When making jerky one of the most important parts of the process is slicing the meat. This process can be a pain in the butt if you don’t have the right tools, and even worse when you have a blunt inefficient knife.
It pays to use a really sharp knife when slicing through tough budget cuts of meat typically used when making beef jerky. The best way to get a sharp knife is by using a good knife sharpener.
So what Knife Sharpener is the best?
There are quite a few different types of knife sharpeners on the market today. The most popular are listed below
In this article we will review a range of sharpeners readily available on the market today.
| Model | Model # | Overall Rating | Style | Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Toplus Knife Sharpener - Professional Kitchen 3 Stage Knife Sharpener | Manual | Toplus Knife Sharpener Review | CHECK PRICE | |
 | Global 550/GB Ceramic Water Sharpener Knife Sharpener, Multicolored | Manual | Global 550 Review | CHECK PRICE | |
 | Davis & Waddell Essentials Electric Knife Sharpener for Kitchen Knives and Scissors 2 Grind Settings Fine Coarse | Electric | Davis & Waddell Review | CHECK PRICE | |
 | Chef's Choice 120 Diamond Hone 3-Stage Professional Knife Sharpener, Red | Electric | Chef's Choice Review | CHECK PRICE | |
 | CARVER MARVEL Kitchen Knife Sharpener - Professional 3 Stage Kitchen Sharpener | Manual | Carver Marvel Review | CHECK PRICE |
“When slicing meat for jerky it is always best to have a sharp knife. You will save yourself hours in the kitchen with a quality sharp knife so take the time to invest in both a good blade and also a quality knife sharpener. Having a sharp knife will making slicing more efficient and actually reduce the changes of cutting yourself. Enjoy”
Matt, Owner of Bigwig Jerky Co.
The Toplus Knife Sharpener comes with a three-stage sharpening system to file your knives as quickly and effectively as possible. The V-shaped metal points work well against dull blades of any kind for full restoration to their intended function. If the blade is dull, damaged, or has burrs, this knife sharpener can handle it.
The sharpening system grinds and polishes the blades of your knives. For convenience and safety, the knife sharpener has an ergonomic, non-slip handle that fits comfortably and safely into your hand, whether you are left or right-handed. The non-slip handle keeps it steady in your grip and prevents accidental injury, which means you can use it quickly without worry.
For more reliable cleaning, the grinder head can be removed. This unique feature also aids in storage consideration. The knife sharpener is light and small, which makes it more convenient to find somewhere to store it, too.
The best feature of this Toplus Knife Sharpener is its one-year warranty. If you are unsatisfied or it breaks within a year of purchase, it will be replaced or fully refunded.
The ceramic knife sharpener uses innovative water sharpening technology to restore knives to their original, working condition. Using three ceramic wheels—coarse, medium, and fine—there is an option for sharpening any kind of knife you could own. While this knife sharpener is recommended for use with the GLOBAL brand knives, it will work on any knife you own.
The water concept takes effect while you sharpen. You fill the water compartment with liquid before you start grinding, and as you file your knives, the water washes your blades clean, cooling them down through the sharpening process. Feeding your knife through the sharpener seven or eight times will make them as good as new.
The GLOBAL is a handheld knife sharpener that has a grip handle for safe operation. The handle is secure with a soft rubber-like insert so that your hand does not get tired from holding the sharpener. The feature also prevents it from sliding away and causing an injury.
While this ceramic water sharpener comes at a higher price point, it is extremely effective.
This knife sharpener is an excellent countertop component that is safe and easy to use. It comes with two grind settings—coarse and fine—for sharpening your knives and restoring them to their original state in seconds.
This trendy knife sharpener works on more than just knives, too. It has a slot for scissors, and even works well on screwdrivers.
Since this knife sharpener sits on the counter, it is safer to use than a handheld knife sharpener because it won’t accidentally slip out of your hand or drop onto things. To make it even more secure, the feet that touch the countertop are non-slip.
There are removable drawers to collect the fine dust that comes off the knives and aid in cleaning. To clean it, remove and empty the drawers and then wipe the equipment down with a damp cloth.
This knife sharpener is powered by a 60-watt motor that has overheat protection. Even if you use it for a long time, you don’t have to worry about the motor failing.
Besides all the safety features on this versatile knife sharpener, it also comes with a 12-month warranty. If anything goes wrong with this knife sharpener in 12 months, it will be replaced.
This classic chef’s knife sharpener is a professional level tool that can sharpen any knife you own. It works on all knives, including chef knives, butcher knives, sporting knives, and even serrated blades. This electric knife sharpener uses three stages and a precision angle control for Trizor-Plus edges—for a sharpness that the brand claims is “hairsplitting.”
In stages 1 and 2, this knife sharpener uses 100-per cent diamond abrasives for restoring your blades. In stage 3, it uses stropping and polishing to get it as sharp as possible. A noteworthy feature is that this knife sharpener uses no sharpening oils or liquids, so it takes minimal maintenance. It relies on the diamond hone aspect for optimal performance that is built into the design.
