Work Sharp MK2 Professional Electric Knife and Tool Sharpener, Adjustable Tool and Knife Sharpening System

Product Information

Finding a sharpening tool is pretty straightforward because of the sheer amount of products on the market. Whether you’re looking for a traditional method or something more modern, there’s a garden tool sharpener that’s perfect for you at a decent price. Let’s delve into the different types available.

A honing steel is a long rod, often included in knife sets, along which you run both sides of the blade before you start slicing and dicing. It helps maintain the integrity of the blade, straightening out some of the microscopically uneven spots on the edge without actually removing any metal. Used regularly—as in every few times you use the knife—it can help stave off dullness, but you'll still need to sharpen your knife on occasion. Manual sharpeners are generally cheaper and simpler to use, but they require more effort, so they may not be ideal for people with limited hand grip or arm strength. They're easier for a beginner to use correctly compared to an electric knife sharpener. Rebecca Treon, who also updated this piece, is a food writer, experienced home cook, and mother of two. Her work has been featured in BBC Travel, Huffington Post, Hemispheres, and Thrillist.Jason Horn, a commerce writer for The Spruce Eats, updated this roundup to include data from our extensive tests of 22 sharpeners—10 electric and 12 manual—by both freelance testers and in our Lab in Birmingham, Alabama. It doesn’t matter which knives you buy—they'll all need to be sharpened periodically. Besides making it easier to cut and chop, keeping knives sharp is also safer for your fingers: Dull knives can drag or skip while cutting, which can increase your chance of injury. How often you need to use a knife sharpener depends on exactly how often you use the knife, what you cut, and what surface you cut on, but professionals typically recommend sharpening once or twice a year. Place the heel of the blade (where it connects to the handle) against the steel, with the knifepoint angled slightly upwards. German company Wüsthof has been making world-famous knives for more than 200 years, so it makes sense that its sharpening tools are also high-quality. The Easy Edge features a spinning belt that runs at three separate speeds for coarse honing up to final polishing, along with a one-touch program with indicator lights for each stage. An integrated suction fan also keeps dust out of the way.

The sharpening system comes with the following diamond sharpening stones: 220, 320, 400, 600 and 800 grit. The 220 and 320 grit sharpening stones are coarse stones for repairing a damaged edge or changing the sharpening angle. The 400 and 600 grit sharpening stones are medium grit stones for sharpening relatively blunt knives. And the final 800 grit sharpening stone is a fine-grit for making and keeping your knives razor-sharp! For the finishing touch, there's a ceramic sharpening stone that you can use after the 800 grit stone. There is a leather strop too, which also fits into the holder. You use this to polish the edge after using the ceramic sharpening stone. Finish with a honing steel for best results. Rinse and dry the knife. You may also need to clean up the area around the whetstone.Clamping down the lever behind the sharpening slots activated the suction cup base, and once that was engaged, the 191H didn’t budge on countertops. This design allows for one-handed operation. As for sharpening ability, it took north of 70 passes between the two stages to restore a good cutting edge to our dull test knife. Start by cleaning your tools thoroughly. Dirt, rust and grime can damage the sharpening tool, so make sure your tools are clean and dry before you start. Maintenance requirements: Consider how much time you are willing to dedicate to maintaining your sharpener, as some require more frequent cleaning and oiling, particularly benchtop and electric models.

We rate each knife sharpener on how easy it is to set up and use, plus how easy the instructions are to follow. Things we learnt testing knife sharpeners Although it was less of a concern with our very dull test knife, beware of removing more metal than necessary on the coarse diamond abrasives, and consider regularly honing your undamaged blades on the ceramic face to extend the length of time between more rigorous sharpenings. Comfort: Dull tools require more force to use, causing physical strain and discomfort. A sharp tool reduces the effort needed, eliminating many aches and pains. Whether you have a spade, pruning shears or secateurs, keeping them sharp will make gardening tasks easier. Here are a few tips and techniques that I have learned over the years to help you keep your garden tools in tip-top condition:

Clamp and tilting system

A whetstone combined with a honing steel gives the best results (better than knife sharpeners). But (and it's a big but) only use this method if you know what you're doing. Otherwise, you risk damaging the cutting edge of your knife. To discover the best knife sharpeners on the market, we collected an array of dull knives—plus several boxes of Band-Aids—and tested their performance slicing through paper, carrots, and tomatoes (and a baguette, for serrated blades), both before and after sharpening. We also measured each knife's sharpness scientifically, using an Edge-on-Up tool to record the exact amount of force needed to cut through a standard material. Budget: Like any product, there’s vast variation in price. Naturally, you’ll want a sharpener that falls in budget, but I recommend investing in a high-quality model which lasts longer. This process is essentially the same with both a manual and electric sharpener, but the motorized abrasives in an electric model will do more of the work for you. The most important thing is to try to use the same amount of pressure and the same angle with each pull through the slot—different models of sharpener make this easier or harder, depending on their design. Unless the directions specify otherwise, it should take three to five pulls through the coarse slot, and then just a couple through each finer slot, to sharpen the knife. If it's not as sharp as you like, try a few more pulls through the finest grit slot, and if that doesn't work, try the whole process over again. Tool compatibility: As we know, garden tool sharpeners come in different designs and some are better suited to certain equipment. For example, a diamond sharpener works well on a machete, while a carbide sharpener is more suited to pruning shears. You’ll want to ensure the sharpener is compatible with your tools.

Keep knives in a covered, safe environment when not in use," says Hartley. "Do a weekly light hone with steel or stone, always wiping away particles with a clean dry towel. Don't feel like you have to work fast—with a process like this, form is everything. Work out the proper form first, and then the speed will come." Can you sharpen kitchen shears with a knife sharpener? Effectiveness: The Edge-on-Up tool helped give us an idea of each sharpener's efficiency, but we also tested our knives immediately before and after sharpening to gauge any noticeable differences.Using the knob on top of the sharpening system, you infinitely adjust a sharpening angle from 15 to 30 degrees. Enough to sharpen almost any knife! The sharpening system shows you the sharpening angle of the clamp on the left side in steps of 5 degrees. The sharpening system shows you the sharpening angle of the sharpening table on the left side in steps of 5 degrees.