Abstract: An electrically powered knife sharpener for ceramic (or other brittle, crystalline or amorphous media which could be used for blades) knives includes at least one pre-sharpening stage with a sharpening member(s) and includes a final stage with a sharpening member(s). There are one or more motor driven shafts on which the abrasive surfaced sharpening members, such as disks, are mounted. Guide structure is provided to guide the knife for aligning and positioning the knife facet precisely at a defined location on the abrasive surface of each rotating sharpening member. The pre-sharpening stage sharpening member(s) moves in a first direction. The final stage sharpening member(s) moves in a second direction which differs from the first direction.

Abstract: A multi-stage sharpener includes at least one motor driven abrasive sharpening stage and one non-motor driven conditioning stage. The conditioning stage has a non-abrasive hardened surface and at least one precision knife guide which has a planar guide surface for creating a microscopic serration along the edge of a blade which had been sharpened in the first stage sharpening station. The sharpener may also include a third stage motor driven finishing stage. Alternatively, the conditioning stage can be incorporated as the knife edge modifying stage of a manual sharpener.

Abstract: A modified truncated cone-shaped disk is molded onto a plastic hub which is mounted on a motor driven shaft. The hub has an axial bore of a size to fit with very close clearance on the shaft while still permitting the disk to freely slide against a low spring force.

Abstract: A versatile ultrahoned sharpener includes a stop assembly which contains an inner hardened structure such as being made from metal or ceramic to serve as a positive limiting stop if the knife being sharpened cuts excessively into the plastic stop assembly of the sharpener. The sharpener also includes a manually actuated abrasive surfaced unit for cleaning or shaping the surface of at least one of the sharpening wheels in the sharpener. The sharpener further includes various bearing structures for effectively mounting the motor driven shaft which rotates the abrasive coated disks of the sharpener.

Abstract: A versatile ultrahoned sharpener includes a stop assembly which contains an inner hardened structure such as being made from metal or ceramic to serve as a positive limiting stop if the knife being sharpened cuts excessively into the plastic stop assembly of the sharpener. The sharpener also includes a manually actuated abrasive surfaced unit for cleaning or shaping the surface of at least one of the sharpening wheels in the sharpener. The sharpener further includes various bearing structures for effectively mounting the motor driven shaft which rotates the abrasive coated disks of the sharpener.

Abstract: A versatile manual sharpener includes a primary sharpening section with an integral handle-like extension. An additional sharpening element is mounted to the handle-like extension in a manner to provide additional sharpening capability.

Abstract: A scissors sharpening apparatus includes a motor driven sharpening member having an abrasive surface. A magnetic guide is arranged to position the scissors blade at a fixed angle relative to the principle plane of the abrasive surface in such a manner that the magnet of the guide has the axis of its poles oriented nominally perpendicular to the flat face of the blade and nominally parallel to the principle plane of the abrasive surface.

Abstract: A knife sharpener is provided with a pre-sharpening section and with two honing sections. The pre-sharpening section includes a pair of spring biased back to back rotary disks. The honing sections include orbitally driven sharpening members.