Looking for a relatively foolproof knife sharpener

By "foolproof" I mean something that doesn't require a lot of skill on my part to hold the blade at the same angle over and over again. I don't sharpen my knives often enough to build the muscle memory needed to do that properly, so guided would be best.

Other considerations are:

1) I'm willing to spend a bit more to go electric, but manual's fine with me.

2) I don't need to get them to "shave the hair on your arms" or "slice thin paper" sharp. Just basic sharp is good enough. If it can do better than that, then great.

3) Ideally, it would be good for both pocket and kitchen knives, but pocket and general purpose outdoor knives (so, around 25*) is most important.

4) My EDC knife (which goes in my pants coin pocket) is a teeny Opinel, with a 1.5" blade. Extra credit if the sharpener will also work on very small blades.

Final comment: yesterday I spent about an hour online checking out all the options (Chef's Choice, Work Sharp Ken Onion, etc) but finally gave up due to the huge variety. I'm hoping that there will at least some consensus here on where I should head.

TIA

The Edge Pro is a good choice along these lines.
https://www.edgeproinc.com
Easy to use. Does a pretty good job.
If you get one, be sure to get the ceramic hone, too.
It is really a great way to keep knives sharp between sharpenings.

I like the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It's very simple to use, offers two different set angles and will do serrated blades. IMO it works well and is a good piece of gear.

These are the only two options worth considering. Both are simple, fully contained, and have proven designs. The edge pro is more guided and is better for kitchen knives, and the spyderco is the one to get if you have knives with concave shapes. Please don’t subject your blades to an electric machine.

Find someone to do it for you. A good edge will last a while. Add a couple knives to your collection and you'll have enough to manage cutting jobs while others are "in the shop".

Our local place actually accepts mail-ins. And they'll sell you a nice Kikuichi if you want.

https://warrenkitchenandcutlery.com

I’ve been using a Lansky kit to sharpen my knives since 1988. It does everything, from my Wusthof kitchen stuff to my Victorinox tiny pocket knife. Very easy to use for a mere touch-up or a full blown edge restore. About $35.

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Originally Posted by Dave Thompson

I’ve been using a Lansky kit to sharpen my knives since 1988.

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That's about the time my dad bought his. I'm now having flashbacks to him sitting on the fireplace hearth and sharpening his Buck folder, Gerber skinner, and Rapala filleting knives with that Lansky.

I can't offer a recommendation. I've been very happy using ~1k and 5/6k Japanese stones on carbon blades and a Norton 8" 3-way for stainless. I admit I do not sharpen very short or highly irregular blades often. The Spyderco certainly seems to have a dedicated fanbase.

Not sure if this hits your marks, but my wife worked at Crate & Barrel for a long time. As a result, we wound up with lots of Wústof knives in our kitchen, and a handheld Wústof sharpener to boot. It looks pretty much like this (though it's now NLA):

https://www.wusthof.com/products/wus...ner-3059730101

It seems to work well for our kitchen knives. I have an itty bitty Swiss Army knife (you know, the kind the TSA always confiscates). It sharpens that blade just fine.

Mabouya, I really don't understand most of what you said. You don't sharpen your knives??? I thought it was on the core competency test I took when I joined the salon.

Jokes aside, I have used something like the Wustof that smontanaro mentioned and think it does a decent job. You can get to shave your arms sharp if you want. If you never sharped your knives having a pro do it first then maintaining won't be hard. A pro that isn't going to use a machine of course.

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Originally Posted by smontanaro

Not sure if this hits your marks, but my wife worked at Crate & Barrel for a long time. As a result, we wound up with lots of Wústof knives in our kitchen, and a handheld Wústof sharpener to boot. It looks pretty much like this (though it's now NLA):

https://www.wusthof.com/products/wus...ner-3059730101

It seems to work well for our kitchen knives. I have an itty bitty Swiss Army knife (you know, the kind the TSA always confiscates). It sharpens that blade just fine.

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Thanks for the suggestion - one of the things I'm trying to figure out is whether this type of sharpener (pull-through) does a decent job, and based your post, I'm thinking it does. (this type seems to me to be particularly simple to use - just draw the blade through a few times, and you're done)

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...g?v=1635408403

I've used ceramic rods (similar to what Choke said:Spyderco Sharpmaker) for years. So I'd start with that. then add this:


https://www.knivesplus.com/KP-STROP8-STROPBLOCK.html

Wow. A simple hand made in the USA product that has recently changed my knife-life.

The strop is amazing, polishing edges to the level of sharpness that had always eluded me.

Stropping can be used to keep a sharp blade sharp, without taking material away like other systems.

