Best electric and non-electric sharpeners

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Roybean1946

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Jan 27, 2008
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Your opinion on the best sharpener electric and non-electric. I want to be able to put a razor edge on several knives.
 
If $$$ is not really an object, the "best" in my opinion, is the "EdgePro" "Apex". About $260 will set you up with all you need for sometime to come for sharp, shiny edges on all your knives. (basic set up, extra stones, polish tape, shipping, etc.) The next "best" would be the "Sharpmaker" by Spyderco ( a lot of the guys here swear by it, myself, I didn't care for it, but that's my limitations, not the product). It runs about $50 to $80 if you get extra stones. After all the looking around I've done, for my $$$$, I'd go with the "Apex" if it was me. No experience with electric sharpeners, but the complaints I hear on here are that they "remove too much metal" from the blade.
 
For electric sharpeners, most people will recommend either a 1"x30" belt sander, plus a nice selection of belts, or a cardboard wheel set for a bench grinder.

They both have advantages, and they can both put a scary sharp edge on a knife FAST. They only remove as much metal as you want them to (after you get practiced up) as it's basically like freehand sharpening the knife, but where the stone moves instead of the knife.

I've got a 1x30 belt sander and it's great for reprofiling and putting a polished edge on the blade.
 
Welcome Roybean...old fogey and the mac are spot on. I'm partial to the Sharpmaker for quick touch ups. With some practice, flat stones can put a wicked edge on your knife, but practice on a cheapo first. The secret is don't let them get to the beyond dull point. If you're thinking electric sharpener as in the grinding wheel on the back of a can opener...well, they're your knives!
 
i like the cardboard wheels for speed once you learn how to use them. i can sharpen a dull knife in minutes. if it needs touched up, i just use the cardboard buffing wheel and a little white rouge to bring it back. anyone who gets a set of the wheels and wants help, i'll be glad to help. there are cheap knockoff wheels so get the origonal ones. i have links with more info on the wheels along with links to my videos on youtube at my website.
 
SPXTrader said:
... If you're thinking electric sharpener as in the grinding wheel on the back of a can opener...well, they're your knives!
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SPX is alluding to the strongly held opinion(much closer to fact) that there isn't a quality "automatic" sharpener on the market. These grinding type automatic sharpeners(found in the kitchen) eat steel off of your blade as do the quick edge pull through devices(found in the sporting goods) that have two hard pieces of metal designed to cut steel off of your blade. Quality electric sharpeners are what have been listed here...belt sanders and cardboard sharpening wheels. These require a significant understanding of sharpening to use properly without ruining the steel, something that can happen very quickly if you aren't careful. These are usually fast moving power tools which can overheat the steel quickly, and once this is done, you can't fix it.

One thing that is common with these powertool methods and the others listed here is a delicate hand operation that is essential to any "quality" sharpening method.
 
Roybean1946 said:
Your opinion on the best sharpener electric and non-electric. I want to be able to put a razor edge on several knives.
Click to expand...

I have an Edge Pro Apex and agree it's a fantastic system. The Pro version is probably even better. It's pretty fast to learn and will put a very keen edge on virtually anything.

The Spyderco Sharpmaker is another great product. It's simpler than the Apex and somewhat less versatile, but if your knives don't need reprofiling (and if you don't let them get too dull between sharpenings) it will also do a terrific job.

If you aren't interested in spending much money or investing a lot of time in learning, the Edgemaker Pro sharpeners work very well on wide variety of knives. You could get a set of all three of them, comprising four grit levels, shipped to your door for $30.

I imagine eventually someone will stop by to tell you to learn how to sharpen freehand. Not bad advice by any means, but by your original post I got the feeling you want an easy to learn, prepackaged system. If you want to learn the nuts and bolts of sharpening & how it really works, I recommend Dave Martell's videos, "The Art of Knife Sharpening." After a couple viewings you'll have a good idea what stones and accessories you'd need to sharpen freehand.

FWIW, most professional sharpeners do a lot of their work on belt grinders, and a bit on grinders like the Tormek, and also with paper wheels. Those things have a higher learning curve and will set you back a bit more money. I don't much experience using power tools to sharpen knives so I'll leave that to someone more qualified than me.:)
 
One power (electric) sharpener not mentioned is the Tormek. With its 90 RPM water bath grinding wheel it is very controllable. I have sharpened my knives and my wife's kitchen knives many times and stock removal in minimal to get a great edge. Yes, it is an investment, but I would never part with it. Using the standard knife jig you can sharpen knives with a blade width of only 1/2" at 15°.
 
^ This is true.

Edit to say the Tormek isn't what I thought it was. I was picturing a flat rotating wheel that stayed immersed in water.
 
Thanks for the info. I generally sharpen pocket knives and hunting knives by hand usually using a medium stone, then moving to fine and finishing with a hard stone. I have used the Lansky system in the past with good results but am exploring the possibility of trying something different. Regarding kitchen knives I sometimes use the hand method, but often use a one of the electric three stage sharpeners. I try to always keep my pocket knife sharp enough to shave. I'm thinking of getting the Edgepro or Apex. For cane cutting knives and machetes I usually use my belt sander or a hand file.
 
get a norton 1000-4000 grit waterstone, and two china 'crown' or 'king' brand ebay junk carborundum rocks. they are highly useful for fast efficient metal removal, and self-flattening each other, and take a bunch of time out of reprofiling. That's not suggesting particularly 'in place of' anything else, just that they're bang-buck winners that speed the process up, save wear on your fancy stones, take not much time or set up, and don't make you weep to wear them out... USEFUL, no matter what else you have, except maybe a tormek.. that would make them obsolete nearly but it'd take that much.. a very GOOD belt sander might keep you from reaching for them.. but overall they're right down the middle of the road for utility. junk rocks aren't bad, as accessories to good ones.. cheaper'n buying fancy 'flattening' stones..
 
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