Work Sharp Benchstone Knife Sharpener vs Work Sharp Benchtop Whetstone

Both are manual Work Sharp sharpeners, but they serve different knives. The Benchstone is the easier pick for pocket and outdoor knives: diamond plates cut fast, the 20° and 25° guides hold a consistent bevel, and the Pivot-Response base follows the blade curve. The Whetstone is the better kitchen tool: its 1000/6000 water stone polishes an edge to a fine finish and the 15° and 17° guides suit thin kitchen blades. Owners of both praise the results; the common complaint on the Whetstone is that holding the angle freehand still takes practice, while Benchstone owners mainly want more diamond grit options.

• Choose the Work Sharp Benchstone if you sharpen pocket, outdoor or general-purpose knives and want fast, guided diamond sharpening with no water or oil.
• Choose the Work Sharp Whetstone if you mainly sharpen kitchen knives and want a polished, refined edge from a dual-grit water stone.