The worksharp is a great tool if used properly. You can't just let it run and drop in the blade. The blade must be in the slot first. Also power must be turned off before hittiing the tip.

I'm curious too about the Worksharp Paul Onion version. I pick up used blades at shows and sales and it would be much cleaner to start the blade on the Worksharp and finish on a Lansky or similar diamond stone graduated down to a finer whet.

The Spyderco Sharpmaker is about the best I've found that doesn't require much skill. It's fairly easy to get great results. It helps to purchase the diamond and ultra fine rods but they aren't necessary.

You can get a knife shaving sharp with the Work Sharp Ken Onion very quickly, it comes with 5 belts ranging from Extra Course to Extra Fine and you can infinitely adjust the edge angle and adjust the belt speed. I can sharpen 20 knives in about 30 min and all will pop hairs.

A word of caution, don't pull the knife all the way off the belt or it will round the tip off. When the tip gets to the middle of the belt, lift straight up. Also, don't run it too fast, you'll overheat the blade, especially the tip, and loose its temper.

I have no problems at all using the worksharp on all my custom knives.

It's easy not to round off the tip. You just keep the knife LEVEL through the entire sharpening cycle. For some reason, people want to dip down the tip to the curve of the blade. That is not necessary to sharpen the blade to the tip. Just keep it level and pressure against the degree guide for the entire pull through the worksharp. It will sharpen to the tip without dipping the blade down. If you dip down at the curve it will round off the tip of the blade. They explain this clearly in the video instructions.

For those of you that think this is wrong to use on a custom knife, your kidding yourself if you think your custom knife was stone sharpened. It was sharpened on a belt very similar to the worksharp, just bigger and more expensive.

I run the wicked edge and it's amazing

Another WorkSharp vote here... I just got this a few weeks ago. It works great!

https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-Knife-...&dpSrc=srch

I have a work sharp and I ruined a few knives before retiring it for use on my machete and big stainless trotline hooks. It is awesome for those.....not knives with my hands.
I have had a chef's choice 3 slot diamond for 10 years now. I can get a knife to shave pretty easy with it. The edge doesn't last forever but a few swipes and it's rt back. I am not a stone guy but I know a few guys that can use them well. I just don't have the patience. I clean a lot of fish. I have a box full of quality knives and I just keep them all sharp with the Chefs choice. When one gets a little dull I just grab another.

That is correct, I love my Ken Onion.

I have a collection of sharpeners and knives and they all serve their own purpose. Have the Work Sharp, Chef's Choice, Lansky, all sorts of stones, etc etc and about to set up a scary sharp system for a few of my blades.....as a kid I learned on a stone and never thought I'd go electric but glad I did. I too heard all the bad stories about the Work Sharp until I bought one and followed the instructions, works like a charm for a bunch of my blades and never had a problem rounding off a tip. Some good advice given above. The edge it puts on holds up VERY well & I use on most of my hunting knives, I still like using stones on my shorter skinning knives though. The Chef's Choice is handy and quick but won't fit my thicker blades. Works great on my small pocket knives, kitchen knives, and all my filet knives that I use for fish, de-boning, and meat processing. Also handy to have when I'm cleaning a bunch of pigs and need to re-sharpen fast. The only time I use the Lansky is when I am forming or re-forming and exact angle on a blade, but haven't used since I bought the Work Sharp. Wet stones, diamond stones, ceramics etc are always around in my knife box (in truck) for quick touch ups in the field. The scary sharp system is specifically for my bushcraft knives. I bought a Havalon just for doing euro's a year ago and still haven't taken it out of the package lol, but I'm about to.

A sharpening stone and a leather strop. Old school simplicity.

I love my Work sharp Ken Onion.. I HATE sharpening knives
I do not see it as a "labor of love"
Have sharpened so many damned knives I will just set aside one that got dull and use a sharp one..
And then knock out several at a time to shaving hair with the Work Sharp..

Been using the Havalon the last two seasons, love the conveniance but prefer to use a "real knife" sometimes (this is for cleaning deer/hogs)

Doubled sided diamond stone from mooremaker knives. Works excellent and is part of my everyday carry.