Hand-held sharpener with multiple abrasive rods to sharpen a cutting edge of a tool

A hand-held sharpener, comprising:

• a handle having a longitudinal axis and an outer grip surface surrounding the axis and adapted to be gripped by a hand of a user during use of the sharpener;
• a first sharpening stage comprising an elongated first abrasive rod and a first guide surface, the first abrasive rod having a first outer abrasive surface with a first abrasiveness level, the first guide surface having a linearly extending line contact portion extending toward the first sharpening surface at a first guide angle non-orthogonal to the first sharpening surface;
• a second sharpening stage comprising an elongated second abrasive rod and a second guide surface, the second abrasive rod having a second outer abrasive surface with a second abrasiveness level different from the first abrasiveness level, the second guide surface having a linearly extending line contact portion extending toward the second sharpening surface at a second guide angle non-orthogonal to the second abrasive surface different from the first guide angle;
• wherein the first sharpening stage is adapted to facilitate a coarse sharpening operation upon a first cutting edge of a tool by the user responsive to contacting engagement of a side of the tool against the first guide surface along the linearly extending line contact portion thereof and concurrent contacting engagement of the first cutting edge of the tool against the first abrasive surface to orient the tool at the first selected guide angle, followed by movement of the side of the tool away from the first guide surface while slidingly advancing the first cutting edge along the first abrasive surface as the tool is nominally maintained by the user at said first selected guide angle, the line contact portion of the first guide surface positioned to provide a visual reference to the user of the first guide angle during the sliding advancement of the tool;
• and
• wherein the second sharpening stage is adapted to facilitate a fine sharpening operation upon a second cutting edge of a tool by the user responsive to contacting engagement of a side of the tool against the second guide surface along the linearly extending line contact portion thereof and concurrent contacting engagement of the second cutting edge of the tool against the second abrasive surface to orient the tool at the second selected guide angle, followed by movement of the side of the tool away from the second guide surface while slidingly advancing the second cutting edge along the second abrasive surface as the tool is nominally maintained at said second guide angle, the line contact portion of the second guide surface positioned to provide a visual reference to the user of the second guide angle during the sliding advancement of the tool.

A hand-held sharpener, comprising

• a handle having opposing first and second ends, a longitudinal axis which passes through said first and second ends and an outer grip surface between said first and second ends surrounding the axis and adapted to be gripped by a hand of a user during use of the sharpener;
• a first sharpening stage extending from the first end of the handle and comprising an elongated first abrasive rod and a first guide surface, the first abrasive rod having a first outer abrasive surface with a first abrasiveness level, the first guide surface having a line contact portion extending along a nominally straight line toward the first sharpening surface at a first guide angle non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
• a second sharpening stage extending from the second end of the handle and comprising an elongated second abrasive rod and a second guide surface, the second abrasive rod having a second outer abrasive surface with a second abrasiveness level different from the first abrasiveness level, the second guide surface having a line contact portion extending along a nominally straight line toward the second sharpening surface at a different, second guide angle non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
• wherein the first sharpening stage is adapted to facilitate a first sharpening operation upon a first cutting edge of a tool by the user responsive to contacting engagement of a side of the tool against the line contact portion of the first guide surface and concurrent contacting engagement of the first cutting edge of the tool against the first abrasive surface to orient the tool at the first guide angle, followed by movement of the side of the tool away from the first guide surface while slidingly advancing the first cutting edge along the first abrasive surface as the tool is nominally maintained at said first guide angle, the first guide surface oriented to provide a visual reference to the user of the first guide angle during said sliding advancement;
• and
• wherein the second sharpening stage is adapted to facilitate a second sharpening operation upon a second cutting edge of the tool by the user responsive to contacting engagement of the side of the tool against the line contact portion of the second guide surface and concurrent contacting engagement of the second cutting edge of the tool against the second abrasive surface to orient the tool at the second guide angle, followed by movement of the side of the tool away from the second guide surface while slidingly advancing the second cutting edge along the second abrasive surface as the tool is nominally maintained at said second selected guide angle, the second guide angle oriented to provide a visual reference to the user of the second guide angle during said sliding advancement.