*Update:* Once I fixed the prying problem on the 4th roller to loosen one side, this roller also unscrews itself depending on what direction you roll. Making it just as bad as the other copycats Roller 1 and 2 with the same problem but the roll was the best out of the 4 copies but miles away from the Horl 2.
@@GigaDavy91 there was one of the third rollers that had a thread glue on it at 04:40 The problem with all of them is also the spacing created for the body that Horl 2 has implemented in theirs. This results in a a less smooth roll (in comparison makes a huge difference). As that also deteriorates how much force can be applied for the roller to stop rolling entirely. Where the Orignal and the Worksharp (that I'm also testing not included in this video) all have been solved by adding spacing. You can apply more force to the knife's edge and it still will work. If you apply less fork it will take a lot more time to get the work done and each stop is annoying. Horl solution is a fixed metal example: 8:34 compared to the others that screw loose to replace the abrasives. that fixed metal has a tiny spacing applied for the body not to touch any sides and they probably have a special rubbing fitted inside the roller to make the roll smooth without any friction (Horl could not be unscrewed so I'm not sure if they have anything special in the body to create a frictionless roll). The only roller that does the job well is currently Horl 2 and the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener where they have thought about the frictionless roll. (Full transparency Horl 2 and the Worksharp have been sent over for review purposes, I will do a separate review of the pros and cons and will do a head-to-head video about those 2 since none of the copies got it right).
@@GigaDavy91 Another key factor is the replacing problem of the abrasives if you glue it in place they need a new solution in terms of replacing abrasives. roller #3 had it correct and Roller #2 failed with the magnetic attachment Worksharp for example with their magnetic solution had done that concept right. Worksharp included indents for easier removal and replacement. And the magnets were a lot stronger compared to Roller #2 fixing that problem. So this is why I'm so surprised that none of the copies got it correct while if they actually had the Horl 2 or the Worksharp they would immediately know what is wrong with their versions. But those shown here are resold under various brand names and rebranded with slight adjustments.
Update: out of curiosity I bought a cheap imitation and it works perfectly, it was badly screwed but just tightening one time was enough for it to not loosen anymore. The only problem is that I have only a fine grain and a coarse grain sharpeners in mine, but no honing surface. But to be fair it is much faster and easier to learn how to use a honing rod, and it is better to have a fine grain to have less scratches on the surface of the edge of the blade. I sharpened 3 knives already and I had no problem with any unscrewing piece, and no problem with the magnets. If you have a longer knife it is better and advised to sharpen in multiple sections, and I got a result as good as using a whetstone, that is enough for any home cook. I might have been lucky, but luckily Amazon has a good return policy and if you are less lucky than me you can just return it and get your money back...
Glad to hear that you found one that works. As said in the video each of them will work how well they work is a different story. Just like the tolerance of the pressure that you can apply varies a lot. But there is certainly a place for the rolling sharpeners.
I’ve got a Horl 2 and love it but have often wondered if the many cheap imitations would have done the job. When I got mine there were only a couple of imitations available but now there are loads. The way I see it is that with the Horl 2 you are paying for a premium bit of kit made of the best materials and beautifully made. That is not to say that the cheaper versions won’t do just as good a job of sharpening your knives. It’s a bit like the premium knives you will probably be sharpening with your roller, expensive Henckels, Wusthof or artisan Japanese knives are wonderful things but you know deep down that a much cheaper victorinox knife will do the job just as well, and arguably better. But we like nice things, personally I like buying products that I know are made from the best of materials by skilled craftsmen and a long history of producing quality items and am happy to pay the premium for that, rather than knockoffs churned out on mass but each to their own.
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts :) It is definitely a premium product and well made. With the many imitations and alternatives I do see the gap being narrowed. The results are getting more similar, but the Horl Disks is still one of the best so far, you however do pay for it. And after asking those around me (non knife enthusiast) they all choose Horl due to the aesthetic alone. Despite some functions being approved on alternative rollers. Definitely a sharpening category to keep an eye on to see what kind of improvements they come up with in the future like a Horl ''3'' etc.
