When’s a knife not a knife? It’s when the cutting edge is dull, which is why you need the best knife sharpener that fits your needs. The main problem, of course, is that it’s not always easy to buy the knife sharpener on the market. There are many types of sharpeners, and you need to take note of the type of knives you have.
You also have to take your personal preferences into account. What’s more, the wrong knife sharpener won’t just waste your money but it can ruin your knives too. So what is the best knife sharpener? To answer that question, we’ve compiled several excellent sharpeners of different types with different features, so that you may find that fits your exact needs.
Top 19 Best Knife Sharpener Reviews in 2023
Smith’s PP1 Multi-Function Sharpener
Some people want a pocket sharpener that goes well with their pocket knives, or for camping. If that’s you, then this is what you get. This one is like the Swiss Army Knife of sharpeners. There’s a carbide slot and a ceramic slot, and then there’s a tapered diamond rod that works great for serrated blades.
- You also get preset angles so you don’t need to fiddle with anything.
- It’s so portable, since it’s only 3.5 inches by 1 inch, and it weighs 1 ounce. There’s even a lanyard hole.
- The carbide blades and ceramic stones are reversible and replaceable.
- It’s cheap, as in about $6 cheap.
- If you’re sharpening a number of dull knives, you’re going to need a lot of time.
- Not everyone can get how to use this properly.
Presto EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener
Who says every good electric knife sharpener has to cost more than a hundred bucks? Not Presto, apparently, since this one costs under 35 and that’s with the delivery included.
You don’t even have to worry about low quality because the low price here doesn’t mean that Presto used cheap materials for this. The low price is because the design was launched many years earlier, and now new designs have entered the market, that’s all.
- Have we mentioned the price yet? The price here means that your search for the best cheap knife sharpener doesn’t have to exclude electric models.
- It’s not just for knives, as you can also use it for other yard maintenance tools.
- It really gives a sharp edge, so that even a single pass will do fine.
- It also comes with a 1-year warranty, but you’re on your own if the damage is due to the delivery.
- Since this is an older design, it’s not as easy to learn and use as more modern sharpeners.
Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener
If you’re looking for the best knife sharpener kit, many consider this a likely contender. What really sets it apart is that it’s very versatile, as you can use it to sharpen kitchen knives and hunting knives.
In fact, it’s not limited to just knives like pen knives and fishing knives. You can use this to sharpen a machete or an axe, and even the blades on your lawnmower. These are great with scissors too. In fact, there’s a scissor guide built-in with a 65-degree angle.
For the other blades, you can adjust the angle from 15 to 30 degrees. You can choose among 1-degree increments, and all you need to do is to turn a knob for the angle you want. This is a kit with various grades of abrasive belts for different types of knives, and you can just buy other optional attachments if you need to use them for ceramic knives or for precision tools.
- It’s so versatile that you sharpen just about anything that can be sharpened in your home.
- It uses abrasive belts that last long because it continuously uses new cutting surfaces so the wear is even.
- Regardless of what you sharpen, it’ll come extremely sharp.
- Adjusting the angle doesn’t require jigs or special tools. Just turn a knob.
- It’s not just easy to use—it’s actually fun to use.
- You will want to practice using this at first, and that means you need to have cheap knives that you don’t mind ruining to work on.
- If you like to get near the blade to see if it’s sharp enough, eye protection is an absolute must-have. A face mask is a good idea too.
Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV Knife Sharpener
This is the knife sharpener best only for 15-degree knives, though you can use it to convert wider angle knives to the Asian style. You may want to do that because this conversion can turn a knife into a more effective cutting tool, and it may last longer too.
It also prolongs the lifespan of the knife by minimizing the amount of metal it takes off from the knife. This is via a 3-stage process, with diamond abrasives of varying coarseness for the first 2 stages, then a stropping disk for the 3rd stage. This stropping disk can also work in sharpening your serrated knives too. That means even your bread knives can improve.
- We’re not the only ones who have high regard for this sharpener. Cooks Illustrated named it the best knife sharpener of 2015, while America’s Test Kitchen also gave it a rave review.
- It can deal with serrated knives as well.
- There’s not much of a learning curve for it, and it doesn’t require much effort.
