quite the same as glassing over very long distances out west. But, I carry a cheap pair of Tasco 8X compact binoculars that cost about $12 or $15. Is there anything all that great about them? Not really and I would not pay much more than what they cost. However, if something happens to them, I haven't lost anything of great value and they are small, light, and easy to carry. For the price, I consider them a great value.
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Working Edge »

Mark in PA wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 4:19 pm When I checked the price on Amazon, I saw that they are currently out of stock.

I'm not going to try and compare the functionality or ability to more expensive systems but, for the value of what you pay for it, it is hard to beat.

It's kind of like a cheap pair of binoculars I take hunting with me. Now keep in mind that I hunt in woodlands here in Pennsylvania, so it's not quite the same as glassing over very long distances out west. But, I carry a cheap pair of Tasco 8X compact binoculars that cost about $12 or $15. Is there anything all that great about them? Not really and I would not pay much more than what they cost. However, if something happens to them, I haven't lost anything of great value and they are small, light, and easy to carry. For the price, I consider them a great value.
Sharpening Supplies' website currently shows the Precision Adjust to be in stock and ready to ship, at $49.95.
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by cudgee »

To those who have the Precision Adjust Sharpener or those who were thinking of purchasing one thought you may find this interesting. It is an interesting experiment to all those who have an interest in sharpening, not done under scientific conditions but still interesting. I am not computer literate enough to copy the link, but someone will be able to. ::tu::

YouTube - Push v's Pull best way to sharpen. Work Sharp Sharpeners.
And they have a follow up after stropping. ::tu:: :)
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Rotten »

Working Edge wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 4:01 pm I've really been wanting to get my hands on a copy of the Edge Pro; heard so many good things about it, and I love tinkering with good tools, but so far, just have not been able to justify the expense.

I do most of my sharpening freehand on bench stones, but sometimes enjoy using the Precision Adjust unit indoors at the kitchen table, instead of standing at my workbench in my unheated worshop...!!

I also use the Precision Adjust those times when I or my customers want that picture-perfect, dead-uniform, mirror-polished bevel which exceeds what I can accomplish freehand.
Mark
Thanks for the great review! I do have a question though. Does the blade holder allow for secure clamping of small blades such as the spey on a Case 6318 stockman, or even smaller blades? If it does is it possible to get to 15° without hitting the blade holder? 15° is by far my preferred angle and the Work Sharp PA is a very interesting system to me for portability but if it can't get to that angle I might have to take a pass.

Also there is a maker who has developed a scissor attachment and other stone holders for the WSPA which are 3d printed and priced to where they would be useful accessories possibly.

I am an Edge Pro user with a lot invested in extra stones and have made successful simple modifications to their small blade holder to allow for sharpening even Case's tiny trappers and stockmen and some even smaller. I love the consistent edge that I am able to achieve with the EP.
Trace
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by cudgee »

Rotten wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:46 pm
Working Edge wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 4:01 pm I've really been wanting to get my hands on a copy of the Edge Pro; heard so many good things about it, and I love tinkering with good tools, but so far, just have not been able to justify the expense.

I do most of my sharpening freehand on bench stones, but sometimes enjoy using the Precision Adjust unit indoors at the kitchen table, instead of standing at my workbench in my unheated worshop...!!

I also use the Precision Adjust those times when I or my customers want that picture-perfect, dead-uniform, mirror-polished bevel which exceeds what I can accomplish freehand.
Mark
Thanks for the great review! I do have a question though. Does the blade holder allow for secure clamping of small blades such as the spey on a Case 6318 stockman, or even smaller blades? If it does is it possible to get to 15° without hitting the blade holder? 15° is by far my preferred angle and the Work Sharp PA is a very interesting system to me for portability but if it can't get to that angle I might have to take a pass.

Also there is a maker who has developed a scissor attachment and other stone holders for the WSPA which are 3d printed and priced to where they would be useful accessories possibly.

I am an Edge Pro user with a lot invested in extra stones and have made successful simple modifications to their small blade holder to allow for sharpening even Case's tiny trappers and stockmen and some even smaller. I love the consistent edge that I am able to achieve with the EP.
Trace, Mark the original poster and reviewer is no longer posting, i PM'd him but got no answer, so i don't think you will hear from him. But they just released some new holders for this sharpener only last week, look it up or there are some on another forum that have a fair bit of knowledge about these and the new clamps. You know where i mean, have a good Thanksgiving day.
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by Rotten »

cudgee wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 6:13 pm
Rotten wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:46 pm
Working Edge wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 4:01 pm I've really been wanting to get my hands on a copy of the Edge Pro; heard so many good things about it, and I love tinkering with good tools, but so far, just have not been able to justify the expense.

I do most of my sharpening freehand on bench stones, but sometimes enjoy using the Precision Adjust unit indoors at the kitchen table, instead of standing at my workbench in my unheated worshop...!!

I also use the Precision Adjust those times when I or my customers want that picture-perfect, dead-uniform, mirror-polished bevel which exceeds what I can accomplish freehand.
Mark
Thanks for the great review! I do have a question though. Does the blade holder allow for secure clamping of small blades such as the spey on a Case 6318 stockman, or even smaller blades? If it does is it possible to get to 15° without hitting the blade holder? 15° is by far my preferred angle and the Work Sharp PA is a very interesting system to me for portability but if it can't get to that angle I might have to take a pass.

Also there is a maker who has developed a scissor attachment and other stone holders for the WSPA which are 3d printed and priced to where they would be useful accessories possibly.

I am an Edge Pro user with a lot invested in extra stones and have made successful simple modifications to their small blade holder to allow for sharpening even Case's tiny trappers and stockmen and some even smaller. I love the consistent edge that I am able to achieve with the EP.
Trace, Mark the original poster and reviewer is no longer posting, i PM'd him but got no answer, so i don't think you will hear from him. But they just released some new holders for this sharpener only last week, look it up or there are some on another forum that have a fair bit of knowledge about these and the new clamps. You know where i mean, have a good Thanksgiving day.
Thanks for the heads up and I did check the other site. Question answered there and the WSPA is definitely not for me.
Trace
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Re: Precision Adjust Knife Sharpener Review

Post by cudgee »

Rotten wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 6:26 pm
cudgee wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 6:13 pm
Rotten wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:46 pm

Thanks for the great review! I do have a question though. Does the blade holder allow for secure clamping of small blades such as the spey on a Case 6318 stockman, or even smaller blades? If it does is it possible to get to 15° without hitting the blade holder? 15° is by far my preferred angle and the Work Sharp PA is a very interesting system to me for portability but if it can't get to that angle I might have to take a pass.

Also there is a maker who has developed a scissor attachment and other stone holders for the WSPA which are 3d printed and priced to where they would be useful accessories possibly.

I am an Edge Pro user with a lot invested in extra stones and have made successful simple modifications to their small blade holder to allow for sharpening even Case's tiny trappers and stockmen and some even smaller. I love the consistent edge that I am able to achieve with the EP.
Trace, Mark the original poster and reviewer is no longer posting, i PM'd him but got no answer, so i don't think you will hear from him. But they just released some new holders for this sharpener only last week, look it up or there are some on another forum that have a fair bit of knowledge about these and the new clamps. You know where i mean, have a good Thanksgiving day.
Thanks for the heads up and I did check the other site. Question answered there and the WSPA is definitely not for me.
Glad i could help. ::tu:: :)
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