Product Review: Water-Cooled Sharpening System

You can sharpen 99% of your tools with the water-cooled sharpening system, creating the exact bevel angle you want.

The system, which combines a powerful motor with a large water cooled stone and an extensive line of tool holding jigs, allows you to accurately sharpen and hone anything from garden shears to the smallest folding pocket knife and from planer blades to drill bits, and everything in between.

Initially, it takes a few minutes to set up the jigs. The base unit comes with an angle tester so you can easily set the jig and support to the angle you want your bevel to be. While it is possible to sharpen freehand with the tool, the jigs allow you to reproduce the exact same bevel angle time after time.

Most tools can be sharpened with just the knife jig and the short tool jig, but the addition of the small knife holder allows you to sharpen any knife, and the gouge jig allows you to sharpen V-tools, bent gouges. It also allows you to sharpen turning gouges.

The knife jig is easy to use and set up, and since the small knife holder fits into the knife jig, it’s also easy to set up. Clamp the knife or holder in the jig (with the knife clamped in the holder if necessary), and use the angle guide to set the position of the universal support. Move the knife back and forth to sharpen the one side, and flip the jig to sharpen the other side. Flip the universal support around, set the angle, and hone the knife with the flat leather wheel.

The short tool jig is just as easy to set up. Clamp the tool in the jig, use the angle guide to set the position of the universal support, and rock the jig back and forth to sharpen the gouge. Reset the support for the leather wheel and polish the edge. Use the shaped leather wheels to polish the inside of the gouge.