Knives might just be mankind's oldest tool, predating even our own Homo genus — meaning we were using them before we were even human (as we know the term today). They're marvelously useful in our day-to-day lives and can be used for food prep, household maintenance (like opening packages and trimming loose threads off clothing), survival, self-defense, art, crafting and so much more. But they're not everlasting and require regular maintenance to ensure you're getting the most out of them.
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Chef'sChoice 4643 Manual Knife Sharpener Read More -
KitchenIQ 50009 Edge Grip 2-Stage Knife Sharpener Read More
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Chef'sChoice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener Read More
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Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System Read More
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Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition Read More
If nothing else, every knife owner — be that in the realm of EDC, culinary, survival or otherwise — should have at least one sharpener to ensure that the blades of said knives are in good, working condition when you need them. But picking out the right sharpener for you can be quite the task. That's why we got hands-on with some of the best on the market and put together the following guide to help you figure out (based on your usage, skill level, budget and more) which one is right for you.
How We Tested
Knife sharpeners run the gamut of styles and purposes, so to ensure that we got the best picture of their capabilities, convenience, difficulty, overall usefulness and more, our testers put them through the wringer — using them to sharpen a variety of different knives from across a range of their own styles and purposes, including chef knives, EDC blades, survival fixed blades and more. They paid special attention to the given sharpeners' initial difficulty, learning curves, durability, reliability, power (for those that are non-manual), etc.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Best Manual Knife Sharpener
Taking up about as much space as a spoon rest and with its utterly simple yet effective two-stage functionality and dual angle options (15 and 20 degrees), this moderately-priced manual sharpener is, honestly, enough for most casual home chefs and EDC enthusiasts alike.
Furthermore, it has a third sharpening slot that's capable of rejuvenating your serrated blades (or polishing your regular-edge knives). And while it doesn't have any replaceable parts — meaning you'd have to buy an all-new one if this one breaks or wears down (although that would take quite a lot of time and effort) — its ease of use and durability more than makeup for its minor downsides.
Best Budget Knife Sharpener
One of our testers has been relying on this sharpener as their ad-hoc EDC and chef knife honer for years and has found it to be utterly reliable if quite basic. It's incredibly small, jaw-droppingly affordable and so simple to use you don't even have to really think about it.
Just draw your blade through the coarse slot a couple of times, then the fine slot a couple more, and you've got an edge that will make short work of a bevy of household tasks — ranging from finely slicing veggies to opening packages and everything in-between. If you were hoping for a custom-angled blade, forget it. However, for the price, you're just not going to find a better sharpener out there.
Best Electric Sharpener
Thanks to its versatility, ease of use (can be used straight out of the box), three-stage format (coarse, fine and polish) and the fact that the central honing slot with its ceramic wheels can be used without electricity, our tester fell in love with this sharpener. They discovered that it kept their knives razor sharp night after night and, should the time come to replace it, they'd happily purchase the same model a second time.
One thing to keep in mind about this one — and this is true for most electric sharpeners — is that it is quite large by comparison. It's smaller than a breadbox, to be sure, but if your counter space is limited, this might not be the best sharpener for you. Still, it is smaller than most sharpening systems and serves as a great mid-point between those and the cheaper, less automated manual sharpeners on our list.
Best Stone Knife Sharpening System
If you're into the idea of customizing your knife edges (and angles) and you won't tolerate anything less than the sharpest result, this might be the perfect sharpening system for you. Slotted right between traditional whetstones and those that are angle-guided, the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System is a robust and comprehensive one that our tester was quite taken with.
While it requires a good amount of time and has a high learning curve, it's an effective and versatile system for those who want more out of their sharpener — but the aforementioned time investment can be a significant one (this is not the sharpener for the impatient or careless). This is perhaps a better option for the EDC-obsessed than, say, casual home chefs — but it's a great option nonetheless.
Best Belt Knife Sharpener
With dozens of designs to his name (including those manufactured by CRKT and Kershaw), a whopping 36 design patents (on everything from locks to deployment systems) and a spot in the Cutlery Hall of Fame, Ken Onion is a legend in the knife world. So when he puts his name on a product, you can probably assume it's a good one. That's exactly the case with this Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener, which offers customizable angles of 15-30 degrees, a variable speed motor, a precision 6000-grit belt and more.
While users will obviously need some expertise to use it correctly, as well as a power outlet to operate it at all, the tradeoff is utter precision and lightning speed. For those who are really serious about the sharpness of their knife collection, this is one of the best options around and is still a lot smaller than most other belt-based sharpeners on the market.
