A knife’s ability to do what you want it to in the best way possible relies on how sharp the blade is.
The most common way to sharpen a knife’s blade is with a knife sharpener.
We will review five of the best knife sharpener options currently on the market by explaining their features and pointing out their pros and cons.
Comparison Chart
Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener for Straight and Serrated Knives Diamond Abrasives Patented Sharpening System Made in USA, 3-Stage, Gray
Best Knife Sharpener Reviews
Chef’s Choice 15 Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener
Chef’s Choice is one of the best-known brands in the world of kitchen countertop appliances, and within that range are knife sharpeners. The one we are reviewing is their Trizor 15 electric sharpener, which uses a three-stage sharpening process, and is suitable for sharpening all types of knives.
Review
The first thing to say about the Trizor 15 knife sharpener is how easy it is to use. There are spring guides to make adjustments and control the sharpening angle to exactly how you wish it to be. It uses a simple on/off switch to start it; there are no other controls you need to concern yourself with.
This knife sharpener is suitable for either straight-edged or serrated blades and will sharpen both types equally well. The 15-degree edges allow users to take the edges of their knives, which are usually manufactured to 20 degrees, and convert them to an even sharper angle.
This is just one of the many sharpening options you have. It highlights the diversity of uses this Chef’s Choice knife sharpener gives you. Other options include double and triple bevels, sharpening on a single side, and crisis cross sharpening.
You will see the three slots on the sharpener, and you won’t be surprised to learn that each slot relates to one of the three stages of the sharpening process. Stages one and two sharpen and hone the blade’s edge; these are achieved using 100% diamond abrasives. The third stage is the finishing stage, which polishes the blade, and as such, it will help increase the life span of any blade which is sharpened.
We should also mention that this knife sharpener can sharpen a wide variety of knives and implements. Some examples include chef’s knives, hunting knives, bread knives, survival knives, pocket knives, and other items such as scissors, axes, and machetes.
Pros
- Extremely easy to use
- Spring guides for better control
- 100% diamond abrasives
- 3-stage sharpening process
- Can sharpen a variety of blade types
Cons
- Rather loud when in use
- Creates a lot of metal shaving
Edge Pro Apex 4 Knife Sharpening System
Suppose you are looking for a knife sharpener close to a professional sharpening system. In that case, we’re sure you will be interested in the Edge Pro Apex 4 Kit. This comes with a diverse range of sharpening options, so if you have a fair-sized collection of knives, this may the answer.
Review
The Apex 4 kit is a patented system that is primarily used to sharpen knives, but it can also be used for other items. This is the top version of the system which has more basic versions numbered Kit 1, Kit 2, and Kit 3. With Kit 4, you have the maximum number of sharpening options, and more significantly, additional grades of polishing tapes.
The kit has just about everything you need. First, there’s the clamp, which holds any item you are sharpening. Other useful accessories include a water bottle, a towel, a DVD with instructions, plus one of our favorites is the carry bag. You can store everything and take the kit wherever you wish to use it.
You have five different sharpening stones classified as 120, 220, 400, 600, and 1000 grit levels that allow for coarse to ultra-fine sharpening and finishing. Also, you receive two polishing tapes rated as 2,000 and 3,000 grit polish. The 8-inch 1200 ceramic hone comes as an additional item.
Unlike many other knife sharpening options, which allow for two or three grades of sharpening and finishing, the Apex 4 kit, has at least eight, giving you the maximum choice of how you finish your blades.
Another feature of the system is that the amount of debris such as metal scraping is minimal compared to other sharpeners; not only is there less mess, the lifetime of any knife you sharpen with it is enhanced.
Pros
- Comprehensive sharpening system
- Multiple finishing options
- Excellent instruction DVD and manual
- Several accessories included
- Comes with carrying bag
Cons
- Not the cheapest option
- Suction cups not suitable for every surface
Smith’s Tri-6 Arkansas Tri-Hone Sharpening Stones System
Not everyone looking for a knife sharpener wants one powered by electricity, nor one with a reasonably sized learning curve. Instead, they want as simple a solution as possible. With the Smith Tri-6 Sharpening stones system, they have it, with one of the simplest knife sharpening options you can buy.
Review
We will be upfront and tell anyone considering this knife sharpener from Smith’s that they will need to use a bit of elbow grease to use it. This doesn’t plug into a power socket, and you sharpen your knives by moving them back and forth across the stone.
