Chef'sChoice Professional Manual Knife Sharpeners Pronto Hone for 15-Degree Straight-Edge and Serrated Knives with Precise Angle Control & Compact Footprint, 2 Stage, Black

I have a couple of Shun knives as well as a Wusthof santoku knife. I've been using a DMT sharpening stone with an alignment system to sharpen these knives. I'm usually pretty good with things that require patience and precision like knife sharpening, but while I could get my knives reasonably sharp, I couldn't really get a great edge. Frustrated, I bought the Chef's Choice. First of all, the packaging is frustration free. I didn't require a sharp or dull knife to open it. Bonus. The instructions were clear enough, though they do indicate that you are to hold this with your left hand and draw the knife through it with your right. As I'm a lefty, the first time I used it was rather awkward. However, since you're instructed to draw the blade through the sharpener in both directions, I threw caution to the wind and spun the sharpener around and did it the comfy way for me. Worked great! The sharpener is slightly asymmetrical, in that the entry on the 'correct' side is slightly rounded. That just doesn't seem to matter. I was able to put a great edge on all my knives. In fact, they seemed almost too sharp on the first use as the blade would 'bite' the cutting board a little too aggressively. I actually used a leather strop to smooth this out but it isn't necessary. So now each couple of uses, I just draw the blade through the fine side a couple of times and I'm good to go. So, nice, quick, sturdy, and more than adequate for most people. Just remember that unless you want to put an entirely new edge on a western knife (20-25 degree blade angle), keep this away from those. That being said, there's nothing wrong with taking those knives down to 15 degrees. However, those knives may not hold that edge well depending on a number of factors.

As a huge fan of Shun Cutlery knives, I was looking for a way to maintain their razor-sharpness at home between trips to the Shun factory sharpening service. Many sharpening methods can be risky, so I wanted a user-friendly sharpener that wouldn't damage my blades. After using the Chef'sChoice 463 Pronto Hone for two years, here's my honest review: Sharpening Made Easy: This sharpener is incredibly easy to use, especially for beginners. There's no need for downward pressure; instead, you simply guide the knife through the slots with gentle pulls. This approach helps prevent accidental damage to the blade. Effective for Asian Knives: The Chef'sChoice 463 Pronto Hone is designed for 15-degree angled knives, which is perfect for many Asian-style blades. I've found it effective at restoring sharpness and removing minimal material when used correctly. It's important to follow the light, pulling motion to avoid removing too much metal, which can weaken the knife over time. Keep Your Favorite Pocket Steak Knives Sharp: The Chef'sChoice 463 Pronto Hone can help maintain the sharpness of your steak knives. Just remember that steak knives often have a slightly different sharpening angle (around 17-20 degrees) than this sharpener (15 degrees). With proper technique, you can still achieve a good level of sharpness for everyday use. User-Friendly Design: The handle is comfortable to grip, and the rubber feet keep the sharpener secure on your countertop while you work. These small details make the sharpening process even smoother. Made in the USA: For those who value American-made products, it's worth noting that the Chef'sChoice 463 Pronto Hone is manufactured in the USA. Things to Keep in Mind: Technique Matters: As mentioned earlier, using the correct pulling motion is crucial to avoid damaging your knives. Take your time and follow the instructions carefully. May Not Be for All Knives: This sharpener is best suited for 15-degree angled knives. If you have a different style of knife, you might need a different sharpening system. German blades, sharpened at 20-22 degrees, offer a super-durable edge that tackles chopping and prep with ease. The trade-off? Slightly less precision for fancy slicing. Overall: The Chef'sChoice 463 Pronto Hone is a great option for anyone who wants a user-friendly and effective way to sharpen their Asian-style knives. The easy pull-through motion, design features, and American-made quality make it a solid choice. Just remember to use proper technique to avoid damaging your knives.

