No one angle is ideal for all blades and all types of work, but this little sharpener delivers a good edge suitable for most work. For a really fine edge, I still prefer the traditional flat stones as I have more individualized control of the angle I'm sharpening at.
Despite that preference, I found the bevel created by this sharpener excellent for plain edge kitchen knives and very good for most other knives. This tool does the job quickly and efficiently. I had a collection of dull kitchen knives in a variety if different steel types and in the time it normally takes to sharpen two blades on my flat stones, I had them all sharpened. It also did a great job on a machete I use for garden work.
Using the device is simplicity itself. Stand the sharpener on edge and pull the blade through the Coarse side five to six times. Be carful when the blade come out of the guide not to drop the blade on your exposed fingers! Repeat the process if not satisfied with the edge, When you have a nice edge, flip the sharpener over and draw the blade through the Fine slot another five or six strokes. That's it! For really large blades, clamp the sharpener in a vise and draw the blade through. This minimizes the chances of cutting yourself.
Overall 3½ out of 5 and I'll give an extra half point for simplicity and ease of use.
This product will put a quick edge on any knife, large or small. Simply draw the angled (paired) sharpening stones over your blade, and presto you have an edge, and a pretty good one too. Best of all, the sharpener is very portable, weighs less than nothing, and fits into backpacks, fishing tackle boxes, hunting fanny pack, etc. with no added weight or bulk.
The edge that this sharpener puts on a blade is a great starting point for further honing of the blade to razor sharpness if desired.
I have several of these sharpeners. The only drawback is that the sharpening stones wear out after perhaps 6 10 sharpenings. But under 5 bucks a unit, this is a bargain.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig
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Putting an extremely sharp edge on a knife has never been easier. Call me all thumbs when it comes to sharpening knives. In the past I would rather buy a new knife than to sharpen one since I could never seem to get a sharp edge on it. Within 30 minutes after receiving this sharpener, we went from having 10 dull edged knives to ones that are extremely sharp. The sharpener is worth much more than it cost.
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I have owned a portable knife sharpener for my hiking and camping trips for many years now. Unless I am missing another model along the way somewhere, this Smith sharpener was at the time I bought mine and still seems to be the cheapest way to have a portable sharpener along on any camping trip, hunting excursion, etc. Though some of the other reviewers here seem to regard this little baby as a stay at home unit for sharpening kitchen knives and what not, I strictly use it as a portable pocket style sharpener for taking on the road or trail. Its a little lacking for a home system, and there are much better choices to be had for that purpose. That are also more money as well.
The Smith two step system has been a most valuable part of my camping gear for a couple years now. It is easy to carry along in a backpack, simplicity in itself to use, and does a very nice job of putting a decent edge on just about any knife you may have along in the wilderness. One doesn't really have to explain the good sense and value of having a knife along on a hiking trip. Its uses as a tool and for self defense is common sense on its fundamental level. However I am often surprised at how many times I run into other hikers and campers who have enough good knives along, but no sharpener for them at all. Its like they seem to forget that a knife can get just as dull at a campsite as it does in your kitchen. On many occasions, even a lot more so. We all know full well what a drag it is using a dull knife no matter what job we are trying to perform. I probably end up loaning out my Smiths as much as I actually use it myself. At around $6.00 at the time of this writing, it is certainly not something that will give your knives a shaving worthy edge, but its ease of use and portability, along with its price make it a solid performer, and, an excellent value. I have had mine for about two years now and it is showing very little loss for the wear to be sure. And I have probably used it several dozen times on everything from jackknifes to small camp axes. I highly recommend it as an essential for your next wilderness excursion. It is an excellent portable sharpener for the price...
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It was working well the first couple of times I used it, however after a month or so it did not sharpen anymore. Anyways it does not sharpen knifes very good. Its a simple knife sharpener, do not expect much.
I purchased this because I wanted a thinner slice of swiss cheese on my sandwiches. With all the screw hardware on the piece, it seems kind of awkward and the cheese tends to curl in toward the adjustable screw. Also, I wanted a cheese plane the same width as the block of cheese as you usually find in the supermarket. So, I tend to go back to the old wire cheese cutter since it is cuts a wider width even though the result is thicker slices.
