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Sharp for a lifetime* The ZWILLING Sharpblock

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Each time you pull a knife from the block, it is automatically sharpened. The secret: Each storage slot for fine edged knives (paring, slicing and chef’s knives) contains ceramic sharpeners that sharpen each blade at the ideal angle.

This helps blades retain their optimal cutting properties and quality for a long time. An excellent overview of which slot is for which knife is provided by simple pictograms.

**** Four Star SharpBlock

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What's so special?

KIS Technology

Ceramic sharpeners inside each slot maintain the optimal sharpening angle for fine edged knives each time a knife is removed from and returned to the block.

Easy handling

The slots and sharpening angles are optimally adjusted to the knives. The stainless steel cap with pictograms ensures that every knife finds the right home.

Design

It's not only a kitchen tool, but a stylish storage for knives. The ash wood design of the knife block will beautify every ktichen.

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ZWILLING SharpBlock

Sharp for a lifetime*

*In accordance with the German standard DIN EN ISO 8442-5 the cutting edge retention (CER) of the knife is maintained through regular sharpening in the ZWILLING SharpBlock and use according to the usage instructions. This keeps the cutting edge at an appropriate level of sharpness until the end of its service life (as per DIN EN ISO 8442-5).

 

The process:
In accordance with the DIN standard, the test consists of 60 cycles. Each cycle includes one stroke (forward and back) on a cutting performance machine that is built especially for this purpose, followed by sharpening with the ZWILLING SharpBlock.

 

The result:
Following the test, the ZWILLING SharpBlock knives are still sharp for cutting and generally remain so over many years without additional sharpening. See for yourself!

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FAQ ZWILLING SHARPBLOCK

What is DIN EN ISO 8442-5?

DIN EN ISO 8442-5 is a cutlery standard recognised in Germany (DIN), the European Union (EN) and internationally (ISO). The standard makes it possible to objectively compare different types and brands of knives.

What do CER and TCC mean?

CER stands for “cutting edge retention” and provides information on how long a knife retains its cutting edge. CER is determined by a TCC test. TCC stands for “total card cut” and provides information on the depth of a cut made to standard, abrasive (heavily worn) paper under the application of defined force. One TCC represents 60 strokes (forward and back) on a cutting performance machine that is built especially for this purpose. The test is designed to quickly and reproducibly dull a knife’s blade. 60 strokes are the defined “lifetime” standard of a knife. The CER (TCC tested) tells you a knife’s cutting edge retention, thereby allowing you to objectively compare knives.

How exactly does the test work?

A new retail sale knife is tested by alternating between one stroke (forward and back) and sharpening with the ZWILLING SharpBlock (together these represent one cycle). The test is ended when 60 cycles are reached (approximately representing the standard defined lifetime). Once the test is over, the knives that are regularly sharpened with the ZWILLING SharpBlock are still sharp, while knives that haven’t been sharpened are dull after just a few cycles.

What happens after 60 cycles?

ZWILLING SharpBlock continues to reliably provide sharpening results even after the standard defined lifetime.

To what extent are the DIN test’s 60 cycles comparable to real-life use?

The DIN test is designed to quickly and reproducibly dull a knife’s blade. The speed at which a knife used in a kitchen environment becomes dull varies wildly and depends on numerous factors, such as the produce cut, the cutting surface, pressure, technique, frequency, cleaning, storage etc. Using the ZWILLING SharpBlock to regularly sharpen your knives and treat them well generally keeps them sharp for many years and prevents the need for additional sharpening.

What do you mean by “sharp for cutting”?

The term is subjective and no definition or delimiting values for it exist. However, the cutlery industry generally considers a knife as sharp for cutting (separate to the objective standard test) when you can use it to easily cut a sheet of normal paper without having to tear it or when you can cleanly cut a tomato without squashing it.

Do ZWILLING and its competitors test other products in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8442-5?

DIN EN ISO 8442-5 is a recognised standard for testing cutlery and kitchen knives and is used as standard by both ZWILLING and most competitors worldwide.

How do you use the ZWILLING SharpBlock correctly?

Selected slots in the SharpBlock feature built-in ceramic sharpening stones that should be used only with smooth edged knives. Only smooth edged knives (larding, garnishing, carving and chef's knives) should be placed in these knife slots. For optimal sharpening results, increased pressure should not be used when inserting or removing knives. Allow the full length of the cutting edge to glide over the ceramic sharpening stones, until the handle meets the surface of the block, to ensure that the knife is sharpened correctly. This allows this ceramic sharpening stones in the knife block to automatically sharpen the cutting edges of your knives every time they are inserted or removed. Please note that the ZWILLING SharpBlock is intended for keeping your knives sharp. It is not intended for sharpening knives that are already dull. Serrated knives should be kept in the other slots (without ceramic sharpening stones) because these do not require sharpening. Always insert knives in the correct slot to prevent damaging the knife blade and the ceramic sharpening stones.

What should you watch out for when using a knife?

The cutting surface greatly impacts the wear on a knife’s blade. Avoid hard surfaces that can lead to prematurely dulling a knife, such as porcelain, ceramic, Formica, tiling, glass and other hard surfaces. We recommend cutting on cutting boards made from bamboo or other types of wood. Plastic cutting boards may also be used. Also avoid cutting frozen or very hard foods, such as bones, because these can bend and damage the blade.

What happens to the dust and detritus resulting from the sharpening?

Only minimal detritus results from the sharpening process because minimal pressure is applied (in contrast to conventional knife sharpening). The block is open underneath to allow any resulting detritus to fall. You can also wipe your knives with a damp cloth before use, as you would after sharpening them in the conventional way.

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**** Four Star SharpBlock

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ZWILLING Gourmet SharpBlock

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ZWILLING Life SharpBlock

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