Work Sharp guided sharpener

What it is good at

• Holding a repeatable angle so the edge comes back evenly
• Working on both Western and Asian blade profiles
• Being fast enough that you will actually use it

Check before you buy

• Whether it supports the angle your knives are ground at
• Whether replacement belts or stones are sold separately
• Storage: the guides and abrasives need somewhere dry

Who it is not for

Anyone with a single cheap knife and a pull-through sharpener; the pull-through is enough.

Sharpening is the skill that makes a knife worth owning, and a guided system is the fastest way to acquire it: the jig holds the angle, you do the strokes.

Keep it for bringing an edge back. Honing between sharpenings is what preserves the blade.