Two converging industrial diamond grinding wheels rapidly grind both sides of the knife edge on one pass through the machine. That quickly converts an acute Asian knife edge to the wider European bevel style, so make sure your knife matches the machine before use. The first few uses of the diamond wheels work much faster than normal, since much of that first cutting comes from bits of diamond set slightly above the average surface of the wheel. As those diamonds wear away, the wheels cut more slowly but do much finer work. The Diamond Edge Pro creates an accurate hollow ground cutting edge designed for the best combination of edge retention and fast accurate slicing. Two speeds allow full control of the sharpening process without overheating the knife steel.

Two manual sharpening slots extend the machine's range. One holds carbide cutting blades used to quickly reshape a badly worn knife edge. The other slot allows final honing of the hollow ground edge with fine ceramic honing stones. Purists will still run the knife over a fine benchstone just to be sure, but used properly, the Diamond Edge Pro does give a good working edge straight from the machine.

The scissors-sharpening feature of the machine is much less impressive. A tab at the end of the sharpener pulls out the scissors hone and locks it in place. Slip both blades of the shears through the slots and close lightly before pulling the shears back out across the honing rods. The spring-mounted ceramic rods should adjust automatically to match the bevel of the scissors blades. After a few uses, the rods wear slightly and lose their original accuracy.

See the Chef's Choice Commercial Knife Sharpener for a professional sharpening system designed only for knives.

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Smith Abrasives Diamond Edge Pro Electric Knife and Scissors Sharpener US $122.06   Auction Ends: 21d 9h 34m

NEW Diamond Edge Pro Electric Knife Scissors Sharpener US $127.29   Auction Ends: 11d 49m

The Fiskars works best on Fiskars scissors, but other plain-edged shears ground with a 30-degree edge bevel also fit the machine. The sharpener does not work with very short blades like manicurist's scissors and will not sharpen curved or serrated blades. For high-end barber's scissors and valuable "family heirloom" shears, see a professional sharpening service for maintenance. For that drawer full of bargain scissors that worked well for a while, the Fiskars is a good match.

Two slots accept both blades at once. Light hand pressure closes the blades on honing rods permanently fixed in the sharpener's housing. Drawing the blades back over the rods resets the blade edges to perfect 30-degree angles and puts the scissors quickly back in working order. The Fiskars gives the best results on blades which have been dulled but not badly damaged. The machine hones dulled edges easily, but grinding a new surface on a nicked and worn pair of blades could be more than this sharpener can handle.

The sharpener restores both left- and right-handed scissors blades. Support the lightweight housing with one hand during use and rest the sharpener's base on a sturdy countertop to prevent chattering. A straight pull and a light touch should finish the edges properly with only a few strokes through the machine.

See the Chef's Choice 500 for a more exacting scissors sharpening system.

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Fiskars Desktop Scissors Sharpener NEW US $9.23   Auction Ends: 26d 10h 22m

FISKARS Cuts More Multi purpose Scissors w Sheath sharpener Wire cutter NEW US $14.39   Auction Ends: 21d 23h 35m

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 16h 53m

Chefs Choice 500 ScissorPro Diamond Scissor Sharpener US $108.98   Auction Ends: 24d 18h 56m

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 16h 53m

Chefs Choice 500 ScissorPro Diamond Scissor Sharpener US $108.98   Auction Ends: 24d 18h 56m

Under the decorative red cap that joins the jaws is a screw fitting which allows users to take the shears apart for cleaning. Unlike slip joint shears that rotate on fixed rivets, these shears can be tightened with that same screw if the action becomes loose.

Microserrations on the upper jaw helps grip slippery foods during cutting. With proper care and use, sharpening should rarely be needed; when it is necessary, the lower jaw--which has a plain edge--can be sharpened at home.

These scissors should not be used to cut metal--not even copper wire, which might be very tempting considering that the high leverage build of these shears makes them look like they'd do that well. Should you have any doubts about the composite construction, Henckels applies the same lifetime warranty to these shears that it gives to its other fine products.