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Originally Posted by Corso

I've used ceramic rods (similar to what Choke said:Spyderco Sharpmaker) for years. So I'd start with that. then add this:


https://www.knivesplus.com/KP-STROP8-STROPBLOCK.html

Wow. A simple hand made in the USA product that has recently changed my knife-life.

The strop is amazing, polishing edges to the level of sharpness that had always eluded me.

Stropping can be used to keep a sharp blade sharp, without taking material away like other systems.

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That’s actually really cool that they have a finished product like this. I had to buy leather strips and prep them myself. The only advantage being that I have a strop with 5 micron chromium for most things, and a strop prepped with 1 micron diamond compound for razors and my yanagiba.

To OP: the pull through thing works to some extent. You won’t be matching your pocket knife angles in all likelihood and I’m not personally confident in its efficacy. But as the previous paragraph shows… I’m not the reference for “easy” or “mindless”.

Well, I just spent some time on a few knife-enthusiast forums, and the bottom line is that for nearly all of those guys suggesting they use a pull-through sharpener would be like telling us here that a $100 Walmart bike really is the thing we should be using.

So, I'm now reconsidering my previous requirements, and am leaning toward a Spyderco Sharpmaker. The main challenge with those is that one has to maintain the blade at a 90* angle relative to the work table, but I suppose it can't be that hard, if so many people are able to do it semi-competently.

https://bladereviews.com/images/spyd...rpmaker-04.jpg

The Wustof pull through is fine. Fast and easy but will take forever to get your blades sharp the first time. Plus there is no setup. Pull out of the drawer, swipe a few times and you're set. I thought of them the same as the Walmart bike comparison but I've seen what they can do and gotten over it.

I have the Spiderco and a round ceramic sharpener and find the round sticks much easier to use. It might be because I've been using the round ones since I was a kid but I think they are more forgiving to the left-right angle of the blade as you pull through.

That link isn't to the one I have so if you choose that route do a little research. I have no idea what brand I have.

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

Thanks for the suggestion - one of the things I'm trying to figure out is whether this type of sharpener (pull-through) does a decent job, and based your post, I'm thinking it does. (this type seems to me to be particularly simple to use - just draw the blade through a few times, and you're done)

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...g?v=1635408403

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I have this very same Wusthof on my counter. I use it for quick touch-ups but it’s not really a sharpener in the sense that you’re looking for.

I use on of these v-shaped sharpeners (originally got it due to America's Test Kitchen recommendation, IIRC) and my knives are 'shaving hair off my forearm' sharp after some basic honing. The key IMO is to learn to hone (angle, pressure, consistency across the blade), get a good one, and do it frequently before the edge totally disintegrates.

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

Thanks for the suggestion - one of the things I'm trying to figure out is whether this type of sharpener (pull-through) does a decent job, and based your post, I'm thinking it does. (this type seems to me to be particularly simple to use - just draw the blade through a few times, and you're done)

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...g?v=1635408403

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I'm a big fan of the work sharp sharpener. I have a spyderco and will take the time with my pocket folder, but struggled to maintain kitchen knives with the same care. I haven't pulled out the spyderco since having the work sharp. I bought my mom one to sharpen her kitchen knives and my brother (a bowhunter) has been 'borrowing' her work sharp for his broadheads instead of using his stones.

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Originally Posted by 32x20

I'm a big fan of the work sharp sharpener

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Which one? They make a whole bunch of different types.

I think the Lansky system recommended upthread is a good one. Youtube channel ProjectFarm did a run through of a few sharpening systems not too long ago, and he had good things to say about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWcTv8Uqesg

I've been using Japanese water stones to sharpen my cooking knives and edc knives (and chisels and plane blades and...). I wouldn't say I'm very proficient at it, but the results are always satisfactory. But the whole kit is such a pain to break out that I find myself avoiding sharpening for too long and wishing for a quicker solution.

I'm actually leaning towards something like the Razor Sharp Edge Making system, which is basically an mdf wheel impregnated silicone carbide grit and another with polishing compound which you install on a bench grinder (ideally a slower one). Looks pretty quick and easy. Clearly, I have no patience, ha.

I have both a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a Work Sharp Precision Adjust (https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/...-adjust-elite/). I also have a variety of strops, though mostly just use a simple paddle strop with green compound unless I'm going for a crazy polished edge for shits and giggles. The strop is a critical tool to maintaining a good working edge so you don't have to sharpen as often.

The Sharpmaker is great for touching up an edge or for use on really small or more complex grinds. Chris Reeve Knives, for examples, recommends a Sharpmaker for dealing with their hollow grind with convex bevel.

