Sharpen Any Knife You Own With An Affordable Lowe's Find

If you own knives, sooner or later they're going to need sharpening. Dull knives are dangerous knives. Premium electric sharpeners can cost more than $150, rolling knife sharpeners can be intimidating, and most of us simply need a tool that gets the job done. Even if you have a high-end model already, an affordable secondary sharpener for a vacation home, RV, or simply to tuck right into your knife drawer makes sense. Whatever your situation, the Work Sharp Pivot Plus Knife Sharpener at Lowe's may be worth considering.

With a 4.6-star rating, several online reviewers have noted that the Pivot Plus is intuitive to use, especially for people who don't enjoy sharpening knives. There are just two slots, and all you have to do is draw the knife through each one a few times. No loud noises, no electricity, and no precision required. Reviewers also appreciated that the Pivot Plus comes with a 3-year warranty, particularly given its price point of less than $15. It's a simple, no-frills sharpener, but if your knives need a touch-up, it should restore the edge without much effort.

The Pivot Plus features a carbide slot in the center with two settings. Move the red switch away from the slot and you unlock the pivot setting, which allows the sharpening mechanism to move with the curve of the blade and take off more metal. Move the switch toward the slot to lock the sharpening mechanism for lighter sharpening. The slot on the end of the Pivot Plus is a ceramic hone to refine your blade edges. There's also a tapered diamond rod on the bottom of the Pivot Plus that you can pull out to sharpen serrated blades — a pretty handy feature that many reviewers applaud. 

Measuring only 3.5 inches wide by 1.7 inches high, the Pivot Plus is probably too small to sharpen supersized knives like machetes. It's better suited for sharpening kitchen knives and pocket knives. The small size also makes it easy to carry and store. One customer noted that it's small enough to fit on a lanyard or in a pocket, and the sharpener includes a lanyard hole for that purpose. Is the Pivot Plus meant to be the primary knife sharpener in a busy kitchen or workshop? Maybe not. But if you need to quickly resharpen a paring or steak knife, it should more than handle the task. The compact size makes it one of those small yet practical items to keep in a toolbox – or slot neatly into a kitchen drawer.