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SunrisePro Supreme vs Smith's 50264 Manual Sharpener Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)7.5/10
- Design (15%)8.0/10
- Ease of Use (35%)6.3/10
- Performance (50%)6.0/10
- Design (15%)7.8/10
- Ease of Use (35%)7.5/10
They may look completely different, but the SunrisePro Supreme Manual and Smith's 50264 manual knife sharpeners have a lot in common: They both offer great sharpness and both have issues with stability.
The SunrisePro is more gentle on the knife edge: It removes less material and doesn’t create a wavy edge like the Smith’s does. It also has a more solid build. Its problem is in its awkward small size and a suction cup for a base that’s rather picky about where it stays in place.
With the Smith’s, you can achieve greater sharpness and avail of more grind angle choices. Unfortunately, its versatility sacryfies robustness, which in turn affects the knife edge. Also, its high center of gravity and a narrow base doesn’t help with stability.
The Smith’s costs twice the price of the SunrisePro at the time of writing; however, they’re both affordable. Your choice may boil down to personal preference.
SunrisePro Supreme Knife Sharpener’s Performance
- Sharpening Time to Cut a Lemon (35%)9.6/10
- Maximum Sharpness Achieved (20%)8.0/10
- Edge Smoothness (20%)5.0/10
- Material Retention (25%)6.0/10
- Sharpening Time to Cut a Lemon (35%)8.0/10
- Maximum Sharpness Achieved (20%)8.0/10
- Edge Smoothness (20%)4.5/10
- Material Retention (25%)3.0/10
Sharpening Time to Cut a Lemon
- Sharpening Time: 1 minute 5 seconds
- Cutting Feel: Swift and smooth
The SunrisePro was one of the quickest handheld sharpeners to bring a knife from dullness to a lemon-slicing level of sharpness. It took it only 65 seconds in our tests.
In fact, merely a few swipes on the device were enough for the test knife to become serviceable. That’s 10 - 20 seconds max. Include the time to get this device out of the drawer and set it up, and your whole sharpening session would still take less than 3 minutes. If you’re in a hurry or simply detest spending time doing tedious work, the SunrisePro is no doubt one of your best bets.
- Sharpening Time: 1 minute 25 seconds
- Cutting Feel: Light and smooth
The Smith’s Pull-Thru completed the lemon-cutting test in 85 seconds, thus easily securing its place among the fastest sharpeners. It performed consistently well in this test through our repeated attempts over the months, sometimes overriding its own record to reach the 70 seconds mark.
If immediate sharpness is all you ever need, this one won’t disappoint.
Maximum Sharpness Achieved
- Sharpening Time: 6 minutes
- Sharpness Level: 8 (Chicken breast with skin, 1 swipe)
This device sharpens more quickly than most others, but its sharpness plateaued at the same point: the chicken breasts. The cut was not completely effortless; however, in an older version of the test, the knife repeatedly achieved this level with ease. Taking both into account, we gave the device full marks for Level 8.
- Sharpening Time: 6 minutes
- Sharpness Level: 8 (Chicken breast with skin, one swipe)
We had smooth, almost effortless slices with tomatoes, and the thick flesh and slippery skin on a raw chicken breast didn’t pose much of an obstacle for the knife, either. This is the same keenness level as when the knife was brand new, so we’d say the sharpener did an excellent job of reviving a knife from dead dullness.
We were able to slice through the thick and stringy fibers of a piece of beef tendon with two swipes, but it was rather forceful, so we decided to grant it an 8 in sharpness at the end.
Material Retention
- Sharpening Time: 1 minute
- Target Sharpness:
The SunrisePro will shave off steel from your blade and you will see lots of swarf on the device after a heavy sharpening session. That can be disheartening, especially if yours is an expensive knife. The blade aficionados in our team almost fainted at how it completely replaced the knife’s original edge after a few months of use.
However, be gentle, don’t apply too much force, and perhaps you’ll be able to reduce unnecessary loss or at least slow down the process.
- Sharpening Time: 1 minute
- Target Sharpness:
Compared to other manual sharpeners in the test, this one ranked last in terms of material retention ability. As the photos indicate, it sacrificed a significant amount of material in exchange for sharpness. Over time, it can eat away at the blade, reducing the knife’s overall lifespan. You could practically whittle the knife away to nothing on this device if you want to!
Edge Smoothness
With only tungsten blades, it’s no surprise that the SunrisePro doesn’t create the finest edge. The edge is narrow, rough, and toothy, with deep grooves and visible chips. All this suggests sub-par retention, meaning you’ll have to sharpen your knife more often with this device. But given that it takes a little more than a minute to get it sharp, that may not be such a problem.
Also, some users suggest using a honing strop, which we think is a great idea. Of course, that’d increase the costs.
