Hapstone R2 Opti Knife Sharpener

love it !

Hapstone vs Tormek I was on the fence about buying the Hapstone system with the Venev stones on account of the price. I’ve used the regular diamond plates so I know how well they work. I am surprised and pleased with the performance of these stones. They provide excellent tactile feedback while using. They have a kind of soft feel and and they work surprisingly fast at removing stock. I found that the progression of grits in this set works very well. By the time I worked through all six of the grits I had a beautiful mirror finish which was really quite stunning on my black Spyderco Manix2 blade with CPM S30V steel. I have also sharpened my S110V Para 2 with equally awesome results. I have found these stones work wonderfully well with the really hard steels. For some reason they do not seem to work quite as well with the softer steels. I have read or heard others say the same thing. The Hapstone system is pretty instinctive to use. It seems well built, and I’m sure I will eventually get most all the jigs and attachments. I am a carpenter by trade, and I am always needing to sharpen knives and chisels. I am a reformed Tormek user. I have always loved my Tormek, but it is a different level of control and in my experience takes a good bit longer to get similar results. Both the Hapstone and the Tormek are messy to use. My main beef with the Tormek is the time it takes and how it changes the angle on the curved tips on most longer knives as you draw it across the stone. It sharpens them fine, it just does not look very good. The Hapstone solves that problem fairly well. It definitely gives me more control and it does not take nearly as long to achieve a good clean consistent edge. The Venev stones on the Hapstone get the job done much faster and, more importantly, with much better control. I can get a perfectly consistent bevel over the entire blade, which looks really nice. The whole idea of guided sharpening is brilliant in its simplicity, and gives you excellent control. I would recommend this system and the Venev stones to anyone who wants to get a super sharp mirror edge. If I ever wear these stones out, I will definitely buy another set. They are a bit pricey, but the results I get easily justify the cost. The Opti system is great, but I have never used any of the other guided systems so I can not make any comparisons. I bought this after comparing it to the KME system which looked to me like it was much more cheaply made. It may be a fine system for the casual user but it did not seem very robust for the price they are asking. I think the Hapstone, while costing a good bit more, is clearly built to last. I will find out. Meanwhile, I have a nice Tormek grinder for sale.

The R2 Opti is working great for large and small knives. It exceeds my expectations. Shipping was quick, packaging phenomenal, and assembly was a breeze. Also, instructions were well written and very clear. I would definitely recommend this sharpener and Gritomatic.