- The 3-year warranty is also in effect.
- It’s admittedly quite pricey.
- Despite its price, it’s limited to just 15-degree knives.
Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Set
Despite the name of this device, it’s not limited to sharpening your knives. You can also use this to sharpen fish hooks, awls, punches, and even your darts. It’s also not an electric device either. Instead, it has a base in which there’s a steel rod, which you then use to sharpen your tools.
Your purchase already comes with 2 ceramic stones, and all the parts can be put into a free carrying bag. There’s also an instructional leaflet and a DVD, though you can watch this video online so you get a better idea of how to use this thing.
- It’s portable, and it even comes with a carrying bag.
- If you want, you can bolt it to your tabletop or countertop as it’s already drilled for bolting.
- The stones work dry, so there’s no need for lubricants, oil, or even water.
- This can work for a wide variety of items, and not just knives.
- It’s affordable too.
- It seems complicated to learn.
- Even when you learn to use it, it takes a while to get a sharp edge.
EdgeKeeper Electric Knife Sharpener
If you’re looking for a compact, easy on the eyes knife sharpener to put on your kitchen counter, this is a good choice. It’s a 2-stage sharpener that would only work on knives that need regular sharpening. It would not restore heavily dulled or chipped knives, so keep that in mind before you make a purchase.
This knife sharpener comes with detailed directions, and if you follow it, you’ll be able to get razor-sharp knives without much hassle. Remember that it’s suitable for both carbon steel or stainless steel blades, but only for American or European style knives. If you attempt to sharpen your Asian knives on this, you will ruin the edge.
The sharpening wheels on this machine are diamond coated, and most of the metal shavings and dust produced from the sharpening process will be caught by the magnet fixed on the back of the sharpening machine. Therefore, cleanup would be much easier for you.
While this cheap knife sharpener does indeed work pretty well, some people did have complaints about it. It would help if you also remembered that you couldn’t expect a premium sharpening experience for this price range.
- Compact, attractive design
- Removable magnet catches metal shavings
- Equipped with blade guide for ideal sharpening angle
- Sharpens both carbon steel or stainless steel knives
- Diamond-coated sharpening wheels
- It isn’t suitable for restoring heavily damaged blades
- Doesn’t sharpen scissors or serrated blades
Ehoyal Kitchen Knife Sharpener
As one of the best manual kitchen knife sharpeners, Ehoyal’s product is now at its second release. It impresses just about anyone looking to add a bit more cutting quality to their knives. With no more dull blades, it represents a durable design that is fully in the control of the user. I like its tungsten carbide sharpeners. It hones and it polishes the knives from all angles.
For me, this is one of the true beasts when it comes to the daily capacity of a busy chef or kitchen porter. Why would anyone invest in anything bigger? I’ve seen it sharpening all types of knives. From regular supermarket knives to artsy Japanese releases, it does its job like no other. Of course, ceramic blades are not to be used on the knife sharpener.
But many other types of blades can be used on it for the best results. Cutting a clean slice of meat is not impossible. I’ve even impressed my mom with how sharp her knives can be with a similar tungsten carbide sharpener. The most surprising aspect was that where knives were not expensive at all as she got them from her local general store.
- Made with improved materials
- Now relies on tungsten carbide
- Can be used on Japanese knives
- Only works for manual sharpening
Wüsthof Hand-Held Knife Sharpener
First of all, it’s a lot cheaper than the previous ones we have reviewed so far, but this doesn’t go down in quality that much. It comes in a typical size for knife sharpeners so it’s easy to store in your kitchen cabinet. It has a rubberized base so that you get a good grip on it while you sharpen knives, and that is really important when you’re dealing knives.
It’s not just for the kitchen knives – it comes with a separate slot for sharpening scissors as well. While it’s simply designed, it’s built well and is very sturdy. We didn’t expect much after going through several incredible (not to mention more expensive) knife sharpeners prior to this, but it actually worked quite well when we tested it.
One knife that I had never sharpened from the day my husband bought and first used it turned out so sharp that it cut through a potato like we’re running out of time. Just run the knife blade along each of the slots a few times or until you feel it catch, and voila, no more dull, useless cutters. This is just as good as the best sharpening stone for kitchen knives, and it comes cheap. What more can you ask for?
