Patent ID: 10850361

Abstract:
Apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting tool, such as a kitchen knife. A sharpener has a base unit and one or manual sharpening modules. The base unit has a housing which encloses at least one flexible abrasive disc rotated by an electric motor. Each flexible abrasive disc is adjacent a powered sharpening stage to perform a primary sharpening operation upon the tool. Each manual sharpening module may be removably attachable to the base unit and has a manual sharpening stage that incorporates at least one sharpening element to perform a secondary sharpening operation upon the tool. Each manual sharpening module further has a powered stage guide surface to form a portion of a corresponding powered sharpening stage. When two powered sharpening stages are used, the manual sharpening module(s) can be individually placed between the powered sharpening stages to provide opposing powered stage guide surfaces for each.