KMFS Vantaedge Integral Sharpener

I’ve used a cheap guided knife sharpener before to reasonable results but noticed many limitations. When looking to upgrade I saw many different versions all looked great but most didn’t address the downsides. This on the face of it seemed to so I took the chance. Very happy I did. Now there is a learning curve, the swivel head seems to want to swing around to the wrong position, this is easily countered once you figure out where to hold, on very long knives I found it wanting to to the same towards the tip unless a tiny bit of pressure was used. So again easily overcome with practice, that’s the only negatives and they are very minor niggles, positives once you learn that this is very easy to use, by that I mean you get a very even grind all across the blade, it’s solid and forgiving you don’t need to worry about how the blade is fixed or if there is any flex in the system that would alter the angle. There are only 3 grits sizes for the diamond stones my one critism would be I would like an option to buy extra, maybe a 120/180 for re profiling or very damaged blades. Also 2000 etc for polished edging from the same company. I have not had great results from cheap eBay/ Temu stones etc. but that’s it I’m very impressed and very quickly became quite proficient with this system.

Normal guided sharpeners have their stone carrier fulcrum height set by the user and that sets the sharpening angle. This sharpener sets its OWN fulcrum height automatically, according to the stone / edge contact distance from the column at any moment. The column continuously floats up and down through oiled linear bearings. (10cc of light oil included: "One drop every 5 hours of sharpening.") Has four selectable fixed sharpening angles - 15, 17.5, 20 and 22.5 degrees. You screw the stone carrier head into one of the four angled faces on the column fulcrum and it does the rest. This thing really works - consistent, flat bevels heel to tip, regardless of blade angle or curvature. In fact, the bevels are so accurate they reveal the smallest vertical clamping angle error between successive sharpenings. Turning the blade over is done by lifting the stone carrier and column out of the blade clamp, flipping the clamp on the stand and replacing the column in the rear of the clamp. Sounds complicated but isn't. The light and manoeuvrable clamp is handy for examining the blade, without having to unclamp it. The advantage of having no rotation mechanism is that the clamp unit is kept stiff, with no flex to convex the edge. Small blades have to be clamped in just one jaw, with the tip angled outwards (for the stone to clear the free jaw). This would be a no-no in most guided sharpeners. Not here - taken care of by the floating fulcrum. It can sharpen blades as narrow as ~10mm. Blades even narrower can be sharpened in two steps, clamping them by the tip and then the heel. The sharpener can also be used off the stand - clamp held in the left hand, stone carrier operated with the right (or vice versa if you're left-handed). Note: The stone carrier has a disconcerting tendency to flop to one side or the other because of the fulcrum head's freedom to swing L/R (to account for varying edge curvature / blade angle). Just take care to hold the stone in its stable, level position on the blade edge. Gripes: The clamp edges are sharp and need very gently softening to avoid any possibility of cutting through protective tape and scratching a blade. The stone holder handle is too thin and uncomfortable to hold for long periods. Solved with a 4.5 cm sleeve of silicone tubing (19mm ID × 25mm OD) pushed over it. Positives: Compact design. Outstanding engineering. Blade clamp unit beautifully CNC-ed out of a single block of aluminium. Smooth-running, accurately aligned guide rods - machined from stainless tool steel. Stone carrier accepts generic 6-inch stones / plates widely available on Amazon, ebay etc. The three bundled diamond plates (240, 600 & 1,000 grit) are high quality and cut well (but are too widely spaced for fine work). Takes around 4 minutes to assemble or disassemble back into its sturdy, latching storage case (35 × 23 × 6 cm). If you have geo-political qualms about where things are made, this is EU-designed AND made - Czech Republic. Excellent that HH carries exotic gear like this.

Looked at so many ... Looked at reviews .... and bought this. ? The quality is Very Good ... Each part is made with precision ... The feel of everything looks nice and feels nice ... Putting it together could not have been simpler and all fits with tight tolerances ... How does it actually sharpen well my first go was ok-ish ... However my 2nd 3rd 4th etc AWSOME ... From kitchen knife to survival knifes to Necky's ... no issue's and most importantly consistent on the grind ... The grind angle tool it looks amazing and works perfectly as designed ... It all sits and rest in a really neat small case, perfect for hiding it from her indoors ? ... Super Pleased with my New Gadget ... ?

I bought this a couple of months ago and have held off doing a review until I had used it a couple of times. I have not used a guided sharpener before so cannot compare it to any others but I can say that it is superbly engineered, easy to use and does a great job. I have re-profiled/sharpened two old blades with excellent results. An old sheath knife with a large blade and an army Jack knife from 1940 with a small blade. Top tip is watch the KMFS Youtube videos before first use and let the weight of the stones do the work.

Beautifully made,solid,all metal piece of kit.No instructions or angle finder needed.Simple set up and sharpening like a pro in minutes.10/10.