- It’s very affordable.
- It’s easy to use; no need for an instructional manual.
- It also sharpens scissors.
- It’s great at sharpening all kinds of knives.
- It’s small and handheld.
- NONE
Edge Pro Apex 1 Best Knife Sharpener Kit
This is our main exception to our hundreds of review criteria, and that’s not because it’s not popular. It’s mainly because it’s still comparatively new, so it hasn’t had much time yet to gather a huge number of customer reviews. It’s also not an electric sharpener, but a manual device that uses water stones.
You hold the knife with your left hand (if you’re right-handed), and then you use your right hand to move the stone on the rod over the cutting edge. There are lots of videos you can watch online for this, and you can also watch how to set up the system.
- This can last for a very long while, as the only maintenance it needs is routine cleaning.
- You will only have to replace the stones whenever that’s needed, and they’re cheap at $20 or so.
- The angles can be adjusted.
- There’s no heat to damage the temper of the blades.
- This can handle knives up to 3.5 inches wide.
- You have to set it up each time you take the kit from the bag.
- It’s very expensive, as this A1 is the basic kit and it has only 2 stones.
- You also need to practice a lot to master its use, and in the video, the expert says that you may have to mess up about 10 to 15 knives before you get the hang of it.
Chef’sChoice 1520 Knife Sharpener
The 1520 tag is because it can sharpen both Japanese knives (which are usually at 15 degrees) and American and European knives (20 degrees). Many chefs don’t limit themselves to a single style, so this is a very suitable option for these chefs. What really helps sell this sharpener is the utter simplicity of the design.
You just insert the knife in the proper slot in the sharpener, and you’re good to go. One slot is for 15 degrees while the other slot is for 20 degrees. The 3rd slot is for the finishing touches, and you can also use this slot to sharpen your serrated bread knives.
- It’s very easy to use, and it helps that the instruction manual is very well-written. You don’t have to struggle to understand it.
- Once you understand how to use it, you can sharpen knives in no time at all. Even newbies will only take half an hour or so to sharpen 8 knives in one sitting.
- The sharpness you get is admittedly terrific. A sharpened knife is like it is brand new again, or even better than brand new.
- The main exception to how easy it is to use is if you use it for serrated knives. Some people just can’t get the hang of it.
- You can’t use this for your scissors.
- If you also have ceramic knives, you’ll need another sharpener for them.
Chef’sChoice 120 Knife Sharpener
Chef’s Choice sharpeners are known for their excellent 3-stage sharpening process that uses diamond abrasives, along with their terrific 3-year warranty. All these are present in the 120. Still, some of Chef’s Choices sharpeners can only be used for certain specialized types of knives.
This time, the gloves come off and you can sharpen more types of knives. This means you can sharpen not just any type of gourmet knife, but can also restore the edge of the knives you use for butchering. It works for serrated knives too, and even hunting knives can get back their sharp cutting edge with this.
- It’s so easy to use that some people call it “idiot-proof”. In any case, it’s normal to need to practice it first before you master it, though that shouldn’t take too long.
- It offers fast touchups so that you can make sure that every knife is as sharp as can be when you use it.
- The 3-year warranty is still there.
- When you practice, you may end up ruining your practice knives. That means you need a cheap knife that you don’t mind losing to work on.
- Even with lots of practice, many chefs say that this is not ideal for expensive knives. It’s best reserved for midrange and very affordable knives.
- Chef’s Choice sharpeners are notorious for scratching up knives because of dislodged diamond dust particles. This won’t affect the usefulness of your knife, though it won’t look as good with its minor scratch.
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Knife Sharpener
At a 30-degree sharpening angle, this knife sharpener is reliable. As its affordable, it attracts a lot of knife enthusiasts and for some, it offers the right sharpening design without unnecessary accessories. It can be the best cheap knife sharpener with its stainless steel design.
If you’re wondering if such a sharpener can last a long time, you don’t need to worry. Even storing it in the kitchen where the humidity is higher, it will still stay rust-free. With its stainless steel construction, it also looks great alongside other appliances.
