KME Precision Knife Sharpener System with 4 Gold Series Diamond Hones - Base Included

I have great admiration for those experts that can "freehand" to perfection. Freehand sharpening knives is a time-honored tradition. However, if (like me) you just can not consistently get the results you want by "feel", this is a great option. Diamond is the best choice for cutting tough material like AUS8 and harder. I chose this guided system with Diamond Plates because I have some experience with other types of "stones", and often find the need to re-profile. Some other sharpener makers do NOT even recommend heavy re-profiling with their device. THE PAST: I liked a triple-sided hone for some steel, especially the mundane kitchen utensils, but I could not correct (re-profile) the finished edges that were uneven/off-center ground. That system is very inexpensive, but the triple stones also seemed too soft for harder steels. I started considering diamond plates. However, I had scratched the coating off my Cryo II by accidentally freehand sharpening it too close to one of the coarser stones on the triple stone. Ugh. This happened in an instant. I started researching all guided sharpeners. I went with the KME gold diamond kit because of the steels used in the higher-end blades are hard to grind, and the sturdy design of the fixture. The fixture angle guesswork (left side/right side) and constant blade re-mounting I saw in other systems are non-issues with a KME. The rotating fixture has a secure, adjustable detent, or "stop" point. It does not wobble. It saves time and guesswork. Oh, man. A TRULY inspired design. Atta boy, KME. NOW: The KME sharpener arrived with some VERY detailed instruction that emphasize what needs to be kept in mind. Just "heed" the instructions. I learned that clamping your knife in the fixture securely, and not having to move (or remove) the knife from the rotatable fixture during the process (like other systems) is a big plus. Huge. If you are not a big reader, BladeForums has a cool pictorial-tutorial written by Moosez45. YouTube has plenty of info about this system, also. The edges shown are fabulous. You can do that. THE NITTY: In some cases, I start with the very aggressive 140 grit to "set" the profile angles that all the other stones work to refine. It doesn't take much work at all. If you desire, adjustments on the fixture allow you to significantly change the bevel angle of a knife with ease. Primary bevels of under 14 degrees (like serious kitchen knives) are "hackable", by flipping the angle guide over. A simple Sharpie line on the bevel you are working is a good guide, and a jewelers loupe is even more revealing. I use the 40x25mm with Led Lighting sold on Amazon for less than three dollars. Once you have experienced about 5 minutes of working this system, your muscles will know enough to get the job done quickly and near effortlessly.This sharpener is very impressive for speed, design and results. The tan-colored diamond "break-in slurry", seen during the first 2 cuts with the Diamond Plates is normal. Scary, but normal. The base is well worth the money, because it fits snugly into the handle/bushing of the fixture. I weighed the options and savings, but I am now sure I could not make a substitute. Saved-up gift cards softened the expense. I purchased an additional Chosera 5000 grit stone to take my edges much closer to a "surgical" glint at the end of the cutting process. The included 1500 grit plate requires just a bit more stropping to "get there" than I care to perform. MANY stones are available for this system. I even used the El Cheapo double-stacked 10000/3000 Sedeta stone, sold by FDS, in the tool holder. With slight adjustments for angle and clamping, even that worked! (5 STARS?) This sharpening device quickly produces excellent edges. Product reviews for other (more expensive) sharpeners are very mixed. The KME design does a good job of preventing damage to edges or finish. (Good for me). It has a very solid feel. It is not rickety plastic. It holds the knife in precise alignment during the entire process. This item is MADE in the U.S.A... a bonus point for that. KME offers custom-fit strops and "exotic" compounds. What I REALLY LIKE: The repeatable, astounding results. Impressive edges are easy and satisfying to attain. I will never again have to rely on "freehand" sharpening. It works great on tougher steels. I am constantly impressed with the results I get using this system. Read more

I began my career sharpening knives at the age of 10....I've got about 40 years of knife sharpening experience to draw from. My professional opinion is that I suck at sharpening knives. That's not subjective...it's easily proven. I don't have Damascus blades handcrafted by some artisan with a cool beard. I have a house full of dull knives...most of which are actually really good quality and pretty pricey. I'm good with my hands, can fix just about anything...sharpening a blade is not witchcraft or voodoo...but for the life of me I just can't get a decent edge on a blade more than about 20% of the time. Long story short, I saw a shootout of knife sharpening systems on YouTube (Project Farm...highly recommend). This was not the "best value" system; I think that was the Lansky or whatever it's called. This was however one of the better systems based on results and construction. I was drawn to the fact that it looked to be better materials and the diamond stones would likely hold up longer than those pink, white and blue stones. Plus parts are readily available directly from the manufacturer. Stones (even diamond ones) are wear items. It arrived so I went straight back to YouTube to watch some starter and tips videos which were great. I set off on my first knife and about 20 minutes later I was an expert knife sharpener. Seriously. It's brain dead simple....I even tried to make it more complicated by using an angle finder and stuff.....it's idiot proof if you spend a few minutes to understand how it works and how to set it up. I've whipped about 5 knives so far and they are all hair shaving sharp (I should post a picture of my poor arm that looks like I have mange or something). I can still count to ten without using my toes yet. The stones look like they are going to hold up for a while. The only thing that I could possibly nitpick is that the base does not appear to fit into the case. I can probably pull some foam out and make it fit. The selection of grits is pretty much perfect to shape/repair and then get the scratches out on the way to refining it. Now you can get a really sharp edge with just what is in the kit, but a strop really puts the finishing touches on it. I got one of those cheapy ones from Amazon with green and white polish. Seems to work well. This is one of those tools that you buy that you expect to be around for a long time and more importantly it actually does what it's supposed to do. How many things have you bought where it kinda sorta does it about half the time? This ain't one of those things. It works, its repeatable, and more importantly it makes all of the things that I sharpen with it better. Highly recommend this product. Read more