all knife owners need a sharpener and this is the answer for the rest of us who want a japanese cooking knife at its best without being a knife guru. you often hear purist say to only use whetstones and honing rods to keep knife sharp but kai has developed an easy system that does just as well and better than its previous sharpeners. the AP-0308 is a set of synthetic whetsones set at the proper angles for sharpening, slot #1 is a coarse diamond stone that cuts metal and refurbishes the blade, while 2 coarse,3 fine honing ceramics to polish and reform the raw edges. the sharpening angles are designed specifically for the sekimagaroku line but can be used for models similar to it. there are many detailed how-to among reviews at other sites that also praise its performance. for me, i hone with #3 on a weekly basis or less, and 2,3 at most monthly, and rarely the #1, and this will help not only keep the blade factory sharp, but reduce wearing out the knife steel. i no longer use stones or honing rod as this gadget is not just easy to use but really sharpens to factory new. when the stones are worn down handy users can disassemble the unit to rotate the stone to the unused face. one users say with frequent use the stones wore down in about 5 years when he had to open the unit and rotate the stones. so far with my 2 yr use, all is well. there is no other sharpener in the market like it, and its designed specifically for the sekimagaroku is the answer to keeping all its benefits without the huge expense.
