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KosiM Sharpener Review: Precision and Passion from Ukraine
On my sharpening journey, I've reviewed quite a few different sharpeners. One thing is abundantly clear: Ukraine is a hub for some amazing knife and tool companies. One of these companies that has grabbed my attention is KosiM.
**The Origins of KosiM**
The company started its journey in 2013 while founders Marina and Kostya were still working regular jobs. The young family unknowingly opened a new chapter in their future, although they didn't realize it at the time. They began by purchasing goods from China and experimenting with buying and selling. They named their website KosiM (a blend of their names, Kostya and Marina).
Today, KosiM boasts nearly a complete self-sustaining production cycle for sharpening systems and stones, with plans for further development. They are seeking distributors abroad to overcome language barriers and expedite delivery times for the convenience of their customers.
Since reviewing sharpeners, I get ads for all kinds of systems and occasionally see something new. I recently came across a company from Lithuania called KnifeYouLike. The company has been in the business for a while; before getting into retail, they were engaged in the sale, repair, and sharpening of knives. They transitioned from one business model to another to give customers the opportunity to take care of their knives themselves. Although they offered ceramic rods, many users struggled to achieve good results with them, so that's when they introduced the concept of angle guides.
When it comes to sharpening, there's a myriad of ways to get the job done. There's freehand, fixed angle, motorized, crock sticks, and even pull through. Throughout millennia, man has used many ways to get his gear sharp, and just when you think we've exhausted new ways to get the job done, someone comes up with a fresh idea. One such innovation comes from the folks at Warthog Sharpeners.
Warthog was started with the simple aim of creating a better knife sharpener. They wanted to give people the ability to sharpen their knives to a professional level without having to send them to an expert. They began operating in 1999 and have been manufacturing and exporting high-quality diamond knife sharpeners for more than 20 years. Warthog saw there was nothing on the market that sharpened blades expertly and quickly while still being easy to use. They put their heads together and, in 2000, they designed and manufactured the first V-Sharp sharpener. Warthog proudly manufactures in Garden Route in George, South Africa.
There are many things to consider when looking to purchase a sharpening system: price, ease of use, support, and warranty, to mention a few. When doing your research, one company seems to stand out time and time again: Work Sharp. Work Sharp is well known in the industry, offering many different products to keep things sharp.
Before I get into my review, I'd like to provide a little history lesson. Work Sharp used to be owned by a parent company named Darex. The company was founded in 1973 in Beecher, Illinois. The first three initials of the DAREX name represent three generations of the Bernard family: David, Arthur, and Richard Bernard. David and his father Richard founded Darex. His grandfather Arthur Bernard, who earlier founded the Bernard Welding Company, also contributed to Darex. In 1978, Darex relocated to Ashland, Oregon. In 2012, Matthew Bernard became the fourth-generation family owner of the company. In 2020, Darex Industrial was sold, and the company rebranded to Work Sharp, now completely focused on the consumer market.
The company has been in the abrasives industry for a long time. People all over the world rely on Work Sharp to keep their knives and other gear sharp, whether at home or in the field. A popular tool in the Work Sharp lineup is the Precision Adjust. The Adjust comes in three configurations: the base model called the Adjust, the Adjust Elite, and the Professional. Today, we're checking out the company's Elite model.
When looking for a good, guided angle system there's lots of factors involved. Quality, warranty, support, and price are just a few of the things I look for. One such system that garners my attention, and meets these criteria is Gatco Ultimate Diamond Sharpener. You know I can't review a product without digging into company history, it wouldn't be one of my reviews, right? The company's website claims they've been in business for over two decades, with the company being purchased by Bear and Sons Cutlery November 14, 2016. But that's not the whole truth, thanks to Sal Glesser from Spyderco I've learned some Gatco lore. The original system was invented by Mr. Ray Longbrake back in the late 70's. Called the "Loray" sharpener. Arthur "Lansky" Levine was a distributor of Loray's. Ray and Aruthur had a falling out and Arthur tooled up and created the "Lansky" version. John Anthon was the Sales manager for Lansky. John and Arthur had a falling out and John created GATCO and tooled up his version.
What kind of people would write collect and review multitools? Quite simple really- we are designers and do-ers, outdoors types and indoor types, mechanics, doctors, problem solvers and problem makers. As such, we have, as a world spanning community, put every type, size and version of multitool, multifunction knife, pocket knife and all related products to every test we could manage in as many places and environments as there are.