The right angle for users to learn freehand sharpening.

If you’ve given a hand to freehand sharpening, you’ve likely come across Alex Garland’s YouTube channel—Outdoors55. Building a niche in keeping folks sharp on proper bench stone usage, he has become the go-to resource for many acquiring or honing the skill. His talents haven’t gone unnoticed. Work Sharp has collaborated with Garland to create the OD55 Series Dual Grit Diamond Sharpening Stone and Base.

Starting from the bottom up, the core of the system is a cast aluminum base, designed not simply to hold the stone fast, but also to give sharpeners a clear workspace to sharpen blades. Work Sharp accomplishes this by elevating the base’s surface, allowing plenty of hand clearance so users can achieve a more consistent angle and pressure on each pass. This clears a big hurdle many struggle with when first endeavoring to learn the skill.

Next, the company designed the base as an open platform; that is, the base accommodates any standard 3-by-8-inch stones as well as smaller 1-by-6-inch formats. This is a nice touch, allowing more versatility and allowing it to adjust to personal sharpening systems, not simply cast users into a new one.

Finally, the system comes with Work Sharp’s dual-grit diamond plate, with coarse and fine abrasive options. Further, OD55 incorporates removable magnetic angle guides set at 15, 17, and 20 degrees. The great part of this, for freehand sharpening beginners, is that it helps build muscle memory of the appropriate angles before attempting to wrestle with the angles unguided.

The system is a solid starting point for novices and a worthwhile addition to veteran sharpeners’ workbenches. And with an MSRP of $140, it doesn’t break the bank.

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