Following huge success in Germany HORL 1993 has announced the launch of their collection of three HORL sharpeners and accessories in the UK. The system makes it possible to sharpen knives easily and precisely for professional-level results in everyday use and TLE have been asked to try out the HORL 2 sharpener.
From the Black Forest
A family business, HORL is owned by father and son team Otmar and Timo Horl, who have been honing incarnations of their knife sharpener since 1993 in their hometown of Freiburg in southern Germany. Featuring advanced German engineering, the sharpener is made using high-quality oak wood chosen by the team, dried in purpose-built ovens with a 7-8% humidity. The brand sees the entire crafting process from start to finish, onsite. As such, the top-grade product is 100% a product of Germany. The diamond disc, sharpener and angle supports will last a lifetime, the honing and corundum stones have an average expectancy of three to six years.
How does it work?
Traditionally, knife sharpeners function by moving a knife over a sharpening stone. But this one works in the opposite way – by moving the stone over the knife. A magnetic base holds the knife at a fixed 15 or 20-degree angle via discs. Thus catering to both European and Japanese kitchen knives, as well as pocket knives and serrated bread knives. The HORL’s diamond-coated sharpening discs have a grit of J400, while its ceramic discs have a grit of J1000. Neodymium magnets behind a layer of silicone rubber, with a base of rubber feet, provided grip as I used it, protection from scratches and prevented the knife from slipping in my hand as I sharpened it.
What’s the HORL like in practice?
There are two parts to every HORL sharpener – the angle support and the sharpener. The sharpener has a coarse sharpening disc on one end and a finer honing disc on the other. To sharpen a knife, set the blade, upturned, against the side of the angle support. Sharpening happens in three steps:
- Attach the blade to the side of the angle support suitable for your blade. The blade will stay in place because of the strong, anti-slip magnets.
- With one hand holding down the angle support, use the rolling sharpener to sharpen the other side of the blade. If your knife is dull, sharpen with the coarse disc first, then flip the sharpener and hone with the fine disc. If you are just maintaining an already sharp edge, use the honing disc only.
- Now flip the blade to the other side and repeat the process.
Lasts a lifetime
The HORL 2 sharpener and angle supports are made with high-quality materials that will last for a long time. The diamond disc will never need to be replaced, as diamonds are harder than any knife steel, while the honing and corundum stones usually last for 3-6 years. The higher the grit, the sooner the stone will wear down.
Where to buy the HORL 2
This is an excellent and valuable piece of kitchen kit that’s quick and easy to operate. At just 8 cm in length and 600g in weight, it doesn’t take up much space in the kitchen and looks great on the counter. And with a two-year warranty, the manufacturers provide peace of mind for purchase.
The HORL 2 is priced £139 and comes in a nut or oak finish and can be bought via the HORL website or Borough Kitchen online
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