The Work Sharp Power Knife & Tool Sharpener is essentially a small benchtop belt grinder engineered specifically for sharpening knives and tools. It features nonskid feet, a variable-speed trigger, an edge guard for improved consistency, and an adjustable angle guide for precision blade profiling between 15 and 30 degrees. The five included abrasive belts were custom designed for sharpening high-end knife steel. The adjustable rotating cassette allows users to sharpen scissors and other tools in addition to knives of all shapes and sizes.

Its power grip handle with strong, non-slip suction base assures your safety. Diamond Edge Knife Sharpeners are constructed of premium materials sourced from across the world to provide the best and safest sharpening for any type of knife. It's made of cemented tungsten carbide material, which is stronger than steel, to keep blades razor sharp and polished. Choosing a manual or electric sharpener depends on personal preference and budget. Higher-end electric sharpeners can be pricey, while cost-effective manual sharpeners can produce excellent results. Consider how likely you are to use the sharpener, and don’t be afraid to spring for a more costly model if it means you’re more likely to maintain your knives! Hold the knife at about a 22-degree angle to the stone. 90 degrees is your knife placed on the stone as if you were going to cut through it. Tilt the knife halfway between that and the whetstone and you'll be at 45 degrees. Then tilt it halfway between that and the stone, and you'll be at around the correct angle you need. Repeat this action three to six times. You can go for three if your blade is just a bit dull, and more if it's blunter.

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This is another solid choice from Presto, improving the sharpness of smooth and serrated edges by about 60% each. We wish it left the tips of the knives sharper, though. Sharpening a knife blade removes tiny bits of metal, and those will need to be removed from the sharpener once in a while. Many models have a compartment in the bottom to collect metal filings, which you can simply dump into the trash and wipe clean with a wet cloth. (If there's no compartment, turn the unit over and lightly tap to get the filings out.) You can also clean the abrasive parts with a cloth or a soft brush dampened with water; make sure to let everything dry completely before using again. Unless the directions say otherwise, it's not a good idea to use soap or any kind of oil to clean a knife sharpener, as you can damage the abrasive. Includes a diamond rod for sharpening serrations, a coarse carbide notch, and a ceramic finishing notch

UNIVERSAL KNIFE SHARPENERS: Use on carving, hunting, survival, garden, leather, butcher knives to Any knife set & more.We did not expect a knife sharpener at this low of a price to work as well as it does, but the Longzon 4-in-1 really delivers. As the name suggests, the manual sharpener has four slots—three successively finer ones for standard knives and an extra-wide one especially for sharpening scissors and shears. Some manual sharpeners take a little practice to use correctly, but the Longzon's design and included directions make things simple. There's even a QR code link to video instructions if you're more of a visual learner.

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. 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

EFFORTLESSLY SHARPEN LIKE A PRO

While knife sharpening may sound like something you should leave to the pros, it’s perfectly possible to safely sharpen your knives right at home, especially since a quality sharpener can be had without breaking the bank. The Wüsthof Easy Edge Electric Sharpener edged out the competition thanks to its effectiveness and ease of use. It is capable of standing up to professional environments as well as home kitchens. For sharpening on a budget, the Longzon 4-in-1 Knife Sharpener offers an impressive price-to-performance ratio. After selecting the keyed holes in the base for our desired angle, we inserted the brown (coarse) stones for the first portion of sharpening and then finished up with the white (fine) stones. To sharpen a blade, we simply held it vertically as we drew it down and across the angled stones, alternating sides at each stroke. For most average blades, six to 10 strokes per side on each stone was adequate. Some of the especially dull blades needed extra strokes on the coarse stone. To finish the edge, we simply applied less pressure (almost none) while drawing against the white stones. Consider the cut of the blades you’re interested in sharpening. Be sure that the sharpener you’re eyeing can accommodate those scissor blades or serrated knives, for example. The EverSharp sharpened very effectively, leaving one blade 80% sharper than we found it. But, it also left scratches down the slides of the blades. If this doesn’t bother you, the Presto EverSharp may be worth a closer look. It feels sturdy enough to last a while.