Abstract: This disclosure relates to sharpeners for blades having a cutting edge, and is particularly concerned with knife sharpeners of the type where two sharpening elements (generally known as "steels") are located in a housing in overlapping V-formation and spring-loaded towards each other, with an access opening in the housing to allow the blade of, e.g., a knife or pair of scissors to be pressed against the steels, and when reciprocation of the blade effects sharpening of the cutting edge. Such sharpeners known hitherto, are arranged to provide a constant V-angle between the sharpening elements, and accordingly produce the same V-shaped cutting edge irrespective as to the thickness of the blade.