Knife Sharpener

Abstract

A knife sharpener has a body with a handle. The body provides a knife blade support surface and an abrasive element support surface set at an included angle that is half a sharpening angle from the support surface. A permanent magnet is used to retain an abrasive element against the support surface of the body. The element may have a thin coating of abrasive material on a ferromagnetic strip having stiffening backing of a plastic. In use, a blade is laid on the support surface and urged away from the handle, while being pulled along the abrasive element. This action grinds into the material of the blade, leaving it with a sharp edge in due course.

1 ) A knife sharpener comprising:
 an abrasive element having a pair of parallel face, one of the faces being an abrasive face and the other being a support face, the abrasive element comprising a ferromagnetic portion;   a body comprising a handle, a blade support surface extending from the handle, and an abrasive element support surface, wherein the blade support surface and the abrasive element support surface are arranged in a V shape to define an acute included angle that is half a sharpening angle of a blade sharpened on both sides by the sharpener; and   a permanent magnet detachably insertable into a portion of the body adjacent the support surface for holding the support face of the abrasive element against the support surface.   
   
   
       2 ) The knife sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the abrasive element extends to and abuts with the blade support surface. 
   
   
       3 ) The knife sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the blade support surface comprises a recess into which the abrasive element extends, thereby avoiding a gap between the abrasive element and the support face in which a blade being sharpened could jam. 
   
   
       4 ) The knife sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the blade support surface extends transversely of the handle. 
   
   
       5 ) The knife sharpener of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises two scallop cuts in the abrasive element support surface for access to the support face of the abrasive element.