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Longzon 4-in-1 Review

A user-friendly, budget-friendly, and storage-friendly knife sharpener that is good for basic sharpening tasks
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Longzon 4-in-1 Review
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Price:  $21 List
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Manufacturer:   Longzon
By Graham Faulknor and Aaron Rice  ⋅  Aug 5, 2024
72
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#5 of 17
  • Sharpening Ability - 40% 6.4
  • Ease of Use - 30% 8.3
  • Versatility - 20% 6.8
  • Storage - 10% 8.1

Our Verdict

Of the manual pull-through models that we tested, the Longzon 4-in-1 had the best sharpening ability and even beat out some of the electric models we tested. This impressed our testers and won it a top spot in our lineup. The Longzon is one of the more comprehensive manual models, with 3 sharpening tiers and a slot for sharpening kitchen shears. All this comes in a package that is small enough to fit in the kitchen drawer, so no need to fuss over storage. Read on to see if this functional and affordable knife sharpener is a good choice for your kitchen.
REASONS TO BUY
Three-tiered sharpening sequence
Fits in a kitchen drawer
Easy to use
REASONS TO AVOID
Not super consistent
Cannot sharpen all knife types
Cannot adjust sharpening angle

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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Bottom Line A great little knife sharpener that makes up for inconsistencies with exceptional affordability and user-friendlinessSimple, affordable, and intuitive to use, but may require some effort to achieve the best resultsAn inexpensive, manual sharpener with a three-tiered system that is as easy to use as it is to storeThis pocket-sized manual sharpener offers a quick fix in a pinch and can sharpen serrated blades, but cannot work blades of various anglesA two-tiered sharpener that comes with a serrated blade sharpening rod, a bonus flint, and fits in your pocket
Rating Categories Longzon 4-in-1 Presto EverSharp Kitchellence 3-Stag... Smith's Pocket Pal Sharpal 101N 6-in-1
Sharpening Ability (40%)
6.4
6.3
6.1
4.4
4.7
Ease of Use (30%)
8.3
7.5
8.5
8.5
8.0
Versatility (20%)
6.8
6.8
4.4
6.8
6.8
Storage (10%)
8.1
5.8
8.2
9.3
9.3
Specs Longzon 4-in-1 Presto EverSharp Kitchellence 3-Stag... Smith's Pocket Pal Sharpal 101N 6-in-1
Type of Sharpener Manual - Pull Electric - Pull Manual - Pull Manual - Portable Manual - Portable
Sharpening Tiers Available 3 2 3 2 2
Adjustable Sharpening Angle No No Yes: manual adjustment No No
Sharpens Serrated Blade No Yes No Yes Yes
Sharpens Scissors Yes No No No No
Sharpens Single-Bevel Blades No No No No No
Measured Dimensions 9.3" L x 1.8" W x 3" H 5.7" L x 8.2" W x 3.7" H 7.8" L x 1.8" W x 2.6" H 3.2" L x 1.1" W x 0.5" H 3.5" L x 1.5" W x 0.5" H
Measured Weight 0.5 lb 2.6 lb 0.4 lb 0.1 lb 0.1 lb
Measured Sharpness 372 g 394 g 355 g 551 g 534 g
Space Used 50 cu in 173 cu in 37 cu in 2 cu in 3 cu in

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Longzon 4-in-1 is a manual pull-through sharpener that has a compact profile and a fairly intuitive sharpening method. It is able to take on a variety of straight-edged blades and has a slot for scissor sharpening as well.

Performance Comparison


Not many of the manual pull-through sharpeners in our testing could match the results produced by the 3-tiered sharpening system of the Longzon 4-in-1.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Sharpening Ability


The Longzon 4-in-1 managed to score above average in the sharpening ability metric, which is impressive for a product of this style and in this price range. It has three sharpening tiers, and the materials consist of tungsten steel, emery, and high-hardness ceramic material, depending on the desired abrasiveness. To give you some visuals, if you're struggling to slice through an onion, you can pull out the Longzon and make a few passes, and you will immediately notice a difference in how easy it is to cut the onion. Sure, it may not be the top choice for a professional chef, but if you can't find the time to get your knives professionally sharpened and just need something to help you get through a few tomato slices, then this is a good tool to have in your back pocket.


When measuring the grams of force needed to cut a standard material, our best-recorded result brought the chef's knife from 1260g to 372g. While not factory-level sharpness (which is about 220g), this is still an impressive jump. However, we found some variability in our results from different rounds of sharpening and even some irregularity along the length of the blade within a single round of sharpening. This inconsistency caused it to perform a bit worse in our paper-cutting test.


