The Knife Sharpener I Can’t Cook Without

Every working kitchen needs a sharpener. Yes, a sharp knife can hurt more if you accidentally cut yourself, but a blunt knife is far more likely to slip and land somewhere you really don’t want it to.

Soon after I settled into my residence almost 13 years ago, I did lots of research and decided to buy a set of Global knives for their reported longevity and quality. At the same time, I looked at the many models of Global sharpeners. Wanting something affordable, I bought the cheapest one at the time — the Global Water Sharpener with 2-stage ceramic sharpening.

Fast forward 12 years, and I still use this same sharpener on the same set of knives every week. It not only sharpens my Global knives, but also other knives I’d bought before. The brand name on the handle is partially worn off, but the plastic body and the two ceramic wheels are still in very good condition.

I love its simplicity. We cook every day for a family of five, so our knives get heavy use. To sharpen, you fill the compartment with cold water, use the white ceramic wheel for coarser sharpening (pulling and pushing the blade a total of six times), then do the same on the pink wheel for fine sharpening. Don’t forget to rinse the knife and wipe it clean after sharpening to remove the fine metal dust — so fine you can’t see it unless you skip rinsing and wipe the blade on a light-coloured tea towel, which will leave a faint grey line.

The difference before and after sharpening is obvious. The blade just glides through food again. I think the magic lies in the preset angle of the ceramic wheels. Unlike using a diamond rod or a flat sharpening stone, you don’t have to think about the sharpening angle — the sharpener does it for you. Even a 10-year-old could do it (with supervision, of course). It’s also slimline and lightweight, so easy to store.

If you’re looking for an easy kitchen knife sharpener, you can’t go past the Global Water Sharpener with 2-stage ceramic wheels. The results are excellent for everyday cooking, and it works just as well on other knives. While the sharpness might not quite match the factory edge of a brand-new knife, it’s more than enough for home use. I especially notice the difference when we go on holidays — no rental kitchen knife can compare with our 12-year-old Global knives, maintained faithfully by their own brand sharpener.