Knife noob here. What's the use of each 3 sharpeners? As in, which do I use and for when.

I just want to correct some misinformation in the answers here. Bob Graham - "The graphite (black) rods". LOL, the black material is not graphite. Graphite would disintegrate instantly and sharpen nothing. The black material is tungsten carbide and meant for reshaping a seriously dull blade or nicks and dings. "Tungsten carbide is approximately twice as stiff as steel, with a Young's modulus of approximately 530–700 GPa (77,000 to 102,000 ksi),[4][7][8][9] and is double the density of steel—nearly midway between that of lead and gold. It is comparable with corundum in hardness and can only be polished and finished with abrasives of superior hardness such as cubic boron nitride and diamond powder, wheels, and compounds." The stuff is used for coatings on industrial cutting tools and it is MUCH harder than any knife steel you will ever own. So why don't they make knife blades out of the stuff? Because it's also very brittle. Tungsten carbide is sometimes added as a thin coating on cutting tools. Henry H. - The long tapered ceramic piece mounted at a slope isn't just for serrations. That can also be used for freehand sharpening instead of or after you use the ceramic V-Notch. That's what I use it for. I find the V-Notch has trouble getting the full edge of the blade to and even sharpness and it will leave a thin strip of metal at the edge of the blade. On a bench you'd normally remove that thin metal at the end of the sharpening process by using a leather strop to work that thin waste metal back and forth until it just falls off. But in the field, you don't have a strop available. Hint, after you use the V-Notch run your thumb nail from the the top of the blade towards the bottom until your thumb nail runs off the bottom edge (away from the cutting edge). Do this on both sides in several spots. On one side or the other you'll feel a very slight "catch" as your thumb nail passes off the edge of the blade. That slight "catch" you're feeling is the little wavy sliver of waste metal at the very edge of the blade. That needs to be removed for a razor sharp edge. This is where the big ceramic honing stone comes in. CAREFULLY hold the sharpener with the ceramic pointing down and away from you and drag the blade down and away from the hand holding the sharpener. It doesn't take much pressure. Do one side and then flip the knife over and do the other side. Keep flipping it back and forth and polishing the edge with light strokes until you can no longer feel your thumb nail catch anywhere along the length of the blade. What you are doing is bending that waste metal back and forth until it falls off, leaving the blade at an almost perfect smooth point. That's about as sharp as you can get a blade. And this will get you to about 90% - 95% of the sharpness I can achieve with a whetstone, oil, and a strop on a bench. It sounds like it takes a long time but in reality it takes maybe a minute or two to keep a blade in shape using the ceramic V-Notch and the large freehand ceramic stone. That's why I love this thing in the field. It ain't perfect but it's quick and easy when you're miles away from a full sharpening setup and you need an edge NOW.

is this better than the pocket pal 1 by Smith's....or about the same

So much better! I have both and the Lansky sharpener is my go-to. The weight of the Lansky sharpener gives me a better grip, and the quality of their ceramic stone is much greater. I get a better edge with the Lansky sharpener.

Will this sharpen a ceramic knife?

I wanted to Thank all of you Gentlemen for taking the time to answer questions about this and other products. Especially for being so detailed and thorough. I was widowed just over 3 years ago, with our then, 19 year old son. He is 23 now and has acheived his Registered 2nd Degree Black Belt status in Tae Kwon Do. He has also begun to show an interest & affinity for edged weapons, which is why I'm here looking at Sharpening equipment. Thankfully, I'm skilled in the kitchen with great knives and a Master Gardener, so I do know how to at least handle some sharp things. Lol Your willingness to share Any knowledge about "Guy Stuff/Products" (Items his Father would have normally purchased) is a real lifesaver for Me. :) Much obliged, Blessings to you all, Nancy

Can I sharpened serrated steel knife with it?

Yes you can. The sloped edge of ceramic is the main sharpener for serrated knives. One can also use the diamond rod, if the serration needs a more aggressive approach.

Material	tungsten, ceramic, and diamond tapered
Brand	Lansky
Color	Black
Product Dimensions	3.25"L x 1.77"W x 1.48"H
Item Weight	100 Grams
Grit Type	Coarse, Medium
Number of Items	1
Manufacturer	Lansky Sharpeners
Global Trade Identification Number	00080999097601
UPC	886827726268 611105152343 339980485317 851239781952 077347360043 799360682260 187723906977 796254185760 798762679304 617407579031 778890757525 885946151678 799621134057 013317003176 885789514456 031112441733 885488430507 102930871320 803982932570 757274077411 608166436864 885426014073 012301993639 077347301879 080999097601 885531471297 885576331488 601000411706 781147326917 885427961451 885599666765 693529100971 097914445584 088020939012 699234224070 080050318171 885923098910 033333488993
Item Package Dimensions L x W x H	7.36 x 3.07 x 0.83 inches
Package Weight	0.15 Kilograms
Item Dimensions LxWxH	1 x 1 x 1 inches
Brand Name	Lansky
Country of Origin	China
Warranty Description	1 year manufacturer
Model Name	PS-MED01
Suggested Users	unisex-adult
Part Number	PS-MED01
Model Year	2012
Style	Classic
Included Components	Lansky PS-MED01 Blademedic
Size	One Size
Sport Type	Hunting

Lansky Blademedic 4-in-1 Knife Sharpener

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