We strictly followed the manufacturer's instructions but felt that a few more pulls with the honing step might fix some of the blurring and inconsistencies we found. The angle guides on the Longzon are not adjustable, and at the end of the process, we found the edge of our knife to have a slightly asymmetrical bevel, showing 14.5° on one side and 13.5° on the other.

Here we measure the grams of cutting force required after running a...
Here we measure the grams of cutting force required after running a dulled chef's knife through the 3-stages of the Longzon.
In this closeup of the knife edge, you can see some inconsistency...
In this closeup of the knife edge, you can see some inconsistency along the blade and horizontal marking produced by the pull-through method.

Ease of Use


If you're anything like us, you'll be more inclined to use a sharpener if it is easy to use the sharpener, and in this sense, the Longzon 4-in-1 excels. It is great for low-effort, low-stakes sharpening needs. The setup is exceptionally simple; just take it out of the drawer (because it fits in a drawer), and you're ready to go. Operation simply involves pulling the knife through each slot a handful of times and does not have any sort of adjustment period or learning curve to get through. Although, for best results, you may consider a few extra passes through the honing stage. Skill needed: 0. Time needed: almost zero. The whole process takes roughly a minute.


Not many manual pull sharpeners can produce an edge like the Longzon, especially considering how little effort it takes. However, we found the comprehensiveness of the process to be just about average. With three sharpening tiers available (coarse, fine, and polish), the Longzon has more grit options than some machines we tested, but it does not offer any angle adjustability, and the bevel is not as fine-tuned as we'd like.

longzon 4-in-1 - the slots on the longzon are clearly marked so you know where to...
The slots on the Longzon are clearly marked so you know where to start and where to end.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Versatility


The Longzon 4-in-1 scored surprisingly well in this metric and landed just above average for the group. To judge the versatility of each knife, we took a look at angle adjustability, the range of knives accepted, whether it can handle single-sided blades, and whether it can sharpen scissors. For such a little sharpener, it punches above its weight with three sharpening tiers and a scissor sharpening slot. However, it can only handle straight, double-sided blades. So, if you were hoping to sharpen your bread or steak knives, you'd need to look elsewhere.


The lack of adjustability in the bevel angle may irk some hardcore knife nerds, but we think the average home cook won't mind too much. The feature that bumps up the Longzon's score in this metric is its ergonomics. The grab handle is well positioned, and it is overall a comfortable sharpener to use.

longzon 4-in-1 - the large and sturdy grip on the longzon 4-in-1 provides a...
The large and sturdy grip on the Longzon 4-in-1 provides a comfortable and ergonomic way to stabilize the sharpener while pulling the knife through.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Storage


One of the biggest perks of having a manual pull-through knife sharpener is that it is so easy to keep handy and accessible right when you need it. No need to dig through the pantry to pull out a bulky machine. The Longzon 4-in-1 is the largest model of this style that we tested, but will still easily fit in a kitchen drawer. The bulk of the volume is in the handle, and we think the extra volume is worth it for the sturdier grip and better performance.


When considering storability, we also note how many spare parts you have to keep track of when the sharpener is not being used. The Longzon is a self-contained system with no extra parts and no cord to wrangle. It does not break down, but at this size, it doesn't need to.

longzon 4-in-1 - although it is longer than some other models, the longzon has a slim...
Although it is longer than some other models, the Longzon has a slim profile that makes it easy to stash.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Should You Buy the Longzon 4-in-1?


The Longzon 4-in-1 is a budget product, and you may not get the same results you would from a higher-end product. That said, it is not a bad little sharpener compared to others in its category, and sometimes a bare-bones sharpener is all you really need. It is the ultimate tool for the lazy chef who wants a moderately sharp knife but doesn't want to invest a ton of time, money, or effort into another appliance that they may only use occasionally. If you are tight on space, cash, or both, then the Longzon would be a good choice for you.

longzon 4-in-1 - after running the longzon 4-in-1 through multiple rounds of testing...
After running the Longzon 4-in-1 through multiple rounds of testing, we were satisfied with its performance and loved the affordability.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

What Other Knife Sharpener Should You Consider?


If you need to stay within budget but you have the time and desire to master your whetstone technique, the Kerye Professional Japanese Whetstone Set is our pick. It provided some of the sharpest results in the group, is only marginally more expensive, and will still fit in your kitchen drawer. On the other side of the spectrum, the Work Sharp E2 is an electric pull-through model that tops the charts for ease of use and offers impressive sharpening ability but costs a bit more.

longzon 4-in-1 - the longzon 4-in-1 punches above its weight when it comes to ease of...
The Longzon 4-in-1 punches above its weight when it comes to ease of use and offers the bare-bones simplicity that some home cooks may appreciate.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Graham Faulknor and Aaron Rice
 

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