How to Use a Knife Sharpener: Steps for a 3-Stage or 4-Stage Pull-Through

Set it on a dry counter, hold the long handle with one hand, and draw the knife heel to tip through the medium slot several times with light pressure. Finish with three to five light pulls in fine, wipe the edge on a cloth, and slice copy paper to check.

Pull in one direction only, from heel to tip, with light and even pressure. Use coarse only when the edge is chipped or dead, and always finish in fine. Most damage comes from sawing, pressing hard, or using coarse as the default starting slot.

Two or three pulls in coarse, only when repairing damage. Several pulls in medium for routine sharpening. Three to five light pulls in fine to polish and clear the burr. On the 4-Stage, add a few light pulls in the second finishing slot.

Pull toward you. Set the heel of the blade in the slot and draw the knife back in one smooth stroke until the tip leaves it. Then lift it out and start again from the heel. Do not push forward and pull back in a sawing motion.

Light, even pressure, about the weight of your hand resting on the knife. The slots do the cutting. Pressing hard removes more steel than needed and can roll the edge over, which makes the knife feel dull sooner.

Start in medium for a knife that is just dull. Start in coarse only if the edge is chipped or so dull it slides off a tomato skin, and give it only two or three pulls there before moving to medium.

The 3-Stage is $29.99 and the 4-Stage is $34.99, with free shipping on both. It needs no power, water or oil, so nothing else is required to follow the steps on this page.

Only at the end. The steps are the same through coarse, medium and fine. The 4-Stage then adds a second finishing slot, where a few extra light pulls give the edge a smoother polish.

Used as described, no. Light pressure, one-direction pulls and a fine finish keep metal removal small. It can wear a knife faster if you press hard, saw back and forth, or run coarse every time, so avoid those habits.

Usually because the burr was left on. Sharpening raises a thin ridge of metal that folds over after a few cuts. Three to five light pulls in fine, then a wipe on a folded cloth, clear it so the edge lasts.

Your non-dominant hand holds the long handle and your dominant hand pulls the knife. Keep the holding hand's fingers behind the slots, away from the blade path. Left-handed cooks simply swap hands.

No. Keep the blade upright. The slot sets the angle for you, so tilting fights the preset geometry and gives an uneven edge. Hold the knife straight and let the slot guide it.

No. It is not for serrated knives. Pulling a toothed edge through the slots will not sharpen the scallops and can flatten the tips of the teeth. Keep it for straight-edge, double-bevel kitchen knives.

The same way as a chef knife, with shorter strokes. Set the heel in the slot and pull toward you until the tip exits, keeping pressure light. A paring knife usually needs fewer pulls in medium because its edge is short.

No. This sharpener works dry. Do not add water, oil or anything else to the slots. Just wipe the knife clean before you start, so food and grease do not clog the slots.

Tap the filings out over a bin, then wipe the body dry with a cloth. Keep it out of the sink and the dishwasher. Wipe the knife blade too, so no filings end up in the next thing you cut.

Hold a sheet of copy paper by one corner and slice down through it. A sharp edge slides through cleanly. If it tears or catches, give it a few more pulls in medium, then finish again in fine.

One session. Because the angle is preset, there is no technique to build up beyond a light, one-way pull. After that, it takes about a minute per knife for routine sharpening. A repair on a chipped or dead edge takes a little longer because of the extra coarse pulls at the start. There is no setup time, since nothing needs to be wetted or plugged in.

Yes. The slots are pulled straight through, so either hand can hold the handle and either can pull the knife. Left-handed cooks hold the handle in the right hand and pull with the left, keeping the same heel-to-tip motion.

On double-bevel ones, yes, which includes most santoku and many Japanese-style chef knives sold for home kitchens. Single-bevel knives such as a yanagiba, deba or usuba cannot go through it, since they are ground on one side only.

In a utensil drawer, once it is tapped clean and dry. It is compact enough to sit with other tools. Exact dimensions and weight are not published. Make sure it is dry before it goes in, so filings do not stick to other utensils.

One manual sharpener in the version you ordered, 3-Stage or 4-Stage. There are no separate parts to assemble and nothing to add before first use. Knives and props shown in the photos are not included.