The Chef's Choice 500 ScissorPro sharpens both regular and knife-edge shears. Simple adjustments shift the guides to sharpen either type. The coarse grinding wheel uses long-lasting industrial diamond grit to quickly shape battered scissor blades, removing nicks and squaring cutting edges perfectly. A fine diamond grit wheel hones the edge razor sharp. The guides accept scissors in either left or right-handed styles, and sharpen either type without disassembly. The blade guides use a combination of magnetic clamps and spring tension to hold the scissors as you draw the blades steadily through the machine. Practice on a cheap pair of scissors before you get out your best, because holding the scissors properly takes a few strokes to get right. Once you've fixed the cheap, paper scissors, you can confidently go on to embroidery scissors, poultry shears, and fly-tying scissors. Keep the blades moving across the wheels and apply only light pressure. Diamond grinding wheels cut quickly without overheating or clogging.

The ScissorPro works only on straight, plain-edged blades, so it won't help with curved manicure scissors or pinking shears. If you own a pair of shears with one serrated edge and one plain edge, you can sharpen the plain edge and greatly improve the cutting performance. The double-beveled edge the ScissorPro creates makes an ordinary pair of scissors outlast a pair with an ordinary grind.

The ScissorPro only sharpens scissors, but Chef's Choice makes many other sharpening systems designed for kitchen knives -- including the Chef's Choice 100W, a sharpener built for the home chef.

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Chefs Choice ScissorPro Diamond Hone Scissor Sharpener US $126.00   Auction Ends: 28d 17h 24m

Chefs Choice 500 ScissorPro Diamond Scissor Sharpener US $108.98   Auction Ends: 24d 19h 27m

The 463 Pronto gets high marks from Cook's Illustrated Magazine for quickly restoring 15 degree bevels on intentionally blunted Asian-style plain-edged knives. Even hard steels like VG-10 respond to this treatment, and if used properly, the result is a ready-to-use, razor-sharp knife put back to factory condition. There are still a few things to remember.

Each side of the sharpener hones with a different grade of abrasive -- one is coarse for rapid shaping and the other is fine grit for honing and polishing. Don't overdo the coarse side of the hone; after a few strokes, check the edge. When new steel shows along the full length of the edge, move to the next stage of the hone. Problems happen when users don't hold the blade horizontally throughout the stroke. Dropping the blade toward the work surface could drag the new edge across the housing instead of the wheel. That means starting over. Straight-edges are much easier to perfect than curved blade edges, which require a complex movement to keep the edge in the proper honing zone.

Using heavy pressure isn't necessary. Let the weight of the blade apply the pressure to the honing wheels, which should rotate as the blade pulls through.

Don't confuse the Pronto 463 with the Pronto 464. Each is equal in quality but made for different knife styles. Use the 463 for Asian blades with a 15 degree edge angle, and the 464 for European blades set at 20 degrees. These good hones are not interchangeable.

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Chefs Choice Pronto Santoku Asian Manual Knife Sharpener US $50.58   Auction Ends: 19d 12m

Two sharpening slots hold abrasive discs in fine and coarse grits. The abrasive is industrial diamond, long-lasting and fast-cutting. Magne-Flex guides hold scissor blades in the right position as they pass through the slots, using plastic springs and magnets to ensure no mistakes are made. The diamond abrasive cuts quickly and without excessive heat, so there's no risk of damaging the temper of the cutting edges. One wheel sharpens the edge of the blades and the second wheel shapes the blade and sets the proper angle.

Anyone using the machine should read the manual first, because an understanding of how the blades should be set definitely helps. Although the guides do a good job of producing the correct angles, you still have to follow the procedure exactly to get good results.

Warranted for one year, this counter-top sharpening system plugs into any standard AC outlet. The ScissorPro Diamond Hone 500 sharpens right-handed scissors, left-handed scissors, poultry and kitchen shears, sewing scissors, and even fly-tying scissors. Chef's Choice warrants the machine against defects in parts and workmanship for one year.