They have contacted me to review their Hone Rolling Sharpener but, once I replied they never replied back. I do have the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener a review will follow shortly for that one. (A Rolling sharpener I can also recommend). I unfortunately can't comment on products I have not tried or tested.
@@chefpanko I’m surprised they haven’t got back to you! They have replied to my emails within the same hour sent, maybe give it another try, if not answer then yeah idk lol
There are some slight limitations or cons but overall a good product for home usage. And it indeed removes the need to learn a skill. I also have heard that many with physical conditions are not able to use the whetstone method. Like skin problems, RSI, injury etc. Making this a good product for them. (I'm almost done finalizing the review but it also replaced the need of a honing rod)
3 is pretty decent if you fix a few problems, you might even make it smoother with some ABEC 7 Bearings vs the standard ones. But when you do that you will probably spend around $30+ extra for a good branded bearing. I think one of the weakest points is the bearings being used besides the design flaws, like the main body touching the sides and moving around (there should be a spacer between it to prevent that from happening). Besides that, the abrasive disk wears out a lot faster than the Horl 2 but you are paying a lot of money for the Horl. Currently, the other Rolling Sharpener I can recommend is the one from Worksharp which is cheaper than the Horl but also on the expensive side. $189 standard Horl set with no add-ons vs $149 Worksharp (which only includes an extra coarse disk). But I think it is only a matter of time for competition to catch up and upping the standard which will lower the price of other rollers in general.
There are a lot more rolling sharpeners out there so my experience is limited to those in this video. (And the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener wich is another one I can recommend a review of that one will follow shortly).
I think the concept of a rolling sharpener has it´s merits for a specific group of users. I still don´t know what to think of the Horl 2, I often see offers on ebay or other market places of used items where people claim they hardly ever used them, and they also look like that. Crazy pricing on Amazon in Europe though. 159€ on the Horl website incl. shipping, 189€ on Amazon.
I have not tried the Tumbler so I can't comment on that. I have tested the Worksharp one that one is good too full reviews of both the Horl and Worksharp rolling sharpener coming soon. With both with it's pros and cons.
The concept of rolling sharpeners is very interesting but I agree very pricey. If you know how to sharpen then you don't need one but the target audience is a factor to consider ie; the average home cook who doesn't know all the ins and outs. Not to forget some medical conditions that prevent people from using a whetstone like injuries, skin problems, etc. For that reason alone I think that the category of Rolling sharpeners is here to stay, the prices eventually will go down. The copies might or might not catch up but for now, the 4 tested here are far away from being considered good compared to the Horl 2 and the one I'm almost done testing the Worksharp rolling sharpener. But there are pros and cons for the rolling sharpening category that I will cover in the full review. PS: for transparency, Workksharp and Horl 2 were sent over for review purposes. Do I wish the copies were better? Absolutely! Unfortunately, they are not.
@@chefpanko yep but also the average home cook doesn't have a lot of money, so most people would either buy the knockoff or the whetstone, and if the whetstone is more reliable that is imho the way
why are your copies for all the copycat are terrible? I am from South East Asia and I have both Horl and the Copycat but none like yours. They're more higher quality built almost as similar as the Horl itself. Probably because it's easier to access latest improved version from China from here. And they just cost $10-15 dollar depending on which shop you buy from and they never go beyond $30.
I unfortunately can't comment on any other rolling sharpeners that I do not have in my possession. The other one I have tested and not mentioned in the video is from Worksharp, and they got it right too. However, I have heard that many OEMs in China are improving their designs. As explained in the video each one had some things that were not good ie; not a good magnet attachment, abrasives that roll with the rolling motion instead of standing in place so that the actual abrasive can do its work, etc. All of these are design flaws that should have been eliminated in the prototype versions. However, the price is another factor that will eventually force other rolling brands to lower the pricing when more competitors come into the rolling sharpener market.
