Knife sharpener recommendations please

My mother has a handheld knife sharpener which is essentially two steels that cross over to create a V joint, held in a plastic palm holder. It's small, fits in her cutlery drawer and she's never used anything else.

I have never been particularly keen on it, as you sharpen towards you and your arm holds the steel, so the likelihood of you running the blade down your knuckle/arm seems quite high to me. I think they should all be made to work away from you not towards you, as we rarely follow instruction manuals!!

That's the sort I've used for years and now the 'steel' bits are worn.  It wasn't until I used a brand new knife that I  realised my sharpener just wasn't cutting it! ( I hear someone in the background saying 'it's the knife that should be cutting not the sharpener')  never had an accident with it but maybe my knives weren't sharp enough!