Discover ALL the Wusthof Knife Sharpeners available online today.

The Spyderco Sharpmaker or to give it its full name the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener is one of the most positively reviewed knife sharpeners on Amazon.

To read those reviews (which give great information and insights) click here.

Almost without exception those that have used this particular sharpener are almost too zealous in their praise of it.

This sharpener makes edges really sharp, razor sharp when used correctly.

While it is an odd looking contraption no doubt, and it’s not as simple as a pull through knife sharpener, it does come with instructional material and there are videos all over the internet explaining how to get the best out of it. It even ships with its own DVD.

Let’s be honest here and say you can’t get much simpler than a pull through sharpener, but the Spyderco Sharpmaker will get your edges sharper with a little effort on your part.

That’s effort to learn the system of sharpening with this product. It may look overly complicated but it’s not really.

The two smaller rails you can see in the picture are there simply for your safety in keeping the knife’s edge and your hands separated when sharpening.

The other two are the sharpening triangles. Triangles because that is their cross sectional shape.

The sharpening triangles have a small furrow formed down their length so you can also sharpen fish hooks, awls and darts in there. Or most tools with a narrow point on them.

It’s a true multi purpose sharpening tool.

The base of the Sharpmaker can be bolted to a worksurface for a really stable sharpening station. For travelling, all pieces can be easily dismantled for carrying in the self contained base of the unit. So great for camping, where a true edge on your hunting knives puts you at an obvious advantage.

The sharpening stones can be set to sharpen at either 15 or 20 degrees for knives, down to 12.5 degrees for scissors.

The only downside of this product that we could find, is that the sharpening stones can be brittle and must be handled with some care.

Cleaning the Sypderco Sharpmaker is as simple as washing with a scouring pad and leaving out to dry in the air.

This device is at home sharpening your kitchen knives and scissors, pen knives or hunting knives.

It comes with two grades of sharpening stone a medium and fine grade.

The medium grade, as expected, is used if a knife is really dull and you need to set the edge again.

The fine grade will then just finish it off and get that razor edge.

All in all the Spyderco Sharpmaker is well recommended by us and more importantly by many many others.

The Chef’s Choice 130 knife sharpener is also refered to as the M130 Knife Sharpening System.

It has had remarkable reviews with over 230 left on Amazon alone, and these have been very positively in favour of this particular knife sharpener. Click to read those reviews.

America’s Test Kitchen (Cooks Country) recommend this sharpener.

Chef’s Choice 130: Features

Sharpening Stage

This is stage one of the sharpening process.

The sharpening stage uses a diamond abrasive action that removes material from the knife as it sharpens the edge, and creates a small burr.

In effect what’s really happening is that it gives your knives a new edge.

Not all knives will need this level of sharpening.

Steeling Stage

The steeling stage removes the burr produced by the first stage of sharpening, but leaves in place invisible microscopic teeth that really help the knife edge to *bite* anything that needs cutting.

It will also straighten the edge of any knife that needs a quick honing.

Stropping Stage

The third  stage of sharpening uses a flexible disk to polish the edge to incredible sharpness.

Pulling the knife though all three sharpening stages requires very little effort.

Expect to spend one minute sharpening a neglected knife and about 10 seconds realigning the edge on a cared for knife.

Please read the manual included with the sharpener as these stages do not have to be used 1,2 and 3 in order. They can be used interchangeably depending on the type of edge you need.

Can be used on straight or serrated blades

Yes it can cope with bread knives or any serrated edge.

Kitchen knives, pen knives/hunting knives, and Asian style knives can be sharpened on this versatile sharpener

Look in any typical kitchen and you’re going to find a multitude of knives from many manufacturers.

While they may all not get used regularly, the Chef’s Choice M130 is capable of sharpening all of them ready for the day you do get around to pulling them out and putting then to work.

This machine can handle just about any knife type you care to test it with.

Note: this is a machine for sharpening steel knives and not ceramic knives

Minimal blade material removal

Where material is removed this may be cleaned from the work surface with a damp cloth and from the M130 itself by using the magnetised plug from the bottom of the unit.

Also make sure that each knife is cleaned after being sharpened to remove any metal residue from the surface of the knife.

A simple to use on/off button

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. Turn it on, sharpen, turn it off.

