Brod & Taylor VG2 Classic Knife Sharpener | 3-Action Tungsten Carbide (Nylon)

The sharpener was as advertised. Easy to use and adjusts to the blade. A very satisfied customer!

I like the VG2. It lets me cut more sharply without fuss or hassle.I was gifted a set of Misen knives a few years ago and not only have they been dulled with use but I also improperly honed them and caused some issues. I also have an old knife that has a tiny chip in the edge. I wanted to believe I could correct the issues myself, but didn't want to put time into developing my skill at sharpening on wet stones. I already have enough goals, hobbies, and rsi in my shoulder.This device made it possible to get my knives sharp without learning how to use wet stones. The tungsten bits ground a sharp, consistent new edge for each knife, honed that edge, and polished it with a great deal more accuracy than I would get manually. Every knife I own can cut through paper now.I found the VG2 when searching for alternatives to the Mousetrap Steel honing tool. Very clever device, but it seemed expensive and bulky for what it is. Broad & Taylor has developed a device that does the honing but also the grinding as well. I figured I'd use a strop for polishing but this tool seems to do that reasonably well too.I'm sure I'd get much better results with traditional sharpening tools, but the VG2 allows me to save my time and get sharp cutting edges in just a few seconds. This product is not fool-proof: you can definitely mess up your knives with this if you aren't careful! So read the instructions, proceed with care, use common sense, and pay attention! But if you use this well, your knives will cut like they did when they were new.

I have used sharpening devices of all kinds as well as a commercial knife service all my life and in two restaurants. Water and oil stones, ceramic rods and hosts of mechanical grinders and all kinds of space helmet looking complex contraptions have made their way into and out of my kitchens.While in a processing plant one day I noticed a simple gadget mounted between cutting stations and watched cutters breaking down meat with razor sharp ease??Basically what they were using was the same thing as the Brod and Taylor device.After a long stretch all they did was swipe their knives through this gadget 2-3 strokes and the edge never seemed to never needed anything further.FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS - UNLIKE MOST REVIEWERS., who haven't the slightest idea what they are doing and couldn't figure out which end of a spoon goes into the soup.Now retired I still buy my meat as large primal cuts and break them down for the freezer.The knives pictured show that even these can be sharpened and shave the hair off my arm after just a few strokes.Greatest invention since sliced bread and NO SPECIAL SKILLS OR COMPLEX SETUP gets you a razor's edge in just a couple of minutes which can be kept sharp in only a few seconds..

I made a mistake and bought this after trying to cancel my order for another sharpener of a similar style that was about half the price. Well, The first didn't get cancelled, I used it, then I got this one. Long story short, I'm stuck with two sharpeners of similar design. I'll have to give one away, but it gave me a unique opportunity to compare them side by side.So I'm just going to tell you a few things about both, and you can make up your mind about which is a better fit for you:The most important thing is, they both work great. The other, cheaper one I got did just as good of a job as this one at sharpening, and now, all my knives are pretty scary. I was very impressed with the performance of this style of sharpener. I'm sure that you could do better with stones, but I don't know how to do that, and honestly I don't have any use for a sharper blade than these will create. They take dull knives and turn them into deadly knives in about thirty seconds, so, kudos on all counts. To get a better idea for how good these are, I've also got a chintzy little sharpener that uses rods to sharpen. I sharpened a dull knife in that, and it would barely cut paper. Then, AFTER sharpening the knife in that, I sharpened it in one of these, and the thing cuts paper very well now. It's just a superior design, in my opinion.So with that out of the way, now we get into the details. Like I said, this style of sharpener definitely works, no matter how much you pay for it, so the question is, would I buy this one again, or would I go the cheaper route?Well, looking at the two, this one's (I'll call it the Classic from now on) base is made of tough nylon (a very strong, durable plastic that you can make gears and tools out of), and is formed into a nice shape. It looks pretty good, has a classy matte finish, and I think it will hold up well, despite being plastic. However, the other one (I'll call it the X1 from now on) has a metal base, and while the finish isn't as nice (you can see some lines in the casting that shouldn't be there), I have to give the win to the X1 on that front, but only by a little bit. If the Classic had a metal base it'd beat the X1 in my book.Now, that said, I'm of the opinion that everything else about the Classic is better; the arms look nicer and better formed, they look like they're stronger and the pinions holding them up are better quality than the X1. The Classic is smoother to use, and I have a feeling that the cutting edges are much better on the Classic as well. Just from the design you can tell they put more care into the SHARPENING part of the Classic, and they put more care into the BASE part of the X1.Conclusion: I think that the Classic will hold up better than the X1, but I don't think it's necessarily worth twice the price. The X1 does everything the Classic can, and I can't see myself wearing out either of them any time soon. I think if you want a functional sharpener, either is a good choice. If you are going to sharpen everyday, you will probably get more out of the Classic. If you're just going to use it every so often, you will get equal performance if you go the cheaper route and buy a different one of similar design. There are several reviews on the X1 that have pictures showing the arms have broken, while the Classic hasn't had many negative reviews. However, the Classic has about 1/10th the amount of reviews, so take it with a grain of salt. Personally, I like the Classic better, and I'm going to give away the X1. Also, I think the X1 is made in China, and I've been trying to cut back on that lately.Thanks for reading! Hope it helps!