The Work Sharp Precision Adjust gives you much of the benefit of more expensive systems for relative little money. I've been really happy with mine. I initially had the original one and recently upgraded to the Elite kit to get some additional grit stones. Tons of adjustability for angle and easy to use. It's far from fancy or pro-level, but gets the job done. Earlier this year I picked up a fairly expensive pocket knife with a fairly hard to sharpen steel (M390) and it was awesome in every way other than one important one. The blade was more of a wedge than a cutting tool. Pretty terrible considering the reputation of the maker. I put it on my Work Sharp and was able to get it hair popping sharp without too much hassle. It took some time, but the Work Sharp was up to the task. On easier to sharpen steels it works like a dream.

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

Which one? They make a whole bunch of different types.

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Good call. I have the 'Mk.1' version of this: https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/...sharpener-mk2/. To Strongin's point, it will put a convex grind on the blade due to the nature of the belt, but it's been working just fine for me.

I recently went through this and couldn't decide. Paralyzed by indecision. So...ended up with DMT whetstones. Typically, though, I'd default to what Matthew Strongin suggests.

send it to Bernal Cutlery and call it good

If you just want something that is razor sharp, take a razor or a mat knife or box opener into the woods. A cutting tool is something different.

IMHO best test of a knife sharpness as a tool is sharpening a wooden pencil. If you can do that cleanly and neatly then the edge is good.

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Originally Posted by 32x20

Good call. I have the 'Mk.1' version of this: https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/...sharpener-mk2/. To Strongin's point, it will put a convex grind on the blade due to the nature of the belt, but it's been working just fine for me.

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Do you have any problems with the Mk.1 scratching the side of your blade? When I first started looking into sharpeners I considered a WS, but found a lot of people saying that would happen (unless you taped the sides). My knives aren't expensive for fancy, but still I don't want to damage them unnecessarily (or have to spend extra time masking the sides).

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Originally Posted by Corso

https://www.knivesplus.com/KP-STROP8-STROPBLOCK.html

Wow. A simple hand made in the USA product that has recently changed my knife-life.

The strop is amazing, polishing edges to the level of sharpness that had always eluded me.

Stropping can be used to keep a sharp blade sharp, without taking material away like other systems.

---

JRE makes the best strop bat that I've ever seen. It has four sides and you can choose which compounds you wanted loaded on it. I've had one for probably 15+ years. https://jreindustries.com/shop/ols/products/strop-bat

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

Well, I just spent some time on a few knife-enthusiast forums, and the bottom line is that for nearly all of those guys suggesting they use a pull-through sharpener would be like telling us here that a $100 Walmart bike really is the thing we should be using.

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I think that the Walmart bike might be the better deal of the two. The problem with a pull through is that you're only using a small section of the rods so it takes forever and they wear out very quickly.

Regarding the Lanksy, I owned one years ago but I sold it. The biggest problem that I found with it (and this would apply to any similar style that holds the blade firm) is that because the blade is clamped in place, the next time that the knife is sharpened it needs to be clamped in exactly the same spot relative to the length and width of the blade and that's nearly impossible to do. If it's not in the same spot then you are making a new bevel since the knife is no longer in the same location as the last time it was sharpened.

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Originally Posted by choke

Regarding the Lanksy, I owned one years ago but I sold it. The biggest problem that I found with it (and this would apply to any similar style that holds the blade firm) is that because the blade is clamped in place, the next time that the knife is sharpened it needs to be clamped in exactly the same spot relative to the length and width of the blade and that's nearly impossible to do. If it's not in the same spot then you are making a new bevel since the knife is no longer in the same location as the last time it was sharpened.

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In that case, wouldn't this be a problem with just about any commonly used sharpening method?

Hold it in a clamp, then you'd want to repeat the location as best you can.

Hold it in your hand, then you're surely not going to sharpen it in a consistent manner - there's no way you hand-eye coordination will be better than a stationary clamp.

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

Do you have any problems with the Mk.1 scratching the side of your blade? When I first started looking into sharpeners I considered a WS, but found a lot of people saying that would happen (unless you taped the sides). My knives aren't expensive for fancy, but still I don't want to damage them unnecessarily (or have to spend extra time masking the sides).

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It does mark the side of the blade some. It doesn’t bother me and I don’t think it’s doing any significant wear. I wonder if felt strips on the guide would prevent it?

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Originally Posted by Mabouya

Hold it in your hand, then you're surely not going to sharpen it in a consistent manner - there's no way you hand-eye coordination will be better than a stationary clamp.

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I think holding an exact angle is a little overrated. Even for knives with sizeable bevels there's more leeway available here than I think bros on the internet will lead you to believe. In my experience hand sharpening, even with lots of practice and a steady hand, results in a very light convex shape. I think this is actually really good for cutting performance. We intentionally do this with japanese single bevel knives by putting pressure on different parts of the blade while sharpening. As long as you can develop a burr, and then strop it off, I don't think you'll be unhappy with the cutting performance of any blade even if the geometry isn't "perfect."