The lack of attention to detail when making seemingly simple items is still the achilles heel of Chinese manufacturing. We Chinese can design and make smartphones, warplanes, satellites and space stations just fine, but a rolling sharpener, nope! lol
If they only had an R&D department before mass production........ I mean why can a well-known brand manufacturer in China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, etc make quality products? They oversee and provide all the details and design plans to the manufacturer the exact reason for those designs is basically unknown to the manufacturer and they also do Q&C on the final production. Same with the angles included why 18 and 22 degrees?? If they actually had an R&D they would definitely opt for 17 and 25 degrees. But the 4 copies I tested have been rebranded into many brand names for the exact same product. I'm really surprised by the results too as it looks so simple! The product looks simple and yet none of the ones I tested came close very surprised by it. Not to mention the countless other copies with slight modifications. (one looking like a Dumbell......etc)
@@chefpanko Manufacturing in places like Vietnam, Indonesia and even Thailand is miles behind China in terms of quality, and also cost (even though the cost of labor is cheaper). Much of what you see labelled as "Made in Vietnam" is actually mostly made in China. The only exceptions are with textiles and wood products. Anything that requires specialized tooling or tech components is made in China. As for why Chinese companies struggle with these seemingly simple products, it just has to do with a culture that stresses speed and output over attention to detail.
@@theredbar-cross8515 The current shift is interesting to see where many newly opened manufacturing plants there are opened by Chinese manufacturers with basically their manufacturing side in China being copied towards Vietnam etc. However, I have seen some brands opening their own manufacturing locations there which would be an interesting shift. (not to forget some brands order custom parts from China and send them to one of the other countries for the assembly process, which is also a smart strategy, some use that since they don't want their entire R&D being copied by one manufacturer that may or may not breach a contract). But Manufacturing aside, the biggest part is the actual R&D, and prototyping before finding or opening a manufacturing side. R&D part has become easier due to 3D printing creating multiple prototypes and then using manufacturing custom molding for mass-production. Not only that overseeing the final production is also key in terms of just copying and selling as much as you can with the Dropshipping landscape or Amazon FBA where various dropshippers or unknown brands open an Amazon FBA account and directly ship to Amazon warehouses. The interesting part is most new brands with no R&D and sell OEM's standard designs are competing against other Amazon FBA or Dropshippers and competing against the manufacturer as we know that many of those manufacturers have umbrella brands for the exact same products. With the landscape of selling and selling fast, those brands will eventually stop selling and move to the next big thing to copy and sell under a new brand name. But yeah China is indeed in the speed output but the product tested in this video feels like prototypes or unfinished products without R&D. That being said as I mainly review knives most of the time and Chinese-made knives, the future is bright! I'm currently testing the QSP kitchen knives that are made in China, finished filming the first impression video but not sure if I will upload it. But for a brand known for its pocket knives, their attempt on the kitchen knife market really surprised me in a good way! More about that shortly as I never heard of QSP since I'm not into pocket knives, but based on first impressions, it feels like they have been making kitchen knives for a long time. (so very exciting to see competition rising, and very interesting to see a brand known for their pocket knives being able to transition to kitchen knives like they have been making kitchen knives for years). But with the rolling knife sharpeners.... it feels like when I first started reviewing Chinese-made kitchen knives when I had trouble finding the golden nuggets with a lot of bad apples trying to sell you cheaply made knives for a quick profit. It is strange as I'm currently also finalizing the review of the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener and guess what they have done it right! Another Rolling Sharpener I actually can recommend do I wish I could recommend more yes, but I also know I can't recommend anything unless I have actually tested it, since 4 out of the 5 reviewed in this video, I actively feel obligated to warn people about the 4 copies/imitations that are sold rebranded to various brand names and sites/marketplaces with here and there a slight color variation or logo shift or an extra item, with what I know now in terms of how good rolling sharpeners can be after testing the Horl 2 and Worksharp Rolling Sharpener I simply can't recommend the 4 in this video. Sure some pros and cons will be discussed in the full review, but in terms of the roll and how the roll actually performs and feels combined with the ease of use, those 4 copies do not come close to Horl 2 or the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener. But when I know how much the wiggle room can be by how much force you press the roller on the knife edge and the Roller still rolls is quite big. I was barely touching the blade and it stopped rolling (on all 4 imitations) it needed a very light touch but compared to both Horl 2 and Worksharp Roller there was a huge difference in how much force could be applied compared to the other 4 and it still rolled. This not only adds speed to the grind it is also more effective than a tiny tickle on the copies that stop if pressed slightly harder. Hence the Fidget spinner example still rolls but extremely bad and brakes on each roll if (In terms of Rollers: pressed a tiny bit harder on the knife it stops rolling) rendering the concept of a fidget spinner's fun factor useless.
