Work Sharp Knife Sharpener Review: Magnetic, Ergonomic Angle Set

This week, Work Sharp introduces a manual knife sharpener that uses magnets to easily adjust the angle of the hones. We tested the Angle Set Knife Sharpener for this review.

If you sharpen different types of knives, you need to adjust the angle of the hone to match the tool’s edge. Many knife sharpeners offer this ability. But a new model from Work Sharp uses a unique magnetic adjustment for a super-easy user interface.

In short: The Angle Set Knife Sharpener ($50) is a versatile and easy-to-use tool for sharpening blades. It’s compact, portable, and requires very little skill to use properly.

Angle Set Knife Sharpener Review

The Angle Set Knife Sharpener is a self-contained unit. A sturdy case carries the sharpening implements. It unfolds to reveal two sets of three-sided hones that unfold into an A-frame configuration. The bottoms of the hones have two metal contact points each that attach to magnets on the base. These hold the sharpener in place while you work.

There are six contact points — three for each side of the sharpener. Using different combinations of these points allows the user to set angles from 15 to 25 degrees in 2.5-degree increments. Clear markings denote the setting you choose to work at, making it very intuitive to use.

Next, you choose one of three hones: coarse, medium, or fine. Set the hone by twisting the upright leg of the A-frame. Now you’re ready to sharpen. To do this, just “slice” vertically down the hone while keeping the blade edge vertical against the sharpener.

Worksharp provides detailed instructions with the tool. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll say it’s very easy to do. It doesn’t require much muscle memory to hold the knife in this fashion, and the gentle strokes required to sharpen a blade are easy to replicate.

For those who want to sharpen serrated blades, the tool includes a small hone that attaches to the A-frame for this job.

I found it easy to take a blade from dull to very sharp quickly.

Angle Set Knife Sharpener: Who It’s For

In a brief amount of testing, I found this to be an easy and effective tool for sharpening knives.

I doubt it’ll get a blade as hair-popping sharp as a whetstone for true experts. But for the average user who struggles to hold a perfect angle on a whetstone (raise your hand!), it’s much easier yet still effective. It uses a time-proven method in the vertical configuration (just look to the decades-old design of the Spyderco Sharpmaker for proof of concept).

But Work Sharp uses a clever design change to minimize parts (there are just three pieces to this sharpener, including the case). It results in a compact, effective tool for most anyone who wants to easily and quickly sharpen many types of blades.

My only gripe with the tool is that the hones don’t click or lock into place when spun. Thus, you have to eyeball what seems to be square to the knife-edge when sharpening. It’s a minor issue and easy enough to get close to square. But some kind of haptic feedback would be helpful when selecting hones to know you are truly square.

Beyond that, this seems to be a great knife sharpener. The Angle Set Knife Sharpener seems solid. And while I’ve only had it for a week, I expect it will keep knives in tip-top shape for many years.