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Magnetically held kitchen knives: Sharper knives bring more joy
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Electric knife sharpeners are usually expensive, and manual models often require a lot of patience and dexterity when trying to restore fine blades to a razor-sharp edge. However, many everyday household knives don't require such effort. They can be kept sharp quickly and easily with so-called pull-through sharpeners, where the blades are repeatedly drawn through different abrasive media. Our test showed that despite the often low prices of such devices, the results are impressive.
We tested these four models:
- Zwilling V-Edge , RRP 54.95 euros
- Lantana Smart Sharp , street price from 19 euros
- Rösle knife sharpener , RRP €17.95
- Dick Magneto Steel HyperDrill II , RRP 118.40 euros
Twin V-Edge
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Photo: Peter Wagner
When a kitchen knife that's becoming increasingly dull needs to be quickly brought back to everyday sharpness, simple sharpening aids like a honing steel, whetstone, or even the rough ceramic bottom of a coffee cup are often used. What these tools have in common is that they are always a touch harder and rougher than the blade material, from which a few micrometers are deliberately ground away to make the knife sharp again.
For the same reason, the surfaces of pull-through sharpeners are coated with diamond dust or ceramic particles, or made of extremely hard tungsten carbide. Models like the Lantana and Rösle systems tested below even incorporate all three materials. The V-Edge from knife specialist Zwilling, on the other hand, uses two long, V-shaped ceramic sharpening stones, which can be selected with different grits for coarser and finer sharpening.
Although the device is quite large at 21 cm high and 20 cm wide, it needs to be held in place with one hand while grinding. However, it is large enough to prevent the blade from getting too close to your fingers.
Working with the V-Edge is as simple as it is effective: Insert the blade at the end of the handle, gently push the spring-loaded sharpening stones apart, and draw the blade through along its entire length. This requires little effort, and the resulting material removal from the edge is sufficient to restore a not-too-dull knife to a usable everyday edge in just 10 to 15 strokes.
About the author
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Peter Wagner, a food journalist who commutes between Hamburg and Palma de Mallorca, spends more time cooking than writing for money. He publishes books on nutrition and cookbooks; his latest book, "MALLORCA – Food, Drink, Experience," is a culinary travel guide to the popular holiday island.
Virtually all pull-through sharpeners have a fixed, unchangeable cutting angle of 20 degrees for typical European kitchen knives. Therefore, you can't sharpen Japanese blades with devices of this type, as they almost always have a sharpening angle of approximately 15 degrees. In this respect, the V-Edge is the first choice for anyone who keeps both types of blades in their knife block. With alternative sharpening rod adapters conveniently stored in the base of the device, the Zwilling can be converted to the other angle in just a few simple steps.
We also liked the square sharpening rods, where you can use all four sides gradually until they are eventually worn down. However, be careful: the rods are fragile and must be handled with care. Replacements can be purchased for around ten euros each. This modular design justifies the relatively high price of the V-Edge, which, as a result, also has the potential for a long lifespan.
Unfortunately, this only applies to the flexibility of the grinding material, less so to the housing. With an otherwise so well-thought-out concept, it's incomprehensible why Zwilling made not only the base but also the upper section with the blade slot from ABS plastic, which is far too delicate for this location. Even when carefully pulling the blade downwards from the upper V-slot, the cutting edge often hits the plastic head in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, causing it to wear out sooner than one would like. It's a shame that this area isn't made of hard rubber or cut-resistant plastic. Or, as with the Dick HyperDrill ( see below ), reinforced with metal.
Nevertheless, we consider the Zwilling V-Edge to be one of the best pull-through sharpeners on the market. It is suitable for anyone who wants to sharpen their knives to an exceptionally high degree several times a week and has sufficient space for this on their kitchen work surface.
How much does it cost? RRP €54.95, street price approx. €45.
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Lantana Smart Sharp
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Photo: Peter Wagner
The Smart Sharp, along with many identical or similar tools, is one of the best-selling pull-through sharpeners. This is due to its good value for money and its drawer-friendly design. Like all manual sharpeners, this model can be used to sharpen any type of edge except ceramic and scissors. It works equally well for right- and left-handed users. Even double-sided serrated edges are no problem, as long as the serrations are not too close together. The Lantana, with its matte plastic handle and finger grooves, fits perfectly even with slightly greasy palms and has a secure, non-slip grip thanks to its rubberized base.
