What we found

Our test

The tester sharpened each knife following the manufacturer’s instructions. If the result was not satisfactory sharpening continued until an acceptable result was achieved. A sharp knife would slice an A4 sheet of paper from the edge without tearing it and cut the skin of a tomato easily and cleanly under its own weight.

We also wanted to see how easy the sharpeners were to use, rating them for ease of sharpening, safety and instructions.

Our tests used 20cm Victorinox chefs’ knives, one knife for each sharpener. Each knife was tested for sharpness when new, then put through a blunting process.

Performance

Six sharpeners achieved a top performance score of 90. They required little effort to produce a blade with a very fine smooth edge. The Wusthof Sharpener 4344 was the only sharpener not to achieve a good or better result. It took many strokes to sharpen the knife.

Ease of use

Cuisinart KS-80A

Ease of sharpening
The Cuisinart KS-80A (pictured right) was the easiest to use. It’s an electric sharpener – all you have to do is draw the blade through the slots. The Russell Hobbs RHKS1000 was also electric but it took a lot of passes to sharpen the knife.

Safety
The Accusharp Knife and Tool operated differently from the others – the knife was held still while the sharpener was moved across the up-turned blade. A finger guard is provided for protection but it’s still important not to apply heavy pressure as you might lose control of the knife.

The other manual sharpeners had to be held steady with one hand while sharpening. These sharpeners should have a non-slip base. The Wiltshire WILT595064 Knife Sharpener had a base which could slide across a bench under pressure.

Instructions
The Accusharp, Chef’s Choice, Cuisinart and Russell Hobbs were the only sharpeners with instructions which provided safety advice.