The Best Electric Knife Sharpeners of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Most people have seen a knife butchered (pun intended) by someone using a power tool to sharpen a knife. That’s because most tools that get pressed into service as an electric knife sharpener are bench grinders and rotary tools. In my sharpening business, I’ve seen dozens of knives that needed rehabbing and reworking after someone hamfisted them with a grinding wheel.

But I’ve also used power tools to fix (as much as possible) those very same knives. The difference between destruction and a mirror-polished edge is in the design. Several electric knife sharpeners on the market today, if used properly, will put a sharp, refined edge on a knife. I put several of the best electric knife sharpeners to the test to help you find the right one for you. 

How I Tested the Best Electric Knife Sharpeners 

I recruited friends to bring me two dozen of their beat-up knives. The knives ranged in size and style to test the sharpeners with a variety of blades, inlcuding:

Some knives had broken tips and large rolls and chips, and some just needed a touch up. 

While sharpening the knives, I evaluated each sharpener for ease of use, skill level required, quality of the edge, and how easy it was to remove damage. Only the sharpeners that produced a good working edge and, in my opinion, are worth owning made the cut. 

Some sharpeners hit the trash can almost immediately and aren’t worth talking about. But my final list of the best electric knife sharpeners includes the best of the best.

The Best Electric Knife Sharpeners: Reviews and Recommendations  

Key Features

• Six 1 x 18’ inch belts included for blade grinder attachment, and six belts for the small head attachment
• Edge angle is adjustable from 10 to 35 degrees without tools
• Can adjust belt slack for deeper or shallower convex edge
• Adjustable belt speed 
• Price: $250

The Work Sharp Elite Mk.2 kept the same basic dimensions as the original, but everything else is changed. After sharpening several different knives I found the adjustments precise and easy, the belt speed control to be simple and repeatable, and the redesigned pulleys and supports never got in the way, no matter the blade shape. One of my features is that you can set this electric knife sharpener up for a high, medium, and low level of convex. This lets you adjust how durable or fine you want the edge.

The Mk.2 comes with both the standard head for more traditional guided sharpening and the much-improved blade grinder attachment for ultimate versatility. The blade grinder can take on axes, shears, loppers, knives, machetes, mower blades, chisels, and more. The blade grinder is compatible with any 1 x 18-inch belts, so you can find inexpensive or premium replacement belts from various manufacturers. I’ve used the Mk. 2 to regrind and repair broken tips with ease, and even changed the primary grind on an old knife just to see if I could do it.

If you’re using the blade grinder attachment, instead of the guided sharpener, it will take some practice to master. Once you get the feel for using the grinder it delivers exceptional results. While this sharpener is far from a budget tool, it is far from functioning like a budget tool. For the capability this machine offers, I think it as a very good value. 

Read Next: Best Knife Sharpeners

Best Value: NuoDunco 3-in-1 Mini Belt Sander

Key Features

• Several belt grits, a grinding wheel, and a cloth buffing wheel polishing
• 15 degree guide shelf for sharpening on the belts 
• Sharpens nearly any knife or tool
• Adjustable belt speed 
• Price: $50

The NuoDunco 3-in-1 Belt Sander was most likely not originally designed as a knife sharpener, but it sure does a nice job sharpening knives. When I saw some of the aggressive belts that it came with, I decided to rehab a beat up old serrated bread knife with it. The serrations were toast, and it had a completely unsharpened tip. I removed all the serrations and ground down the tip to be even with the rest of the blade. After the shaping was done, I ran it through the finer grits, then finished on the buffing wheel for a semi polished edge that was quite sharp. The shelf is fixed, and will give you a 15 degree edge, which works well in the kitchen, but outdoor knives benefit from a slightly steeper edge, which will require you to tilt the knife on the shelf, or go totally freehand. This sharpener will also work well on axes and garden tools, and can pull double duty as a regular old grinder. I was pleasantly surprised with how this little sharpener did, and I liked that it can be fastened to the bench easily. I also liked that it can run with or without the grinding and buffing wheels attached. I left the grinding wheel off while sharpening to avoid running my knuckles into it, but I left the buffing wheel on. This sharpener is kind of noisy, and lacks some refinement, but it functions quite well as a basic sharpener and all-around shop tool. Overall, the NuoDunco delivers a lot utility for $50. 

Best for Kitchen Knives: Chef’s Choice 15XV

Key Features

• 3 stages of sharpening
• Large guides for easy operation
• Honing/Stropping disks can be dressed to extend useful life
• Will sharpen serrated kitchen knives

This was the only kitchen knife sharpener to make my best electric knife sharpeners list because it actually did the job it claimed—unlike others I tested. I found it quiet, efficient, and easy to use, producing consistent edges. 

I like that you can leave the Chef’s Choice 15XV on the counter because it doesn’t look like a tool from the garage. Its rectangular shape helps it easily stow in a cabinet. 

I found that this sharpener is best suited for maintaining the sharpness of your kitchen knives rather than fixing heavy damage. Since the guides are too narrow for many of my outdoor knives, this sharpener lost points for versatility but gained them for ease of use.

My kids (11 and 14) easily operated the Chef’s Choice 15XV after a 30-second tutorial and got solid edges from it. I say solid edges because the 15XV won’t produce mirror-polished hair whittling edges, but it gives a great working edge for kitchen knives. It’s a great tool to just leave on the counter so you can periodically run your steak knives, chef knives, and even your serrated bread knives through it to keep them up to snuff. 

