I seriously like my Ken Onion Work Sharp knife sharpener to put any kind of edge on just about any kind of knife – folder, fixed, kitchen or even a giant khukuri.  However, that is not exactly family friendly.  To make it easier on my wife, daughters and even me in the kitchen, I bought a nice Smith’s 50090 sharpener that has a coarse carbide side and a fine ceramic side.  This is about as simple as you get.

The unit is rubberized and easy to hold.  I set the unit on the edge of the table so I don’t hit anything when I pull the knife backwards and down and do 10 strokes on coarse and 10 on fine.  This puts a great edge on kitchen knives.  You can actually see the metal shavings on the coarse carbide side pile up.

We use it on all kinds of kitchen knifes other than serrated.  So if you are looking for a sharpener that is simple and effective for the kitchen, pick up one of these Smith units.

2/27/20 Update:  This thing has had a ton of use and is still going!  I use it several times a month to sharpen kitchen knives.

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