A sharpener (100, 300, 400) for sharpening a cutting tool (130, 140, 160) having a blade portion (134, 144, 164, 202) with a cutting edge (136, 146, 166) affixed to a user handle (132, 142, 162), the sharpener comprising: - first and second rollers (110, 114, 120), the first roller rotatable about a first roller axis (110A, 114A, 120A), the second roller rotatable about a second roller axis (110A, 114A, 120A) parallel to the first roller axis; - an endless abrasive belt (112, 306, 406) arranged along a belt path that passes over the first and second rollers to define a planar segment (126, 128) that lies along a neutral plane from the first roller to the second roller, the belt having a belt axis; and - a guide assembly (118, 312, 314, 412, 414) arranged adjacent the planar segment of the belt, the guide assembly (118, 312, 314, 412, 414) comprising edge guide rollers (140, 142) or a side guide member, the edge guide rollers (140, 142) or the side guide member defining a retraction path line along which the blade is retracted during a sharpening procedure, wherein the retraction path line and the belt axis are oriented at a non-orthogonal tilt angle relative to one another or the side guide member and the first roller axis are non-parallel to one another, so as to cause the belt to apply a non-uniform surface pressure to the side of the blade of the cutting tool adjacent the cutting edge across a width of the belt so that a greater amount of surface pressure is applied by a portion of the belt adjacent a proximal end of the blade portion adjacent the user handle of the cutting tool and a lesser amount of surface pressure is applied by a portion of the belt adjacent a distal end of the blade portion opposite the user handle. - first and second rollers (110, 114, 120), the first roller rotatable about a first roller axis (110A, 114A, 120A), the second roller rotatable about a second roller axis (110A, 114A, 120A) parallel to the first roller axis; - an endless abrasive belt (112, 306, 406) arranged along a belt path that passes over the first and second rollers to define a planar segment (126, 128) that lies along a neutral plane from the first roller to the second roller, the belt having a belt axis; and - a guide assembly (118, 312, 314, 412, 414) arranged adjacent the planar segment of the belt, the guide assembly (118, 312, 314, 412, 414) comprising edge guide rollers (140, 142) or a side guide member, the edge guide rollers (140, 142) or the side guide member defining a retraction path line along which the blade is retracted during a sharpening procedure, wherein the retraction path line and the belt axis are oriented at a non-orthogonal tilt angle relative to one another or the side guide member and the first roller axis are non-parallel to one another, so as to cause the belt to apply a non-uniform surface pressure to the side of the blade of the cutting tool adjacent the cutting edge across a width of the belt so that a greater amount of surface pressure is applied by a portion of the belt adjacent a proximal end of the blade portion adjacent the user handle of the cutting tool and a lesser amount of surface pressure is applied by a portion of the belt adjacent a distal end of the blade portion opposite the user handle.