Using a belt sander to sharpen knives is faster and more consistent, but it's easy to slip or have an uneven grind unless you are using a guide. I tried the clip-on guides for this sander, but was not happy with the bolster or heel hitting the guide, and the top of the guide was a bit far from the belt when sharpening finer knives. Now, my knives are coming out hair-whittling sharp with a polished bevel and only take a couple of minutes to sharpen.