- Width: 5-in.
- Height: 6-in.
- Origin: Japan
- Cleaning & Care: Handwash with mild soap and dry thoroughly.
- Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty
Product DescriptionFor practically effortless sharpening of your Shun cutlery, this Electric Sharpener is made to meet the standards of the Asian knife industry. It runs on 120 volts and uses a removable grindstone cartridge set at a 16-degree angle with a combination of coarse and fine grits. To restore your blade to its factory-sharp edge, pull your knife slowly through the channel lightly just a couple of times. Rinse the grindstone under water to clean and dry thoroughly. Shun kni. . . More >>
I’m think it’s back to my old Presto sharpener. After I bought this one, I used it on several types of knives. I finally got a reasonably sharp edge, but it took more work than the Presto did. Also, because of the way you place the knife in the sharpening cradle, it seems to work best on longer knives and those without bolsters. Forget it on a steak knife. I’ll give it a few more chances just because I know what fine knives Kershaw makes, and can’t believe that they would make a sharpener that’s not up to grade.
I have only used this on shun classic knives. While it does sharpen a dull knife, it does not do nearly as good of a job as having your knives professionally sharpened. I also fear it takes off much more metal than is necessary to achieve a new edge. Buy this only if you are exceedingly lazy about getting your knives sharpened and it won’t happen any other way. Otherwise get your knives sharpened professionally. Shun will sharpen them for free if you don’t mind shipping them to Japan (rolls eyes). I get mine done at Sur La Table; they charge an arm and a leg, but they specialize in Shun knives and do a great job.
I was looking for a sharpener specifically for Japanese knives (I have 5 Shun knives). I could not believe how horrible this sharpener is. I really thought it might have damaged my knives. It is unbelievably course and it chatters very badly while sharpening. Do not even consider this product. Back to the waterstones for me!!
Honing steel only works for so long and professional knife stores often get confused when you ask them about working on a 16 deg angle edge.
So for those reasons getting a sharpener that could do the job was a must. I’ve used it on my knives (also Shun) and the results were everything I could have asked for.
I did have some issues running the utility knife through Shun Classic 3-1/2-Inch Paring Knife, mostly because of the short blade. But when using my santoku Shun Classic 7-Inch Santoku Knife it worked like a charm and the results on both were fantastic.
As for the unit itself, it is quite solid because of the motor, and includes a compartment for keeping the power cord tucked neatly away. I did have some trouble with the power button. It had to be pressed farther than I would have expected and the detent felt off to me.
The grinding wheels seem to be ceramic and the grinding assembly is easily removed. I would assume that would be for either cleaning or if the grinding wheels need to be replaced.
It is a bit on the expensive side, but I’m sure that it will more than pay for itself in sharp knives.
This is the best knife sharpener I have ever used to put a new edge on a dull blade with out chewing up the blade and putting scratches all over an expensive forged knife(like a Chef’s Choice knife sharpener does and doesn’t produce the result like this one). And is it so easy to use! Only about four passes through and you have a new edge on a dull knife. I really can’t recommend this product enough.