Why throw an old knife when you could make it sharper than it ever was? Arm yourself with the best kitchen knife sharpener you can find, and you might actually discover that you enjoy taking good care of your knives.
Feeling a bit surprised about this option? After all, we do live in a society that encourages us to buy, buy, buy new things, disposing of the old ones. But if you like working around the house and you appreciate a thing well-done by your hands, you’ll love having a blade sharpening tool.
While the decision to purchase one was made, the quest to choose it is just starting out. Our advice is to first take a look at some of the best-rated models.
Read some knife sharpener reviews, along with some buying guides, like the one we have prepared for you below. You’re going to learn plenty of interesting things about the best knife sharpeners!
Best Knife Sharpeners
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Best For Low Budgets
1AnySharp Knife Sharpener
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| 3
Best For Higher Budgets
3Brod & Taylor Professional Knife Sharpener
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| 6
Best Overall
6Lantana Smart Sharp Knife Sharpener
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1. AnySharp Knife Sharpener
- Tungsten carbide sharpening tool.
- Designed for one hand operation.
- Features PowerGrip suction.
- 2 years warranty.
If you prefer to save your knives rather than throwing it away, a knife sharpener like this one, from AnySharp, will serve you well. It works with either hardened steel or serrated knives, requiring no skills whatsoever for the actual sharpening.
Set to sharpen at a 20-degree angle, you just stick it to a table and safely run your knives through it.
A simple, safe functionality doubled by the ability to constantly deliver the expected results is what you want and what you’ll get from this tool. When you’re done using it, you can store it in a drawer, if you don’t want to power grip it to a piece of furniture.
What’s more, if you’re the type of user who cares about the looks, you won’t help but notice something special about this product. Its design is somewhat unique, setting it apart from other sharpeners, but without translating into a hefty price tag.
Specifications
Pros
- Works with any type of knife.
- Facilitates safe operation.
- Protects the knife from damage.
- Comes with an affordable price tag.
Cons
- Tends to shave off some material from the knife blade.
- Suction cup may occasionally lose its suction.
2. Robert Welch Hand-Held Knife Sharpener
- Features a special British design, famous for its multiple awards.
- Supplied with an outstanding 25-year guarantee.
- Non-slip base and firm grip handle.
- Sharpens at a 15-degree angle.
Unlike many other knife sharpeners, this one from Robert Welch is both practical and exceptionally designed. That’s because the author, who happens to be one of the most reputable British designers, firmly believes that practical, everyday life tools should make no aesthetic compromises.
This multi-award knife proves just that – your knife sharpener can actually be a joy to look at, all while not requiring a Ph.D. to learn how to use it.
It looks outstanding, and it is both durable and practical. It is easy to use, completely secure. And thanks to the ceramic wheel angled at 15-degrees, it smoothly sharpens the Signature knives without any effort.
True, it is not the cheapest you’ll find on the market, but its 25-year guarantee will certainly encourage you to pick this model over the others.
Specifications
Pros
- Reputable product backed up by a solid guarantee.
- Practical functionalities and durable parts.
- Designed for simple operation.
- Elegant and easy to use knife sharpener.
Cons
- Won’t sharpen serrated knives.
- Not designed for single bevel edge knives.
3. Brod & Taylor Professional Knife Sharpener
- Knife sharpener with USA patented technology.
- Made of proprietary tungsten carbide.
- Designed to auto-adjust upon a blade’s angle.
- Works for sharpening, re-aligning, and polishing knives.
With this professional knife sharpener from Brod & Taylor, you’re guaranteed to have an out of the ordinary experience. Made of solid stainless steel and the famous Austrian tungsten carbide, it’s a rock-solid tool that will keep any knife razor-sharp, regardless of its blade type.
Consider it an exclusivist option, if you want, but you’ll soon notice it is a product of excellent quality, for those who won’t settle for anything less!
As a truly unique particularity, this product is designed to fit a wider range of sharpening angles, between 12 and 20-degree. What’s more, it will automatically adjust to the blade angle, and it features a triple action.
The latter means you can use it not just as a sharpener, but also to re-align or to polish the blades of your favourite knives.
Specifications
Pros
- Super-fast and easy to work with.
- Sits on a sturdy stainless-steel base.
- Durable and versatile, works with various knife models.
- Safe to use even with fine knives, ensuring the blade’s protection.
Cons
- Not the most affordable knife sharpener on the market.
- Features a somewhat heavy design.
4. Joseph Joseph Rota Folding Knife Sharpener
- Twin sharpening wheels, made of ceramic.
