When we began this review it seemed like we were spoiled for choice in the under $50 category for electric knife sharpeners. After taking a close look we struggled hard to find something we’d call the best electric knife sharpener. The vast majority of the under $50 sharpeners we just junk to put it bluntly (pun intended). The electric motors were mostly underpowered and had trouble properly sharpening a blade. We ultimately did find the Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener which we feel is an excellent value. We do have other suggestions beyond this knife sharpener but they don’t strictly fall within the topic parameters. We opted to suggest the best manual knife sharpener under $50 dollars as well as the best electric knife sharpener but it was well above $50 dollars. Continue reading to learn more about the Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener and our other recommendations.
Our Number One Pick:
Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener
Our search for the best electric knife sharpener we could find under $50 took us off the beaten path a bit. We ended up with a slightly unconventional solution for sharpening kitchen knives but it’s a solid performer. The Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener is more designed for dealing with shop tools than kitchen knives but it seems that manufacturers of quality knife sharpeners feel they can charge a premium to home chefs as opposed to home carpenters. This sharpener is very simple, performs well, and is high quality. The abrasive sharpening band is easily replaceable and can be swapped for belts with different abrasive properties. It also comes with a built in honing rod which is excellent because a honing rod should be your first choice for sharpening a knife. Actual sharpening of a knife removes metal from the edge of the blade while honing straightens the fine edge that you can’t see with the naked eye. After a knife is used the fine edge will roll and bend over causing the blade to become much duller than when the edge is straight. Always give honing a try before sharpening to preserve as much of the metal of your blade as possible.
Runner Up:
Chef’sChoice 4643 ProntoPro Diamond Hone Manual Knife Sharpener
Since we struggled so much to find a decent knife sharpener under $50 dollars we felt comfortable recommending in the electric knife sharpener category, we are going to suggest a budget alternative. The best manual knife sharpener is the Chef’sChoice 4643 ProntoPro Diamond Hone Manual Knife Sharpener. More than one reviewer has touted this sharpener as the best manual sharpener, customers love it, and it’s reasonably priced. It has 3 sharpening slots. One labeled “Asian” which refers to sharpening to an angle of 15 degrees which produces a very fine edge. One labeled “Euro/Amer” which refers to sharpening to an angle of 20 degrees which produces a slightly less fine edge. Finally, a slot labeled “Polishing & Serrated” which is for touching up blades and sharpening serrated blades.
An electric knife sharpener is nice but it’s not necessary. A manual knife sharpener can do just as good of a job. If your budget is tight and you want a quality knife sharpener we highly recommend this quality manual knife sharpener.
Worth Considering:
Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener
The Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener is touted as the best or one of the best electric knife sharpeners you can buy. Diamond is the best material for sharpening knives since it is harder than metal and that’s the material used in this sharpener. Like the Chef’sChoice manual sharpener we suggest, this sharpener also has 3 different sharpening options and is intuitive to use. Sadly it’s far more than $50 dollars but if your budget is more flexible then you really can’t beat it for its performance.
Additional Information:
Things To Keep In Mind
How do you know when a knife is sharp?
You’ll know your knife is properly sharpened if it can cleanly cut a sheet of paper. If it struggles to get through the paper or the paper tears at all then you know that you either need to keep sharpening or it’s time to sharpen your knife.
How often do you need to sharpen a knife?
It varies depending on how often you use the knife. If you can’t cut cleanly through a sheet of paper with the knife then it’s time to sharpen it.
What is the difference between honing and sharpening a knife?
Honing a blade is the process of straightening the fine edge of the blade. With use the edge of a blade can bend and fold over. It does this at a scale that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Sharpening actually removes metal to produce a sharp edge. Honing should be your first choice and sharpening your second choice.
Other Resources:
Helpful Links
Wrapping Up:
The Best Budget Knife Sharpener
Base on our research we an definitely say that $50 is about as cheap as you can expect to get an electric knife sharpener. The best sharpener under $50 that we found was the Work Sharp WSCMB Combo Knife Sharpener. It’s not designed with kitchen knives primarily in mind but it will work on them just as well as a shop knife, pocket knife, or hunting knife. Plus it comes with a built in honing rod. This sharpener is the only one we’d recommend that’s under $50 and electric. If you’re looking to save a few extra bucks, our best suggestion is to go with a manual knife sharpener. The Chef’sChoice 4643 is is a diamond sharpener with 3 different blade sharpening options and works flawlessly. If you’re willing to pay more and want the best then we’d have to recommend the Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV EdgeSelect. It gets glowing reviews and customer feedback is stellar.
We’re saddened to see that the sub $50 category of electric knife sharpeners is so full of products and almost none of which are worth purchasing. That said, the Work Sharp WSCMB is a winner and know that if you pick one of those up you’ll be more than satisfied with the results.
