Knife Sharpeners · owner-verdict comparison

Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System vs Work Sharp MK2: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Work Sharp MK2: 69% of 13 owners recommend it, vs 46% of 61 for the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System

46%of 61 owners recommend
46% recommend · 24% neutral · 30% don't
Owners praise
  • Gets knives shave-sharp
  • Angle guides make consistent angles easy for beginners
  • Affordable and worth the modest price
Owners complain about
  • Clamp is squishy and loose, won't hold the knife tight
  • Hard to match and hold a consistent angle on many knives
  • Setup is fiddly, slow and laborious
Full owner report →

Work Sharp MK2

69%of 13 owners recommend
69% recommend · 23% neutral · 8% don't
Owners praise
  • Produces razor/shaving-sharp edges, often sharper than owners get from hand-stone work, on everything from pocket knives to kitchen and hunting blades
  • Much faster than traditional stone or whetstone sharpening, with some owners getting a sharp edge in just a few minutes
  • Easy to use even for sharpening novices, delivering good results with little to no training
Owners complain about
  • Steep learning curve where owners report ruining, unevenly grinding, or rounding the tips of blades while learning, with some restricting it to cheap kitchen knives only after damaging good ones
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System if
  • ✓Beginners learning to hold consistent sharpening angles
  • ✓Owners restoring dull or damaged pocket knives
  • ✓Budget sharpeners of hunting and kitchen blades
  • ✓Patient users who don't mind a slow process
Skip it if
  • Owners of hard 'super steel' blades
  • People sharpening prized knives they fear scratching
Get the Work Sharp MK2 if
  • ✓Beginners wanting fast, simple sharpening results
  • ✓Home cooks touching up kitchen knives
  • ✓Owners restoring dull, chipped, or beater blades
  • ✓Budget buyers wanting quick working edges
Skip it if
  • Left-handed users (awkward one-direction belt)
  • Owners of prized knives fearing material loss

What Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System owners say

“I've used one of these for years and I love it.”
— @corytracey8516 on YouTube
“I've had the 5 stone deluxe kit for years. I have sharpened tons of knives on it.”
— @theairman1999 on YouTube
“I used it for over a decade as my primary sharpener, but I grew frustrated with it.”
— @jeremys64 on YouTube

What Work Sharp MK2 owners say

“Worked great, time saver and simple to use. Would highly recommend.”
— @masterxiong7368 on YouTube
“I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm”
— @brucefleming3309 on YouTube
“It's easy to say don't turn on the machine when you aren't left handed and have to use the entire machine backwards.”
— @CJTheReal on YouTube

Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System vs Work Sharp MK2: frequently asked questions

Is the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System or the Work Sharp MK2 better?

Real owners lean toward the Work Sharp MK2: 69% of 13 owners recommend it, vs 46% of 61 for the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System.

Who should get the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System?

Owners point the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System at beginners learning to hold consistent sharpening angles, and owners restoring dull or damaged pocket knives.

Who should get the Work Sharp MK2?

Owners point the Work Sharp MK2 at beginners wanting fast, simple sharpening results, and home cooks touching up kitchen knives.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone System is clamp is squishy and loose, won't hold the knife tight. For the Work Sharp MK2, it's steep learning curve where owners report ruining, unevenly grinding, or rounding the tips of blades while learning, with some restricting it to cheap kitchen knives only after damaging good ones.