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Originally Posted by choke

Regarding the Lanksy, I owned one years ago but I sold it. The biggest problem that I found with it (and this would apply to any similar style that holds the blade firm) is that because the blade is clamped in place, the next time that the knife is sharpened it needs to be clamped in exactly the same spot relative to the length and width of the blade and that's nearly impossible to do. If it's not in the same spot then you are making a new bevel since the knife is no longer in the same location as the last time it was sharpened.

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Yes, I've noticed that too. The engineering problem of the Lansky and WorkSharp style sharpeners is that the pivot is too close to the blade. As the sharpener swings through its arc the distance changes too much, so the sharpening angle changes a few degrees for a long chef knife. I've thought about taking a Ruixin Pro and mounting it to a board and move the vertical rod farther away.

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Originally Posted by ides1056

send it to Bernal Cutlery and call it good

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I recently ordered an NOS Sabatier from Bernal and received it today. They included a card/voucher for a "free first sharpening". I'm not going to use it, but happy to pass it along to someone here if they will.

late to the party but I'll say what I always do: no matter which system you choose, make sure you have a good old fashioned sharpening steel (and not diamond encrusted either) and use it religiously, maybe not every time you pull out the knife but at least weekly. This will make your true "sharpening" sessions much less frequent and take way less material off the blade itself. Other than that, I think any system that you can get comfortable with and be consistent with is good, but a good diamond whetstone (or japanese water stone) is not that hard to master. Some of the modern stainless steels are tougher to sharpen but they also hold the edge longer and really should not need sharpening more than once or twice a year if you use the sharpening steel (or some other honing device as suggested above) and don't abuse the edge. If you do tend to abuse, switch to a less delicate bevel (think cleaver vs scalpel, axe edge vs razor blade). The little handheld DMT stones are great for the smaller knives btw and even work pretty well on bigger ones if you imitate the lansky technique but freehand (i.e. hold blade still and run stone across at a fixed angle until you get a burr). dmt also sells a lansky-esqe system with a few of the small stones.

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Originally Posted by giordana93

.... make sure you have a good old fashioned sharpening steel .....

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A lot of people use those steels way too hard.
I remember that I gave my mother a very nice Hattori gyuto years ago.
The steel is hard and brittle in those knives.
Later, I found it in the drawer, and it had chips all along the blade. It looked a bit like a bread knife then.
This was from hard use of the sharpening steel.
In my opinion, the lightest touch with a ceramic rod works a lot better to keep your knives sharp.

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Originally Posted by Mark Walberg

A lot of people use those steels way too hard.
I remember that I gave my mother a very nice Hattori gyuto years ago.
The steel is hard and brittle in those knives.
Later, I found it in the drawer, and it had chips all along the blade. It looked a bit like a bread knife then.
This was from hard use of the sharpening steel.
In my opinion, the lightest touch with a ceramic rod works a lot better to keep your knives sharp.

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I have a hard time imagining the kind of technique that would result in chipping a blade with a steel. There's no way you should chip an edge with a proper steel.

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Originally Posted by giordana93

I have a hard time imagining the kind of technique that would result in chipping a blade with a steel. There's no way you should chip an edge with a proper steel.

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The steels that are sometimes coming with knifeblock sets these days have really aggressive serration. I could easily see those knocking the crap out of a thin knife. I think they put them in relatively inexpensive blocks because: those blades are soft so they don’t chip, so they are thick so they don’t roll, and an overly aggressive steel or electric sharpener will make a very light serration that will perform well with little effort for a short period of time. It’s all working together to make something that folks who don’t want to think about knife care will like.

A fine steel is ok, but you’ll have to buy it separate. That said, I still strongly prefer a ceramic hone or a prepared strop.

When we bought one of our Japanese knives in Japan (Aritsugu in Kyoto,) the very nice saleswoman gave us a demonstration of the sorts of things we could not do with the knife because it was for vegetables only. One of them was use a circular steel sharpener. It is an amazing knife. See-thru tomato slices.

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Originally Posted by giordana93

I have a hard time imagining the kind of technique that would result in chipping a blade with a steel. There's no way you should chip an edge with a proper steel.

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The problem is that the steel has a very small diameter and the edge of a high-quality Japanese knife is both very thin and very brittle. The two surfaces meet at a very tiny contact point. It's all about the psi. Even a couple of pounds of pressure is enough to bend the edge of the knife, and pop! a bit of edge disappears.

Well, as we all now know, there's no one perfect solution to this, but I finally ordered a Work Sharp Precision Adjust.

It most likely won't work with my itty-bitty Opinels, but will surely be better than doing nothing for all my others. Thanks to all, who contributed to the thread.

https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/...ife-sharpener/


https://www.worksharptools.com/wp-co...-8-768x768.jpg