Product Description

f ease of use is your primary consideration, one of these hand held sharpeners is the correct sharpening tool for you. They are suitable for all brands of knives. However, they cannot be used for serrated knives or knives sharpened on one side like the Bunmei knives. All of the MinoSharps have two ceramic wheels, a rough grit and a medium grit. Please note: the MinoSharp is only recommended for Global knives

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1989 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Yoshikin
• Model: 220/GB
• Dimensions: 1.80" h x 2.80" w x 8.20" l, .37 pounds

Features

• Two ceramic wheels (coarse and fine) sharpen knives
• Recommended for Global knives only
• Cannot be used for one-sided cutting edges
• Plastic handle with soft, rubber-like grip
• 8 inches long

Amazon.com Review
Recommended for sharpening Global knives but not necessarily those from other manufacturers, this device employs two ceramic wheels--one coarse, the other fine--to return a dull knife to working order. Using the sharpener is simple and easy. Fill the wheels' compartment with water so your blade is continuously washed while it's being sharpened. Then draw a knife seven or eight times through the coarse (white) wheel. Then draw your blade seven or eight times through the fine (pink) wheel to bring it back to life. The sharpener's plastic handle is shaped so it can be gripped firmly and safely and has a soft, rubber-like insert for comfort. --Fred Brack

Customer Reviews

Perfect tool
This is a great aid to sharpen Global knives. I disagree with the review that said it dulled the knives. The tool has ceramic wheels set at the proper angles to get the correct Japanese set to these knives, which have different angles to each side of the blade. After 8-9 passes - with no pressure on the knife - through the rougher and then the finer wheels, the knife is ALMOST back to factory condition. Then, it is necessary to use a fine DIAMOND hone to get that last degree of razor sharpness. And make no mistake, a properly sharpened Global knife is that sharp, and this tool makes it easy to keep them razor sharp. Instead of a diamond hone, you can also use a very fine waterstone to hone them, but trust me, the diamond hone is easiest, although it does not leave the edge quite as polished as the finest waterstones. This tool and a diamond hone let me return my Global knives to scary sharp in less than 5 minutes each. They are so sharp that whenever I sharpen them, I warn my wife that they are super sharp (as opposed to very sharp!), just to make sure that she is extra-careful when she uses them.

Now, having said that, the package states that it is recommended for Global knives, and no one should use this tool on anything other than Global knives, or similar Japanese-style knives. It is not meant for European-style knives, whose blades have a different set.

takes some getting used to, may mar your knives
I picked this up as a quick and easy knife sharpener for work. It managed to scratch up the side of the blade of one of my Global knives with the plastic guide.

the slots/guide to run your knife blade through are narrow, some larger knives may not fit into it if the blade is thick.

after about 1 year one of the stones broke, however you can buy replacements.

For the home user, this will suffice. If you use your knife all day long like I do, I recommend the good old tri stone instead. Ok to have as an emergency knife sharpener in your knife bag.

I was never was able to get a good enough edge with this product to do fine chiffonade and other cuts that require good knife skills.

A little better than the Chef's Choice
Produces an OK edge, faster than and sharper than the similar Chef's Choice, but the knife still needs a few quick swipes with a steel to be really sharp, at least for me. Works for both Global and non-Global knives.