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Chefs Choice ScissorPro Diamond Hone Scissor Sharpener US $126.00   Auction Ends: 28d 17h 24m

Chefs Choice 500 ScissorPro Diamond Scissor Sharpener US $108.98   Auction Ends: 24d 19h 27m

Ultra-fine grit industrial diamonds, embedded in a thin but permanent matrix laid over an oval rod of solid steel, form the cutting surface of this modern sharpening tool. The wide section of the oval allows more diamond-coated steel to contact the edge of the blade, which means faster results. This hone works well enough to actually shape a steel edge, not just reset it. The edges of cutlery usually fold in use, and ordinary hones straighten them up again. The diamond hone does remove steel and form a new edge. With the diamond hone, you'll be able to maintain an edge longer between major refurbishings.

If you're new to diamond abrasives, expect fast cutting at first and then a tapering off. New diamond coatings hold many small diamonds above the level of the tool's average surface. That first surface is rougher and cuts faster, but the scattered chips wear away quickly and expose the tool's true surface. The hone cuts slower after that breaking-in period, but does finer work. The resulting knife edge should be polished and razor-sharp.

Diamond hones last for years, but results are better if the hones are kept clean. Rinsing off the hone after use flushes out tiny particles of steel lodged in the surface. As with any abrasive, a glazed surface layer won't cut.

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Chefs Choice Edge Select Diamond Hone Sharpener Plus US $75.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 5h 57m

The large carriage tilts towards the blade for better control of the cutting process, tipping heavier items into the slicer automatically. Ball bearing table slides keep the slicing table working smoothly even with a full load. Plexiglass shields keep fingers out of the danger zones without blocking view of the work, and interlocking safety switches prevent accidental starts.

The Chef's Choice 667 includes professional level features like a built-in sharpening system that hones the blade while still on the machine, and a lifting system that lets users remove the heavy cutting blade for cleaning without risking fingers on the cutting edge. A tool included with the slicer screws to the face of the blade for secure and safe handling of what can be an awkward and dangerous piece of equipment. It's not something you want to drop, and with the lifter tool, you won't.

Plan where you'll install this hefty chunk of good equipment before you buy it. At 20 by 14 by 14 inches, and requiring working room around that, the Chef's Choice 667 needs space. Since it weighs nearly 30 pounds, many chefs will want the slicer in a permanent location.

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The 632 disassembles quickly and easily for cleaning. Many parts can be removed and run through the dishwasher, and the machine's exterior cleans up easily with a damp cloth. Chef's Choice includes several helpful features with this model, including several operating switches (one hidden) which prevent accidental turn-on and help make the machine child safe. The continuous run setting is the most convenient, but the thumb switch on the thickness control knob is a safer option -- as soon as your hand leaves the control, the machine stops.

Since the 632 tilts 30 degrees, many foods can be sliced with a gravity feed system. All the operator does is work the controls and move the cutting table, while the weight of the food presses the work against the blade. The compact machine measures only 14 x 12.5 inches with a 10.5-inch height, taking up very little counter space for operation or storage.

Though the motor does have plenty of torque, don't overload the 632 to ensure the best cutting results. Use as much feed pressure as the machine can handle without stalling. Heavy and sticky foods like blocks of cheese can be the toughest to cut. Divide the blocks into smaller pieces before running them through the slicer.

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Chefs Choice 6450000 Professional VariTilt Electric Food Slicer No645 US $399.99   Auction Ends: 25d 10h 16m

The Chef's Choice 450 is typical of simple honing machines, requiring some practice to operate well. I've been surprised that people who don't use sharpening stones can use machines like this, but some find honing systems more workable than flat stones and steels. Tricks to remember include holding the 450 firmly on the table or countertop and using a light touch. The large handle provides a firm grip for either righties or lefties, but does require some downward pressure to hold the sharpener in place. Pressing too hard with the blade throws the machine out of line.

