I know nothing about sharpening knives, but I really needed to sharpen my knives. There are three different options to choose from and they are labeled for easy use. The owner's manual has very helpful as well because it told me which knives to use in which sharpening setting. They also told me not to use my serrated knives, which I didn't know. I sharpened each of my knives (about 25) in about 10 minutes and they are as good as new. It's great for the price and easy to use.