I hope I could help more people who were considering buying copies. Since the difference is night and day. The product in itself looked so simple and yet none of the 4 I tested could come close in ease of use and functionality. The original is however priced very high and currently also testing an alternative from the Worksharp rolling knife sharpener, I can already tell that it does not contain any drawbacks the 4 copies had in this video, which is more comparable with the magnetic ones due to Worksharp magnetic solution review of that one and comparison against the Horl 2 will be coming once I have tested it more.
This gives a more consistent angle edge and could raise a burr without taking off too much material as a result The pro version is geared up 3x so every one rotation of the wheel spins the abrasive 3 times, it sharpens that much faster Not to mention this is alot easier than stones, I can sharpen about 4 knives before getting tired on my diamond stones but this seems alot easier on the wrists
*Update:* Once I fixed the prying problem on the 4th roller to loosen one side, this roller also unscrews itself depending on what direction you roll. Making it just as bad as the other copycats Roller 1 and 2 with the same problem but the roll was the best out of the 4 copies but miles away from the Horl 2.
wouldn't the rolling problem on all three be solved by some screw threadlocker?
@@GigaDavy91 there was one of the third rollers that had a thread glue on it at 04:40 The problem with all of them is also the spacing created for the body that Horl 2 has implemented in theirs. This results in a a less smooth roll (in comparison makes a huge difference). As that also deteriorates how much force can be applied for the roller to stop rolling entirely. Where the Orignal and the Worksharp (that I'm also testing not included in this video) all have been solved by adding spacing. You can apply more force to the knife's edge and it still will work.
If you apply less fork it will take a lot more time to get the work done and each stop is annoying.
Horl solution is a fixed metal example: 8:34 compared to the others that screw loose to replace the abrasives. that fixed metal has a tiny spacing applied for the body not to touch any sides and they probably have a special rubbing fitted inside the roller to make the roll smooth without any friction (Horl could not be unscrewed so I'm not sure if they have anything special in the body to create a frictionless roll).
The only roller that does the job well is currently Horl 2 and the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener where they have thought about the frictionless roll.
(Full transparency Horl 2 and the Worksharp have been sent over for review purposes, I will do a separate review of the pros and cons and will do a head-to-head video about those 2 since none of the copies got it right).
@@GigaDavy91 Another key factor is the replacing problem of the abrasives if you glue it in place they need a new solution in terms of replacing abrasives. roller #3 had it correct and Roller #2 failed with the magnetic attachment Worksharp for example with their magnetic solution had done that concept right.
Worksharp included indents for easier removal and replacement. And the magnets were a lot stronger compared to Roller #2 fixing that problem.
So this is why I'm so surprised that none of the copies got it correct while if they actually had the Horl 2 or the Worksharp they would immediately know what is wrong with their versions. But those shown here are resold under various brand names and rebranded with slight adjustments.
Update: out of curiosity I bought a cheap imitation and it works perfectly, it was badly screwed but just tightening one time was enough for it to not loosen anymore.
The only problem is that I have only a fine grain and a coarse grain sharpeners in mine, but no honing surface.
But to be fair it is much faster and easier to learn how to use a honing rod, and it is better to have a fine grain to have less scratches on the surface of the edge of the blade.
I sharpened 3 knives already and I had no problem with any unscrewing piece, and no problem with the magnets.
If you have a longer knife it is better and advised to sharpen in multiple sections, and I got a result as good as using a whetstone, that is enough for any home cook.