- Sharpens either fine or coarse.
- Non-slip feet and easy-grip handle.
- Designed to close & lock when not in use.
This folding knife sharpener and honer from Joseph Joseph makes a nice, little addition that will serve you well in the kitchen. Thanks to the swivelling design – that you’ll hardly encounter with other models – it folds into an even smaller, more compact tool. Plus, it works with a wide range of knives, except for the ones with serrated and ceramic blades.
Once you unfold it, you’ll notice how its practical non-slip feet make it sit tightly wherever you put it.
So, suffice to choose which of the two ceramic sharpening wheels you’ll use, grab it by the easy-grip handle, and sharpen the blade in a jiffy.
This pull-through foldable sharpener and honer is also available in combinations with measuring jugs, mashers, chopping boards, and other accessories useful in the kitchen, so, consider everything it has to offer you!
Specifications
Pros
- Versatile tool for both coarse and fine sharpening.
- Will sit tightly on the working surface, without slipping.
- Ergonomic design makes operation easy.
- Allows a compact storage.
Cons
- Larger knives are more difficult to sharpen with it.
- Won’t sharpen ceramic or serrated blades.
5. Global Ceramic Water Sharpener
- Two, fine and coarse, sharpening wheels.
- Ceramic, angled wheels for easy operation.
- Allows water through operation, for easy cleaning.
- Supports wheels replacement if necessary.
Without a doubt, this sharpener is one of the simplest and most straightforward tools you’ll come around. Smartly designed by Global, it’s a sturdy accessory with twin ceramic wheels.
It takes as little as pouring a bit of water into its tray and sliding the knife against the wheels. Simple and intuitive, it will spare you from having to juggle with oils and the result will always ensure your full satisfaction.
Needless to say, it can handle many different European style knives, and it can sharpen all kinds of blades, at different angles.
While this versatility will lead to a tear of the ceramic wheels sooner rather than later, it is still a very effective sharpener. Just in case you’ll need it, the wheels can be easily replaced.
Specifications
Pros
- Simple and intuitive design.
- Straightforward operation, with two sharpening options.
- Great for regular use and durable.
- Facilitates safe operation and easy clean-up.
Cons
- A bit pricey compared to other similar models.
- Won’t work with serrated or single-side sharpened blades.
6. Lantana Smart Sharp Knife Sharpener
- High-grade diamond rods for sharpening preparation.
- Hardened tungsten carbide for the actual sharpening.
- Manual knife sharpener with 3-stage operation.
- Sharpens at a 20-degree angle.
Lantana’s smart sharp knife sharpener looks and operates just as smart as it promises. Unlike most of the other models you’ve seen, this one comes with three ceramic wheels.
It can restore your blunt blades back to a sleek and sharp edge in no time. The ergonomic design, with black and chrome finish, will add a distinctive touch to its already practical operation.
This tool will serve both left- and right-handed users. It comes with full instructions and a video demonstration just to show you, at a glance, how easy it feels working with it.
As expected, once you grab your hands on this Smart Sharp, you’ll be able to use it on pretty much any straight-edged or wide-serrated blade.
As you probably noticed, only a few sharpeners can brag with the ability to handle serrated blades, which makes Lantana’s Smart Sharp Knife a superior choice.
Specifications
Pros
- Ceramic stone rods allow easy edge honing.
- Sharpens accurately, at a precise 20-degree angle.
- Easy, pull-through sharpening requires no special knowledge.
- Comes with a lifetime money back guarantee.
Cons
- Won’t work with Japanese knives.
- Not recommended for ceramic knives.
Knife Sharpener Buying Guide
Types Of Knife Sharpeners
If you care enough about your knives to want to sharpen them rather than throwing them away, you probably have quite a few, of different styles.
The best sharpener for you would be one that can work with a lot more than the traditional full blade knives. Whether it’s a manual or an electric knife sharpener, ideally, it should be able to also sharpen serrated blades, if not Japanese knives, too.
Manual Knife Sharpener
A manual knife sharpener requires that you slide the blade between the sharpening stones. It is usually designed as a pull-through 1- or 2-step sharpener.
It has a more compact design. Sliding the blade up to 20 times, with the same pressure as the one you apply when cutting bread, is usually all it takes to make the best of a manual knife sharpener.
Electric Knife Sharpener
An electric knife sharpener will automatically rotate the sharpening stones, so you don’t have to slide the blade multiple times through it. You just insert it in the sharpening slot and wait for the moving stones to do their work.