While it is true that this sharpener was quick and effective, it was at the expense of the edge’s integrity. From tip to heel and everything in between, the edge was anything but smooth once it had exited the slots.
In the process of sharpening, the abrasives took a massive toll on the knife’s edge and rendered it deformed.
SunrisePro Knife Sharpener’s Design
- Build Quality (75%)8.0/10
- Grip (25%)8.0/10
- Build Quality (75%)8.2/10
- Grip (25%)6.5/10
What’s in the Box With the SunrisePro Supreme Knife Sharpener
- The SunrisePro sharpener
The SunrisePro comes by itself in a simple clamshell package. The instructions are printed on the package.
- 1x sharpener
- 1 x instruction manual
Rather than a cardboard box, the Smith’s Pull-Thru came delivered in a plastic blister pack molded after its outline. The package wouldn’t pop open, so we had to cut it with a pair of scissors to retrieve the contents inside.
A user’s guide is included with the package and contains plenty of useful information that you may need to know before using this sharpener. An online version is also available on the official website.
Dimensions
- Length:2.3" (5.8 cm)
- Width:2.3" (5.8 cm)
- Height:2.6" (6.6 cm)
- Weight:2.3 oz (65 g)
At the size of a beef tomato, the SunrisePro would make a perfect on-the-go sharpener. That is if you can find a flat surface for it to stay on.
- Length:10.5" (26.7 cm)
- Width:1.3" (3.3 cm)
- Height:2.9" (7.4 cm)
- Weight:8.8 oz (250 g)
Build Quality
The SunrisePro is a well-built device, even though its affordable price may suggest otherwise. It has a dense, weighty body: the only thing left to be desired is probably the size. Its suction base is also thick and solid — definitely not the flimsy type we see on cheap household appliances.
Not a decorative piece, but it has a nice fit and finish, and is easy on the eye.
We could tell that the materials that make the Smith’s Pull-Thru Sharpener are all high-quality, and the finish suggests the manufacturer’s dedication to every small detail.
However, its angle adjustability is accommodated by a bunch of movable and removable parts. Even though they’re secured with screws, the device feels shoddy as a whole. Its angle nob and the working section threaten to fall out or break at the first drop.
Grip
- Material:ABS plastic
The Sunrise Pro doesn’t have a traditional grip. The locking arm, when pushed down, triggers the suction force at the base, which keeps the device in place while you sharpen your knives. The arm is well-built, though we imagine a bigger one would be more natural to use.
- Material:Rubber
The handle is covered with silicone and has grooves, which makes it grippy. However, in proportion, it’s rather small compared to the whole device . It’s connected to the base, which is good, but part of the base underneath it is flimsy and narrow. This means you will need a strong grip to keep this device stable during sharpening, as confirmed by the stability tests.
Working Section
- Levels of Sharpening:Coarse
- Abrasive:Metal blades
- Mechanism:Pull through
- Sharpening Angle:20 degrees
The Sunrise Pro has the most simple working section among all the devices we tested. It has only one sharpening slot consisting of two metal blades forming a V, attached to a V-shaped plastic supporter.
- Levels of Sharpening:Sharpen, Hone/Polish
- Abrasive:Precision-ground carbide, crossed ceramic
- Mechanism:Pull through
- Sharpening Angle:14°, 16°, 18°, 20°, 22°, 24°
The Smith’s Pull-Thru may look like a typical tri-stage sharpener, but it’s actually a dual-stage model with an extra sharpening slot for serrated blades.
The abrasive system features precision-ground carbide and ceramic stones. They’re tough, durable, and can certainly get the job done. While the abrasives look similar to those on the Zwilling Henckels sharpener, these seem to be tougher and are not showing signs of chips after sharpening multiple knives.
Except for the serrated slot, which remains fixed at 22.5° per side, the Smith’s sharpening slots are adjustable by 2° increments from 14° to 24°, allowing it to accommodate a wide variety of knives. It’s intended as a fix-all solution for busy cooks who have little time and patience to alternate between different tools.
The device is also one of the very few that allow replacement of the abrasives. You can purchase and change them at home with tiny Philips screwdrivers. If you forget to note the knob's angle while dismantling the parts, the equipment is so designed that you won't be able to lock it into place until you locate the right spot.
SunrisePro Manual Knife Sharpener’s Base
- Material:Silicone
- Feet Type:Suction cup
We have mixed feelings about the base. It’s shockingly good when it works — the silicone absorbs some of the downward pressure from your sharpening, keeping the force steady while also suctioning hard onto the countertop, preventing shaking or slipping. However, it’s rather picky when it comes to the type of surfaces it sticks to.
Tip: If it’s a spotless surface and the suction cup is not working, spreading some water underneath it may sometimes help. We found through testing, however, that this tip can be a little hit or miss.
