Review: ERU sharpener

[fnzeee]

Edit: After using the ERU for a few days, I am a believer. One of the easiest ways to keep knives and tools sharp...a few gentle pulls and the edge is uniform and sharp. With a light touch and proper alignment, the ERU has performed well for me and I expect years of productive use from this well -made tool.

I purchased the ERU as a travel sharpener. I use a WEP for most of my sharpening needs, but wanted a quick solution for kitchen knives and for travel. The ERU looks impressive. The machining is high quality and the sheath it comes in is equally well constructed. I was surprised at the high quality instruction sheet and marketing material that accompanied the sharpener. A very well-presented package. Using the sharpener is fairly straight forward. Fred's video / dvd shows you how to do it and the sharpener does work. At first, I had a very difficult time using the ERU because no matter how tight the set screw, during sharpening the angle would move. With Fred's help, I learned I was pushing too hard, causing the screw to loosen. There was also a piece of debris caught between the set screw and the washer, which was helping the guide to slide out of alignment. Using a softer touch and ensuring nothing is wedged between the washer and set screw has made a huge difference. It takes a bit of practice to get the right pressure and to keep the spine aligned all the way through the sharpening motion. Once these things are mastered, the ERU is easy to use and very effective at putting a clean edge on everything from pocket knives to cleavers. I would recommend the ERU for achieving a quick working edge. Now that I am using it correctly, I have been able to sharpen every knife in my kitchen and a few tools in the garage as well.

 

[eKretz]

Maybe you have a user issue or something's wrong. I'm pretty sure that shouldn't happen under normal use.

 

[awestib]

Thanks for the review! I hope that Fred will give some feedback here too!

 

[HeavyHanded]

It held the setting reliably when I tested it, main issue I had was keeping the edge dead centered in the notch. That was before it came with the locating/indexing pin (nice addition). It made a good edge, is a good fit for a utility sharpener and performs as described - a very nice tool.

Maybe some blue Loctite would help, or the addition of a split ring washer.

Edit to add: I braced it on a table top and brought the tool to the sharpener, used a short, light, sawing motion, overlapping as I went. I also spun the unit a few times to make sure the cutters weren't making contact with the same bevel side 100%. Not sure if this is needed, but on the cheaper carbide scrapers it makes a big difference in preventing any dings in the cutter surface from making pronounced artifacts in the bevel face.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

I purchased the ERU as a travel sharpener. I use a WEP for most of my sharpening needs, but wanted a quick solution for kitchen knives and for travel. The ERU looks impressive. The machining is high quality and the sheath it comes in is equally well constructed. I was surprised at the high quality instruction sheet and marketing material that accompanied the sharpener. A very well-presented package. Using the sharpener is fairly straight forward. Fred's video / dvd shows you how to do it and the sharpener does work. It will not yield hair-splitting results, but does a fair job at getting to near razor sharpness. I had a very difficult time using the ERU because the device would not hold an angle. No matter how tight the set screw, during sharpening the angle would move. This was particularly frustrating since the ERU's main benefit over traditional pull through V sharpeners is being able to set a precise angle. I'd start at 18 degrees for a shun chef's knife, and half way through sharpening the ERU would loosen and slip to 20 degrees or completely loosen and open up. This was very frustrating. I tried 10 or 12 times with the same results each time. I think Fred is onto something with this design, but personally I think the single set screw for securing the angle is inadequate. I look forward to the evolution of the ERU, but in its present form I cannot recommend it for serious sharpening. Great idea, but the inability to hold the angle really diminishes its utility for my purposes. I will try again, and will contact Fred for some advice. Perhaps I am using it incorrectly... Has anyone else encountered this issue?

If the sharpener is not holding a set angle, as it should with ease, possibly the disc have been taken apart and the fiber washer under the knurled thumb screw not been replaced, there may be some particulate between the disc, keeping the surfaces from mating properly, you may also be using excessive downward pressure which is not necessary for the tool to work properly. Something else to consider is whether the blade is being set into the "V" in the correct manner. If the blade is placed in the "V" crooked, without first aligning the spine with the alignment pin it's possible to "PRY" the jaws apart and in doing so change the set angle. When you say the "V" would loosen up and come completely undone, I can't see this happening without extreme downward pressure being used; which
is not needed or necessary.

If you would give me a call on my 800 number I will gladly speak with you. This is a user issue and it can be resolved with a phone call.

Fred

I responded to your earlier e-mail but have not heard back from you on this.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

It held the setting reliably when I tested it, main issue I had was keeping the edge dead centered in the notch. That was before it came with the locating/indexing pin (nice addition). It made a good edge, is a good fit for a utility sharpener and performs as described - a very nice tool.

Maybe some blue Loctite would help, or the addition of a split ring washer.

Neither of these are necessary; the split ring washers tend to tear into the aluminum disc and will scare them to the point, over time, where it interferes with proper operation.
Loctite is not needed either, its how the tool is being used. If Steve will give me a call I know with a little discussion the issue will be resolved.

Have a nice holiday Martin, Fred

 

[fnzeee]

Hi Fred, thank you. I will call on the weekend...want to respect and honor the holiday. I think I may have been using too much pressure...a lighter touch has yielded better results. Will keep practicing...perhaps this is more user error than any issue with the device itself. Will try your suggestions and report back.

Update: Following your advice, I undid the knurled knob and found a tiny piece of packing material caught under it. Removing this, and reducing the amount of pressure seems to make a big difference. I did have the spine properly centered, but I was definitely pushing down too hard. Will give it another go this evening. Thank you for your excellent support, and for knowing your product so well.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

Hi Fred, thank you. I will call on the weekend...want to respect and honor the holiday. I think I may have been using too much pressure...a lighter touch has yielded better results. Will keep practicing...perhaps this is more user error than any issue with the device itself. Will try your suggestions and report back.

Steve,

Honoring the holiday should be the quote of the day.

I think many people start out with excessive pressure and then find there's no advantage to doing so. With less pressure and closer attention to alignment the tool works faster and the edge thats produced is much more refined.
I think there is a natural tendency to use a lot of pressure when first getting used to the ERU; once you get used to how refined a tool it is, less pressure becomes the norm.

Enjoy the holiday and i will speak to you over the weekend, Fred

 

[fnzeee]

Thank you for your help, Fred! The ERU is a fine tool and now that I am using it correctly it has delivered very consistent results. A few swipes will restore a working edge to even knives which have severely dulled or damaged. The ERU even restored sharpness to an old kitchen knife with several nicks in the edge that had lost some of the edge profile. A very nice find, and a great solution in our house to use between major sharpenings with the WEP.