From home kitchens to restaurants, the need for different sizes of knives is highly demandable.
The Chefs and home cooks require the best quality knives from leading brands in order to maintain tip-top kitchen efficiency.
And of course, the need for the best kitchen knife sharpener comes into the picture.
Do high-quality knife sharpeners made in the USA meet everyone’s expectations?
If yes, then Work Sharp is one of the leading brands you should consider.
Many pros gave the thumbs up when it comes to Work Sharp as the best kitchen knife sharpener for the money.
Work Sharp sharpeners come with both countertops as well as handheld models. It runs on a belt to mimic what professional knife makers do at a fraction of the cost.
The electric belt drive sharpener from Work Sharp creates the convex edge on the knife for a longer-lasting edge and is stronger against blunt and fold.
What Constitutes The Best Kitchen Knife Sharpener
How do we consider Work Sharp products as the best kitchen knife sharpeners on the market?
Firstly, quality materials are used to build the sharpeners. Metals and polymers are used to build the sharpeners to ensure top functions and reliability as well as a manageable weight to operate.
Secondly, the designs have been tested thoroughly before releasing to the market. Parts have little to no loose gaps to ensure sharpening accuracy. The design also emphasizes versatility.
Some models have multiple uses, for kitchen knives and garden tools, too. Although there are many quality knife sharpeners on the market but not many include such features.
Finally, responsive customer support should constitute towards the quality of the company. If the company provides bad customer support, this is a bad sign and usually, it reflects the product quality as well.
Darex is a family own company that has been in business for more than 40 years. For years of business operations, whether it’s a quality product or not, the consumer’s reviews will be the final judge.
Work Sharp makes different types of knife sharpeners to cater to different consumers’ needs as well as all types of replacement belts.
Below are the four common types of Work Sharp Knife Sharpeners selling on Amazon that consists of handheld and countertop models.
The Original Knife & Tool Sharpener
The original knife and tool sharpener is absolutely an ideal choice for all people with standard knives such as fishing, hunting, kitchen, pocket, and outdoor/survival knives.
This portable belt sharpener will also sharpen the serrated blades, scissors, and gut hooks along with the field and camp tools. Or any type of tool with a blade.
It comes with three different angle guides. One guide is set to 40 degrees for the kitchen knives, filet knives, and some other smaller or thinner blades.
The second guide is set to 50 degrees for heavier and thicker blades such as survival knives, hunting, and outdoor. The 60-degree is for scissors.
This original knife and tool sharpener also comes with 6 flexible abrasives belts which include 2 medium, 2 coarse, and 2 fine belts.
All these features should meet the daily needs of chefs and home cooks.
The Ken Onion Edition
The Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition is the most powerful and versatile handheld knife sharpener for knife enthusiasts.
Basically, this is an upgraded model of the original knife and tool sharpener.
It is commonly used in homes and some restaurants for quick and easy sharpening practices.
What makes it so unique is the powerful motor with variable speed control for high-speed coarse grinding and low-speed honing.
The adjustable angle guides are something not many manufacturers can match. Basically, it allows you to sharpen all types of knives and tools you own.
It turns the Ken Onion Knife Sharpener into a monster sharpener.
It has more to go, with the optional expansion attachments you can further enhance your sharpening capabilities.
Its quality and versatility should exceed everyone’s expectations of a kitchen knife sharpener.
Want to know the advanced features of the Ken Onion?
Read this comparison table on Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener vs Ken Onion Sharpener.
The Combo Knife Sharpener
Whenever you’re considering the Work Sharp Knife Sharpener as part of your kitchen utensils, there are various models to choose from.
The Combo Knife Sharpener is one of them. And it’s the simplest of all Work Sharp Belt Sharpeners.
Of course, this is the most cost-effective belt-driven knife sharpener you can find from Work Sharp.
But that does not reflect on its quality. As compared to the other two models above, the body is made from hard plastic, and it’s a countertop version of a kitchen knife sharpener.
The simple operation does not require much of a learning curve. You can sharpen knives quickly and efficiently with just a power on/off button.
It has a tapered ceramic honing rod built in on the right side of the sharpener.
Although it has a limited angle guide of 25 degrees for any sharpening task, it turns hunting and outdoor knives razor-sharp in just a few minutes.
The Work Sharp Combo Knife Sharpener is the most affordable belt-driven kitchen knife sharpener without compromising on quality. It earned a spot on the countertop for its compact size and quality.
The Culinary E5 Automatic Knife Sharpener
The Work Sharp Culinary E5 is rather a different beast from other models. It’s designed to be a fully automatic kitchen knife sharpener.
It looks complicated yet modern and the best part is, it does not require any skill to restore dull knives.
Based on the three settings according to your preference, this machine will take over the sharpening process until it automatically stops. The end result is a razor-sharp edge.
For a 17-degree knife, the Culinary E5 does a good job in minutes. It restores straight-edge knives sharper than brand new and also works well on serrated knives as well.
Moreover, the built-in vacuum to keep countertop clean during sharpening and a ceramic honing rod for all final touch-ups top it off as a superior knife sharpener.
The Culinary E5 is a high-quality countertop kitchen knife sharpener that runs in automatic mode. But the higher price tag might turn some consumers away.
Quality Does Not Mean Everything
Whatever products we buy, the quality itself does not mean everything. Knowing the correct operation is an important factor to make everything right. Likewise, the sharpeners must be in good hands to see excellent results.
Let’s briefly go through a few guidelines and tips to turn huh to wow!
This sharpener comes with an instructional DVD and a user’s guide. Read it carefully and thoroughly and learn how to turn damaged knives into razor-sharp cutting tools.
Practice with cheap knives. Most of the experts recommend practicing with junk knives or cheap knives that you wouldn’t care much about before trying the expensive ones.
This helps to save you money and heartache.
Once you’re experienced enough, the final results on expensive knives will be amazing.
Conclusion
It’s really shocking but true to see thousands of positive reviews on Amazon praising Work Sharp Belt Sharpens and how useful and versatile they are.
Surprisingly, the huge reviews did not come from cheap prices as an advantage.
Work Sharp sharpeners are not the cheapest when compared to other brands but beat many cheap knife sharpeners hands down.
And if we ask ourselves, is usefulness and versatility make the best kitchen knife sharpener? If yes, how about adding the third element of portability to it?
By now, we should know who the clear winner is when it comes to knife sharpeners.
More Reviews and Guides
- Work Sharp Combo Knife Sharpener Review – Best Budget-Friendly Model
- Work Sharp Culinary E5 Review – Best Automatic Knife Sharpener
- Work Sharp Ken Onion Knife Sharpener Review – Most Powerful Handheld Sharpener
- Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener Review – Versatile, Powerful & Affordable
- Work Sharp WS3000 Wood Tool Sharpener Review – Best Sharpening System for Woodworking
- Work Sharp Replacement Belts – Different Belt Kits You Must Know
- Looking for the Best Handheld Knife Sharpener? The Work Sharp Sharpener is Your Choice
- 2 Best Electric Belt Knife Sharpeners under $100 – Reliable and Affordable
- Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener vs Ken Onion Edition – An In-depth Comparison