Smith's Compact Electric Knife Sharpener features electric and manual sharpening in one ergonomically designed, compact unit. This unique combination provides a broad capability to easily sharpen dull blades and maintain razor-sharp edges. The electric sharpening slots feature a synthetic sharpening wheel with blade guides to automatically hold your knife at the correct sharpening angle. The synthetics used are selected for their ability to guarantee longer wheel life, uniform cutting, and minimum heat buildup so that de-tempering of your blade does not occur. The crossed ceramic rods in the manual slot are used for finishing or maintaining an already sharp blade. Crossed ceramic rods create a fixed sharpening angle that lightly hones both sides of your blade at the same time putting a polished, razor-sharp cutting edge on your knife with just a few quick pulls. Smith's recommends always using ceramic rods for final edge honing after you sharpen using the synthetic wheels. Use for sharpening straight-edge European/American-style knives.