I might have been lucky, but luckily Amazon has a good return policy and if you are less lucky than me you can just return it and get your money back...
Glad to hear that you found one that works. As said in the video each of them will work how well they work is a different story. Just like the tolerance of the pressure that you can apply varies a lot. But there is certainly a place for the rolling sharpeners.
I’ve got a Horl 2 and love it but have often wondered if the many cheap imitations would have done the job. When I got mine there were only a couple of imitations available but now there are loads.
The way I see it is that with the Horl 2 you are paying for a premium bit of kit made of the best materials and beautifully made. That is not to say that the cheaper versions won’t do just as good a job of sharpening your knives. It’s a bit like the premium knives you will probably be sharpening with your roller, expensive Henckels, Wusthof or artisan Japanese knives are wonderful things but you know deep down that a much cheaper victorinox knife will do the job just as well, and arguably better. But we like nice things, personally I like buying products that I know are made from the best of materials by skilled craftsmen and a long history of producing quality items and am happy to pay the premium for that, rather than knockoffs churned out on mass but each to their own.
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts :) It is definitely a premium product and well made. With the many imitations and alternatives I do see the gap being narrowed. The results are getting more similar, but the Horl Disks is still one of the best so far, you however do pay for it. And after asking those around me (non knife enthusiast) they all choose Horl due to the aesthetic alone. Despite some functions being approved on alternative rollers. Definitely a sharpening category to keep an eye on to see what kind of improvements they come up with in the future like a Horl ''3'' etc.
You should try out the hone made in Canada and compare them to that as well!
They have contacted me to review their Hone Rolling Sharpener but, once I replied they never replied back. I do have the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener a review will follow shortly for that one. (A Rolling sharpener I can also recommend). I unfortunately can't comment on products I have not tried or tested.
@@chefpanko I’m surprised they haven’t got back to you! They have replied to my emails within the same hour sent, maybe give it another try, if not answer then yeah idk lol
Wonderful video! I'm looking to get a Horl myself since it has a much lower learning curve than a whetstone. Time>Money.
There are some slight limitations or cons but overall a good product for home usage. And it indeed removes the need to learn a skill. I also have heard that many with physical conditions are not able to use the whetstone method. Like skin problems, RSI, injury etc. Making this a good product for them. (I'm almost done finalizing the review but it also replaced the need of a honing rod)
So, number 3 is good if you just add a spacer between the main body and the wheels? This sounds like an interesting option
3 is pretty decent if you fix a few problems, you might even make it smoother with some ABEC 7 Bearings vs the standard ones. But when you do that you will probably spend around $30+ extra for a good branded bearing.
I think one of the weakest points is the bearings being used besides the design flaws, like the main body touching the sides and moving around (there should be a spacer between it to prevent that from happening).
Besides that, the abrasive disk wears out a lot faster than the Horl 2 but you are paying a lot of money for the Horl.
Currently, the other Rolling Sharpener I can recommend is the one from Worksharp which is cheaper than the Horl but also on the expensive side. $189 standard Horl set with no add-ons vs $149 Worksharp (which only includes an extra coarse disk).
But I think it is only a matter of time for competition to catch up and upping the standard which will lower the price of other rollers in general.
@@chefpanko Thank you!!!
The Horl 2. is extremely over priced . I purchesed a hone sharp made in Canad and it works great and is not overpricced in my opinion
Mind sharing the maker?
Thank, this has been very helpful! Saved me money and frustration. Continue the great work!
There are a lot more rolling sharpeners out there so my experience is limited to those in this video. (And the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener wich is another one I can recommend a review of that one will follow shortly).
I think the concept of a rolling sharpener has it´s merits for a specific group of users. I still don´t know what to think of the Horl 2, I often see offers on ebay or other market places of used items where people claim they hardly ever used them, and they also look like that. Crazy pricing on Amazon in Europe though. 159€ on the Horl website incl. shipping, 189€ on Amazon.
Very useful! Thanks for review
A full review is coming soon, along with the pros and cons. And another rolling knife sharpener from Worksharp will follow shortly after.