A Generous Three Year Warranty

I couldn’t find any more information on this other than it’s a Limited three-year warranty.

Guides to ensure precise sharpening angles

A unique system of guides ensure that the knife is held at the correct angle when being sharpened.

This is ideal for those that find holding the knife steady when sharpening a little difficult.

For those that are looking for an excellent manual sharpener that is not a pull through, you may like to take a look at the Spyderco Sharpmaker.

The Wusthof Fillet Knife is another that comes in the many ranges or sets that Wusthof offer, from Classic, Ikon, Gourmet, Silverpoint and more (see more of the Wusthof Classic range).

The Wusthof Classic Fillet example measures in at 7 inches and this particular one also ships with a protective leather sheath.

This makes it an ideal choice for kitchen and outdoor use.

Coming in at the best 5/5 rating on Amazon this knife lives up fully to the Wusthof knives reputation.

It is extemely sharp and being a thin blade also very flexible for working around bone. It is ideal for filleting slices of fish or meat to a delicate thinness if required.

All the reviews reiterate how sharp this knife is and a few carry warnings to wear a filleting glove for safety when using it.

Like all the classic range the Wusthof Fillet Knife is forged from a single piece of high grade steel which is polished and then hand sharpened to an incredible edge.

The single metal piece runs from the tip to the end of the knife handle and the handles themselves are made of very durable polypropylene, held in place by the Classic three rivets. You can take a look at the Wusthof Steak Knives page for a look at another Wusthof Classic handle or the Wusthof Santoku Knife which had a 5 star rating the last time we checked.

Wusthof Steak Knives from the Wusthof Classic range are made to the same exacting standards built into all the other Wusthof knives in this set.

They are forged from high grade steel to hold their edge longer. The knife body from the tip of the blade to the end of the handle is manufactured from a single piece of metal. This leads to a feel of balance not felt with cheaper options.

The handles are made of a tough polymer and are held in place by three rivets. The Wusthof Fillet Knife is another knife that shows the classic Wusthof handle if you want to take a look.

Once the knife has been manufactured it goes through a hand sharpening to bring it to a razor sharp finish.

Click for more info on Wusthof Steak Knives

The sharpness of the blade is evident by the lack of serations along the blade’s length which can be seen in other steak knives which require them to get a clean cut, The Wusthof Steak Knife relies on its edge to cut through the food. This is perhaps one knife that you reach for when peeling vegetables or generally doing prep work in the kitchen. A job it handles well but is definitely outside its scope of work.

This steak knife comes in a number of set variations depending upon how many knives you actually require. And although we have been talking about the Wusthof Classic Steak Knives here they do come in other ranges such as the Gourmet, Grand Prix and Culinar.

These knives come with a respectable lifetime guarantee and are dishwasher safe. As on all our other pages though we’ll yet again urge you against putting any quality knife into a dishwasher. The knocks it can pick up inside there can damage a fine edge.

The word Santoku is Japanese in origin and means loosely “three uses”. This refers to the three main uses this general kitchen knife is usually put to: slicing, dicing and chopping. How does the Wusthof Santoku do each of these tasks?

Well according to the 5/5 rating almost 100 uses have given it. very well indeed. Read those comments here. These comments are for the Wusthof Santoku from the Classic range. The Santokus in the other Wusthof ranges come out equally well.

The Wusthof Knives of the Santoku class come in 5 inch and 7 inch lengths.

Click for more info on the Wusthof Santoku Knife

The knife is thinner and lighter than normal Western chef’s knives with a sharper blade due to the thinness of the edge. This is compensated for by the steel the knife is manufactured from being of a higher, more hardened grade. A normal chef’s knife will have an edge angle of anywhere between 20 and 22 degrees. The Santoku knife will have a lesser angle of between 12 to 15 degrees.

The thinness of this knife leads to precision handling and a deft touch when cutting, with excellent balance thrown in for good measure.

The Wusthof Santoku incorporates a scalloped edge which reduces the probability of cut foods sticking to the knife. This is known as a Granton edge. The indentations themselves are called “Kullens”

The blade bolster and tang of this knife (basically from the tip of the blade to the end on the knife) is made from one piece of high grade steel. This gives the knife incredible strength.

The polypropylene handle like the rest of the knife is ridiculously strong and is dishwasher safe, however, as mentioned elsewhere on this site, do not out a knife of any quality in a dishwasher, if you want it to keep its edge.

