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Model: A4
GTIN: B0BJW3KXPX
The Warthog A4 is a beautiful tool for keeping your smooth edged knives sharp.
If you’re looking for a sharpening tool for double-bevel straight-edge blades, you’ll struggle to find something better than the A4. Despite its limitations (it can’t sharpen serrated single-bevel edges) it’s a phenomenal mechanical sharpening I highly recommend.
You’ll notice the pictures in this review are of Warthog’s V-Sharp Classic II. It’s the same thing as the A4. I suspect they changed the name for simplicity’s sake.
There is much to enjoy about the Warthog A4. It’s a great knife sharpener.
Easy to use.
Remove it from the box, set your desired blade angle and pull your knife through. Knife sharpening can’t be easier.
Clean.
It uses diamond coated hones for sharpening. You don’t use oil for sharpening with these hones.
Consistent.
Because the tool uses the blade edge as a reference point, as opposed to a clamping position on the knife’s spine, you never have to refresh your sharpening angle. The difference in angle, from one sharpening session to the next, is minimal, if any at all.
No electricity needed.
Take the A4 outdoors. It’s small enough to form part of your camping kit. And it’s manual. No need to plug it in.
Warthog V-Sharp Classic II.
The old name for the A4.
Two hone rods with diamond hones included and mounted.
Usage instruction DVD.
Usage instruction pamphlets.
Warranty pamphlet.
Brochure featuring other Warthog sharpening products.
Breadth: 2.24 inches (57mm)
Width: 8.66 inches (220mm)
Height: 8.27 inches (210mm)
Weight: 1.19 lbs (541 grams)
I got the Classic (A4) in black, but it’s available in a range of colors.
Before using the Warthog A4 (formerly V-Sharp Classic II), know the following:
Don’t use oil for sharpening with the A4.
Use water when using diamond hones.
Wear gloves to keep from getting cut.
Press your knife’s cheek against the blade guide when you pull it through the A4.
Not too hard. The guide is made from plastic and can bend.
Don’t apply pressure to the spring-loaded rods when you sharpen.
Let the diamond hones do their work.
Super easy. Three steps to better cutting. No assembly or tightening required. No lubricant required.
Remove the Warthog A4 from its box.
Keep the Warthog steady by holding it by the thumb grip.
Run your knife through the Warthog with your other hand, using an up and down, back and forth sawing motion.
Keep the blade’s cheek against the blade guide.
Do this 30 to 40 times.
Once you’ve sharpened a blade, you only need to touch it up now and then.
Run your blade through the Warthog in a downward motion, out of the sharpener.
Do this ten to 15 times.
To sharpen a thick blade, you need to adjust the blade guide. Follow these steps to adjust the blade guide. If you do, you should be able to sharpen thick blades, even an ax head.
Loosen the blade guide locking screw.
Tilt the blade guide as far back as possible.
Tighten the blade guide locking screw.
Unclip the honing stone rods.
Flip them over and clip them back in, steel rods on the outside, but at an increased angle.
If you sharpened your knife at 20 degrees, increase the angle to 25 degrees. If you sharpened at 25 degrees, increase the angle to 30 degrees.
Pull your blade through, ten to 15 times.
The A4 gives you three sharpening angles:
20 degrees.
Recommended for boning, carving and paring.
Slicing edge for meats, veggies and soft materials.
25 degrees.
Hunting knives, pocket knives, chef’s chopping knives.
For cutting on hard surfaces.
30 degrees.
Steeling and rough cutting work.
Durable bevel, great for chopping.
Because the A4 uses the blade’s edge as reference, you get an accurate angle that remains the same, session after session. This is not the case with sharpeners like the Lansky Deluxe, which uses the blade’s spine as reference. When you use a Lansky Deluxe, chances are you change the sharpening angle every time you re-sharpen a knife. Unless you marked your Lansky’s position on your knives. That’s a schlep.