These models are bulkier, with 2- or 3-step sharpening designs. They also come with a higher price tag.
Having said that, there are electric carving knives too.
Knife Sharpening Kit
A knife sharpening kit consists of several sharpening stones for finer or coarser sharpening. A clamp for securing the blade in place while you sharpen it, with a specially formulated honing oil, is also included with the fancier kits.
It usually comes packed in its own carrying case, where it holds all the components of the kit, along with the user instructions.
Such kits come in many different versions, with a more limited or more generous selection of sharpening stones. A good quality kit would have to provide stones with highly polished edges and versatile enough to allow fine and coarse sharpening with both ceramic and diamond surfaces.
Knife Sharpening System
A knife sharpening system is a superior choice compared to a simple kit. That’s because it comes with a more solid base where you attach the knife or the sharpening stones, sticks or a combination of these.
The base can be clamped on the work surface, for safe operation. With the system usually supporting extensions – other stones you can purchase separately.
The greatest advantage of a system is, by far, the fact that it allows you to sharpen under a constant angle!
With a knife sharpening kit, your hand must feel how to position the blade and do it repeatedly, to obtain the finest results. But with a knife sharpening system where you have the stone secured in place and fixed angle guides, everything is much easier and accurate.
Materials
The material of which a sharpening tool is made of will have a great impact on the results you’re getting from it. By far the two most common options currently on the market are the ceramic and the diamond knife sharpeners. Here’s what sets them apart:
Ceramic Knife Sharpener
A ceramic knife sharpener gives you a fast, easy way to do the work. It keeps your knives finely sharpened; it is easy to use, and it is durable. If you make a habit of honing your knives with it, you’ll notice it all becomes effortless.
Diamond Knife Sharpener
A diamond knife sharpener comes with a diamond layer on top of the grinding wheel. Rather than using it for fine sharpening, like you do with the ceramic ones, it is best for regrinding knives. That’s because it gives a less refined blade. Its sharpening quality can decrease, in time, as the diamond grains start crumbling off.
Grit
The level of grit is given by the amount of metal removed from the blade during the sharpening process. From this perspective, a knife sharpener may come equipped with a stone labelled as coarse grit, medium grit, or fine grit.
A minimum of two types of stones is standard with the best sharpeners on the market.
The manufacturer will recommend you to start with the coarse sharpening stone for the sharpening, and to end with the smoothest stone to hone the steel, as the final stage. Honing will basically allow you to refine the edge of the blade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depending on what type of knife sharpener you have, you might be required to pull the blade through the sharpener yourself, or keep it in one place and let the sharpener work on it. The pull-through, manual knife sharpeners are the most common and they have the advantage that they come with the stones already set at the right angle.
Given the construction of the sharpener that forces you to fit the knife blade into a very thin slot, you can be sure you’ll be getting a good result without worrying too much about the inclination of the blade while you sharpen it. Suffices to pull the knife through the sharpening slot for as many times as the manufacturer recommends, with low pressure, and that’s it.
There are quite a few knife sharpeners you can buy online and that can make an excellent choice. If you want a simple, no fuss model, AnySharp has a more than decent model that we’ve reviewed in this guide.
If you’re interested in a sharpener that works well and looks just the same, consider the Robert Welch range of products – the famous designer has a special Signature line of knives and a multiple-award knife sharpener that will perfectly pair with those. For the top-of-the-range best knife sharpener, Brod & Taylor can wow you with their best professional knife sharpener.
They say ceramic knives are almost impossible to sharpen, and there’s a reason for it! Ceramic is a really tough material and a diamond sharpener is the only option that could stand a chance in front of it.
The problem is, however, that even with a sturdy diamond sharpener you’ll have a hard time getting an even blade. To make things even more complicated, ceramic is also brittle, which means if you apply too much pressure on it laterally, it will snap almost in an instant.
This doesn’t mean you cannot sharpen ceramic knives. It only means it is more difficult and it usually requires perfecting your technique to apply just the right pressure. A good quality diamond stone will be the best choice, followed by a traditional waterstone, as the second-best choice, if diamond ones are outside of your budget.
Our Verdict
From the many options available for sharpening knives, the manual pull-through knife sharpeners are the best choice for those who are just starting out. Sure, you could take your skills to a whole new level by developing an expert technique while using sharpening stones. But that will take a lot of practice.
If all you want is to make your knives sharp again without too much effort, without worrying about angles or abrasive levels, pick one of the best knife sharpeners we’ve reviewed above. They’re simple, practical, perfectly functional and more than accessible. What else could you wish for?
