PriorityChef Knife Sharpener for Straight and Serrated Knives, 2-Stage Diamond Coated Wheel System, Sharpens Dull Knives Quickly, Safe and Easy to Use

This review is for the "Fine" model - not the 4 stage models. I do most of the cooking in the house and like most people who cook, the workhorse is an 8" chef's knife. This review is based on sharpening good quality knives ranging from Henkles to a Wustof Ikon Classic. I had a similar knife sharpener that a specialty store gave me when I purchased the then $90 Wusthof knife 15 years ago. I just threw it out after receiving and trying this knife sharpener. It was past its prime.While I consider myself a semi-serious cook, I never bothered to learn how to use a whet stone and got by with the previous sharpener which did a decent job. This Priority Chef sharpener exceeded expectations, especially for the price. I never let my knives get terribly dull, so all I needed was a few swipes through the Fine stone slot (the video says to reserve the course slot for very dull or damaged knives). After maybe 10 swipes they were ready to go...and I mean drastically sharper.There is some confusion about whether to both push and pull the knife. From the day the store gave me my original sharpener, they told me only to pull back in one direction so that's what I always did. And that seems to work best with this sharpener, as well. Pull it backwards through the groove, remove it from the slot and repeat the same motion. Don't put too much pressure on the knife - just enough to hold it in place.I have no idea how a few reviews can say this doesn't work. Some people seem to find issues with everything. When the vast majority of reviews are positive and a small percentage are negative and overly dramatic - that tells me it's user error. One review was convinced it didn't work because the stones rotate with the knife...that logic would only be true if the knife was sitting on top of the stones. But the knife sits between the 2 stones, so there is both contact and friction.Now, is this the best or highest quality sharpener in the world? No. Will it sharpen better than a whet stone? Probably not - but it sure is quicker and easier. Will I display it on my counter? It's nice, but no. Will it turn a Wallyworld $39 knife set into high-end knives? No. Would I suggest it for a commercial kitchen? No. But...I'm impressed with the immediate results I experienced sharpening some pretty good quality knives.Like most things I review, I frequently suggest having realistic expectations with a product and most importantly, knowing how to use it properly. This is a pattern throughout my reviews of hand tools, power tools, kitchen tools and most everything else. Overall this works well, is cost-effective and easy to use. I recommend it.NOTE: I purchased this item on Amazon for full price and have no affiliation to the seller. I try to write helpful, unbiased and insightful reviews because I also read reviews prior to making my own buying decisions. I notice many reviews lack helpful information, are not well written or give poor reviews based on not following directions, failing to read the product details prior to purchasing, inexperience or lack of skill. Writing useful reviews helps pay it forward.

does a great job of sharpening your dull knife.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, my brother mentioned that he might have to borrow my knife sharpener, an old steel rod I still use occasionally when my knives just get too dull. Of course, that gave me an easy idea for Christmas, so I hit up Amazon on Black Friday.I could have splurged and bought something higher end, probably more along the lines of a honing stone and oil, but he doesn't have any particularly premium knives and really just needed something practical and simple. This Priority Chef model was a little more expensive than all the ones that were on mega-sale, but it was the only one I could find at this price that said it was also suitable for serrated knives. I figured that as long as I was getting him a sharpener, it should be one he could use for everything.I'm sure this one isn't the highest quality that's out there, and I can't imagine you'd want to use it on super-expensive knives, but for an everyday, bought-at-Target knife set, it's a handy tool to have around. Cheapie knives dull pretty quickly, and this little guy has already done a great job at keeping them a bit sharper for every day use. If you're looking for something serviceable and inexpensive to use on everyday knives, this is a solid buy that won't break the bank. However, if you buy directly from Priority Chef, be prepared for a barrage of annoying and condescending emails begging for a review before you've even had a chance to open the box.

I've never had much luck with sharpening knives. From whetstones to electic knife sharpners I generally get some of the original edge back but never like new. Generally more like 70 or 80%. This hasn't been any different. I have a 5 year old carving knife and one that's about 6 months old that was replacing the 5 year old. Both are dull. They still cut but nothing close to what I'd like. I do some cooking and one of the things you learn first, where knives are concerned, are that more people are cut by dull knives than sharp ones. That's mostly because of having to put more pressure or putting the knife in a position where it slips off of whatever is being cut. So, while I haven't been cut, I am tired of not being able to cut a sandwich in half let alone shave meat or cut a thin slice of cheese.Unfortunately, I'd like to give this a rave review, I can't. It's an okay sharpener and it has some pros.1. Ergonomics - The handle is a nice feature. It helps to hold the sharpener in place and it keeps the non-sharpening hand away from the knife. Both good features to have.2. It has two different sharpening sides. The diamond side is supposed to help grind the metal down and the ceramic side is supposed to give the blade a fine edge. Also, the ceramic side can be used for serrated blades.3. It has a rubber base that is non-slip.Cons:1. The instructions say that you can sharpen your knife in about 7 strokes (a stroke being a complete back and forth motion over the length of the blade.) That might be true of a reasonably new blade but won't be true of an older blunter blade. For much used duller blades it will probably take several sessions over time to get a reasonable sharp blade. They do mention that harder steel will take longer but it is probably going to be true for just about any knife. (side note, after sharpening, you'll need to wipe the blade off to get rid of the metal dust that accumulates on it before using the knife)2. The instructions say that the knife must be at a 90 degree angle and the sides of the knife should not touch the sides of the sharpener. That makes sense since it would mean that the edge of the blade is not being moved across the stone evenly which would make it more difficult to get an edge and could even dull the blade even more. The problem is that the design makes it difficult to keep the blade straight all the time without some effort and of practice. Some type of guide to help keep the blade straight would be a useful addition.I figure that I'll get the edges back on my knives over time and as they point out, sharpening a knife is alot cheaper than going out and buying a new one everytime the old one gets dull. But it's not quite as easy or as quick as just running a knife through a few times unless the knife is already reasonably sharp. For older and duller blade it will take some time and patience.