Idahone V-Type Ceramic Knife Sharpener with Four Rods, Model CS-4

Good Points: With just a few minutes of work, you can put a good edge on even old, abused knives. The stand works as a storage case and tucks neatly in a drawer. (I love the wooden stand/case. It's such a clever design.) The sharpener only takes a minute to set up. You can sharpen everything from long carving knives to meat cleavers to your smallest paring knife. The stand holds the ceramic sharpeners at the correct angle. You don’t have to guess. If you use the fine ceramic rods frequently, your knives will be extremely sharp. The price point is excellent for the quality you’re getting. Bad Points: I can’t think of anything I would change. Other Points: Learning to hold the knife blade vertically as you gently draw it down and across the sharpeners might take a little practice, but we’re not talking painting the Sistine Chapel. There are NO magnets in this sharpening system. You won't end up with a sharpener clogged with metal filings. I can’t begin to tell you how much I hate sharpeners that use magnets. It is nearly impossible to remove metal filings. Pick up a couple of the Superaser Fibrous Cleaning Blocks for Ceramic Sharpeners. They quickly remove any tiny metal bits and keep your sharpeners in top shape. I can’t emphasize enough that it doesn’t take twenty minutes to set up the sharpener. It is super fast and easy to set up.

Finally, a simple fast and effective knife sharpener for regular person use.

I'm a Japanese knife geek, I have several very good hand made knives, both high carbon and stainless, and several very good water stones. ( not super expensive thanks to Chefs Knives to Go )These are great! I'll sharpen my knives maybe once ever other month on the water stones and take a down swipe or 2 on each side ( blade up ) daily before starting a big meal. And my knives cut great....

This unit truly makes knife sharpening quick, easy, and effective. Because you sharpen by stroking downward, rather than pulling through (like the cheap sharpeners), the ceramic rods apply a microscopic sawtooth edge to the blade. The coarse rods set the acute bevel, and the fine rods apply the final, less acute bevel. What would take a half hour with a flat diamond hone can be easily done in 2 minutes. I take this over to friends' houses and sharpen their knives for them.

Been sharpening knives for 50 years. Have tried them all- big and small. Lansky, Spyderco, Smith's to name a few. Rods, diamonds, ceramics, stones, strops, coffee cups. And have used all angles. For me this one works very well. Plain and simple. Go slow with light pressure. Watch your tip. Don't run it off the rods. It will put a nice edge on any knife I've tried it on: Peanut to Bowie to bread slicer.

The hardwood block and rods are of excellent quality. The rods are held at the correct angle by secure anchors in the block. The block is comfortable to hold in place during use. I have sharpened all my knives and a pair of scissors to a fine, honed edge. I highly recommend.

I really tried getting a good edge with these, but I could only get a so-so edge. The white ceramic sticks are a pia to clean, after they get clogged with fine grindings. If not held properly at the end of the stroke, it will ruin the tip of the knife. Make sure you pay specific attention to this at the end of your stroke.

I've used a handful of knife sharpeners and by far this one is the easiest and best knife sharpener on the market for the price. The only issue I have with it is the pink rods are kinda weak. See photos. I super glued it back together so I can store it with the other 3 rods. And make sure you get one or two of the erasers with it. To clean the rods.