People are always trying to build a better mousetrap. One of the coolest aspects of attending Blade Show is that you get to see lots of new products. Many will be flashes in the pan, but every now and then you see something that might have some legs.
The Whole Enchilada compact sharpener by Dull Boy Blades is one of the latter.(https://dull-boy-blades.myshopify.com/products/whole-enchilada)
I never actually saw their booth at Blade, but our Office Manager Vince was impressed by this compact little sharpener, and brought one home from the show. He couldn’t wait to show it to me both to get my opinion, and perhaps to see if I might want to write a review.
When I say compact, I mean it . It measures just 3.5″x1.5″x.75″. It is made from 3D-printed plastic, and consists of a base/shell piece and the working section which slides out, flips, and slides into the base for use. There is even a small storage compartment built in. The working surface is a reversible plate with a primary diamond surface, and a leather strap on the obverse. After no more than a minute handling it, I was impressed as well, and I could see that I wanted to put it through its paces.
The video does a better job demonstrating than I can explain, but does it work?
Spoiler alert…Yes it does.
The unit can be used on a bench…
but I found it more efficient to simply hold the base in my hand for use.
The 600 grit diamond surface is aggressive enough to handle a dull blade, but fine enough to produce a finished edge. For those wanting to take it a step further, or whose blade just needs retouched, the leather stropping surface is easy to access and snap into position.
The results are fantastic for the time and effort invested.
That really is all there is to it.
There were only two minor issues that either Vince or I could find with the Dull Boy Enchilada. The first is that without a rubber pad, the unit slid around on your work surface (one reason I preferred to use it in-hand). The other is that with just a 3.25″ working surface, it is difficult to sharpen a larger knife. The solution is for them to make a larger size for folks who do not care as much about minimalist size. The nature of 3d printing means that they should have an easy time prototyping if they decide to experiment in this direction.
If you would like to find out more about the Dull Boy Blades Whole Enchilada, visit this link:
https://dull-boy-blades.myshopify.com/pages/whole-enchilada-knife-sharpener
Retail price is $45, which is quite reasonable for what you are getting – an effective, general purpose knife sharpener, in a compact, yet useful size.
If you order one, and it performs like the one I tested, you will not be disappointed.
