The New HORL 3 Knife Sharpeners vs HORL 2

the difference between horl 3 and horl 2 pro sharpeners

Think of your kitchen knives as tools that need to be recharged after weeks of dicing onions, mincing ginger, boning chickens, dicing butternut squash, or whatever culinary task you set it to do. The quickest, simplest, and most precise way to recharge them is a HORL rolling knife sharpener. In minutes, your knives will cut so effectively that you won’t understand why you ever put up with dull blades that made chopping feel like a chore. (Dull blades are also less safe than sharp blades, as they are more difficult to control and prone to slipping.)

HORL has just launched updated versions of the rolling knife sharpeners that no competitor has been able to imitate – the HORL 3. The new HORL 3, HORL 3 Pro, and HORL 3 Cruise work in the same way as their HORL 2 versions. They are still made in Germany, with the same care and craftsmanship. Like HORL 2 knife sharpeners, HORL 3 sharpeners are built to last a lifetime. But a few technological advances have made HORL 3 sharpeners faster and more precise than their predecessors, as well as more versatile.

Below, we’ve broken down the updates to and benefits of each new HORL 3 sharpener. But first, here is a recap of why HORL rolling sharpeners are effective, and how to use them.

Why Are HORL 3 Sharpeners Good?

HORL knife sharpeners take all the guesswork out of using whetstones. Traditionally, in order to sharpen a knife on a whetstone, you have to try and gauge the knife’s exact angle as you stroke the blade against the surface of the stone – a process that has plenty of room for human error, and therefore takes some time and practice to master. Using a traditional whetstone is also time-consuming, as the stone needs to soak in water for at least 15 minutes before being used.

HORL, in contrast, sets the sharpening angle for you: 15° for Japanese knives, and 20° for Western knives (now with additional options for the HORL 3 Cruise and HORL 3 Pro). Since there is no 15-minute soak needed, it is significantly quicker, too.

Unlike pull-through sharpeners, which are very abrasive and can shed too much metal off a knife’s blade, HORL knife sharpeners are more gentle, which extends the durability of your kitchen knives. Pull-through sharpeners and honing steels are often not suitable for Japanese knives either, as they are too abrasive and can chip harder, more brittle Japanese steel.

In short: HORL knife sharpeners are quick, foolproof, and gentle on your knife blades.

How to Use a HORL 3 Knife Sharpener

All HORL rolling knife sharpeners have two parts: a rolling sharpener, which is affixed with a sharpening stone on one side and a honing stone on the other, and a magnetic angle support, which holds a knife blade at a particular angle.
how to use a horl 3 sharpener

Sharpening vs. Honing a Knife

You cannot sharpen a knife without also honing it. That’s because a sharp knife’s edge is like a row of straight, sharp arrows, all pointing in the same direction. Frequent use will blunt the arrows and make their tips more rounded, but the order and direction stay the same. Now, when you sharpen a knife, you remove metal – which sharpens the arrows, but pushes them around so they are all askew. Honing is what sets those newly sharpened arrows back in a straight row, so your knife can properly cut ingredients.

However, you can hone a knife without sharpening it, e.g. if you would simply like to touch up the sharpness of a blade. That’s because honing is much gentler, and will not change the internal structure of a blade the way sharpening does.
horl 3 cruise sharpener

New HORL 3 Cruise Knife Sharpener

Who It’s For: The HORL 3 Cruise sharpener is the entry-level knife sharpener, ideal for cooks who are new to sharpening their knives, or cooks who are looking for a more affordable option. It gets the job done, without bells and whistles.

What Sets It Apart: Unlike the HORL 3 or HORL 3 Pro, it has fixed sharpening and honing discs that cannot be swapped for higher or lower-grit stones. Since its honing disc is made from stainless steel rather than ceramic, we recommend it for Western knives primarily, though updates to this product have made it suitable for Japanese knives as well. (Conditions apply – see point below.)

