Abstract: A hand held sharpener comprises a housing that has three sharpening stones having part cylindrical outer surfaces. A center stone is supported on the housing, and second and third stones are positioned on opposite sides of the center stone with axes of the peripheral surfaces of all the stones generally parallel. The stones axes lie on a plane but the spacing of the axes of a left stone is slightly different from the spacing between the axes of the center stone and the right stone, to form two different sharpening angles where the surfaces of the stones overlap. The configuration permits having a two stage sharpener with three stones that are held in a convenient housing for mounting and use. Both sides of a knife edge are sharpened simultaneously as the knife is drawn across the stones at the overlap region.

Abstract: A product slicer guide suitable for use with a food item, or the like, is disclosed. The slicer guide includes a base and a cutting board adapted to fit within the base in the plurality of selectable positions. The base includes a generally upstanding guidewall having a cutting guide surface at one end. The plurality of shim sets each having a unique height, wherein each shim set includes a plurality of shims having generally equal height, are positioned proximate the guidewall on the base. The cutting board includes a cutting surface and an underside surface generally opposite the cutting surface. The underside surface includes a plurality of primary pads having a generally equal height. For each of the selectable positions, at least some of the primary pads mate with one of the shim sets to provide a selected spacing between the guide surface and the cutting surface.

Abstract: A slicer guide suitable for use with a food item such as a loaf of bread, certain vegetables or the like is provided. The slicer guide includes a base having a generally planar upper surface. A flange is affixed to the base. The flange includes a top surface suitable for guiding a knife as it travels alongside the top surface, and a plurality of spaced-apart generally parallel grooves therein. A cutting board having a generally planar cutting surface suitable for abutting the product to be sliced thereon is adapted for slidable insertion into a selected groove. The slicer guide is used with the knife and the product to provide slices of thicknesses corresponding with the selected groove. The slicer guide is generally used for food items including bread and items such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and the like.