Wash and dry by hand--modern stainless steel often does not do well in a dishwasher's high heat and harsh detergents.

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JA HENCKELS TWIN L KITCHEN SCISSOR SHEAR GERMANY US $19.99   Auction Ends: 25d 8h 10m

JA Henckels International Multi Purpose Kitchen Shears 41365 001 NEW US $14.99   1 Bid Auction Ends: 4h 29m

That's mostly because they've kept a lower profile, but their products are excellent. See our review of their San Moritz Elite Knife Set and you'll see what we mean.

In the meantime, they've quietly created a kitchen shears that rivals their more well-know cousins. Compare these shears to the Wusthof shears and you'll come away impressed.

Sporting the same come-apart design for easy cleaning, these knives also feature a jar-opening clench tool, a finger-protecting plastic nub between the grips, and Solingen German-made stainless steel.

But they go one better by adding in an offset design, bone and twig cutter, screwdriver and nut cracker. Oh, and did we mention that Cook's Illustrated them their favorite kitchen shears? All that for twenty bucks.

Handles are santoprene for a non-slip grip. Blades are pre-sharpened and measure 8.5 inches.

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Messermeister Take Apart Kitchen Scissors Shears 8 1 2 US $19.95   Auction Ends: 18d 16h 27m

Messermeister 8 Take Apart Kitchen Utility Scissors Shears Red US $15.95   Auction Ends: 4d 17h 8m

These scissors have a few unique features that set it apart.

First of all, the scissor blades are micro-serrated. This allows for a more precise cut, as well as a secure grip and less slipping. Plus, they're made from hardened stainless steel, so they'll withstand aggressive cutting jobs.

Secondly, the shears come with a handy herb stripper between the grip. It's intended to quickly remove fresh herbs from difficult stems.

Also, as with any OXO product, you've got the comfortable Good Grips handles on your side. They're designed to minimize pressure and cushion your grip so your hands don't hurt after spending all day in the kitchen.

Compare these shears to the Wusthof Come Apart Shears we reviewed recently. Those have a jar opener instead of an herb scissors and are about five bucks more expensive than the Oxo.

You really should wash these Oxo scissors by hand and not throw them in the dishwasher. If that's okay with you, these are a very good value.

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Okay, whatever. Let's talk about these shears.

These blades are made from ceramic and they're made by Kyocera. Ceramic will never rust or corrode, is lightweight and keeps its edge just about forever.

These scissors come sharp right out of the box and will likely never need to be resharpened. If they do, though, you'll probably want to let a pro do it -- ceramic can be a bit tricky to resharpen.

These aren't just limited to kitchen use, however. In fact, they're extremely safe to use on electrical wires and cords, due to its non-conductive construction. They're also dependable with acid, juice, oil, and salt. And they won't contaminate magnetic media items either.

One downside to ceramic -- it can chip or break if dropped. So you'll want to be careful with these shears.

They're expensive as far as scissors go. But you likely won't ever have to buy another pair again. It's worth the investment if you use heavy-duty scissors every day.

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Kidding aside, this is an inexpensive set of versatile scissors from a well-known and well-respected knife maker.

Wusthof has been making great knives for decades, and they've applied their skills, tradition and good sense to these shears.

The first thing you'll notice is that the blades come apart for easy cleaning and storage. That makes it easier to hand-clean them, though at this price you'll be tempted to just throw them in the dishwasher and not be too worried if they dull over time.

The grips are sturdy and non-slip and feature a built-in sawtooth bottle and jar opener.

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Wusthof Classic 3 Piece Knife Set Kitchen Essentials Chef Knive Shears Sharpener US $88.88   Auction Ends: 9d 19h 20m

WUSTHOF CLASSIC KITCHEN SHEARS NEW MADE IN GERMANY US $17.95   Auction Ends: 10d 6h 47m