Overall the Wusthof Santoku Classic is one of the more popular Wusthof knifes available today. The Wusthof Classic range of knives is know and respected world over.

We definitely recommend it.

Read a more indepth review of the Wusthof Santoku

The Wusthof Steak knife set is perhaps one knife that you will use outside of its specified purpose. Read our Wusthof Steak knives review.

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Wusthof Classic

The Wusthof Classic range is undoubtedly the most popular set in the Wusthof professional knife range.

Its fans range from the professional chef to the most enthusiastic of amateurs. One thing both sets of users have in common is that they expect their kitchen tools to perform.

The Wusthof Classic range seems to rise to every challenge. This is evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive feedback left by satisfied customers (see the feedback on the Wusthof Classic range).

These knives are forged from a single piece of high carbon stainless steel and so the tang bolster and blade are one piece ensuring incredible strength.

But more than this, these knives are thinner than their contemporaries which makes them much lighter and leads to a delicate balance when in the hand. Thus an absolute joy to use because of the higher precision that can be achieved.

The Wusthof Classic range covers a variety of knives and scissors which you can purchase as budget allows, one at a time,  or en mass in a block of 26 Wusthof Classic pieces.

Click for more info on the Wusthof Classic range

One point to mention is that there has been some criticism of the fact that these knives are not dishwasher safe. Although they are marked as being dishwasher safe, DO NOT put any quality knives, that you want to use again, in a dishwasher. The high pressure water in a dishwasher can knock the contents about and  because of the fine edge on these knives they can easily pick up nicks. This will need a sharpener to put right!! You have been warned. This applies to any quality knife not just Wusthof ranges.

The Best Wusthof Classic Starter Set

The 8 piece deluxe Wusthof Classic Knife set, including knife block, is where many aspiring chefs will choose to start their Wusthof collection. This range includes all the major utility knives needed in the working kitchen along with the useful kitchen shears. The block houses 17 slots so the set may be added to over time as desired. This set of Wusthof Classic knives includes

• 8-inch chef’s knife
• 6-inch sandwich knife
• 8-inch serrated bread knife
• 4-1/2-inch utility knife
• 3-1/2-inch paring knife
• kitchen shears
• 9-inch sharpening steel

The block makes up the 8th piece which we feel is a little cheeky but most manufacturers claim this. Each knife is sharpened by machine but honed by hand by Wusthof experts to give the sharpest blade possible. To truly set this range off all items (at time of writing) come with a Wusthof Lifetime guarantee.

Click for information on the Wusthof Classic Starter Set

Individual Wusthof Classic Knives

All knives that are boxed in sets are also available as individual purchases. For example the Wusthof Steak Knives set. So collections may be built up over a number of months. The full range of Wusthof Classic Knives can be seen here.

To take a look at another great line please see our Wusthof Culinar page.

The Wusthof Culinar knife set looks as if it was forged from a single piece of high carbon stainless steel, unlike its cousin from the Wusthof Classic range which carries a black handle. This is true of the blade, bolster and a full-length tang although the handle is in fact attached separately, it too is made from stainless steel.

The shaped handle makes it ideal for any hand size. Unlike the Wusthof Grand Prix or Classic handles the Wusthof Culinar handle has a gently curved top edge which means smaller hands have an easier time of ensuring a firm grip.

Click for info on the Wusthof Culinar range

They are exceptionally balanced knives due to the fact that blades and bolsters are not quite as thick as some knives.

One of the best sets it makes sense to start with when beginning your adventures in the kitchen is the Wusthof Culinar Three-Piece starter set. This set comprises of an 8 inch cook’s knife, a 6 inch sandwich knife and a 3 1/2 inch paring knife.

• The 8 inch cooks knife is used for chopping and many mincing jobs. Wusthof offer four sizes of cooks knives, five, six, eight, and 10 inches. The 8 inch knife is the best overall knife to choose from most home kitchen tasks.
• The 6 inch sandwich knife is a slicing utensil.
• The 3 1/2 inch paring knife is used on fruits and vegetables.

Perhaps the one knife to add to this set would be the Wusthof 9 inch bread knife.