If you are OK with that, what you have is a straightforward but highly effective means of sharpening knives and other bladed products, such as scissors, axes, and machetes.
The base of the system is made of plastic. It provides a stable platform for sharpening knives, and this is aided by the rubber feet, which are non-skid and mean there should be no movement of the base as you use it.
Sitting on the base is the stone holder, which is also made from molded plastic. That means that both the base and the holder should not suffer from any corrosion from sharpening oils. The stone holder is triangular; it can accommodate three 6-inch stones, each with a different role within the entire sharpening process.
You can rotate the holder to whichever stone you are using, with the first one being the coarse option. It is made from synthetic material and has a grit grade of 300. The other two sides have Arkansas stones, one of which is for medium finishing with an 800 grit rating. The other, with a 1000 grit rating, is for fine finishing.
The final piece of the system is the honing fluid, which is provided with the sharpener. This improves the sharpening performance, and any liquid which drips from the stone will be caught in the small trough located in the base.
Pros
- Simple sharpening system
- Non-corrosive materials
- Three finishing grades
- Comes with honing liquid
- Excellent value for money
Cons
- Takes physical effort to use
- Not ideal for long knives
Fallkniven DC3 Whetstone Diamond Ceramic Knife Sharpener
The Fallkniven DC3 Whetstone Diamond Ceramic Knife Sharpener claims to be the most basic of them all. However, bear in mind there are many products where the most basic option is often the most effective, so let’s see if this is one of them.
Review
This is a straightforward means of sharpening knives; however, it still needs to be used correctly to produce the best possible results despite its simplicity. It is used to run the blade across the stone’s surface, similar to how people have sharpened knives for centuries.
One further aspect is that it does not require any additional aids to sharpen in liquids such as water or oil.
You have two options for whetstone surfaces that offer different finishes. If your knife is especially blunt or dull, you should use the diamond whetstone to return the blade’s edge to its proper wedge shape. Once your blade has had the first stage on the diamond whetstone, it can then be finished to razor sharpness using the ceramic whetstone, comprising synthetic sapphires.
One of the Fallkniven knives sharpener’s biggest appeals is that it is lightweight and obviously portable. It comes with a leather pouch that allows you to take it just about anywhere. This includes packing it to sharpen survival and hunting knives while on camping and hunting trips.
This is a low maintenance option. The only thing required to keep it is to clean it occasionally in warm water with some mild soap added. While you will see some wearing of the main stone, the sharpening surfaces will continue to work time and time again.
Pros
- Simple to use
- Two stone surfaces
- Little to no maintenance required
- Does not need oil or water to sharpen
- Very low price
Cons
- Smaller than images suggest
- Needs a finer stone for finishes
Lansky 4-Rod Turn Box Knife Sharpener
Our final knife sharpener review looks at what might be considered the quirkiest of those we have looked at. It comes from Lansky, and it is a sharpener that utilizes a base and rods to provide a two-stage sharpening process.
Review
This knife sharpener could possibly be mistaken for some kind of children’s toy, but it is a highly effective means of returning knives to their optimum sharpness.
The base is made from hardwood, and it doubles as not only the place where the 5-inch rods are positioned for sharpening but also where those rods are stored when not in use.
You can use a one- or two-step process depending on what type of knife you are sharpening and the degree to which you need to sharpen it. This leads us to the choice of rods you have, given that there are two pairs of them.
The rods are made from ceramic materials. Still, each pair’s coarseness differs, and you can make that differentiation based on the rods’ color. The first pair is colored grey, and these are used for sharpening knives. The second pair is white, and these have a finer surface, which is ideal for polishing your knives.
There are two sets of drilled holes, which create either a 20- or a 25-degree edge. You use this sharpener to place whichever pair of rods you are using into their respective individual drilled holes. This effectively means that the rods form a ‘V’ shape in the angle which you have chosen.
Pros
- Straightforward process
- Two grit grades
- Storage for the rods
- Easily portable
- Low price option
Cons
- No handguard
- Rods may break under pressure
Final Verdict
If our reviews have helped you move a stage closer to picking one, we are thankful for that. As we always do, we will select what we think is the best knife sharpener, and in this case, we have gone for Smith’s Tri-6 Arkansas Tri-Hone Sharpening Stones System.
It is simple but effective and suitable for sharpening knives of all kinds, whether in the kitchen or outdoors on a hunting trip. Finally, it is an extremely affordable option, so it will suit all budgets.