Patent ID: 8303381

Claim:
A knife sharpener with anti-rocking blade holding capability, comprising: first and second clamping members; a clamping member adjustment mechanism configured to adjustably manipulate said clamping members into clamping engagement with a knife blade to be sharpened; said knife blade being maintained by said clamping members in orientation with a planar knife sharpener axis passes through an edge of said knife blade; first and second deformable clamping boots respectively disposed on said first and second clamping members; said first and second clamping boots having respective first and second clamping faces adapted to engage said knife blade when said clamping members are in said clamping engagement with said knife blade; and at least one of said clamping faces having a blade-conforming contour that substantially conforms to a surface contour of said knife blade, said blade-conforming contour comprising at least one region that is angled with respect to said planar knife sharpener axis and restrains said knife blade against rocking during sharpening.