4" Diamond Combination Sharpener

I love knives. I love sharp knives. But I've never be much good at getting a sharp edge on a knife. I've tried a lot different sharpeners without much success. FINALLY!!! I can get a decent edge on my knives with this sharpener. I take all our steak knives and I'll sit in front of the TV sharpening them as a show goes by. My wife is happy that our knives finally cut again. Our big kitchen knife now slices through tomatoes easily, no more crushes tomatoes. And slicing roasts out of the rotisserie is easy, I can get thin slices. Also, my Kershaw Leek 1660 pocket knife has new life. The Kershaw is to good a knife not to have a good edge! I'll admit that I still can not get that razor sharp edge that others are capable of, but my knife edges are better than they've been in years. Maybe with more practice I'll get to those razor sharp edges...After some sharpening the diamonds get dirty and clogged. I use some comet and gently scrub it to get it back to sharpening like new again. Pull the sharpening end out of the handle, then turn it 180 degrees and snap it back in for use. It holds it firmly, feels very solid. Each side of the sharpener is labeled with FINE or COARSE, so I know which side is which. I can never remember, even though they are different colors.I HIGHLY recommend this sharpener. I'll be giving them as gifts; nothing beats a sharp knife. And a dull knife is frustrating, embarrassing and useless. Now when I have friends over for dinner, they can cut whatever is on the plate. Not that my cooking needs it, because my cooking is great! :-)

Theses are a great sharpener. I buy them for gifts for friends that fish . They create a great edge.

Works well to keep chisels and other blades sharp while "in the field"

I think this is a useful and practical sharpener, but tends to be a jack of all trades: It offers flexibility but doesn't do one thing exceedingly well. Here are some observations based on my experience:Pros:Combination of Coarseness: I like that this tool comes with both a coarse and fine stone. I have various knives and blades in various conditions: Sometimes a fine stone is just not enough to bring back a neglected edge to where it should be and I find the coarse stone is just what I need. While I think the descriptions are reasonably accurate, this stone does take a learning curve to master. Initially, both sides act coarser than they should be, as the diamonds break and wear to a more consistent surface. It will seem, then, that it quickly loses its effectiveness, when in reality it is just breaking in.Utility: On both sides of the stones, there is a flat patch for very small blades, which is nice. There is also a groove on both stones for sharpening points of, say, fish hooks or needles. I'm not sure how often I'll be sharpening my fish hooks, but it's a thoughtful feature. The cover turns around to form a handle and, though made of plastic, it has held up well and doesn't allow the stone to shift when sharpening. Unlike a more traditional stone meant to sit flat on a surface, this one is best held at an angle, keeping the tip held on a surface with the handle. This is how I've been using it and find that works best for me. The relatively small size of this sharpener requires a different technique than having a large stone to work on, using both hands on the blade, when the stone sits on a flat surface. Overall, this stone is able to sharpen a broad range of edges, whether on knives, wood carving tools, etc.Effectiveness: I have found this stone to be effective sharpening a range of tools, from my high carbon kitchen knives, to my EDC folder, to my stainless multitool blades. It works, and I've been happy with it.Cons:Size: I'm not sure this is a con, but I find this tool somewhat awkward to use. Ideally, I prefer sharpening my tools, whatever they are, in the comfort of my shop, using both hands, on a large stone. With this, you just can't do that. Ah, you say, it's not meant for that! True... but I find myself, more often than not, sharpening my knives back at home after backpacking or camping, rather than on site where I can't do as good a job at it. I like its versatility and I do think it works really well. It's just that... this usually isn't the one I reach for. Would I use this one when I'm at home versus the larger stones on my bench? No. Would I take this one backpacking? No, because I'd be going into the back country with sharp blades to begin with and I'm certainly not going to carry something this heavy unless it's essential. Would I keep it in my truck? Mmmmm.... maybe, but 9 out of 10 times I'd be bringing my blades back home to sharpen anyway. Would I want this if I had to bug out due to zombie attack? Well, of course I would!!! But that hasn't happened yet and I'm starting to wonder if it will...Other Thoughts:This is a good quality, multi-purpose, compact sharpener at a pretty decent value. There are plenty of purists out there who would howl at the thought of allowing their blades to touch anything but crazy-expensive exotic water stones. Whatever. Unless you've just dropped your (or your kid's) college tuition on a blade that will never, ever be used for fear of getting a nick on the edge, this sharpener will work just fine and will give you a decent-to-near-scalpel edge if you use it properly. (with or without stropping for you edge geeks)The question is, is this the right tool for you? Personally, I find myself reaching for the stones that are dedicated to my bench top most often, and so this one ends up living in my camping gear. If you are short on space, though, or find yourself with a more portable lifestyle, this sharpener may be for you. Four stars for a quality sharpener at a great price.

This is a replacement for one that wore out. I use the heck out of these sharpeners, they last a long time, but eventually they wear smooth. The one I'm replacing, same brand, same model lasted about 15 years or so. Worth it.

Handy tool and very convient to carry. Great for hunting trips

OK. Am I a professional? NOPE! I also don't want to spend more than 30 minutes creating the perfect edge. Sharp knife (real sharp) in 5 minutes (tops) = perfect. What do I own: Smith's Adjustable Edge Pro (electric), Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker, YUKSY Premium Knife Sharpening Stone Kit. What do I want to try: KME Precision Knife Sharpener System or a great knock off (you know what I mean). Back review: Smith's: chips your blades and just is not good = regret this purchase, this thing is bad. Spyderco - best that I own, sweet edge, lotta time to get the edge. YUKSY (or any stone system) - wet it, takes time = good results. THIS THING - holy cow! GIMMME 40 seconds and I will put a razor edge on just about anything! People bitch about the handle - don't need it. This has sweet tip sharpener - well thought out! I am a perfectionist - I would like to find the perfect system. This may be it. But I'm still going to try the KME (want to see a mirror edge). If you are looking for scary sharp (legit splitting an eyelash dropped on the edge), keep looking. If you want to see an edge that is way sharp for 100% cutting purposes, this is your tool. This is my tops - I'll feedback if I match it against a KME.

Gave it a 3 because the fine side didn't last as long as I thought it should have