Amesser A-65 vs Zwilling 4-Stage Manual Sharpener Side-by-Side Comparison
The Zwilling has its advantages but ends up with a lower rating than the Amesser A-65 sharpener in our tests. Read on for details.
Specifications
Design
While the Amesser A-65 isn’t among our best performing sharpeners, it’s certainly one of the best built. The unit feels solid and sturdy from start to finish. The parts fit well together and the grip is only half a point shy of the perfect mark.
The Zwilling sharpener has a robust construction; its frame is made with mostly high-quality materials and has an excellent fit and finish. Its most important components—the sharpening blades—however, seem to be made of the wrong material for the job. The tall, long, but narrow body, meanwhile, makes it more prone to losing balance and stability.
Usability
The Amesser A-65 is straightforward to use since it doesn’t have any quirky features to be wary of. With the sharpening order progressing in a natural flow, you should have no trouble following the steps. And while the result didn’t turn out particularly well for the slippery countertop test, it represented more of a slight drawback that many people could see coming rather than a serious dealbreaker.
Though the Zwilling’s slot layout is not exactly basic, it’s easy to work with. Blade insertion is safe and simple. However, the actual sharpening process can be a little challenging as the device tends to rock on its narrow base pad.
Performance
The Amesser A-65 will certainly make a dull edge keener, though admittedly not to a remarkable level, and leave a nice, smooth edge. On the other hand, it does shear off more metal from the blade than you would expect given the achieved sharpness.
The Zwilling isn’t a complete failure: It can sharpen a dead, dull knife to highly serviceable keenness. However, it lost way too many points on speed, which is a critical criterion for convenient sharpeners. Its sharpening blades left a consistent edge, but that doesn’t make up for the excessive amount of material it removed doing so. It reminded us of the Chef’s Choice 4643 in many ways.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Affordable
- Instinctive and easy to use
- Well-built with a solid design
- Grippy and comfortable handle
- Safety glove included
- Substantial weight
- Sharpens both Asian and standard knives
- Strong build, high-quality body material
- Slot cover
- Beautiful design
- Tapered base
- High center of gravity
- Brittle sharpening blades
- Anti-slip pad doesn’t fully cover the base
- Awkward grip
Conclusion
The Zwilling 4-stage sharpener has a lot more potential on paper, but when put to the test, it couldn’t perform to the level the Amesser A-65 did.
The Zwilling sharpener has a solid, weighted body that really matches its high price tag, but it also suffers from an awkward grip and a narrow base. Despite impressing-looking abrasive blades, it was slow to make an improvement on the sharpness of the knife’s edge.
The Amesser has a more common design, but it’s strong, sturdy, and keeps its balance well. It’s not a fast sharpener, per se, but performed significantly better than the former in our speed test. The two gained similar scores in terms of sharpness, edge smoothness, and material retention.
In the end, its faster speed and better usability make the Amesser the better choice. The cheaper price is just the cherry on top.
Behind the Comparison
Anh Ngo is a writer with 9 years experience at different media outlets, covering from public news and events to product testing and analysis. At HealthyKitchen101, she works across different departments, communicating closely with its network of writers, editors, and health, tech, and search engine experts to provide a meaningful and pleasant reading experience for visitors.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
