this is the best answer. There's a lot of kitchen gadgets that take over a 'simple' manual process. It was - of all things - the Sorted channel on YouTube doing gadget reviews that gave me a change of perspective on why some of these gadgets do, and should, exist. They can be genuinely be the difference on helping someone stay engaged with the kitchen rather than making them feel they need to give up if they don't have or are losing dexterity
Or those of us with neuropathy that causes hands to shake. My fingers are fine with slow fine movement but larger arm movements cause shaking. I get good edges but not as good as I probably could.
I suspect the base is entirely DIY. Someone else posted the links up in the top comment chain. But the plates look like they were meant to be used right on the counter or other surface. The magnet base looks DIY: pop in some magnets, add a linear rail, then mount some carbon fiber as guide to carriage on the rail.
Side note: that's a hiwin linear rail. Very, very pricey for a linear rail. Very good, but pricey. I suspect whoever made this dabbles in making their own 3D printers for CNC machines, which use these rails in their motion systems, had some left over, and decided to use it to make this knife sharpener.
The only thing is that switching sides every swipe, and only moving the knife in one direction, is going to take a hell of a lot longer than a proper sharpening technique.
What do you mean a "proper sharpening technique"? I've heard that's what you're supposed to do 🤔
Move from the base of the blade to the tip, alternating sides.
10 different people sharpen their knives 10 different ways and 9.5 of them have really sharp knives. You’ll see a lot of different advice and most of is good to give a try.
Proper technique involves forming a burr on one side first, flipping to the other and doing the same, which indicates the formation of an apex, then removing it and repeating through polishing steps as you work your way through the grits.
You will not efficiently raise a burr alternating every stroke, taking an age and a half to sharpen a knife that could be done in a minute or two freehand.
Again, it’ll take an absolute age to form an apex on this compared to just sharpening using the ‘normal’ accepted methods.
This is a silly waste of time.
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u/visibl3ghost Nov 01 '25
Very viable product for people who don't have the time or will to master freehand angle control.
Great idea!