- Material:Rubber
- Feet Type:Slip-proof soles
The underneath of this sharpener features two rubber soles on both ends.
Do you notice anything missing in between the sharpener’s underside and the flat surface area? With a high center of gravity and a narrow body supported on two tiny soles, it is not surprising that the whole thing feels wobbly with each draw.
SunrisePro Supreme Knife Sharpener Review
- Slot Arrangement (10%)10/10
- Insertion (20%)7.5/10
- Pulling Through (10%)6.0/10
- Stability on a Clean Surface (40%)6.5/10
- Stability on a Wet and Dirty Surface (20%)3.0/10
- Slot Arrangement (10%)7.0/10
- Insertion (20%)10/10
- Pulling Through (10%)7.5/10
- Stability on Clean Surface (40%)7.0/10
- Stability on a Wet and Dirty Surface (20%)6.0/10
Slot Arrangement
The SunrisePro has only one sharpening section with two tungsten carbide blades. It’s placed on top of the device, with two plastic supporters right behind to stabilize it. There’s an arrow and the words ‘Draw this way’ engraved on the working section, so it’s almost impossible to get it wrong.
The slots on this device are arranged based on a combination of grit level and designated knife type. Instead of medium coarseness in the center, the middle slot is reserved for serrated blades. Even though the sharpening order does progress rightward, it feels disrupted and unnatural.
With only one correct direction to draw the knife, we followed the arrows adjacent to the slots. These handy little cues indicate where to position the blade and which way to go, preventing cooks from making mistakes. It’s not ideal for lefties, though; so if you happen to be a southpaw, you need to choose another tool.
Insertion
On other devices where the working section consists of slots, there are wider openings that guide your blade to the V shape blades down below. The SunrisePro’s protruding sharpening blades that look like a bird’s beak are not supported by those ‘guides’, so knife insertion is slightly more difficult. Our advice is to take your time to place your knife into the middle of the slot. Do not rush or you’ll cut into the plastic frame or risk damaging the delicate edge by knocking it against the tungsten blades.
During the course of our experiment, we found no discernible difficulty when placing the knives into the slots.
The inserts are wide open on top to comfortably accommodate the knife, while the slots gradually taper downward. Depending on the type of knife you’re working on, you can further tighten or loosen the abrasive blades.
Pulling Through
The amount of resistance depends on how much force you assert, but generally, you’ll have to apply quite a bit while sharpening with the SunrisePro. We tried sharpening using only the weight of the test chef’s knife and the movement was so effortless we didn’t feel the device was working.
On the other hand, use too much force and it’ll return almost a serrated edge. Also, the amount of metal you’d see left behind in the working section would be devastating.
The abrasives themselves are hard and well-built; however, because the angle is made adjustable, their frames are not sturdy. As a result, they jostled and squeaked when we tried pressing the knife down during sharpening. This resulted in the excessive loss of metal and a very poor, wavy edge. However, the jostling improved when we reduced the force, so the trick here is to be extra gentle and use just a little more than the knife’s own weight when sharpening.
At times, the knife’s tip scratched into parts of the sharpener, usually the front end facing toward you. This could be annoying but doesn’t really affect the knife edge.
Stability on a Clean Surface
The SunrisePro comes with a silicone suction cup serving as a base and a locking arm to secure it. It’s awesome while it works; on the right surface, the suction cup sticksto the extent that it feels like it’s an extension of the surface.
The tricky part is that it requires a completely flat and smooth surface, such as a spotless glass or marble countertop. Also, the suction wears out after a few minutes. That can be frustrating if you’re binge sharpening your knives, but if you’re only randomly working on one, it’s not going to be a huge problem.
Even when positioned on a spotless surface, knife sharpeners with such an elevated body are quite unstable due to their high center of gravity. The Smith’s Pull-Thru is no different.
The friction at the bottom was strong enough to prevent the unit from flying off the countertop, but the more serious issue was the back and forth rocking motions. With its small footprint and slim body, the sharpener shook and wriggled with every draw. Sharpening at times felt unsafe and uncomfortable.
Stability on a Wet and Dirty Surface
The SunrisePro’s suction cup is useless on a countertop sprayed with oil and salt. We did give it a 5 because it can be held without wobbling — the cylinder shape and its short figure help. It being very small, however, means that you have to be extra careful not to misplace your knife and cut yourself while sharpening with it.
If the dry surface test served as any indicator, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the sharpener didn’t fare so well on the oil-stained and salt-sprinkled surface. It kept inching itself away from where we set it down. The friction at the sharpening slots didn’t help, either.
To be fair, most other devices struggle in this test. But the Smith’s Pull-Thru was among the bottom tier of the bracket.