Smith's 50264 Manual vs Wamery 4-Stage Manual Side-by-Side Comparison
The Smith’s 50264 and the Wamery 4-Stage each has its own strengths and weaknesses. But we think one is slightly more worth the money.
Specifications
Design
The Smith’s Pull Thru sharpener is made with decent materials and enjoys a nice fit and finish. Unfortunately, it suffers from poor design, in particular an elevated working section and a long and narrow base.
The overall build is mediocre at best. It has a spacious grip and a wide base but its materials, fit, and finish are nothing to write home about.
Usability
On the whole, the Smith’s Pull-Thru was one of the most versatile and convenient handheld sharpeners we’d experimented with so far. However, it was due to two major flaws that some points were docked away: the odd sharpening order and the feeling of unsteadiness.
The Wamery sharpener scored fairly well in this section, in part due to its simple yet convenient design. The height makes it a little awkward to use at times but other than that, there’s no steep learning curve to master.
Performance
The Smith’s Pull-Thru pulled off good grades when it came to sharpening time and maximal keenness. However, it failed to replicate the same success for other aspects.
The Wamery offered a decent performance. While it didn’t take the knife far beyond the serviceable level, we were impressed with how fast the sharpener brought it back to life from dead dullness. Its ability to preserve the blade material has also been matched by no other.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Angle-adjustable sharpening
- Sharpening slot for serrated blades included
- Wide slot inserts
- Replaceable abrasives (sold separately)
- Extra sharpening slot for scissors
- Intuitive slot order
- Wide base
- Shears off a considerable amount of metal
- Awkward slot structure
- Long, narrow base
- Shabby build
- Excessive height, high center of gravity
Conclusion
The Smith’s 50264 and the Wamery make an interesting contrast: The former sacrifices the knife edge lifespan for excellent sharpness, whereas the latter leaves the edge safe and smooth, but mostly incapable.
While the Wamery has an extra slot for scissors, the Smith’s can cover more edge angles, and thus, more types of knives. Both have an elevated working section that make them prone to wobbling during sharpening, though the Smith’s more so due to its long and narrow base.
If we had to choose one between the two, we’d go with the Smith’s because well, it gives you sharp knives. The Wamery’s wide base and scissor slot simply can’t make up for its incompetence.
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.
