Smith's 50264 vs Mueller 4-Stage Manual Sharpener Side-by-Side Comparison
Smith's 50264 Adjustable vs. Mueller 4-stage manual sharpener. Check how fast, effective, and user-friendly they are compared to one another.
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.
Despite its affordable price, the Muller 4-stage sharpener has a strong, solid build, substantial abrasives, and tightly-fitting parts. It has a nice fit and finish and a spacious grip that’s comfortable to the touch. However, a lower working section would offer better control and stability.
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.
Though the Mueller is a bit tall, it offers decent balance and stability. Its large size and substantial abrasives give you a lot of confidence when sharpening. The slot layout could be improved, in our opinion, but it doesn’t pose much of a problem in terms of usability.
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.
It won’t make your knife razor-sharp, but the Mueller takes little time getting a dull edge ready for common cutting tasks in the kitchen. Contrary to its twin, the Longzon, however, it eats away the blade and leaves a rough, uneven edge.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Angle-adjustable sharpening
- Sharpening slot for serrated blades included
- Wide slot inserts
- Replaceable abrasives (sold separately)
- Strong construction, pretty coloring
- Quick sharpening
- Scissor slot
- Ease of use
- Shears off a considerable amount of metal
- Awkward slot structure
- Long, narrow base
- High center of gravity
- Harsh on the knife edge
Conclusion
The Mueller isn’t a perfect manual sharpener, but it certainly has an edge over the Smith’s 50264.
Both devices are fast and effective, with the Mueller leading the speed test by about 10 seconds. The Mueller was also more forgiving of the knife’s edge, though admittedly only because the Smith’s was the most detrimental of all the pull-through devices we’ve tested to date, scoring low in both material retention and edge smoothness.
The Smith’s is more versatile in terms of edge angle. However, this is also where its Achilles’ heel lies: It sacrifices sturdiness for adjustability. The sharpener also sports a very narrow base, which further limits its ability to stay firm and balanced during sharpening.
The Mueller does suffer from a working section that’s placed a bit too far above its base, but its base size was enough to ensure decent stability. Overall, it’s the safer and easier sharpener to work with.
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.