For those that want to buy all their knives in one hit in the Wusthof Culinar 10 piece knife Block set could be the answer. The 10th piece is made up of the maple block holding the knives; so you don’t in fact get 10 knives for your money.

Click for info on Wusthof Culinar Knives

This set includes the three pieces from the starter set above plus, in no particular order

• 8 inch carving knife
• 8 inch bread knife
• 5 inch Salami knife
• 4 1/2 inch utility knife
• 5 inch boning knife
• 9 inch sharpening steel
• A 9 slot maple block

A word of warning for all of these Wusthof knives is that dishwashers will damage them. Take the time to hand wash them and you will never have to use the Wusthof lifetime warranty.

The Culinar range doesn’t stop here however. The Wusthof Ultimate Culinar Knife Block Set comprises of 26 pieces and will cost you the best part of $1800. A hefty price tag. You’d pretty much want to be considering a professional career in the kitchen before you go splashing out on this set.

Go here to read more on the Wusthof Culinar 8-Inch Cook’s Knife or to read our Wusthof Santoku review go here.

A little while ago I heard from a friend that in an emergency they have a unique way to sharpen their knives.

I thought it sounded a little crazy until I saw the video below.

What he said was take your knife out to the car. Wind down the window and use the uppermost edge of the window to sharpen the knife. Well I won’t tell you what I thought of that.

Seems like I’m going to eat humble pie.

The video shows how anyone can sharpen a knife with an item everyone has in the kitchen.

You tell me, is this the most unusual knife sharpening system you’ve seen?

The Wusthof Precision Edge Diamond Electric Knife Sharpener is the most expensive model in the Wusthof sharpener range.

Does it live up to its price tag? Let’s take a look.

Electric Wusthof Sharpener

Firstly the down side to this electric sharpener.

As with the other sharpeners below, this one also features two slots through which you draw your knife’s blade. But with no knife guide if you don’t draw the blade through straight you end up getting an edge which won’t be symmetrical. Can this be called a fault/drawback over other knife sharpeners? I don’t really think so. It doesn’t take much skill or time to line the knife up correctly. But it’s been included here for completeness.

This machine cannot be used for serrated blades. This advice comes from the horse’s mouth, Wusthof themselves. So if you have a requirement to sharpen many serrated blades then this electric version may not be for you.

So that’s the drawbacks of this Wusthof sharpener.

Click for info on the Electric Wusthof Sharpener

What’s it got going for it.

It’s very simple to use, with only two slots and an on off button.

If you’re getting a little behind in you knife sharpening regime, this machine will blast through your backlog saving you loads of time while sharpening your blades to a factory finish.

With coarse and fine grinding slots, unless your knife is chipped or damaged in some way, all that is usually required is two to three pulls through the honing slot to achieve a factory edge. Otherwise just run it a couple of times through the coarser slot to recondition the edge before honing it.

This sharpener produces a hollow ground edge not simply a straight edge. This type of edge is sharper than normal. See below this review for a description of the types of knife edges.

As mentioned above it comes with two slots for coarse and finer actions. Both use diamond wheels. The coarse wheels sharpen the blade while the finer wheels hone it.

Both wheels will remove material to a larger or lesser extent from the knife. These filings have to go somewhere and this is taken care of in the Wusthof by the use of a magnetic tray. A very nice well thought out touch.

For a solid feel on the worktop it incorporates rubber feet. To be honest you can’t afford to have this machine travelling around when using it so these were a must have item.

This model is a reasonable compact size and will not take up much room on any worksurface.

So do we recommend this Wusthof sharpener.

This sharpener produces the best edge of all the models we have reviewed. However, you have to remember that sharpening your knives should very rarely have to be done, while honing your knife could realistically be done every time you use them. So if you don’t have a large number of knves then you will only be using one half of this machine’s capabilities most of the year. With this in mind…

If you have the money then go for it, lucky you. If like most, money is a concern right now then one of the other sharpeners below could make more sense for you.

Find more info on the Electric Wusthof Sharpener here.Click for more info

Types of edges

1. Hollow Ground
2. Flat Ground
3. Sabre Ground
4. Chisel Ground
5. Double Bevel/Compound Ground
6. Convex Ground

The hollow ground edge has had more metal taken away from it than the other types, which if the steel it’s made from is inferior will result in a blade that needs sharpening more often. However, because of the finer edge it is much sharper than other edge types.