Review on SOG Specialty Knives SH-02 Countertop Knife Sharpener, Universal Size by Barbara Freeman

I bought this because nobody else sharpens knives in the house and the blades are just mistreated. As a result, every time I wanted to cut something, it was a chore and I had to stop and manually sharpen the blade. had high hopes, i thought it was better than nothing. I found that even though it's all plastic, it's surprisingly durable. I've been tinkering with this thing for pretty much exactly 3 years now and it's working just as well as it did on day one. It's insanely easy to use. This results in a very, very sharp cutting edge in a very short time with very little pressure (see note). The chump defies all expectations; I've never had a suction cup that could really hold anything for a while, but this one always sticks and once it gets stuck, it holds (on smooth surfaces of course). A note on pressure: It's tempting to apply downward pressure on the blade as you draw it over the "V". If you do this it can cause the blade to slip instead of sliding smoothly across the grinding surfaces and this will result in what appears to be a nick being made on the blade. I did it on a couple of my knives before I could get my head out of my ass. I repainted the edges and all is good. I've found that the lightest pressure (the weight of the blade in most cases) is more than enough and just a few strokes of the blade across the sharpening surface will give you an incredibly sharp edge. a really dull knife, let the blade slide over the sharpening surfaces for about 5 minutes and you're done. The initial shape change takes longer before you can easily maintain a sharp edge. My old $3 cleaver, bought from AAFES in Japan, is razor sharp and blunted to the point of acting more like a lever, leading me to use it more for barbaric slashing. I've now used it not only for chopping but also for thin slicing when necessary, and the blade rivals some of my most expensive knives. In addition to all these good things, it is very portable as it fits in the palm of your hand. I take another to keep in my truck when I'm out in the field and use my knife/blades (usually offensive. I'm not gentle with my knives). It's good to have something like this that sharpens the blade really well without the need for complex articulation or stupidity, and in such a small package. I recommend 10/10.