Chef'sChoice AngleSelect M4633 Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener review

The current US manufacturer page identifies the black AngleSelect M4633 Diamond Hone as SKU 4633900; its linked instructions call it Model 4633. This is a source-based reading of that exact configuration, not an account of owning or using it. The practical choice in its three-slot body is between a maker-labelled 15-degree-class path and a separate 20-degree-class path, both of which use a shared finishing stage. Serrated knives receive another procedure, and the manual rules out scissors.

“AngleSelect” means two marked knife paths here

The product title can sound like a broad angle-adjustment system, but the Model 4633 manual describes two fixed slots for plain-edge knives. Its Stage 1 is marked Asian and the maker assigns that route to 15-degree double-faceted knives. Stage 2, marked Euro/Amer, is for the maker's 20-degree European/American class. Both paths finish in Stage 3, marked Polishing & Serrated. These are separate capability points, not a continuous 15-to-20-degree range. The manual does not explicitly say whether either degree label means each side or the total included angle, and it provides no secondary-bevel number. The matcher's 15 and 20 values are therefore useful only as source-supported filter points, not a recommendation to reprofile an individual blade.

Choose the slot before moving the blade

For a double-bevel 15-degree-class knife, the manual directs the user to Stage 1 and then Stage 3; it warns against using the Euro/Amer slot for that path. For a 20-degree-class knife, it starts in Stage 2 and then moves to Stage 3. In either route, the user guides the blade back and forth along its length, keeps it centered so the blade faces do not rub a slot wall, and applies modest pressure. The instructions say a first-time or very dull blade may take substantially more strokes than a regularly maintained edge, and describe testing progress with paper or a tomato. Those are maker directions, not results from our own test. The manual also suggests that a 20-degree knife can sometimes be refreshed in Stage 3 alone several times before a Stage 2 sharpening becomes necessary; that maintenance shortcut does not change the tool's fixed geometry.

The serrated route is not a third angle

For serrated knives, the manual assigns the Model 4633's Stage 3. It says roughly 25 back-and-forth strokes will generally suffice; for heavily damaged serrations, it describes an initial Stage 2 sequence, inspection for metal removal at the cutting teeth, and a Stage 3 finish. The directions focus on the teeth rather than the scallops between them. No numeric angle is attached to this procedure, so the 15- and 20-degree plain-edge labels do not carry over. The manual also says a serrated cut will not be as smooth as a plain-edge cut. This method-specific guidance is more useful than inferring serration support from a generic knife-sharpener label.

Do not treat every blade or tool as compatible

Chef'sChoice describes the M4633 for kitchen and household knives, Santoku knives, sports knives, pocket knives and serrated blades. Its manual specifically says the design is not for single-sided traditional Japanese knives and not for scissors of any style. That warning matters even though other model pages or generic knife-guide graphics may show broader tool categories. The page says the full blade length can be sharpened from tip to bolster or handle, but neither the page nor manual publishes a maximum thickness, width, length or clearance dimension. Check the actual knife's handle and bolster against the instructions and confirm its edge geometry with the knife maker before using an abrasive slot.

Setup, care and package questions

The manufacturer calls for a clean blade and a stable, level surface, and gives different hand positions for left- and right-handed users. Keep fingers clear and do not let the blade sides touch the slot walls. The manual says no sharpening oil or water is necessary; that is not proof of a dry-only rule. It describes household use and a one-year limited warranty subject to its terms, but an index entry does not guarantee that a particular retailer's offer is eligible. The sources checked here do not give a complete seller-specific box list, verify a separate leather strop, or establish abrasive replacement or spare-parts availability. Stage 3 is an internal sharpening surface, not evidence that a leather accessory is included.

Where it sits in the reviewed group

M4633/Model 4633 is not the Pronto Model 463 (SKU 4630100) or the AngleSelect Professional Manual Model 4643 (SKU 4643009). The three identities have separate product pages and instructions. Model 463 has a fixed 15-degree-per-side primary facet; M4633 has two maker-labelled 15/20-degree-class slots with a shared finishing stage. Similar digits do not make their angle conventions or serration procedures interchangeable. For a shopper, the M4633 is worth considering only when its hand-guided workflow, exact marked path and manual limits line up with the intended double-bevel knife or serrated task. Confirm the exact model, package, fit and warranty terms with the seller before deciding.