Santoku Knife Sharpener, 3-Stage and 4-Stage Pull-Through for Double-Bevel Santokus

The 3-Stage version is $29.99 and the 4-Stage version is $34.99, with free shipping. Both have fixed preset slots for coarse repair, medium sharpening and fine polishing. The 4-Stage adds a second finishing pass for a smoother final edge. There is nothing else to buy, since it needs no power, water or oil.

Yes, as long as the santoku is double-bevel, which most home santokus are. The flat, straight edge actually suits a pull-through well, because it meets the slot evenly along its length. Keep the stroke level from heel to tip and slow down as the low sheepsfoot tip passes through.

Look along the edge from the handle end under good light. If both faces taper toward the edge, it is double-bevel and fits this sharpener. If one face is flat all the way down and only the other is ground, it is single-bevel and should not go through these slots.

Not in the tool itself. This is the same pull-through that takes double-bevel chef, paring and utility knives. What changes is the stroke: a santoku is flatter, so you keep the handle level instead of following a curve, and the short front section near the tip needs a slower finish.

Yes. Granton dimples are ground into the face of the blade, above the cutting edge, so they never contact the abrasive. The slots only touch the edge itself. A dimpled santoku goes through exactly like a plain one, with the same light, heel-to-tip pulls.

About a minute for a routine sharpening: several pulls in medium, then 3 to 5 light pulls in fine, and a wipe on a folded cloth. A chipped edge takes a little longer because it starts with 2 or 3 pulls in coarse first. There is no soaking or setup.

The 3-Stage at $29.99 covers repair, sharpening and polishing, which is enough for most santoku owners. The 4-Stage at $34.99 adds a second finishing pass, useful if you like very thin slices of cucumber or fish and want a smoother edge. The preset angle works the same way in both.

Not with light, even pressure and the right slots. Damage usually comes from pressing hard or living in the coarse slot, which removes more metal than needed. Use coarse only for chips, do routine work in medium and fine, and a double-bevel santoku comes out with a clean edge.

The sharpening inserts sit in a stainless steel housing, and the body and handle are plastic. It comes in black or red. The underside is a non-slip base meant for a dry counter, so it stays put while you draw the santoku through.

Tap the metal filings out over a trash can, then wipe the body dry with a cloth. Keep it out of the sink and out of the dishwasher. Wipe the santoku edge on a folded cloth too, so no filings end up on your next batch of vegetables.

Usually because the handle lifts before the tip has passed through the slot. A santoku tip sits low, so the front of the edge is short and easy to skip. Keep the handle level and draw all the way through, slowing down over the last part of the blade.

No. A one-sided edge is ground on one face only, and these slots work both faces at a fixed preset angle. Running one through would reshape its edge. The same applies to yanagiba, deba and usuba knives. Those need a stone or a tool made for one-sided edges.

Each slot has a fixed preset angle built into the housing, but the supplier does not publish the number, so we will not quote one. What that means in practice: you do not hold or judge an angle, and every pull meets the edge the same way.

It is a sharpener for santoku and for the other straight double-bevel knives in a typical block: chef, paring and utility. It does not handle serrated blades, single-bevel Japanese knives or scissors, so anything in those groups needs a different tool.

It depends on how hard it works. A santoku used daily for vegetables usually wants a few pulls in fine whenever it starts slipping on onion skin or tomato. Medium comes in when fine no longer brings it back. Coarse is only for chips or an edge that is completely dead.

No. It is a manual pull-through, so there is no cord, no batteries, no soaking and no honing oil. Set it on a dry counter, hold the handle and draw the santoku through. That is the whole setup, which also means it can be used anywhere in the kitchen.

One hand holds the long handle and keeps the sharpener planted on the counter. The other holds the santoku by its handle and draws it through. Keep the holding hand on the grip rather than near the slots, and keep your pulling fingers on the knife handle, off the blade.

It repairs. If the edge has a chip from a bone, a pit or a slip onto a hard surface, 2 or 3 pulls in coarse reshape it so medium and fine can finish the job. On a santoku that is only dull, skip coarse entirely and start in medium.

Wipe the edge on a folded cloth, then slice a sheet of copy paper held by one corner. A sharp santoku cuts cleanly along the whole edge. If it snags or tears near the tip, give the front of the blade a few more pulls in medium and fine.

If the nakiri is double-bevel, yes. Its straight edge suits the slots in the same way a santoku does. Some nakiri are single-bevel, and the Japanese usuba is always single-bevel; those should not go through. Check the grind the same way you check a santoku.

No. The box contains one sharpener in the version you choose, 3-Stage or 4-Stage. Knives and props shown in the photos are not included. It works with the santoku and other straight double-bevel knives you already own.

Yes, it is compact enough for a utensil drawer. Exact dimensions and weight are not published, so we cannot give a measurement. Tap out the filings and wipe it dry before putting it away so no dust or moisture sits in the drawer.

Not for fit. What decides whether a santoku belongs in these slots is the double-bevel straight edge, not how the blade was made. A forged santoku with a bolster at the heel may leave the last bit of edge near the handle less sharp, so start each pull with the heel right at the slot.

No, keep the blade upright. The angle is preset inside each slot, and tilting the knife fights that preset and gives an uneven edge. For a smoother finish, add more light pulls in fine or choose the 4-Stage, which has a second finishing pass.