In an earlier post on the work sharp 3000 you suggested the  Veritas® Mk.II Power Sharpening System. Could you elaborate a little on why you like it over the work sharp?

I have an ANCIENT (spelled older than Ralph or dirt, whichever came first) Veritas sharpening system.

It still accepts the discs in different grits, the mounting plates, and guides that are sold for the new MK1 and MK2 that are sold now.

It also has a slow speed grinder built in with a water bowl and it is made out of cast iron.

I also have a baldor slow speed grinder with 2 grit wheels.

And angle finders, guides for bevels, guides for bigger chisels and blades (slicks and jack planes and smoothing planes)

And Veritas guides and hand held files for all scraping tool sharpening.

I can take a fully hammered chisel and bring it back to new in about 20 minutes (plus time for cooling)

I've used both the Worksharp (got one last year for my friend john) and the MK (another friend I had to show how to use it) and have a different opinion of each of them.

The Worksharp has all the bells and whistles for the beginner, including the chisel guide built in to the machine.

It also has 13 "accessories" (spelled should have been included) for it.

The MK1&2 has a few "accessories" (spelled should have been included) for it but is mostly just for chisel/knife sharpening (and by the way, if you don't know what your doing, has a longer learning curve, especially with knives).

OK, It's the first time I'm going to try this, Let's list the pros and cons.

CONS.

Worksharp1, 2,3000

Slotted disk paper allows you to see but wears out REALLY QUICK!!

No guide for finer sharpening until you get to the 3000, and pay extra for the guide.

You will need to buy those "Extra" plates to mount the paper on unless you want to drive yourself nuts changing grits all the time.

And those extras for knife sharpening and such are a pretty penny.

You'll need paper, lots of it, and expensive.

Chisel guide built into machine is not adjustable (yes, there are different angles for different chisels).

No grinding wheel for hollow grinding.

Need extra guide for knife, plane blade, knife sharpening.

Cost to run will be more than MK just because you pay for learning how to do it.

MK1 & 2

Not for the beginner

More expensive for disks and paper

Guides are more expense.

Limited to chisels and plane blades.

No hollow grinding wheel

PROS

Worksharp system

Easier for a beginner to put a relatively decent edge on a chisel.

Lots of accessories to play with (and pay for).

Ability to do a lot more than the MK.

Cost about 520.00 after you buy the extra sanding grits, plates and guides.

MK

Made for experienced woodworkers who know how to sharpen to a keen edge or how to hollow ground a blade.

Made for touching up chisels and planes, not grinding them to try to get the chip out caused by the nail you tried to cut with the chisel.

Made for the woodworker with more knowledge of blade angles and what they need.

Comes with a guide for easily resetable angles and greater speed when changing grits.

With more plates and finer grits it becomes a very fast unit.

Cost about the same after you buy the extra sanding grits, plates and guides.

While the Worksharp is more beginner friendly, the MK is more professional friendly in that it doesn’t have any of the extra’s to get in the way.

And there are a few “inset “ tables people have built that can make both of them more user friendly.

If your just starting and have a bunch of no name or Stanley/craftsman/Marples chisels that you’ve used on 2x4’s and sheetrock and nails and such want a almost foolproof way to put an edge on them, the Worksharp makes a great starter kit.

If you have expensive chisels, Sorby, old GIMix, old buck bros/witherby/etc. And are using them for carving, plug smoothing, ETC. the MK2 will make you store your water stones away.

In My Honest Opinion,

Sincerely,

Mike Dragon1

Home Improvement Sentinel

As a former meat cutter I appreciate sharp knives, as a current woodworker I also appreciate sharp tools. Been keeping my eyes on discussions on the WS3000 on a few different sites for the last year or so. Went to Milwaukee to pick up the daughter Wed., stopped at Sears and dropped the $200 on the WS 3000. Sharpened 4 chisels Wed. night, and just for giggles, I freehand sharpened my pocket knife on it also. As far as I'm concerned, if you can shave your arm with a tool, it's sharp, well my left arm is now bald, as in no hair. Friday I sharpened a few plane blades that were severely dull, (picked them up at a rummage sale this summer) since my left arm was bald, I decided to make my right arm match, which it does after sharpening the plane blades. As Mike said it does go through the sanding disc's quite quickly, however, what can you expect when some tools have been neglected. If I keep on top of things, and touch the tools up before they get to dull, it won't take much to touch them up. Did not try to sharpen our good kitchen knives by freehanding them on the 3000, I see they offer an attachment for that, which will be ordered tomorrow! Don't know anything about the Veritas system so I can't comment on that, I would deffinately recommend the 3000 to anyone, and would not hesitate to purchase another if mine would ever disappear/break/get stolen/ etc.

Hey Kenny, have you ever tried sharpening a chisel all the way down to diamond rouge with a hollow grind on the chisel?

That chisel would go through the hair and directly into the skin like a scalpel!!