Best Heavy-Duty Knife Sharpener
First and foremost, it needs to be said that this is probably the most potentially dangerous sharpener on our guide and should absolutely, under no circumstances be used by amateurs. It requires care, caution, protective equipment (like ear plugs and goggles), and steady, sure hands. That being said, it's also one of the speediest and most impressive options around when used by a seasoned vet.
Our tester was turned onto this relatively inexpensive tabletop belt sander by a professional YouTuber out of Hawaii (by the name of Curry Custom Cutlery) and hasn't turned back since. They've found that, when paired with an angle guide, this sharpener can make short work of everything from razor blades to axes and everything in between. And it has outperformed every other sharpener they've ever used.
Best Precision Knife Sharpening System
Once you become familiar with the ins and outs of the knife sharpening world, you'll probably start to notice that Work Sharp is one of the most trusted, reliable, renowned brands in the space. And it's safe to say that this sharpener could be considered the brand's magnum opus when it comes to overall value, capabilities and more.
It's trusted by amateurs and professionals alike, allows for extreme customization (it can sharpen at angles of 15-30 degrees, adjustable at increments of a single degree), has easily swapped ceramic sharpening stones, has a moderately high learning curve and speed (although it's pretty damn fast for a manual sharpening system) and so much more. If you're really serious about keeping your blades sharp and you don't mind a slight time investment, this might be the best overall sharpening rig around.
Best Whetstone
The most traditional of knife sharpeners, whetstones have been around for literal centuries and have been used by top professionals in the blade-making world for just as long. Unfortunately, whetstones are not super versatile — especially when compared to modern sharpening systems — and they require the highest amount of skill to use.
However, this one with its dual sides (two different grades of grit) offers a bit more versatility than most. If that's not enough, Real Steel actually offers numerous grades of whetstones — so you can pair several stones together to create your own custom full system. Just remember: while whetstones can hone an extremely sharp edge when used properly by a professional, they require a pretty significant time investment and have a high learning curve.
Before You Shop
In the culinary and EDC worlds, knives are a pretty ubiquitous tool. In fact, they're really the base, most important tool anyone can own for those particular applications, especially when it comes to cooking. Sadly, sharpeners are not nearly as ubiquitous — which is a huge shame because even the most high-end steels around still require sharpening from time to time. If you're a new knife owner or a seasoned vet, there are a few things you should know before you ever even punch "knife sharpener" into your search engine of choice. And we've outlined some of the most important below.
Skill Level: Some knife sharpeners require a high amount of skill to use properly. This isn't to say the methods can't be learned — they most certainly can. But you should be aware of just how difficult it can be to learn how to use them. Don't let this deter you; just be prepared for a potentially significant time investment, especially with whetstones, sharpening systems and belt sharpeners.
Budget: Like most pieces of gear, the cost at the outset varies pretty wildly – we've seen sharpeners that cost under ten bucks and others that cost thousands. As you would with any other purchase, it's a good idea to know beforehand how much you can or are willing to spend.
Furthermore, it's important to understand that, like any other kind of gear, your initial investment might not be your only investment. A cheap knife sharpener might only last a few months, especially if you use it a lot. Similarly, a very expensive one could require periodic maintenance to keep it in working condition. Furthermore, there are accessories, replacement parts, etcetera you may also need.
Value: Let's say, for the sake of argument, you own one good chef knife that you keep in your kitchen, but you don't use it that often and you're hardly a gourmand. Well, you probably don't need a high-end sharpener. Rather, something cheap and simple might be your best bet.
Similarly, if you own dozens of knives, you use them all regularly, and you only have a single two-stage sharpener you got at the grocery store, you may be doing your entire collection a disservice. Your investment in a knife sharpener (or sharpeners) should match your usage. Otherwise, you're compromising the overall value of both sharpeners and knives.
Types of Sharpeners
Manual: The most basic and common type of sharpener, these usually consist of a flat-bottomed base that can be set on a countertop and at least one sharpening slot — an indent or divot that houses sharpening elements. They also sometimes have a handle designed so that users can hold onto it to keep it steady while drawing their knife blade through the sharpening element(s).
They also often have more than one sharpening slot (usually one to three), meant to offer up multiple "stages" of sharpening (from coarse to fine). Though simple in their operation, these sharpeners offer up some of the most consistent, albeit non-customizable edge sharpening around. They're extremely easy to use and are some of the most budget-friendly around.
Electric: Usually similar to their manual counterparts in concept and format, the primary difference that sets electric sharpeners apart is that they require electricity to function (usually via a plug) and their sharpening elements are mechanized — meaning they move on their own and are usually quicker than a manual sharpener, requiring fewer passes through the element(s) to get the same razor-sharp result.
