Horl 2 roller grinders walnut and magnetic grinding gauge

Product Information

Something that might be a ‘pro’ for one user can be a ‘con’ for another, so the comments are categorised based on my requirements. You should consider all points and if they could be beneficial to you. If your knife is particularly large –a cleaver for instance –it's still possible to use the Horl 2 with a little effort, as you can place the knife mount on your work surface and then use a bread board or similar to elevate the sharpener. In terms of time, the estimate of 1 to 5 minutes is really spot on and the results are fantastic. I did all my knives in one sitting and found it a pretty relaxing process. Before T3, Duncan was a music and film reviewer, worked for a magazine about gambling that employed a surprisingly large number of convicted criminals, and then a magazine called Bizarre that was essentially like a cross between Reddit and DeviantArt, before the invention of the internet. There was also a lengthy period where he essentially wrote all of T3 magazine every month for about 3 years. Despite all my attempts to vary the position of the magnet etc, I cannot seem to get the far end of the knife sharp. The part close to the handle: excellent! Not so much the other end. The difference is so noticeable that my wife commented on the difference in sharpness unsolicited! This is where I cannot get the knife sharp: when the blade curves in the far end. It is as if the sharpening is really easy to get right close to the handle, but not so much towards the pointy end.

HORL knife sharpeners give you the precise sharpness of a whetstone in a fraction of the time, thanks to 1) a magnetic angle support that sets the optimal sharpening angle and 2) a rolling mechanism that grinds sharpening and honing stones against the edge of your blade. When swapping from a kitchen knife to an outdoor / hunting knife, it became apparent of an issue you need to work round regarding the tip of the knife. Another feature of a hunting knife verses a kitchen knife it that typically there is a ‘plunge line’ where the blade profile and ricasso meet. Also shown below are photos of how the corners of the HORL 2 stones hit the plunge line and might not quite reach the very end of the cutting edge. You will also likely mark the ricasso with the stone.The instruction manual gives guidance to both narrow blades and so called “extremely broad blades”. Apparently my knifes are not in any of these extremes, as I have been able to use the HORL 2 Cruise on all my knifes with not problems. Except for my ceramic knife, that obviously does not work with the magnet. Conclusion In terms of the process, it could not be simpler to do. It really is effortless, and it actually feels very controlled. This gave me confidence that I was getting consistent results, as the process feel very precise. This is very true if I compare it to using the ‘traditional’ knife sharpener. You can also sharpen serrated knives (like bread knives) with the HORL 2. For it, however, you don't need the magnetic base. The reason is that the edge of a serrated knife is, in general, not enhanced with a 15 or 20-degree angle and you cannot change the angle of a serrated knife. Compared to other types of knives. I was a little worried about some of my larger chef’s knives that they would be too large. The Horl 2 had no problem with the ones up to 2″ in depth. The diameter of the Horl 2 is 2″ so as long as you don’t have a knife bigger than this the Horl 2 will work fine.

There are two parts to every HOR L sharp ener – the angle support and the sharp ener . The sharp ener has a coarse sharp ening disc on one end and a finer hon ing disc on the other . To sharpen a knife, set the blade, upturned, against the side of the angle support. Sharpening happens in three steps: I have a couple of ‘traditional’ knife sharpeners, where you have fine and coarse slots you run your knife along, before finishing the process with a knife sharpening rod. The Horl 2 is nothing like these sharpeners and is very unique and I would also argue very innovative.Let's start by giving some more information about the HORL 2. When you sharpen your knife with a 'normal' sharpening stone, you move the knife over a sharpening stone. The HORL is different, because with this system you roll the stone alongside the edge of the knife. You don't need water, and a magnet ensures that your knife will automatically use the right sharpening angle. What do you need? It could be that your knife needs a coarser-grit stone, as that tends to be the case for extremely dull knives. The standard diamond stone of the HORL has an approximate grit of #420; as this is a low grit and diamonds are exceptionally hard, over one minute of using this stone should sharpen an extremely dull knife. However, if you find that is not working well, you can use the even coarser Coarse Diamond Stone Attachment (compatible with HORL 2 and HORL 2 Pro models only), which has an approximate grit of #200. I thought the main downside of the budget version was the replacement of delicious oak wood with plastic, but it turned out that the budget version only comes with a 20 degree angle (and not both 15 and 20) and that the grinding disc cannot be exchanged! Take note of this, as many especially Japanese knives are born with a 15 degree angle, and hence you may want it to stay that way. The ability to change grinding disc is mainly an issue if you want to shift between different “strengths” of grinding – the disc should not need replacement due to wear according to the instruction manual. Use

With one hand holding down the angle support, use the rolling sharpener to sharpen the other side of the blade. If your knife is dull, sharpen with the coarse disc first, then flip the sharpener and hone with the fine disc. If you are just maintaining an already sharp edge, use the honing disc only. It is very easy to bump the sharpening stone into the knife bolster or handle. I use masking tape to protect these areas from damage.I do think that this solution is as good as it gets when you cannot hold 15 degrees manually and need help from the HORL. And maybe my problem is that I was hoping for more than I got. But I still have this idea that my knives can be sharper than they are right now, and I am not sure the HORL 2 is the solution that will fulfil that ambition. Afterthought I ended up buying a traditional sharpening steel to be used after using the HORL 2. An efficient, effective, and truly unique knife sharpener suitable for both Western and Japanese blades.

The HORL 2 knife sharpener. It is comprised of the sharpener itself and the magnet that makes sure the knife stays in place.Horl is a German company based in Freiburg in Southern Germany, which not only headquarter there but manufactures their product in Germany. They want to ensure the quality of their product and having manufacturing-based locally together with many of their suppliers helps them ensure this. First Impressions The views expressed in this summary table are from the point of view of the reviewer’s personal use. I am not a member of the armed forces and cannot comment on its use beyond that covered in the review. The version I've been testing is the 'standard' Horl 2, which has an exceedingly pleasing, natural wood finish. You can also get the more affordable Horl 2 Cruise, which has a white painted finish and only a 20º sharpening angle. True connoisseurs may crave the Horl 2 Pro, which uses 'planetary gearing' to send its barrel edges whirling around three times faster than by manual rolling alone. That is a touch pricier, mind.