Lansky Master's Edge Knife Sharpener For Straight & Serrated Blades (Red) - MEDGE1

This is a great sharpener. This item has replaced the full sized crock stick sharpener with a wood base formerly offered by lansky.First and foremost the rods wobbling. I know some have complained about it but in reality it is minimal, and can't be avoided with any of these types of sharpeners. I have a vintage crock stick sharpener, a spyderco sharpmaker, and the turnbox sharpener. With use even the wooden base models will develop some wobble. So don't let that discourage you. My turnbox was originally hard to get the rods in and out of but the more i use ut the easier they slip in and out, and one hole has developed rod wobble which doesn't affect the usability.The plastic base was a concern if mine as some had said it wasn't stable. Comparing it to my vintage louis graves crock sticks (which lansky bought out) it is every bit as stable. Underneath there is a rubber base to make it non slip. This feature i don't think was necessary except for one thing- it also contains slots for the rods to fit in usimg friction. They hold the rods tight if you put them in right which means pressing them in all the way so that the rubber wraps part way around rod. It holds them so good that it takes a little effort to remove them which shows they truly are secure. The only thing that would have been better is if there would be something covering the bittom to offer 360 degree protection for the rods.So far I've only used this on knives and it does a GREAT job. Every bit as good as the spyderco sharpmaker and less than half the price. Holding the knife as though i was trying to slice straight down i started at the top of the rod on one side with the heel of the blade and drew it straight back and downward with very LIGHT pressure. I alternated each stroke, left side of the blade against the left rod then right side against right rod, then repeating the process until the blade was sharp. Then i switched to the white rods and repeated the process to refine or finely hone the edge. I didn't bother using a strop but instead i used an old sharpeners trick that works just as good if not better for a knife. NEWSPAPER! I took a 2x4 about a foot long and wrapped it tightly with newspaper and used it for a strop. The result was a hair popping sharp blade.The hardest part of this or any of these V style sharpeners I've found is the clean up. If you keep up on it and try to keep it clean then maybe ajax or comet powdered cleansers scrubbed with hot water using a scotch bright pad will work. Maybe not. If you have troubles with those cleaners not getting it clean then try bar keepers friend. It contains a harsher abrasive, as well as oxalic acid which makes cleanup much easier! I recommend just using 'bar keepers friend' powder cleanser, hot water, and a rag or plastic scotch brite pads for scouring. In between those deep cleanings you can also use a good pencil eraser to remove most of the metal that loads up on the rod (try different ones to see which kind works best).So. This lansky master's edge vs the spyderco sharp maker. Does the sharp maker work better? Yes. But but not at twice the price. With a few extra strokes this will work just as good. While the sharp maker offers 2 angles to sharpen at, the lansky offers 3. If you're on a budget and can only afford the sharp maker then don't hesitate. It's a great product.If you aren't sure about the sharp maker, then buy this lansky. You won't be disappointed. If you have the money... Buy both the sharp maker, and the master's edge. If you need something that travels well or doesn't tale up a lot of space and is for smaller blades then get the lansky turrn box.This style sharpener works great, is easy to use, and cleans up relatively easily once you find out what works for you.It does take a little getting used to but like i said is still easy to use. Even kids can use this.

I've been using Lansky turn-box sharpeners for years and they are great but only offer two sharpening angles, 20 degrees and 25 degrees. I bought this because I have a new chefs knife that requires a shallower sharpening angle.Knifemakers have been reducing the sharpening angles of their knives over the past few years. For example, Wusthof, my favorite, has changed their angle from 19 degrees to 14 degrees.Although this model is more expensive than the turn-box, it's still not too pricey and it's worth every penny.It has three sharpening angles, 17, 20 and 25 degrees and the ceramic rods are twice as long, which makes it easier and faster to sharpen larger knives.It also has an additional rod and guides for sharpening serrated blades, which I think is a marketing gimmick and may or may not ever use.The only disadvantages for me are that it's too big to store in my knife drawer and it's a little more awkward to use because the longer rods require a more exaggerated motion.Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase and recommend it, although I think the turn-box is a cheaper and better choice if you don't need the 17 degree sharpening angle.

Some good reviews here already, so I will be brief and try to give some food for thought. The problem I have found personally with almost every "sharpening system" I have purchased is the same; regardless of manufacturer or type. Every one of them that I have tried brags of precision angles (which are necessary) , yet all of them introduce some measure of error, usually in the form of loose tolerances or "wobble" of critical parts.This sharpener is very effective if used properly. What I like best about it is the way it knocks down for fairly compact storage, and the fact that it is much less of a chore to set up and use.Unless you already have a lot of experience sharpening, this type of system will require some practice. If I am "rusty", I usually begin with a knife I still care about, but maybe has been ignored for awhile and fallen out of favor in the kitchen. So start with the least favorites, and work your way to the expensive and treasured blades. The best way I can describe the process is to say it is more of an art than most people realize, and watching someone else do it can help, but you still have to develop your own technique, controlling not only angle, but also pressure and even cadence.To summarize, this is a respectable sharpener at a very good price, and with a little devotion you can restore all of your knives to better than new.

I just received this today and was able to use it today, it was easy to set it up and easy to use. Just keep the knife straight up and down when you use it on the rods, don't turn them at an angle, keep it straight. It sharpened the little pen knife as sharp as I have ever had it, on the paper test it went through as it should. It might not be necessary but make sure you strop it after sharpening it.I would say that it is worth the money.I will post more later on as I use it.Some are giving this a bad rap, they say the rods wobble, and this is normal, they say it takes too long, then have someone else sharpen your knives, they say it is cheap crap, no it isn't. It works just as well as any other rod sharpener. Most of the problems are people just don't know how to use this type of sharpener. Relax and take your time using it, watch a few YouTube videos.