What about Tumbler? I've been using them, they're alright.
I have not tried the Tumbler so I can't comment on that. I have tested the Worksharp one that one is good too full reviews of both the Horl and Worksharp rolling sharpener coming soon. With both with it's pros and cons.
The stones wear out fast on the imitations, they’ll work fine the first few times but they’re trash.
also even the cheapest knockoff are overpriced... so better just to use a whetstone
The concept of rolling sharpeners is very interesting but I agree very pricey. If you know how to sharpen then you don't need one but the target audience is a factor to consider ie; the average home cook who doesn't know all the ins and outs. Not to forget some medical conditions that prevent people from using a whetstone like injuries, skin problems, etc.
For that reason alone I think that the category of Rolling sharpeners is here to stay, the prices eventually will go down. The copies might or might not catch up but for now, the 4 tested here are far away from being considered good compared to the Horl 2 and the one I'm almost done testing the Worksharp rolling sharpener.
But there are pros and cons for the rolling sharpening category that I will cover in the full review.
PS: for transparency, Workksharp and Horl 2 were sent over for review purposes. Do I wish the copies were better? Absolutely! Unfortunately, they are not.
@@chefpanko yep but also the average home cook doesn't have a lot of money, so most people would either buy the knockoff or the whetstone, and if the whetstone is more reliable that is imho the way
why are your copies for all the copycat are terrible? I am from South East Asia and I have both Horl and the Copycat but none like yours. They're more higher quality built almost as similar as the Horl itself. Probably because it's easier to access latest improved version from China from here. And they just cost $10-15 dollar depending on which shop you buy from and they never go beyond $30.
I unfortunately can't comment on any other rolling sharpeners that I do not have in my possession. The other one I have tested and not mentioned in the video is from Worksharp, and they got it right too. However, I have heard that many OEMs in China are improving their designs. As explained in the video each one had some things that were not good ie; not a good magnet attachment, abrasives that roll with the rolling motion instead of standing in place so that the actual abrasive can do its work, etc. All of these are design flaws that should have been eliminated in the prototype versions. However, the price is another factor that will eventually force other rolling brands to lower the pricing when more competitors come into the rolling sharpener market.
If you're using a product from RISAM, you'll think HORL2 is overrated
The lack of attention to detail when making seemingly simple items is still the achilles heel of Chinese manufacturing.
We Chinese can design and make smartphones, warplanes, satellites and space stations just fine, but a rolling sharpener, nope! lol
If they only had an R&D department before mass production........ I mean why can a well-known brand manufacturer in China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, etc make quality products? They oversee and provide all the details and design plans to the manufacturer the exact reason for those designs is basically unknown to the manufacturer and they also do Q&C on the final production.
Same with the angles included why 18 and 22 degrees?? If they actually had an R&D they would definitely opt for 17 and 25 degrees.
But the 4 copies I tested have been rebranded into many brand names for the exact same product.
I'm really surprised by the results too as it looks so simple! The product looks simple and yet none of the ones I tested came close very surprised by it. Not to mention the countless other copies with slight modifications. (one looking like a Dumbell......etc)
@@chefpanko Manufacturing in places like Vietnam, Indonesia and even Thailand is miles behind China in terms of quality, and also cost (even though the cost of labor is cheaper). Much of what you see labelled as "Made in Vietnam" is actually mostly made in China. The only exceptions are with textiles and wood products. Anything that requires specialized tooling or tech components is made in China.
As for why Chinese companies struggle with these seemingly simple products, it just has to do with a culture that stresses speed and output over attention to detail.
@@theredbar-cross8515 The current shift is interesting to see where many newly opened manufacturing plants there are opened by Chinese manufacturers with basically their manufacturing side in China being copied towards Vietnam etc. However, I have seen some brands opening their own manufacturing locations there which would be an interesting shift. (not to forget some brands order custom parts from China and send them to one of the other countries for the assembly process, which is also a smart strategy, some use that since they don't want their entire R&D being copied by one manufacturer that may or may not breach a contract).
