The Asian-style santoku knife has a narrower blade angle than most kitchen knives, so a special sharpener is required. This handy two-stage sharpener from Wüsthof uses coarse carbide heads to reset an edge on a dull knife, and fine-tunes one that's already fairly sharp with ceramic rods. Clearly labeled Coarse and Fine, the two slots on the sharpener let you know which to use. Set the knife blade vertically on the notch and apply gentle pressure while pulling the knife through. A large flange-style handle with a rubberized grip, along with a non-slip bottom, allows the sharpener to be held steady during use on a counter or table. Usually a well-cared-for santoku just requires a swipe or two through the Fine slot to keep it in razor-sharp condition.
This Wusthof Santoku 2 stage sharpener is especially designed for the wusthofhof asian style Santoku knife. The ceramic sharpening rods have one stage for course cutting a new edge and then a fine ceramic to hone the knife to a keen edge. The Santoku knife has a narrower blade angle and this sharpener shapes the edge to 17 degrees. The Santoku sharpener can easily bring those dull knives back to cutting form.
