Whetstone 1000/6000 grit – Medium/fine– Oakes Sharpening Stone Gift Pack

Don't let the cheaper price put you off. This is excellent.

My two main kitchen knives are back to a great sharpness. I still haven't sharpened them enough to do the paper test (holding a piece or paper and slicing through the paper effortlessly) but happy none the less.For a novice/beginner this is fairly easy to use as it comes with a guide for your knives to keep the angle consistent.I put a cutting board underneath mine incase of any mishaps as I didn't want to damage my kitchen counter top. I have found that the block itself is sturdy but when putting the pressure on it while sharpening it can move slowly.I had looked at more expensive knife sharpeners but for what I need/want I found this to be a good all-rounder.Next challenge is to sharpen my smaller kitchen knives as the guide that comes with the block doesn't fit them.

I had a diamond sharpening stick. Hard to use without chopping fingers off. This is more traditional, like using the old doorstep -but a bit more hi-tech and less hit and miss. It does the job once you work out which side to use and how to stabilise. I can now cut tomatoes without holding them, like in the adverts, so it must be very good. My knives are as sharp as when I bought them or better.

perfect item does what it says with ease