Furthermore, they're sometimes more versatile — there are electric sharpeners out there designed to sharpen serrated blades, which you generally cannot accomplish with most manual sharpeners. For simplicity, consistency and brevity, electric sharpeners are tough to beat, although they are usually more expensive.
Whetstone: Also known as sharpening stones, these are the most traditional type of knife sharpener and are (quite literally) rectangular stones of varying composition with flat surfaces meant specifically for drawing blades across. In a pinch, they can be used dry, but they're more effective (and it would be more "correct") to use them with oil on their surface. Not only will the oil help make your knife edges sharper than they would dry, but it also helps keep them from chipping and/or breaking.
Whenever you see someone in a movie sharpening a knife, they're probably using a whetstone (or a stone wheel, which is kind of like an upgraded version of a whetstone). This kind of sharpener takes the longest and requires the greatest amount of skill, but they're also the best for customizing your edge angles, sharpness and more.
System: A broad and hard-to-pin-down category, sharpening systems usually borrow their concepts from other types of sharpeners and package them together with a number of devices to allow for extremely accurate, customizable, consistent (in the hands of an experienced user), quick knife sharpening.
However, they do tend to be complicated and vary wildly in form and function from one to the next. These sharpeners have a high learning curve and run the gamut of pricing, value, format, etcetera, but they're also one of the more preferred methods by professionals, especially in the everyday carry industry.
Belt: Technically, belt sharpeners fall under the broader "sharpening system" category, but because there are so many and they do differ quite a bit from most manual systems, we're categorizing them as their own. Compared to the other types of knife sharpeners, belt sharpeners might be categorized as heavy machinery and look like something you'd see in a workshop or factory and not so much in a kitchen.
They also tend to be very expensive, potentially dangerous, and difficult for novices to use safely. However, they're also extremely fast, can produce extremely sharp custom edges, and can be used for a wide variety of knife (and other bladed tool) types — including chef and EDC knives, fixed blades, axes, swords (yes, really) and much more.
Honing Rod/Belt/Steel: Pop culture would have you believe that honing rods and belts are the knife sharpeners of choice for most chefs, barbers and villains (the latter is especially the case in Westerns). Honing rods are often included in kitchen knife sets and are comprised of a rounded steel or ceramic rod and a handle — like a small, unsharpened fencing sword — and they usually have a texture machined into the rod.
Belts are, as you've probably guessed, literal leather belts that a blade can be drawn across. However, these are not technically sharpeners. Rather, they're designed to maintain and refine existing sharp edges — not resharpen them. If a blade is already dull, a honing rod or belt probably won't get it back into working condition, especially not in a reasonable amount of time.
Which Sharpeners Best Suit Which Kinds of Knives?
While the purpose of knives can vary widely, it's worth stating that most sharpeners can sharpen most knife edges. However, the degree to which they will work depends largely on the knife itself and whether the sharpener was designed for that type of knife. Kitchen knives, for instance, usually have thinner blades than, say, survival knives.
While you could use a belt sharpener to keep the edge on your kitchen blade, you might find that the blade is wearing away pretty fast (sharpening always removes some of the steel from a blade — that's just how it works). Similarly, a manual two-stage sharpener might not give your survival knife the sharpest of edges, and it could take a lot longer to sharpen because of the hardness of the steel (and that could end up inadvertently wearing down your sharpener).
The big point to all of this: you don't really have to obsess over having the right sharpener for every type of knife. However, if you want your knives to last and you want to ensure they have the best edge possible, you'll want to make sure the sharpener(s) you get is/are designed for the types of knives you have.
If you're ever unsure, a quick Google search may elicit an answer, or you can turn to the manufacturer of the knife (or sharpener) in question to find out for certain. Furthermore, there are multitudinous blogs, YouTube channels (some from big-name brands, like Wüsthof or BladeHQ), etcetera that serve as incredibly valuable resources for all things knife-related. Just make sure you're getting your info from a reputable source.
A Note on Serrated Blades
You might own a bread knife or a survival/hunting fixed blade that has a serrated edge. It needs to be said that most of the sharpeners mentioned above (the exception being some sharpening systems and electrics with serration-specific sharpening slots) will not get your serrated edge back in working condition. In fact, trying to use one to sharpen a serrated knife might actually ruin the blade. For serrated knife blades, there are specific kinds of sharpening rods, usually made from steel or ceramic) you'll have to acquire (and special techniques you will need to learn) in order to maintain these types of edges.