The Warthog box claims that it’s easy to remove the diamond hone from the rod. I needed the help of my trusty stubby screwdriver. This 16 second video shows how I remove it and slide it back.
As mentioned before, there’s much to like about the Warthog A4. It’s a great knife sharpener.
The A4 is a plug-n-play type sharpener. You remove it from the box and start sharpening your blades. I don’t know why they included a usage DVD. It’s not necessary.
A dull blade only irritates you if you know the worth of using a sharp one. So go ahead and keep using a dull blade and hack away at whatever you’re cutting. But once you taste the smooth, easy cutting of a sharpened edge, you won’t be happy using a dull edge. And although various sharpening tools give you excellent sharpness, few give it to you with the ease and speed of the A4.
If you’re a meat and vegetable eater, you’ll know that some foods are hard to cut. Add a blunt blade and you’re climbing a mountain with a rabid monkey on your back. A sharp blade makes cutting tough fruits and veggies easier.
Some of the Warthog A4’s parts are metal; some are plastic. All the parts will give you long life. The sharpening hones will give you many sharpening sessions before they need replacing.
You don’t use lubricant for sharpening with the A4. The honing stones are diamond-coated. They’re made for dry sharpening your blades. You’ll clean up a tad of dust, but there’s no grime.
You can buy an electric knife sharpener, but you’ll need an electrical outlet to use it. The A4 is perfect for any sharpening situation, indoors or outdoors. You can sharpen anytime, anywhere.
The A4 isn’t perfect (although it’s close). Here are my main issues with it.
The A4 can’t reach all the way into the corner of a knife’s ricasso. (The ricasso is a bit of unsharpened blade at the heel of the knife.)
Changing the sharpening angle requires the removal of the rods that hold the honing stones. It’s a difficult task. You get used to it, but it takes a fair amount of finger pressure to unclip.
The guide against which you slide the knife down when sharpening, is made of plastic. I have no problem with this, but some people might hate it.
The V-Sharp A4 can’t sharpen serrated blades. It also can’t sharpen a single bevel knife, since it uses a hone on either side of the knife to guide the knife while sharpening. But it does a fantastic job of sharpening smooth blades. That’s enough reason for me to love it.
The Warthog A4 comes with two 325 grit diamond stones. You can buy the following diamond stones for it:
270 grit.
325 grit.
600 grit.
1000 grit.
Use the coarsest stone (270 grit) for rough edges. Use the finest stone (1000 grit) for finishing an edge.
The A4 comes with a guarantee. Here it is, verbatim:
Warthog Blade Sharpeners warrants that our Sharpeners and Diamond stones will be free from defect and that only the best quality material is used to manufacture this product. This Guarantee is granted safely to the Buyer. Warthog Blade sharpeners will replace any defective products free of charge. Buyer must return the defective product to Warthog Blade Sharpeners for inspection. Warthog Blade Sharpeners have no obligation under this Guarantee if the product is mistreated or modified, or if the product has not been used according to its instructions.
Consequential Damages: In the event the manufacturer shall not be held liable for any special indirect incidental or consequential losses or damages allegedly attributed to this product.
WARTHOG DIAMOND STONE
Warthog Blade Sharpeners manufactures high quality diamond stones that are free of defects. Diamond stones will retain their cutting ability for years of use. Diamond stones are manufactured for hand sharpening and not for motor-driven application. Initially your diamond stone will seem especially aggressive. It will smooth over time. When sharpening you need not to exert pressure – let the diamonds do the work. To test diamond stone use it on glass (ashtray or bottle, if it scratches the glass the diamonds are still in tact.) Diamond stones can be used dry or use water for a lubricant. Do not use oil on diamond stones. When sharpening it fast, use water or water with a little bit of dish washing soap to keep the stone cool and prevent it from clogging. When cleaning is needed use soap water and a scrub brush, do not use petroleum-based cleaners.