2 module positions are included in this tool. With regular sharpening, all knives can stay as good as new. This sharpener maintains a good edge. Up to a professional design, it may be all that’s needed for those who are into knives a bit more than the average home user. If you don’t care about your knives at all, you don’t necessarily need such a large sharpener.
Using it is not different from using any other knife sharpener. A few strokes through the 2 sharpening stages are sufficient every few months to keep your blades sharp. But what I like about this design is that it stays in place at both stages of sharpening. It offers a valuable design that won’t wobble around during the sharpening strokes.
- Made with 2-stage sharpening
- Based on stainless steel
- Sharpens after a few strokes
- Small rubber feet
Work Sharp Wood Tool Sharpener
Are you looking for the best sharpener, not for knives, but mainly for your woodworking tools? Then look no further, as you’ve found it. This is a sharpener that’s designed primarily for lathe tools, carving tools, chisels, and plane irons. There’s also a sharpening port that can accommodate blades with widths ranging from 0.125 inches to 2 inches.
If you know how to sharpen freehand without a guide, then you can use this for larger blades too. Meanwhile, you can just adjust the angle from 20 to 35 degrees, and you have preset angles to choose from for consistent results.
- If you’re a woodworker, your needs aren’t forgotten. You now have a tool that’s designed specifically for the tools you use.
- At the same time, you can still use this for a wide variety of knives.
- It comes with an instructional DVD so that you can watch what to do instead of just read about it.
- It offers 16 different types of abrasives.
- It’s not really easy to master even with the DVD.
- Yes, it has lots of accessories. Where’s the case to put in everything?
Brod & Taylor Professional Knife Sharpener
Always seen among the best knife sharpener reviews, Brod & Taylor’s release impresses with its simplicity and durability. Made with Austrian materials, it is a sharpener made to last. I even remember a chef telling me about how it kept all of his knives sharp for years.
Part of its success lies in its simple construction. Two pieces of tungsten carbide are used on the sharpener and they offer one of the most efficient precision sharpening processes. It doesn’t even require you to take the blade out of the sharpener during the honing process.
This is also why it’s so orientated towards beginners as well. Its safety can’t be overlooked. There have been too many cuts on my hands and as any chef knows, they take time to heal and they can come in the worst moments. At both 12 and 20 degrees, it offers one of the best sharpening tools even for beginners.
Some of them might find the tool simplistic. But even its steel base is everything truly needed for the best knives. Another major advantage is given by its design. I see it as one of the most beautiful releases from the best knife sharpeners category for years. This is also why I see it on YouTube on various food channels.
- Excellent Austrian tungsten carbide
- Hones at 12 and 20 degrees
- Made with 2 pounds of stainless steel
- Heavier than other knife sharpeners
Miai Home Scissor Sharpening Multi-tool
As one of the best-rated kitchen knife sharpeners, it is an all-in-one solution. It works on all types of knives. If I could only choose one product, this would probably be it. I’ve also offered it as a gift to many of my friends due to its versatility.
It includes a triple magic stone with scissor magic stones to sharpen all types of knives. If you cut your chicken and turkey with a knife, this is also the sharpening tool you need. It is not the best electric knife sharpener for kitchen knives as it is based on manual use. But the manufacturer designed it with a large ABS plastic grip. It firmly stays in place while preventing all possible accidents.
With 4 types of stones, it makes all knives in a kitchen cut like professional knives. It fine grinds and it refines the blades in a way in which you’d not expect from such an affordable release. It also saves money as it replaces multiple knife sharpeners.
- Includes a large handle
- Fine grinds blades
- Refines blades
- Not stable without holding
Work Sharp Culinary E5 Knife Sharpener
This duo made out of an electric knife sharpener and a ceramic honing nod can be one of the most interesting value packs to consider. As one of the best knife sharpening tools, it offers solid results based on its programming function. A ceramic honing rod is also added in the pack to keep blades sharp in-between honing.
It takes about 90 seconds to sharpen a knife with this sharpener. 3 settings allow you to sharpen, hone and shape your blades. But what I like the most about this product is its use of various sharpening belts. Made to provide valuable results at 15 degrees and 20-degree sharpening, these belts offer one of the best solutions for those seeking the ultimate blades.