The two-stage system offers a coarse side for reshaping very dull knives and a finer wheel for refining the edge. Part of the knife edge near the bolster won't ever reach the wheels, but that's expected when using a machine like this. Of more concern is the area near the tip, which sees much more actual use. Sharpening the last inch or two of the blade requires some finesse, because too much pressure can drop the blade too far into the machine, blunting the new edge against the frame. The Chef's Choice 450 has built-in guide slots that place the blade against the long lasting diamond honing wheels at the correct angle for most western knife types. Draw the knife through each slot the same number of times and use a light, steady stroke.

The Chef's Choice 450 won't put a magical edge on your blades, but it works. The 450 quickly puts a serviceable edge on dull knives, and many people who are averse to whetstones and honing steels find these machines a practical alternative.

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Edgecraft Chefs Choice 450 Manual Knife Sharpener US $33.03   Auction Ends: 11d 20h 59m

Only 15-3/8 by 7-3/4 by 8-1/4 inches, the Chef's Choice 2000 does fit the space limits of smaller kitchens. Though it isn't a grinder and won't completely replace a full range of whetstones -- necessary for refurbishing badly worn or damaged blades -- the Chef's Choice 2000 will keep blades sharp with only a few passes through the machine. Diamond impregnated honing discs in fine and extra fine stages bring edges back to razor condition quickly, and built-in guides compensate for lack of skill. Both plain edged and serrated blades respond to the treatment.

For best results, use a light touch and be especially careful towards the end of the draw. Too much pressure forces the edge of the blade against the housing, and only a tricky movement at the end of the stroke hones the final section of blade. The hone won't reach all the cutting edge, and knives with heavy forged bolsters are less accessible than stamped steel. If the angle of the bevel doesn't already match the angle of the diamond honing discs, the first sharpening could be time consuming, but blades adapted to the machine require less work than on the first run through it. Use the Chef's Choice on European style knives, not harder Japanese blades like Yoshikin Global.

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The Chef's Choice Diamond Hone is a compromise between convenience and skill. If you avoid sharpening knives and have a drawer full of dull ones, the 100W could be just what you need, since it does have the capacity to restore those knives to good working condition without learning a new trade. Magnetic guides hold the blade at the correct angle as it's pulled through the machine. Use only enough pressure to keep the blade in position on the wheels to avoid extra wear on the abrasive or damaging the finished edge.

Trouble spots are tips, curves, and the section of blade near the bolster that won't ever reach the polishing wheels. Blade tips and curved sections of cutting edge require a lot of finesse to properly move through the machine. You might find that a flat stone works better for those parts. The buffing action of the wheels also gives the lower part of the knife blade a satin finish, a step down from the high polish of expensive cutlery. The Chef's Choice is a good sharpening system well suited to less expensive steel.

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Chefs Choice 100W Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener White US $9.99   1 Bid Auction Ends: 10h 45m

Built more like surgical tools than scissors, the slender curved high carbon steel blades slip between joints when butchering whole poultry. The all-metal design eliminates most places food bits and bacteria could hide, but for a thorough cleaning, the scissors disassemble and reassemble easily. The spring-loaded handles do provide a little challenge if you haven't done this before, but with practice, it's a snap.

The spring keeps the jaws open in the resting position, which makes starting a cut simpler than finishing one. Most manual tools take some getting used to, and your hands may ache the first few times you use these shears. That's pretty normal for clippers and shears, and the spring does ease the other ache you get from opening shears without that help. The lack of padding makes extended work tougher on the hands, but any rubberized sealer on scissor handles works loose quickly anyway. In the kitchen, that makes cross-contamination a problem -- a clean build like this is safer.

One more perk -- for safe storage, squeeze the handles together and latch the blades shut with the stainless steel safety catch. It saves fingers as well as blade edges by closing the cutting gap. Store these cutters in the shears slot of your knife block for even better protection.

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