First I am a home kitchen cook who likes SHARP kitchen knives and have several . I bought this because of the 15 degree angle . The first two knives I sharpened were a Petty/Utility 6 inch and a 4 1/2 inch paring knife, Stainless Japanese made . The Petty Knife has a HRc 56,the paring knife HRc 61 . It took a lot more strokes to finish the HRc 61 but did a pretty good job on both, but I did a final touch up with 1 Micron Borium Carbide on a Basal Strop . One thing that did happen on both of those is there was a line of rubbing on both sides of the knives which I thought was from contact with the rubber on the sharpening slots . But under magnification I found they were very fine scratches . That I didn't like, almost rubbed the logo off the paring knife . So be warned that can happen . I then used a French made K-Sabatier 10 inch slicer, Hrc 56 which has a good patina . It did a good job on it and no scratches to the sides . So I liked it better . Then I used a Victorinox 10 1/2 inch Stainless Chef Knife, HRc 56-57, and it did well on it with no scratches . I could shave hair on the arm with that knife when done but not as smoothly as my Shapton Ceramic Stone work . I have 7 Japanese Western style Stainless Clad and clad Carbon chef knives I probably will not ever use in this since I don't want to have any scratches on the sides of them . Now honestly the scratches may have been due the the narrow height of the smaller blades and taller ones may not have that happen, even if thin blades, like the Victorinox and K-Sabatier knives I sharpened . One thing if you don't really let you knife become DULL the #2 honing slot is all you will need to use and it is a very fine Diamond grit that polishes pretty good . That will provide an edge that most home users will be happy with . I may try one of my thin Japanese Western Chefs knife in this and if I do will post the results . ADDENDUM: I did try one of my Japanese Chefs knives and it did Ok, but probably will stay with the stones for those. But a warning for Petty/utility/paring knives it will leave rub marks down the sides of those smaller blades (tried 3 different ones 4 and 6 inch and the same thing on all) . That bothers me so I won't ever use it for any more of those .

There are two types of people looking at this knife sharpener: (1) people who just want to make their knife more usable in the kitchen, and (2) people who are nerding out about sharpening their knives, but have hesitation. This knife is the best option for (1). Last year I purchased a nice chef's knife for the first time. After a year of use it had grown dull. I needed to sharpen it, so I started researching how to sharpen knives. I watched videos about sharpening with stones, and reviews of electric and manual sharpeners. The type (2) people all recommend stones; they talked about how easy it is, how sharp you can get, etc. I wanted to take care of my knife because I want it to last a lifetime. These people were pushing me to join them in camp (2), but I ultimately realized I am in camp (1). Yes my knife is nice, but I don't need to sharpen with stones to take care if it. Now it was time to narrow down my decision between electric and manual. This was the only manual option I considered because it was recommended by America's test kitchen. They suggested electric options are better because they are easier to use and produce a sharper knife, but I feel like that guide is wrong for most people. Most home cooks are not looking for a razor sharp knife. You want your knife to slice through tomatoes without smushing them, but besides that who really cares? I guess the only legitimate downside of this device is it may scratch the sides of your knife slightly, but my knife is a tool, not a relic to be polished to perfection. This manual sharpener is cheap, stores nicely in my kitchen, was stupid easy to use, and brought my knife back to factory sharpness. Of course this device will not sharpen your knife as well as electric or stones, but I don't need that. As for price, there are cheaper options out there, but I trust America's test kitchen more than Amazon reviews. If you are brave you could try a cheaper option with a similar design, just make sure it uses diamonds for the grinder, has at least two finishing levels, and produces a 15 degree bevel. TL;DR This sharpener gets the job done for a home cook, it's cheap, and it doesn't take up much space in the kitchen.

