On the Precision Sharpener the angles are set independently per side, and you alternate strokes with the pair of stones to evenly sharpen the edge. Obviously, the big thing is the use of a clamp and dual stones freeing you to sharpen both sides at the same time – saving time and complication of flipping the blade over.

PRO EDGE Adjustable Angle Knife Sharpener, Designed by PRO EDGE Adjustable Angle Knife Sharpener, Designed by

We’ve actually reviewed this kit from Lansky here if you’d like a more detailed breakdown, but the Lansky is an affordable guided rod kit that will get you decent results if you have good technique, but is not without its drawbacks. The bottom of the stone rests in a water trough that keeps the edge of the stone lubricated while it’s turning, which both cleans the stone and cools the item being sharpened (avoiding overheating it and ruining the tempering. All of my newer knives I have managed to maintain the factory angle for the most part but add a mirror finish to each blade. See, there are three basic types of sharpeners – guided angle sharpeners (like this guide will cover), freehand sharpeners (like Japanese water stones) and pull through sharpeners (like your uncle uses on his kitchen knives but all they do is remove tons of metal and create a toothy burr. For quite some time, I have advocated either waterstones, or the Spyderco Sharpmaker for sharpening your knives.

Like to the point where I could not get it sharp by hand, and the entire thing needed to be reprofiled. This guide isn’t going to pick a single “best” knife sharpener because it’s a highly subjective topic – instead we’re going to go over the major players in the quality sharpener market and help you make a more informed decision when you pick one out.

Edge Pro Blade Sharpening Systems - ZANVAK Edge Pro Blade Sharpening Systems - ZANVAK

There’s also no way I am spending that amount of money on the Wicked Edge — and you know when I have trouble justifying it, yeah… so I bought the Edge Pro Apex 4 (the ‘4’ just means it comes with all the things). All of this means that in about a minute I bring back most edges if they are factory, or set by the Apex.

Also, while a Lansky has four slots for angle – 30, 25, 20, and 17 – the KME is infinitely adjustable between 30 and 17 degrees on a sliding scale, so you can get the precise angle you want. KMEis a relatively recent addition to the guided sharpener market, but it’s been gathering a lot of converts lately thanks to some innovations and attractive pricing (depending on your tastes. But really the Worksharp or the Tormec is what you would need to really get closer to factor bevels. Guided angle sharpeners in a lot of cases are glorified jigs, a device that you mount the knife in and can then apply an accurate angle on a stone to the edge bevel of the blade to create a consistent edge.

The Best Knife Sharpener For Your Money The Best Knife Sharpener For Your Money

Developed for my own use on a commercial knife route, I built 100 prototypes and sharpened over 100,000 knives over a 10 year period. It’s an extremely useful device, but one that warrants fully reading the manual and practicing on some of your cheap/ugly knives first.The Edge Pro Apex stones in our wet stone sharpening kits have been custom formulated to free you from messy, gummed-up oil stones. So I tossed away the Spyderco — and I know I have been recommending it for a while so apologies, I am in the same boat. Like the Sharpmaker, the Wicked Edge Go is mostly self-contained: the guide rods and stones fit into slots machined in the body itself. as standard the kit comes in a soft carry bag and the Pro model comes in a blow mould plastic case, both using carry handles, these are a great way to sharpen a knife.