This is my first whetstone sharpener and I'm pretty impressed. It's easier to use than I thought since they include the guides for you. However, I still need more practice. It feels a little awkward at first. I didn't know how long to sharpen or which direction, but i'm figuring it out. It certainly does better than those rods than come with your knife set. Just don't assume that you're going to do a great job the first time you use it.

A little slow and cumbersome to use but does a good job in sharpening my knife.

I haven't used this yet,but my chef friends say I did the right thing by buying it. I was attracted to the guide for the angle. My friends in the restaurant business all use Global knives, so I knew I'd purchase Global when I was ready.

Great product for keeping knifes sharp. Would not work on very dull or abused knife. For my use this is great!

Yes, it does a wonderful job at sharpening my knives like a professional, but the cost is accelerated.