But Manufacturing aside, the biggest part is the actual R&D, and prototyping before finding or opening a manufacturing side. R&D part has become easier due to 3D printing creating multiple prototypes and then using manufacturing custom molding for mass-production. Not only that overseeing the final production is also key in terms of just copying and selling as much as you can with the Dropshipping landscape or Amazon FBA where various dropshippers or unknown brands open an Amazon FBA account and directly ship to Amazon warehouses.
The interesting part is most new brands with no R&D and sell OEM's standard designs are competing against other Amazon FBA or Dropshippers and competing against the manufacturer as we know that many of those manufacturers have umbrella brands for the exact same products. With the landscape of selling and selling fast, those brands will eventually stop selling and move to the next big thing to copy and sell under a new brand name.
But yeah China is indeed in the speed output but the product tested in this video feels like prototypes or unfinished products without R&D.
That being said as I mainly review knives most of the time and Chinese-made knives, the future is bright! I'm currently testing the QSP kitchen knives that are made in China, finished filming the first impression video but not sure if I will upload it. But for a brand known for its pocket knives, their attempt on the kitchen knife market really surprised me in a good way! More about that shortly as I never heard of QSP since I'm not into pocket knives, but based on first impressions, it feels like they have been making kitchen knives for a long time. (so very exciting to see competition rising, and very interesting to see a brand known for their pocket knives being able to transition to kitchen knives like they have been making kitchen knives for years).
But with the rolling knife sharpeners.... it feels like when I first started reviewing Chinese-made kitchen knives when I had trouble finding the golden nuggets with a lot of bad apples trying to sell you cheaply made knives for a quick profit.
It is strange as I'm currently also finalizing the review of the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener and guess what they have done it right! Another Rolling Sharpener I actually can recommend do I wish I could recommend more yes, but I also know I can't recommend anything unless I have actually tested it, since 4 out of the 5 reviewed in this video, I actively feel obligated to warn people about the 4 copies/imitations that are sold rebranded to various brand names and sites/marketplaces with here and there a slight color variation or logo shift or an extra item, with what I know now in terms of how good rolling sharpeners can be after testing the Horl 2 and Worksharp Rolling Sharpener I simply can't recommend the 4 in this video.
Sure some pros and cons will be discussed in the full review, but in terms of the roll and how the roll actually performs and feels combined with the ease of use, those 4 copies do not come close to Horl 2 or the Worksharp Rolling Sharpener. But when I know how much the wiggle room can be by how much force you press the roller on the knife edge and the Roller still rolls is quite big. I was barely touching the blade and it stopped rolling (on all 4 imitations) it needed a very light touch but compared to both Horl 2 and Worksharp Roller there was a huge difference in how much force could be applied compared to the other 4 and it still rolled. This not only adds speed to the grind it is also more effective than a tiny tickle on the copies that stop if pressed slightly harder. Hence the Fidget spinner example still rolls but extremely bad and brakes on each roll if (In terms of Rollers: pressed a tiny bit harder on the knife it stops rolling) rendering the concept of a fidget spinner's fun factor useless.
thanks for screening all this junk.
I hope I could help more people who were considering buying copies. Since the difference is night and day. The product in itself looked so simple and yet none of the 4 I tested could come close in ease of use and functionality.
The original is however priced very high and currently also testing an alternative from the Worksharp rolling knife sharpener, I can already tell that it does not contain any drawbacks the 4 copies had in this video, which is more comparable with the magnetic ones due to Worksharp magnetic solution review of that one and comparison against the Horl 2 will be coming once I have tested it more.
Buy cheap, buy twice.
Looks extremely dangerous to use for stupid people.
Or just learn how to sharpen on stones.
This gives a more consistent angle edge and could raise a burr without taking off too much material as a result
The pro version is geared up 3x so every one rotation of the wheel spins the abrasive 3 times, it sharpens that much faster
Not to mention this is alot easier than stones, I can sharpen about 4 knives before getting tired on my diamond stones but this seems alot easier on the wrists