It could be that your knife needs a coarser-grit stone, as that tends to be the case for extremely dull knives. The standard diamond stone of the HORL has an approximate grit of #420; as this is a low grit and diamonds are exceptionally hard, over one minute of using this stone should sharpen an extremely dull knife. However, if you find that is not working well, you can use the even coarser Coarse Diamond Stone Attachment (compatible with HORL 2 and HORL 2 Pro models only), which has an approximate grit of #200. Horl also offers a number of video tutorials to help you when using the product for the first time but it really is very easy. The Verdict I also had no reservations about sharpening my Blenheim Forge knives using the Horl 2, which I had never sharpened since having them. This was because I was nervous about my knife sharpening skills and was concerned about damaging them. I had considered paying someone to do them (or asking my local butcher nicely) but now there is no need. I have a couple of ‘traditional’ knife sharpeners, where you have fine and coarse slots you run your knife along, before finishing the process with a knife sharpening rod. The Horl 2 is nothing like these sharpeners and is very unique and I would also argue very innovative. If your knife is particularly large –a cleaver for instance –it's still possible to use the Horl 2 with a little effort, as you can place the knife mount on your work surface and then use a bread board or similar to elevate the sharpener.

Horl Professional Knife Sharpeners Review | Borough Kitchen

The version I've been testing is the 'standard' Horl 2, which has an exceedingly pleasing, natural wood finish. You can also get the more affordable Horl 2 Cruise, which has a white painted finish and only a 20º sharpening angle. True connoisseurs may crave the Horl 2 Pro, which uses 'planetary gearing' to send its barrel edges whirling around three times faster than by manual rolling alone. That is a touch pricier, mind.

So What Exactly is the Horl 2 Knife Sharpener?

An efficient, effective, and truly unique knife sharpener suitable for both Western and Japanese blades. It is hard to over-emphasise just how satisfying this process is. I felt confident that I couldn't mess up my blade's edge, and the end results have been uniformly impressive, on everything from cheapo German utility knives to expensive Japanese ones made of Damascus steel.

HORL 2 Pro Sharpener | Borough Kitchen

The Horl 2 is really well built and feels like a quality product. It is really easy to use and the end results are exactly what you would expect. The price may put you off, but this is a quality product made in Germany and will help you maintain your knife sets, that you may have made a significant investment in. If you buy this product I don’t think you would be disappointed. When swapping from a kitchen knife to an outdoor / hunting knife, it became apparent of an issue you need to work round regarding the tip of the knife. In terms of time, the estimate of 1 to 5 minutes is really spot on and the results are fantastic. I did all my knives in one sitting and found it a pretty relaxing process.An efficient, effective, and truly unique knife sharpener suitable for both Western and Japanese blades. This advanced model has a planetary wheel mechanism that lets it work 3x faster. I’ve used the Horl 2 on my full knife set over the past few weeks. This includes my range of Wüsthof knives, the Starrett BBQ set of knives to my ‘special’ ones from Blenheim Forge. Across these, there are different types of knives all in a range of sizes. Attach the blade, edge side up, to the side of the angle support suitable for your blade. It will stay in place because of strong anti-slip magnets. With one hand holding down the angle support, roll the coarse sharpening stone along the other side of the blade’s edge. Do this up to 10 times for a very dull knife, and less for a moderately dull knife. Turn and repeat for the other side of the blade. Now repeat the process again, on both sides, with the finer honing stone. Visit our blog for a more detailed guide here. Another feature of a hunting knife verses a kitchen knife it that typically there is a ‘plunge line’ where the blade profile and ricasso meet. Also shown below are photos of how the corners of the HORL 2 stones hit the plunge line and might not quite reach the very end of the cutting edge. You will also likely mark the ricasso with the stone. From the minute I saw the Horl 2 Knife Sharpener, I immediately thought what a great-looking product it is. It is something that I would definitely be happy sitting on my kitchen work surface rather than shoved away in a drawer, like other knife sharpeners I own.