As a trapper, hunter, and fisherman for food in my youth, and as a woods runner and fisherman in my retirement, I've known the value of sharp woodland tools for over 60 years. I've spent a lifetime working with natural stone, diamond plate, and ceramic sharpeners and sharpening systems of all shapes and sizes. My one fundamental (and admittedly personal) preference was to master the use of tools that did NOT require electical power to make them work. The Work Sharp Field Sharpener has been a favored tool both in the field and in my garage for years now.

The Elite assembly though, with the added fine and extra-fine diamond plates, takes the value of this resource / tool to an outstanding level.

Until I stumbled upon the Elite model's advertising, whether I was in the garage prepping for the next camp or when I was afield, the use of the standard Field Sharpener has been followed by polishing the tool edges with fine and extra fine ceramic (dog bone style) ceramics having a flat surface. The flat surface of the dog bone tool allowed me to polish fine blade edges consistently in a way that the round ceramic on the Field Sharpener did not. (My limiting skills and habits are stressed here more than commenting on the tool.)

With the Elite model of the Field Sharpener I no longer need the dog bone ceramic. The fine or extra-fine plates snap into place magnetically, often replacing the course diamond plate for weeks at a time. The resulting "near mirror" polish of my toughest steels (D2, S90V, S45vn, 3V) is gained with far greater ease than with the standard Work Sharp plates plus ceramic rods.

When "skinning sharp" edges weren't needed, like on my primary wood processing hackers and axes (Ontario's SP-8 in the photo for example), I'd often skip the polishing step. Now, with the Elite model, I refine those edges as well simply because it is an "oh, never mind" level of additional effort!

In closing, I ordered the Elite Field sharpener directly from worksharptools.com, in addition to a few spare coarse and medium plates for my varous tool kits having Work Sharp's sharpeners included. I could not have received better service from any vendor. The tools received and the service in purchasing those tools were outstanding!

This is an amazing sharpener! Works as advertised! And sharpens great!

Ordered the Guided Elite sharpener and can’t be more pleased. Loaded with features but most important, this thing can really tune up a blade. I had a couple of old knives a a couple of new knives. Neither had an edge I was excited about but after running through the sharpening steps laid out in the Worksharp video, the blades are amazingly sharp. Thanks for making a great tool that has the potential of lasting for years with the replaceable stones, rods and strobes.

The multi stage process allows me to polish the edge better than any other hand held sharpener I’ve found.

Very easy to use and works well

The best portable sharpener in the world!

It's worth the premium. The case is also pretty nice. Reliable and well-made product. Shipped quickly after purchase, arrived quickly. No issues at all so far.

Excellent. I use it nearly every day.

It does a good job at a quick sharpening on my work knives.

Great product

It sharpens knife very well and very quickly.

This is my third field sharpener. Great as always with the added bonus of two more sharpeners of various grit and a case.