The 15XV has what Chef’s Choice calls a Three Stage Trizor Edge with coarse, medium, and stropping wheels for a nice refined edge. However, you have the option of not stropping the edge if you want it a bit “toothy” to get through fibrous fare with ease. The instruction book helps show how to best sharpen serrations and specialty edges. If you’re looking for a tool to keep your kitchen sharp and want it quick and easy, the Chef’s Choice 15XV might be the one for you.

Read Next: Best Sharpening Stones

Best Budget Sharpener for Scissors: Smith’s Knife and Scissor Sharpener

Key Features

• Coarse and Medium belts included
• 20 degree guides for knives
• Non-adjustable speed
• Momentary switch
• Price: $42

The Smith’s Knife and Scissor Sharpener is a solid choice for those on a budget who want guides to keep the edge consistent. The momentary switch helps prevent over grinding by making it easy to stop and start the belts, which is good for beginners. As with all belt sharpeners, care must be used when sharpening the tip because it’s easy to remove too much material and round the tip off with poor technique, especially when using the coarse belts.

One thing I found while sharpening with the Smith’s is that some thumb studs would catch on the angle guides and prevent me from getting the knife deep enough to reach the heel of the blade, which could be a problem if this is your only sharpener. Kitchen knives and outdoor fixed blades weren’t a problem, and I was able to reach all the ay back. The medium belts this comes with gave what I would call a “toothy” edge. It wasn’t a fine enough grit to totally smooth out the edge, but gave it “micro-serrations”. This makes for an aggressive cutting edge on materials like rope, but means what it won’t be refined enough to comfortably shave hair or give very clean slices. It produces a good utility edge, not a super fine edge. Overall, the Smith’s is a viable option for those looking for a quick, easy utility edge that won’t break the bank or require a lot of practice. 

Best Budget Stone Sharpener: WEN 8 inch Water-Cooled Wet/Dry Sharpening System + Sharpening Accessory Kit

 Key Features

• 8” 250 girt sharpening stone, and 8.5” Leather strop wheel
• Includes angle finder
• Fixed speed at 120 RPM
• Metal guide keeps everything consistent
• Price: $100 (Additional $50 for knife sharpening jigs)

The WEN is a much more budget friendly version of a Tormek sharpener ($500+), and it works the same way. Your knife or tool is fixed in a jig which slides along the adjustable guide rod and the abrasive wheel shapes your edge as you guide it across the stone. It sounds simple enough, but getting the jig and arm set up correctly will take some practice and sharpening the belly (curved portion) of the blade can be a challenge.

I love how the spinning stone picks up water from the tub and keeps the blade cool, and carries away the metal shavings. I also love the stropping wheel, which really speeds up the stropping process. What I didn’t love was buying a $45 sharpening accessory kit so I could sharpen knives. There is a learning curve to using the jigs and getting the belly ground evenly, but the directions, plus a little common sense, are enough to get you off and running. After raising a burr on both sides of the edge, you can swap the guide bar to the strop side, readjust the height, and begin stropping to really smooth out the edge. I would have loved to have a finer stone, as the 250 grit leaves a fairly coarse scratch pattern, but with a little extra time on the strop, you can get a good working edge. This sharpener took me the most time to get good results on, but after getting my jig adjustments and technique dialed in, I was happy with my results. I also recommend that you resist the urge to try the wet wheel freehand because the 250 grit stone can be grabby and gouge a blade in a hurry — ask me how I know. 

Things to Consider Before Buying an Electric Knife Sharpener 

Choosing an electric sharpener is similar to choosing a knife. You have to be honest about what you want to do with it. Is this strictly for the kitchen? Do you have damaged knives that need repair? Are the knives you want to sharpen just for hunting and outdoor use?

If you’re looking for a kitchen tool, the 15XV will do all you want it to. If you have a wide variety of knives, some with thicker spines or recurved edges, then one of the Work Sharp Belt Sharpeners will be much more versatile, and the Mk.2 should work perfectly for you. But, if you want to bring your edges to the next level and need a sharpener that will pull double duty in the garage or barn, then go for the Ken Onion Elite.

Buyer Beware 

But, be aware that not all sharpeners are created equally. Plenty of cheaper sharpeners look very similar to the 15XV, but they use cheap stones instead of abrasive discs, and they quickly overheat and damage the metal at the edge. Others have guides so narrow that you can’t get the heel far enough forward to sharpen it. One sharpener I tested was so loud and shaky (due to cheap, unbalanced synthetic stones) that it walked across the table if I didn’t hold it down. It also threw loads of sparks when the blade made contact. Did it grind the edge? Yes, so much so that it made a divot and heated the edge blue. Most of these sharpeners show up on Amazon for a third of the price or less, so beware of deals that are too good to be true. Save up a little and get a quality tool to take care of the knives that keep you going in the kitchen or outdoors. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Electric Knife Sharpeners

Since no knife can hold its edge forever, having a quality sharpener is just as important as having a quality knife. Although I own and use sharpening stones and clamp style sharpeners, and guided systems with diamond stones, nothing beats the speed and convenience of a quality electric sharpener. If you’re looking to keep your tools up and running and razor-sharp, and you don’t want to take the time to learn a whole new skill, jumping to one of the best electric knife sharpeners might be your best move.