Knife sharpener


 
I have a WorkSharp hand belt sharpener. It's dead easy to use,I can put an edge on a bowling ball with it. My brother even bought one to keep his orchard pruners sharp.
 
I bought the Worksharp Ken Onion Edition. Tried a couple times with it, got frustrated it sits in a box in the basement in a now forgotten location.
 
Trizor XV. Recommended by Consumer Reports, NY Times Wirecutter, and Cooks Illustrated.

The knife afficionado types will tell you that mechanical grinders are the worst, will chew up your knives and make them unuse-able, and lead to general moral rot to our society.

I got my Trizor used on ebay for about $50. It is completely awesome. FYI, my knives are middling to cheap. They cut like razors now.

Given the awesomeness of the job the XV does, I only need to sharpen my knives like once a year. So I've still got a lifetime of knife material left to grind away. But I have gotten good about using the honing steel pretty much before each use. Makes a big difference -- and it looks cool now that I'm good at it.

If you have some old german/euro 20 degree knives (like I did), the XV will take them down to the current standard of 15 degrees. So the XV extended the life of my meh older knives.

Bottom line. Unless you are into whetstones and spending beaucoup dollars on artisinal carbon sushi knives from Japan, just get the XV.
 
I have the lower end Chef's Choice (has 2 stations) totally MEH. I don't think those vibrating little diamond coated plates did or do anything but cause a jagged knife edge. I think something with rotating sharpening elements would work better but IDK if the new Chef's Choice stuff uses that goofy vibrating design or rotating elements.
Maybe you could chow a closeup of it working as for all the hoopla on the the Worksharp Ken Onion it too left me "MEH"
 
From AI:


How To Sharpen European/American Knife Using Chef's Choice 15XV Knife Sharpener - YouTube


Here are some clear photos showcasing the Chef’s Choice 15XV from different angles—slots, casing, and overall design.


For a behind‑the‑scenes look inside, this in-depth review shows the inner mechanism (motor and three-stage sharpening wheels) in action:


Chef’s Choice Trizor XV Electric Sharpener In‑depth Review (where you can actually see it opened up)



🔍 Inside Look: How It Works​


A notable review provides excellent detail about its internal build and sharpening stages:


  • The sharpener houses a robust motor powering three sets of sharpening wheels—each abrasive wheel performs a distinct stage: coarse grind, fine grind, then stropping/polishing (shouldit.com, ebay.com).
  • Its diamond abrasives in stages one and two are engineered to efficiently reshape and refine a 15° bevel edge using high‑precision cantilevered wheels (chefschoice.com).
  • In the final stage, flexible stropping discs polish the edge and can handle lightly serrated knives by smoothing without removing serrations (chefschoice.com).
  • The alignment system uses spring-loaded angle guides to hold your blade steady and ensure a perfect 15-degree pass each time (epicurious.com).


✅ What Makes It Stand Out​


  • Sturdy internal build: The motor and wheel assemblies are tightly integrated; even after prolonged use, components stayed firmly in place (shouldit.com).
  • Efficient material removal: Because it sharpens to a finer angle, it removes more steel than coarser sharpeners, but the trade-off is a sharper, longer-lasting edge (shouldit.com).
  • Cooling & continuous operation: The motor remains cool and performs smoothly during long sessions, ideal for multiple knives (shouldit.com).
  • Sharpness outcome: Known for delivering razor-sharp, professional-grade edges—users report you’d get results comparable to a brand‑new knife (shouldit.com).


📝 Quick Summary​


  • 3‑stage sharpening:
    1. Coarse diamond for reshaping
    2. Fine diamond for refining
    3. Stropping discs for polishing
  • Angle‑perfect spring guides ensure consistent 15° edges.
  • High-quality internal assembly—built to last.
  • Removes more metal than coarser sharpeners, but delivers superior sharpness and edge retention.
  • Quiet, efficient motor—can handle refinement of full knife collections in one go.


If you're curious about maintenance or whether it handles specific knives (like serrated or Japanese), I’ve got more info—just let me know!
 
I use a large belt sander and/or a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface.
I have one of those mini knife sharping belt sanders but it doesn’t really work all that well.
Real metal working tools seem to work the best for me but that’s probably because it is most comfortable to me.
 
There are two processes with sharpening knives...creating an edge, and maintaining an edge once it's created. The electric grinders are useful for creating an edge but don't normally need to be used often once an edge has been created. Typically, when using a knife the cutting edge will become bent to one side and the sharper the knife the quicker this will happen (ie, a 15deg edge will dull faster than a 20deg edge). A steel or hone trues up the edge (returns it to center) and restores the cutting ability. You can grind a new edge every time the knife appears dull but it's not necessary when a few strokes on a steel or hone will ordinarily restore the edge. The trick to using a steel or hone is consistency, being able to hold a consistent angle every time the blade is stroked along the steel or hone. It takes practice.

Using a fingernail, you can feel a burr when the edge is bent to one side. A sharp edge, one where the edge is in the center and not bent to the side, will have no burr. I have both a steel and a hone and I prefer a ceramic hone. The bottom of a coffee cup, if there is an unglazed portion, will work, too. A steel does not normally remove material from the edge where a hone does remove a miniscule amount, which leaves a bit of a ragged, sawtooth edge that cuts aggressively.

A freshly sharpened knife:

1749960113014.png

A knife that has been touched up with a hone:

1749960249300.png
 
Last edited:
Mark_E said:
Emphasizing above post by Ed P. 95-98% of the time, you don't need to sharpen your knife. All you need to do is hone it and it will magically become sharp again.
Click to expand...
You are right. After the initial sharpening to the 15 degrees with the Chef's Choice I only use the honing or sometimes the middle one to sharpen. Lately I just run a Speedy Sharp down each side and it is sharp again. The Speedy Sharp is amazing. I touch up knives, sharpen scissors, tools and take to peoples homes when we visit to put an edge on their knives.
1749988661833.png

 
Doesn't look like the wheels are replaceable. Those testers only found one electric sharpener they liked better. Oddly the one I have squirrelled away LOL. Maybe I'll snag one and perhaps sell the Ken Onion to offset things. It does look an awful lot simpler to use than the Ken Onion.
I have no doubt in the hands of a skilled person the KO can excel. I'll bet my former tool and die maker buddy could make the KO "sing".
 
Their manual states the sharperner can be returned to the factory to replace them abrasives. Their FAQ says they will last for "many, many years."

I bought the KO before I purchased the Chef's Choice. I just struggled some with the KO where---for my preference---the Charf's Choice is simpler and quicker.
 
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