Work Sharp Professional Precision Adjust Elite Knife Sharpener Kit, Sharpen Every Knife You Own

Pros: Can put a wicked edge on a knife. So easy to use that it's fun. Nice solid construction. Doesn't need to be bench mounted.Cons: Proprietary sharpening plates. Really only worth the price if you have a lot of knives, or depend on your knives to be keenly sharp. Not recommended for scissors or non-standard edges, like on lawnmower blades or hedge clippers, machetes, etc.One thing I've noticed while trying to learn the science of sharpening is that the people who have really invested themselves in the hobby of collecting knives and keeping their edges keen take their stuff seriously. Those who have refined the science into an art seem to swear by a series of whetstones. I've tried my hand at them, but being able to steady the blade at a consistent angle through the grind is a knack which is not easy for my sometimes wobbly hands. And as someone who isn't a knife collector and has one good Wusthof, a Miyabi and a Henckel cleaver for the kitchen, and a pocket knife for the toolbox, I feel reluctant to even offer an opinion on sharpening techniques, with all the good ole boys who are whittling hair off their arms on YouTube. But bear with me, because I like a sharp knife and a well-designed product, which this is.My first experience with Work Sharp was with one of their belt sharpening systems, and I am still pretty impressed with that- it put a nice edge on my knives, and revitalized an old pair of my mother's scissors. I think that's actually a good deal, since you can apply it to garden tools and scissors, which this isn't well suited to. But this sharpening system is meant for knives alone, and it does its job exceptionally. An ample library of video tutorials exist to refine your technique, but one can start right out of the box after a one-page quick start guide. I began with a cheap stamped metal cleaver which had been hiding in the back of a drawer to get the hang of it, and despite my aforementioned dexterity issues, got some pretty satisfactory results. I loaded the Wusthof kitchen knife next, (a much harder steel,) set the angle at 25 and worked the blade until I could feel a burr, then flipped it to the opposite side, (a process made easy by the rotating clamp,) and repeated, working my way down the sharpening stones until I was down to the strop, with a bit of polishing compound. I then inspected the knife and out of habit got a wadded up towel to clean the dust off the blade. The edge was so sharp that it slid through the towel before I knew what was happening, and it continued into my thumb. Dear reader, I realize that I have mentioned my lack of dexterity earlier, but I'm not a complete klutz, nor am I an idiot. Nevertheless, I was bleeding from my own kitchen knife. From a very neatly formed slice through some of the thickest skin at the tip of my thumb.Consider that both a warning and an endorsement. One (heavily bandaged) thumb up!

TL,DR: The best sharpener I have used. Easy to set up. Easy to use. Put razor sharp edges on two old knives, right out of the box. Performed fantastic. Only major issue was a little wiggle in the clamp.Main review:I just got my Precision Adjust Pro, today. Right out of the box, I can say the product seems well made. I like the fact the box contains divided compartments to store everything. While some form of blow molded case would be better, it would increase the price drastically.As for performance: My first two knives were 30 year old kitchen knives from a well known cutlery company. One has been used so much I wasn't sure it could be saved. The other was barely used but was never very sharp, even when brand new. I was able to easily put wicked-sharp edges on both knives.The system is absolutely easy to use, easy to set up, and performed mostly flawlessly. The digital angle indicator let me dial in the recommended edge for both knives. I am looking forward to years of use. I am not the best at hand sharpening. I can put a decent enough edge on my pocket and hunting knives. I would never have tried kitchen knives by hand. This product made it simple.The only negatives I have found so far are:1. The V-block clamp didn't hold the most securely. As I worked the stones over the blade, I noticed that one side of the blade tended to wiggle out slightly. I don't know if it was the thin blades and their distal tapers, the clamps grip not being "sticky" enough, or the clamp itself doesn't put even enough pressure across the blade to hold. These were not large knives so only time will tell if this will become a bigger problem with my bigger stuff.2. Stone grits. I think what comes in the box is great to start with. I would love to see Work Sharp release a number of higher grit stones beyond 800.

Awesome tool for sharpening all kind of knives. Definitely a major upgrade from the smaller version. Digital angle finder makes finding the perfect edge a breeze. The larger stone size makes for a a better grip and faster sharpening. The tilt mechanism makes for easy flipping with larger knives. All around a great design and worth every penny. Only downfall is the coarse grit is only 220 so reshaping a knife with dings take a little bit longer but still 100% capable of reshaping. Never had a sharper knife in my kitchen!