Updates From HORL 2 Cruise:

Magnetic angle support has the additional option of 15° for Japanese knives. (Because its honing stone is made from stainless steel rather than ceramic – and cannot be swapped – we do not recommend it for Japanese knives with a Rockwell hardness of under 60, such as Kai Shun, Miyabi, or Blenheim Forge. It is perfect for Japanese knives like Tojiro, which have a softer, more robust metal composition.)
80% more abrasive diamond sharpening disc, made from black diamonds with a more uniform grinding pattern than the HORL 2 diamond disc. This improves speed and precision.
70% more grip on the magnetic angle support, which will keep even the smallest paring knives still as you sharpen and hone. The magnetic angle support is also wider and more comfortable to grip.
The finish is made from ocean-bound recycled plastic, collected from beaches by Swiss company #tide before it could reach the ocean.

We offer the HORL 3 Cruise alone, or bundled with the HORL Finishing Leather, which irons out any inconsistencies for a polished edge.

Shop HORL 3 Cruise Knife Sharpener (£99.00)
Shop HORL 3 Cruise Set (£128.00)

New HORL 3 Knife Sharpener

Who It’s For: This is our favourite knife sharpener, full stop. It is perfect for all home cooks and most professional chefs, whether it’s their first foray into knife sharpening or whether they are already seasoned whetstone users. It is quick, user-friendly, and precise – no lengthy learning curve needed.

What Sets It Apart: Unlike the HORL 2 Cruise, you can use it for any Japanese knife, as well as Western knives. The discs are interchangeable, meaning you can swap them for higher-grit stones (if you want a sharper, more refined edge) or lower-grit stones (for chipped blades or extremely dull knives).

Updates to HORL 2:

80% more abrasive diamond sharpening disc, made from black diamonds with a more uniform grinding pattern than the HORL 2 diamond disc. This improves speed and precision.
70% more grip on the magnetic angle support, which will keep even the smallest paring knives still as you sharpen and hone.
Magnetic angle support is wider and more comfortable to grip, with a 15° side for Japanese knives and a 20° side for Western knives.
New Quick Lock mechanism that makes interchangeable discs easier to swap The finish is made from solid wood, either German oak or American walnut.

We offer HORL 3 Sharpeners on their own, or bundled with additional whetstone discs and other accessories.

Shop HORL 3 Oak Knife Sharpener (£169.00)
Shop HORL 3 Oak Knife Sharpening Sets (from £288.00)
Shop HORL 3 Walnut Knife Sharpener (£169.00)
Shop HORL 3 Walnut Knife Sharpening Sets (from £288.00)

New HORL 3 Pro Knife Sharpener

Who It’s For: The HORL 3 Pro knife sharpener is for home cooks who want nothing short of the very best – more speed, more versatility, more durability. It’s especially great for professional chefs, because its speed comes especially in handy during busy workdays.

What Sets It Apart: The HORL 3 Pro offers six different sharpening angles, including the standard 15° for Japanese knives and 20° for Western knives. The rolling mechanism has planetary gearing that makes it 3x faster than the regular HORL 3.

Updates From HORL 2 Pro:

The HORL 3 Pro magnetic angle support has six options for sharpening angles: 25°, 22°, 20°, 15°, 13°, 10°. The wider angles are excellent for meat cleavers and non-culinary knives, while the finer angles are perfect for precision cuts like sushi or decorative plating.
Planetary gear mechanism makes it 3x faster than the HORL 3 sharpener, for sharp blades in a matter of seconds.
80% more abrasive diamond sharpening disc, made from black diamonds with a more uniform grinding pattern than the HORL 2 diamond disc. This improves speed and precision.
70% more grip on the magnetic angle support, which will keep even the smallest paring knives still as you sharpen and hone.
Magnetic angle support is wider and more comfortable to grip, with a 15° side for Japanese knives and a 20° side for Western knives.
New Quick Lock mechanism that makes interchangeable discs easier to swap.
The finish is made from powder-coated aluminium with a dark bronze finish.