Apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting tool, such as but not limited to a knife. A sharpener has a housing with a sharpener stage adapted to facilitate a sharpening operation upon the cutting tool responsive to retraction, by a user, of the cutting tool along a longitudinal drawing axis. A tiltable sharpening mechanism is disposed within the housing adjacent the sharpening stage. The tiltable sharpening mechanism has a central body that is rotatable about a transverse rotational axis nominally orthogonal to the longitudinal drawing axis. The rotatable central body supports at least a first sharpening element. In some cases, the central body supports a pair of intersecting sharpening elements. A biasing member exerts a biasing force to urge the central body of the tiltable sharpening mechanism to a neutral position within the housing. The central body can be locked in neutral, positive rake and negative rake positions.

A tool assembly is arranged for simultaneous treatment of both sides of the edge of a knife. The tool assembly comprises a tool in the form of a stave having faces extending longitudinally between first and second ends of the stave. A holder is provided in which the stave is journaled pivotally within a restricted pivot angle range (α) defined by a pivot limit function accomplished through interaction between the holder and the stave. A pivot journal means, for example, in the form of a pivot pin and a pinhole, is arranged for journaling the stave pivotally about a center axis of the stave.

Apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting tool, such as a knife. A sharpener includes a first support member, a second support member and a hinge assembly. The first support member supports a first abrasive surface and has at least a first guide at a selected end of the first abrasive surface. The second support member supports a second abrasive surface and has at least a second guide at a selected end of the second abrasive surface. A hinge assembly couples the first and second support member to facilitate movement of the second support member relative to the first support member between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the first guide is in facing relation to the second guide and the first abrasive surface is in facing relation to the second abrasive surface.

A tool, a tool assembly and an apparatus arranged for simultaneous treatment of both sides of the edge of a knife. The tool assembly comprises a tool in the form of a stave having faces reaching longitudinally from a first to a second end of the stave, a holder in which the stave is journaled pivotally within a restricted pivot angle range () defined by a pivot limit function accomplished through interaction between the holder and the stave. A pivot journal means is arranged for journaling the stave pivotally about a pivot axis which extends longitudinally through the stave internally of said faces.

Apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting tool, such as a kitchen knife. A sharpener has a base unit and one or manual sharpening modules. The base unit has a housing which encloses at least one flexible abrasive disc rotated by an electric motor. Each flexible abrasive disc is adjacent a powered sharpening stage to perform a primary sharpening operation upon the tool. Each manual sharpening module may be removably attachable to the base unit and has a manual sharpening stage that incorporates at least one sharpening element to perform a secondary sharpening operation upon the tool. Each manual sharpening module further has a powered stage guide surface to form a portion of a corresponding powered sharpening stage. When two powered sharpening stages are used, the manual sharpening module(s) can be individually placed between the powered sharpening stages to provide opposing powered stage guide surfaces for each.

Apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting tool, such as a knife. A sharpener includes a first support member, a second support member and a hinge assembly. The first support member supports a first abrasive surface and has at least a first guide at a selected end of the first abrasive surface. The second support member supports a second abrasive surface and has at least a second guide at a selected end of the second abrasive surface. A hinge assembly couples the first and second support member to facilitate movement of the second support member relative to the first support member between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the first guide is in facing relation to the second guide and the first abrasive surface is in facing relation to the second abrasive surface.

Apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting tool, such as a kitchen knife. A sharpener has a base unit and one or manual sharpening modules. The base unit has a housing which encloses at least one flexible abrasive disc rotated by an electric motor. Each flexible abrasive disc is adjacent a powered sharpening stage to perform a primary sharpening operation upon the tool. Each manual sharpening module may be removably attachable to the base unit and has a manual sharpening stage that incorporates at least one sharpening element to perform a secondary sharpening operation upon the tool. Each manual sharpening module further has a powered stage guide surface to form a portion of a corresponding powered sharpening stage. When two powered sharpening stages are used, the manual sharpening module(s) can be individually placed between the powered sharpening stages to provide opposing powered stage guide surfaces for each.

Apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting tool, such as but not limited to a knife. A sharpener has a housing with a sharpener stage adapted to facilitate a sharpening operation upon the cutting tool responsive to retraction, by a user, of the cutting tool along a longitudinal drawing axis. A tiltable sharpening mechanism is disposed within the housing adjacent the sharpening stage. The tiltable sharpening mechanism has a central body that is rotatable about a transverse rotational axis nominally orthogonal to the longitudinal drawing axis. The rotatable central body supports at least a first sharpening element. In some cases, the central body supports a pair of intersecting sharpening elements. A biasing member exerts a biasing force to urge the central body of the tiltable sharpening mechanism to a neutral position within the housing. The central body can be locked in neutral, positive rake and negative rake positions.

Conditioning devices for conditioning blades are provided. A conditioning device includes a first rod and a second rod, at least one of the first rod and the second rod rotatable about an axis, the first rod and the second rod oriented to define a blade conditioning zone therebetween, the blade conditioning zone being defined by a blade conditioning angle between the first rod and the second rod. The conditioning device further includes a stationary magnet and a movable magnet. The movable magnet is connected to the one of the first rod and the second rod and rotatable about the axis. The movable magnet has an opposite magnetic orientation relative to the stationary magnet. Rotation of the one of the first rod and the second rod adjusts the blade conditioning angle.

Sharpening device for sharpening blades mounted on cutting machines, comprising two grinding wheels (2, 3) supported by respective movable supports (20, 30) adapted to move said grinding wheels (2, 3) from a standby or rest configuration in which the grinding wheels (2, 3) are positioned at a predetermined distance from the blade (4) to an active configuration in which the grinding wheels (2, 3) are in contact with a cutting edge (40) of the blade (4) and vice-versa along a predetermined trajectory (R2, R3). The movable supports (20, 30) are adapted to move said grinding wheels (2, 3) along respective arcuate trajectories, such that the contact of each grinding wheel (2, 3) with a respective side of the cutting edge (40) of the blade (4) is progressive, whereby the contact between the grinding wheels and the blade increases progressively when the device passes from the standby rest configuration to the active configuration.