A master kit of sharpening belts is also sold by the manufacturer. For sure, I don’t like running around to look for new sharpening belts. But once a year, I’d just order the belt kit from Work Sharp. This kit allows you the practical experience of an electric sharpener. Furthermore, as one of the best knife sharpeners, the E5 has also won the 2018 Innovation Award in its category.
- Works with various sharpening belts
- Sharpens blades within 90 seconds
- Includes a ceramic honing rod
- Not the most compact sharpener
Wusthof Electric Knife Sharpener
This knife sharpener by Wusthof puts even modern knife sharpeners to shame with its user-friendly features. The directions to use this are very easy and straightforward. It uses Precision Edge Technology (PEtec) and has three speeds. It collects dust and debris created by the sharpening process through a vacuum process.
This sharpener uses belts, and while the default blades are for American and European blades, you could get an upgrade kit with belts suited for Asian knives. There is a user’s manual PDF available for using this knife sharpener. If you want the best results, read that and look up some video tutorials. Otherwise, you might mess up your precious knives.
- One-touch pre-programmed controls
- Three sharpening stages
- Works using Precision Edge Technology (PEtec)
- Suitable for serrated knives
- You might ruin the knife’s edge if it isn’t held properly
Edge Pro Apex 3 Best Sharpener Kit
We were impressed with this product from the first look because it comes with a sturdy-looking carry bag that you can tell is made only of high-quality materials. It was also well sewn together, and you couldn’t say that it was made as an afterthought. The size of the whole thing also makes for easy storage.
It has a simple yet beautiful and modern design, and it’s not bulky so you can place it anywhere. Setting up the knife sharpener is not a problem because of the instructional materials that the kit comes with. These consist of a booklet and DVD for instructional videos, which may we add were thoroughly made.
This is very helpful to those who don’t have any prior experience in sharpening knives. Beginner or not, you are unlikely to encounter a problem with this one. This knife sharpener is very easy to use that you don’t even have to think about what you’re doing. You could adjust the angle that you want to sharpen your knife in.
It does the job with such precision that you can really only find in a top-quality product. We tested it on the best kitchen knives we had – big and small, very old and relatively new – each one was sharpened like it needed to be without a hassle. It’s expensive but it truly is worth the price.
- It’s well designed and looks beautiful with a modern design.
- It comes with sturdy packaging.
- It’s in a size that is easy to store.
- The kit includes helpful instructional materials.
- The device sharpens easily and like no other.
- It is a bit expensive.
Chicago Cutlery Knife Set with Sharpener
Since you need a sharpener for your knives, why not buy a knife and sharpener set? That’s what you get here: it’s an 18-piece knife block set with an in-block knife sharpener. What this means is that you get 17 different knives with high-carbon stainless-steel full-tang blades, and there’s an extra slot to sharpen every knife in the set. There’s no fuss at all.
- Now you don’t have to figure out which sharpener is best for your knives. This time, you already have one that’s designed for all your knives.
- There’s nothing to figure out, as you just stick the knives in the sharpener slot to touch them up.
- You get lots of different knives, yet the whole set costs less than some of the sharpeners here.
- This even comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
- It looks great on your countertop
- You probably won’t be able to use this sharpener for your other knives.
- The knives are square in shape, so they often land sharp side up. Be careful!
How to Choose the Best Knife Sharpener: Just Follow Simple 6 Steps
What good are your knives if you don’t keep them sharp? As the saying goes, “A sharp knife is a safe knife,” so investing in a good knife sharpener to care for your knives and other edged tools. With so many options on the market right now, how do you choose the best one? Here are things to consider.
- Set a budget. Some knife sharpeners are more expensive than others, but that doesn’t mean that they are better. There is no pressure and spend only within how much you are comfortable to spend on a sharpener.
- How quickly do you want your sharpener to be? There are kitchen knife sharpeners that have speed adjustment settings. These are the best choices if you are a beginner and want to pick up the pace over time.
- If you really want quick sharpening, go for electric sharpeners. They may be more costly than manual ones, but they work faster and more efficiently.