I finally found a knife sharpener that works for Asian/Japanese knives. I have a few good knives including both European and Japanese. Although I have a couple of different sharpeners for my European and American knives, I have had a hard time finding a good sharpener for my Japanese knives that really works. So gradually, my Japanese knives have been getting so dull that they barely worked. I do have a good electric sharpener that is supposed to sharpen Japanese knives, but it really hasn't been doing a good job. Now that I have this knife sharpener, my quest for an Asian knife sharpener has ended. As soon as I got it, I had to try it on my 8 inch Japanese Chef's knife that I use daily. After about 10 swipes in each sharpening slot, my knife passed the paper test, and it now actually cuts instead of ripping. I was thrilled because this has been my favorite knife. Now I have to find the time to sharpen all of my other Japanese knives. I would highly recommend this sharpener as it is one that actually works. UPDATE 01/07/22: I have had this knife sharpener for my Asian knives with a 15 degree angle blade for about 6 years, and it still sharpens my knives as well as it did when I first got it. To get a good sharp blade, you need to move the full blade back and forth in a sawing motion, in the first slot and then in the second slot using the same sawing motion. I usually do this 10-12 time in each slot. I also have a Chef's Choice 1520 electric sharpener, but use this sharpener most often since it does a better job of sharpening the blade. Although I have a few of the more costly Shun knives, I also have some less costly knives with the 15 degree angle blade. Using this sharpener, the less expensive knives are every bit as sharp as the expensive ones. When it's so easy to keep knives sharp, there is no need to invest in expensive knives. I hope this review was helpful for you.

When used properly the Chef's Choice 463 puts a very nice edge on your knife. It is quick, convenient and easy to use, so I would say it works well. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because for the price, I would have preferred that the diamond stones be a bit more substantial. But as long as you are careful and don't put too much pressure on the stones (which is easy to do), it should last a long time. If sharpening a small 4" knife, it does take a little pressure to make it work, slight pressure, but a heavy hand will not do. However, a large chef's knife requires zero pressure from your hand, because the weight of the blade if plenty. I did a lot of research before buying this, and I'm happy enough with my purchase. But if you can afford it I recommend buying the Chef’s Choice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Model 15 Electric Sharpener. We already had a Worksharp knife sharpener in the household, which we use every 6-8 weeks to sharpen all the kitchen knives. I bought the Chef's Choice 463 to enable me to rapidly put the super sharp edge back on a knife, so it will cut garden tomatoes properly, without having to pull out a plug-in machine (which then has to be put back up). It is very helpful that the correct bevel (15 degrees) is automatically put on the knife edge. The Chef's Choice 463 works extremely well with the Victorinox knives.

Nice. Easy to use.

I bought this because it seemed to be a cheap alternative to more expensive electric sharpeners designed for Asian-style knives with 15-16 degree edges. It turned out to be cheap alright. Cheap junk. It operates by having two offset sets of grinding wheels inside two notches. You place the knife blade in the #1 coarse notch, push and pull it several times while giving it some downward pressure and then repeat 5-10 more times in the #2 fine notch. I managed to get two of my smaller Shun knives sharpened and it seemed to do an okay job. Then I tried my 7" Shun Santoku and the coarse wheel just locked up. Froze and wouldn't move. Being a tinkerer, I opened the case to see how it worked and found that the abrasive discs are mounted on two angled, opposing discs on an axle which is just snapped into place. The fine disc spun just fine but the coarse disc was locked up with no obvious visible reason and the abrasive disc had fallen off and was spinning free on the axle making the whole coarse side totally useless. If it had done the job, I would have been oblivious to the whole thing and thought it was worth the money. After opening it up, I realized it is $2 worth of junk thrown into a plastic case and sold for $35. Ripoff garbage. I'm sending it back and am going to do what I should have done to begin with-----spend the money and get something solid and functional and electric.

Excellent product!👌🏻Easy to use! Razor sharp knives! Premium item!

Cet aiguiseur est de très bonne qualité, je l'utilise depuis plus d'1 an pour mes couteaux japonais. Très pratique à condition d’être droitier.

Misplaced my original knife sharpener so had to get another one. This is my 2nd attempt as the first one wasn't great. This one sharpens the knives quickly and easily to the perfect point.

It brought back to life a chef's knife that I had written off. Works also for Santoku knife and keeps it very sharp, but it adds a small bevel to the edge that's not exactly 15degrees. Not a big issue if you're not a purist, the Santoku knife still cuts perfectly after using this sharpener.

This is an excellent nice sharpener. I bought this to replace my old knife sharpener by the same manufacturer, that I’ve had for 10 years.I use it to sharpen my Shun knives. Put a very nice honed hedge on them. Would certainly buy it again.