Hand-Held and Electric Sharpeners

Hand-held and electric sharpeners are an easy alternative to sharpening a knife compared to using a steel or a whetstone. Hand-held and electric sharpeners have pre-set angles and perform the same task as a steel.

To sharpen a knife using a hand-held sharpener, simply drag the knife through the notch, pulling gently towards you with light pressure – even the weight of the blade should be enough. WÜSTHOF offers hand-held knife sharpeners that have two stages: fine (honing) and coarse (sharpening). The fine stage has ceramic slats that can be used for regular maintenance. The coarse stage has diamond-coated abrasive wheels that will reset a dull blade. The coarse (sharpening) notch should be used 1-2 times per year when the blade is dull, while the fine (honing) notch can be used more regularly for knife maintenance. In addition, WÜSTHOF offers hand-held sharpeners that feature two Asian style stages. The Asian style knives are sharpened at 10 degrees rather than 14 degrees.

To use an electric sharpener, gently drag the blade through each stage 2 or 3 times, starting with the coarse grit (sharpening), followed by the fine grit (honing), and finishing the edge with the stropping wheels at the end.

It is always recommended to use the same brand sharpener as the knives you are sharpening, because the steel hardness varies from one manufacturer to another. In order to properly sharpen your knives, you have to use a steel that is tempered at a higher Rockwell degree than the knife. WÜSTHOF forged knives are tempered to 58⁰ Rockwell.