We treated our knives as any cook would: when the knife was too dull to cut through a tomato, we sharpened it. The before-and-after ability to cut a tomato seems like the best possible test of how well a sharpener works if we're looking at how this translates to actual kitchen use. We especially liked that the depth gauge and stopper pin allowed us to position a knife in the clamp exactly the same way every time. Also, because the double-sided stones simply slide down onto the rods, changing grits was fast and easy. Starting with the 100-grit stone, we reprofiled our blade to 20 degrees with just 10 strokes per side. We then progressed through the 200-, 400-, 600-, 800-, and 1,000-grit stones at four to five strokes per side before honing with the 4,000- and 8,000-grit strops. Actual sharpening time was about 10 minutes.

Grind on one side with a coarse grit until a burr develops along the entire length of the blade. When you have a burr, change to the other side and grind until the burr is gone. Then, swap to a finer grit and repeat the process until you achieve the sharpness you want (you may need a few different grits to do this). Overall we found the Work Sharp belt grinders easy to use and found that they did a better-than-satisfactory job sharpening blades. Pull-through vs. stone: Pull-through knife sharpeners are user-friendly and great for beginners. Most pull-through sharpeners include at least two pre-set slots, one for sharpening and one for honing. Just pull your knife through the slot a few times for an instantly sharper edge. The slots are great for newbies because they ensure that you're sharpening your knife at the proper angle, but the abrasives in pull-through knife sharpeners are generally set at specific angles that cannot be adjusted, so it's important you're getting the right angle for your blade. Once you’ve got the blade mounted in the collet, you attach the sharpening rod to the chassis – the metal pin in the end slides up vertically into the round slot, which secures in place with a strong magnet. The end of the sharpening rod has a spherical bearing between it and the section that slots into the chassis. This is important because it allows the sharpening rod to maintain a constant angle while you’re sharpening throughout the range of motion. In comparison to things like the Lansky setup, there is much less play in the movement of the rod which gives you a more consistent angle as you sharpen – which, obviously, is the key to a good sharpening job. The KitchenIQ Edge Grip manual knife sharpener has two sharpening slots with preset angles to make consistent, repetitive sharpening a breeze. The coarse side will reshape a damaged edge, while the fine side can handle regular smoothing of the rough edge as well as maintenance. This knife sharpener features a handle section to keep the user’s hand safe from the blades while also allowing a sure grip on the device.

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But the main point here is that almost no kitchen knives have a 20 degree double bevel anymore. Most of them are somewhere around 15 degrees, and a 15 degree sharpener can work for blades that range from 13-17 degrees. But if you have thinner cutting angles, you should try to keep them that way. The KnifePlanet Premium Knife Sharpening Stone Set offers a great tool to give favorite knives an ideal edge. It comes with a set of two sharpening stones, a bamboo base, a flattening stone, and two rubber nonslip bases. The two stones each have two grits: 400/1000 and 3000/8000. This four-stage grinding process adds up to a near-perfect grind when used properly. Best for: People with expensive knives, people who want to be able to sharpen to several angles, people who want razor sharp blades without the learning curve of a whetstone.

This can be a confusing topic and because of this, a lot of people are sharpening their kitchen knives to the wrong angle. The Work Sharp MK2 is the original Work Sharp belt grinder. It can grind to a fixed 20- or 25-degree angle. It's easy to use and easy to swap out the belts. To fully sharpen a blade, you need at least two different grits, and preferably three (just as with pull-through models). People who are really into sharp, polished edges can use several stones (and a lot of time and effort), but you don't need to do this to get an excellent razor-sharp edge. But, this Rolling Sharpener. This dog and pony show of a knife sharpener. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I just wasn’t feeling the vibe. Not all knife sharpeners have caught up with the new blade angles, so you have to be careful about the sharpeners you buy.

Sharpening angle and the digital angle indicator

Electric knife sharpeners are typically the fastest way to put an accurate grind on a knife’s edge. Designed to sit on a countertop, electric knife sharpeners feature a succession of grinding wheels and angled grooves through which the user pulls the knife. The knife becomes sharper as it works its way through the stages. The sharpening system comes with the following diamond sharpening stones: 220, 320, 400, 600 and 800 grit. The 220 and 320 grit sharpening stones are coarse stones for repairing a damaged edge or changing the sharpening angle. The 400 and 600 grit sharpening stones are medium grit stones for sharpening relatively blunt knives. And the final 800 grit sharpening stone is a fine-grit for making and keeping your knives razor-sharp! For the finishing touch, there's a ceramic sharpening stone that you can use after the 800 grit stone. There is a leather strop too, which also fits into the holder. You use this to polish the edge after using the ceramic sharpening stone. You can also find aftermarket belts to fit most Work Sharp belt grinders. They're cheaper, but they have a reputation for being less durable.