Blade sharpener

Abstract

A blade sharpener of the kind having a pair of overlapping plates which are relatively arranged to form a vee shaped sharpening recess between them. Each of the opposite sloping sides of that recess is formed by an operative edge of a respective one of the two plates, and each of those edges extends between a front face and a back face of the respective plate. A relatively sharp corner is formed between each operative edge and the back face of the respective plate, and a relatively blunt--e.g., rounded--corner is formed between each operative edge and the front face of the respective plate. The plates may be mounted on a member which can pivot between a position at which the plates tilt forward and a position at which the plates tilt back. Spring means may be operative to engage the back edge of a blade located in the recess so as to press the cutting edge of the blade against the plates. The arrangement is such that longitudinal movement of a blade through the recess in a direction towards the plate front faces, causes the sharp edges of the plates to be operative to sharpen the cutting edge of the blade, whereas in the reverse direction of the blade the blunt edges come into contact with the blade cutting edge so that sharpening of that edge does not occur.