The device is safe to use as it is fixed directly onto the countertop. It won’t slip out of your hands or onto the floor. It even has elastomer feet that hold it securely in place for a secure experience.
While this electric knife sharpener is rather expensive, it comes with a limited three-year warranty. You know it is rugged enough to withstand anything that you could put it through.
This handheld knife sharpener includes three different stages to ensure your knife will remain as sharp as the day you bought it.
All three stages are suitable for steel knives, while stages one and three are suitable for ceramic knives. CARVER MARVEL claims that it can sharpen knives in only thirty seconds, and it stands by its promise.
While this knife sharpener works on several different kinds of knives, it does not work on serrated knives.
For safety, this knife sharpener has an ergonomic handle that is easy to hold and includes an anti-slip rubber base that keeps it from slipping away from you. This knife sharpener also works well for both left and right-handed people. For easy cleaning, it comes with a cleaning brush so you can easily brush off any dust that accumulates.
To ensure that you are satisfied with your knife sharpener, it comes with a lifetime warranty.
When buying a knife sharpener, you will probably run into all kinds of different options, and it might be overwhelming. Knife sharpeners come in many different shapes and sizes, and all of them have different features and benefits. If you don’t know which one is the best knife sharpener for you, it is important to start by understanding how knife sharpening works, and what features will benefit you and your kitchen needs.
Knives are sharpened by rubbing them against an abrasive surface repeatedly. There is a certain speed that you must use to sharpen the knife, or it won’t work properly, and that’s where knife sharpeners come in. It’s much faster and more effective than rubbing two knives together like people used to do before we had the technology that spawned knife sharpeners.
Knife sharpening kits generally use multiple abrasive surfaces to sharpen knives. One of the rough surfaces will create “burrs” on the surface of the knife that is removed with another, finer abrasive surface. This process is what creates the sharp edge you desire.
The best part is that knife sharpeners do most or all this work for you.
Knife sharpeners can be manual or electric. Manual knife sharpeners, like sharpening stones, require much more effort than electric knife sharpeners. While a manual knife sharpener provides the different abrasive surfaces, you are still the one who has to run the knife through the device repeatedly to sharpen it.
This effort can be tiring and frustrating, and often not as effective as using an electrical sharpener to do the work for you at a much faster pace. One benefit of a manual knife sharpener, however, is that it is often cheaper than electric knife sharpeners.
While electric knife sharpeners are more expensive, they are easier and quicker to use. These knife sharpeners provide the abrasive surface as well as the speed and movement needed to sharpen a knife. This means that all you have to do is sit there and hold the knife in place.
Electric knife sharpeners also sharpen your knives much quicker than a manual method, sometimes in as little as thirty seconds.
When buying a knife sharpener, you will probably need to decide which is more important to you: the price or the ease of use. If you want a knife sharpener that is easy and quick to use, you will probably have to sacrifice your budget. If you are operating on a lower budget, you may need to get a knife sharpener that takes a little elbow grease.
The use of your knife sharpener will also play a part in your decision. If you cook a lot and find your knives getting dull quickly, an electric knife sharpener may be the most beneficial to you. If you only need to sharpen your knives once in a blue moon, a manual knife sharpener is the way to go. When slicing meat for jerky, a sharp knife is ideal in order to cut through the tough muscle meat. If you prefer not to use a knife, then you can always use an electric meat slicer.
The knife sharpener you select will also depend on what kind of knives you own and use. Many knife sharpeners nowadays can work on a variety of knives and some even work on more than just knives. Pay close attention to the types of knives they specify in their product details, however.
Some knife sharpeners warn against using ceramic knives on certain settings or stages, and some don’t work on serrated blades.
Before you buy, make sure you know what kind of knives you own, what they are made of, and if your choice of knife sharpener will work on them. Consider if you will need to sharpen anything more than kitchen knives, too. From hunting knives and tools to scissors, meat cleavers and more, you could be able to find one that does it all—just read up before you buy.
This really depends on the type material the knife blade is made from, how often the knife is used and what the knife is used for. A stainless steel knife will require honing (lightly sharpened) every 3 or 4 general uses. A carbon or softer blade should be honed after each use.
This will really depend on the size of the knife, it’s material and how blunt or damaged the blade is. A small knife should set you back about $6, larger knifes in the range of $10.
The diamond style sharpeners will indeed wear out as the diamonds get ground down or dislodged with each use. Ceramic sharpeners don’t get wear out but their surface can become filled with tiny metal particles from the knife blade, so they do require cleaning.
Most knives will have a bevel on both sides of the blade. Knifes are often sharpened at an angle between 10degrees and 30 degrees on both side. The amount of angle will determine how strong that edge will be. A lower angle should be used only when cutting softer material, as the edge will be susceptible to burring and damage. A wider angle of 30 would result in a tougher edge that is more durable.
TOPLUS KNIFE SHARPENER – PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN 3 STAGE KNIFE SHARPENER
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