Sharpening your own knives may seem intimidating, but once you get over the initial learning curve, it can be a cost-effective way to transform your dull knives into a new set.
To further put my expertise into perspective, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of sharp knives since my dad, a former butcher, taught me to sharpen them starting around age 6. We used his sharpening stone, which he kept at my grandma’s house in upstate New York, when we visited her on weekends. There, I learned first on a small Swiss Army knife before I was allowed to practice on her larger boning and chef’s knives.
That’s why you can trust our evaluation of eight knife sharpeners—two electric, three manual, and three stone models from brands like AccuSharp, KitchenIQ, and Sharp Pebble—to find the best knife sharpeners on the market. Below, you can read reviews of our top picks. We’ve also compiled tips on shopping for a new knife and proper knife technique and care to ensure years of effortless cutting.