I was a little intimidated by this thing at first, but it proved to be a great sharpener. Even with all the guides, it still takes a little practice to get the hang of proper technique. Watching the instructional videos on the website was helpful. Once you get familiar with it, the tool is easy and effective to use. I found it especially useful for my filet and large kitchen knives which are harder to sharpen well on most stones. The 20 degree edge had my knives going through paper like butter. The 25 degree edge was less smooth through the paper, but to be expected with the steeper angle. I also found the ability to hone the gut hook on my deer knife to be really handy. I haven't sharpened that hook in years because I've never had a tool that fit in there. I haven't had the chance to put it to use on tools yet, but I'm confident it will do well after seeing it work on my knives.