Three recesses in the head each house a V-shaped abrasive at the European fixed angle of 20 degrees: an ultra-hard diamond coating for the initial sharpening of nicked or dull blades (high material removal rate), tungsten carbide for the main sharpening, and sharpening rods coated with a slightly softer ceramic for the polishing phase. However, the system reaches its limits with completely ruined edges with larger nicks. Such knives are better off being sharpened by a professional.
The Smart Sharp not only reliably sharpens all kinds of 20-degree edges, it's also incredibly durable: We've had it in our holiday apartment for several years as the sole sharpener in the cutlery drawer, and the sharpening results have hardly diminished to this day. With daily use year-round, the abrasives naturally wear down faster, but fortunately, the entire three-blade sharpening head can be removed for cleaning and purchased as a replacement part after a few years.
Naturally, achieving truly razor-sharp edges is not possible with this tool. Nevertheless, the Lantana is the ideal pull-through sharpener for anyone who doesn't want to fuss over sharpening their everyday knives and still wants to work with consistently well-sharpened blades despite its ease of use.
How much does it cost? About 19 euros.
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Rösle knife sharpener
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Photo: Peter Wagner
With its matte black finish, the Rösle looks quite similar to the Lantana. No manufacturer was able to secure exclusive trademark rights to the design. As a result, many of the devices manufactured in the Far East for various brands as so-called OEM products are very similar.
With the Rösle sharpening head, for example, the logical order of the abrasive materials has been inexplicably reversed: tungsten carbide is used on the left, diamond in the middle, and – as with the Lantana – ceramic on the right. This means the notches must be used in the 2-1-3 sequence. This information doesn't seem to have reached the copywriters of the Rösle packaging. They recommend the 1-2-3 sharpening sequence, which could potentially ruin some expensive kitchen knives. Lantana owners who have purchased the Rösle replacement head (which also fits their sharpener) for around €9.95 should take note.
The wood-look sharpener offered in Steffen Henssler's shop is identical in construction to the Rösle model, but at €24.90 it is much more expensive. Furthermore, the material of the rubber anti-slip pads differs: the Henssler sharpener, in which the sharpening agents are in the correct order, leaves black streaks on white kitchen worktops that are difficult to remove.
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Knife sharpeners from Rösle (above) and Hensslers: The wood-look model costs more than twice as much
Photo: Peter Wagner
Ultimately, the Rösle knife set can be kept sharp just as easily and efficiently as the Lantana – provided you don't make the mistake of following the instructions.
How much does it cost? RRP €17.95, street price approx. €15.
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Product reviews are purely editorial and independent. We typically receive a commission from the retailer when you make a purchase through the affiliate links above. More information can be found here.
Dick Magneto Steel HyperDrill II
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Photo: Peter Wagner
The HyperDrill from the Baden-Württemberg-based knife manufacturer Dick is somewhat of an outlier in this test. This large and relatively expensive device is a successful further development of a slicing tool that we have previously tested extensively . Its principle was refined in collaboration with professionals from meat processing plants and optimized for quickly restoring sharp edges.
The HyperDrill, even in its revised version, is not a sharpener for processing dull blades, but a highly effective tool for quickly and safely honing already sharpened knives in everyday professional cutting work.
Amateur knife enthusiasts yearning for the ultimate in razor-sharpness can still add the Dick to their wish list. With its simple operation, secure blade guidance, and downward-curving, virtually wear-free fine-grit sharpening rods (available for €22), the system truly ensures the maintenance of genuine nerd-level sharpness.
A nice detail: Magnets integrated into the blade guide allow for precise angled honing, ensuring the edge is sharpened exactly at the factory angle. This makes the HyperDrill equally suitable for European and Japanese blades.
We tested the honing tool with conventional kitchen knives from Rösle, Sabatier, WMF, and Zwilling (20-degree angle) as well as with Japanese 15-degree Damascus blades. Even the ten-degree special grind of our Fiskars filleting knife was honed to perfect angles.
The Dick Magneto Steel HyperDrill II is actually too expensive for a home kitchen. But anyone who enjoys keeping their favorite chef's knives razor-sharp can have a lot of fun with this tool.
How much does it cost? RRP €118.40, street price approx. €100.
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Product reviews are purely editorial and independent. We typically receive a commission from the retailer when you make a purchase through the affiliate links above. More information can be found here.
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