- Look at the kind of knives you have. If you have invested in expensive kitchen knives, consider investing in a good sharpener as well so you know you are taking care of them. Find a brand that has a reputation for being gentle with knives and test them first on cheaper ones to be sure that they don’t leave scratches.
- If you choose a manual sharpener for your knives, remember that you will have to learn how to properly sharpen them without scratching and damaging them.
- If you are going to buy a knife sharpener, make sure to do some reading and research well on the products that you are considering. With today’s technology, it’s now easy to find product reviews online. However, take these reviews only as a guide and with a grain of salt.
Top Tips on Buying the Best Knife Sharpener
Before we go into any tips and tricks, let me assure you that you absolutely need to read a lot of reviews. Start with our knife sharpener reviews, and then follow the links for the seller’s page where there are also lots of customer reviews. These reviews can provide a more accurate idea of what you can expect from a particular knife sharpener.
Keep in mind that sometimes the admin may describe what seems like the best knife sharpener in the world. But the customer reviews may tell a different story. Now proceed based on your reading.
Things To Keep In Mind:
- It’s a rule of thumb in online shopping, that top-rated knife sharpener models with high average ratings are those that will probably work very well.
- Top knife sharpener models are popular for a reason, which is why they have high ratings and hundreds (or maybe even thousands) of reviews.
- Also, pay special attention to the most recent reviews. When a sharpener has been on the market for several years, a manufacturer may suddenly decide to reduce the quality of their popular and widely-praised sharpener. At least with the new best knife sharpener reviews, you can be sure that the recently made units are still as good as the earlier ones.
- Some people just want a sharpener for their prized Japanese sushi knives. Or perhaps you want to sharpen just about everything with a cutting edge, including your hunting knives, scissors, yard maintenance tools, or even wood carving tools. So when you read the product features, check if they can accommodate what you want to sharpen.
- Some people prefer to buy the best budget knife sharpener from a certain price range. That’s understandable (we’re not all rich) but you can’t just get the cheapest model and call it a day.
- Check just how sharp the knife gets after using a sharpener by reading the customer reviews. Usually, a really good sharpener will have most reviewers remarking on just how sharp their knives become afterward.
- You may want to also read about how easy it is to learn to use a sharpener, how easy it is to use, and how quickly you can sharpen knives.
- Read the tips on how to use the sharpener. Even the best rated knife sharpener is useless for you if you can’t use it properly!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Are Pull-through Sharpeners Bad for Knives?
A: Pull-through sharpeners, as in electric sharpeners, receive a bit of bad rap. That’s because, in the past, these kinds of sharpeners weren’t as refined and used to take too much steel off a knife’s edge, essentially ruining it. However, nowadays, electric knife sharpeners are more capable and using a good one would not harm your knives.
Q: How Many Times Should You Run a Knife Through a Sharpener?
A: It depends on the level of damage your knife’s blade has. If there’s a lot of dullness, nicks and dings, first, you need to give it a couple of swipes on both sides on coarse or crude sharpeners. Then it would help if you used a fine sharpener to polish it up. On the other hand, if your knife isn’t all that roughed up, a couple of passes on both sides using a fine-grit should be good enough.
Q: Do You Need to Wash Knives After Sharpening?
A: Yes, washing your knife after sharpening it is a good idea. Whether you’re using a manual knife sharpener or an electric one, you’ll notice some residue left on the surface of the blade. Wash it off and wipe your blade clean before storing it.
Q: Should I Sharpen a New Knife?
A: While it might seem unnecessary, sharpening a new knife might be useful as sometimes knives don’t come all that sharp out of the box. It would help if you gave it a few passes of your sharpener to give it a good enough edge to work with.
Conclusion
The best knife sharpener here depends on your needs and preferences, and we can’t really know what that is, to be honest. So the truth is that you’re the best judge to determine what’s the best knife sharpener is for you, not us.
Remember that there isn’t one best kitchen knife sharpener in the world. While one well-known knife sharpener may be hailed “the best” by a large percentage of consumers on the market, it may not work for you and you may still find something that you don’t like about it. Just like with everything else, it all depends on one’s needs, preferences, and the device’s usability.
