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Knife sharpeners

Any of these systems have the potential to make a sharp blade. The trouble is, you have to develop skill with them.

Whichever you decide on, get a good jeweler's loupe so you can SEE the edge you've made. Until you can actually see what you've done, you have no hope of developing your skill. You can get a knife "sharp" without putting a good edge on, so just shaving your arm or slicing paper isn't a good way to measure your progress.

I got this one which will hardly break the bank but you can see every detail. Once you get the right angle with a polished surface, as seen at 60x, you'll have an edge that you can use and touch up with a steel for a year.
 
I had a KME for a bit. Made my pocket knives sharp BUT long blades like kitchen knives it struggled. The idea behind really sharp knives is keeping the same angle during sharpening. If the angle changes you're forming a new edge and it's an issue.

KME_2_2000x.jpg


With sharpeners like the KME and others, it's limited and can't maintain the same angle as it reaches out to the tip. Also, if you don't clamp it at the same place every time youre changing the angle angle.

Finding a sharpener with a fixed angle is I think I think is the only way to go. Ken Onion has a couple work sharp models with fixed angle guides.

Having a pro do it or the farmers market guy is fine, they use 1" x 72" or so abrasive belts. It will be sharp but they are free handing so there's no way the angle is the same the entire knife. It likely wont impact use, just means the blade will wear faster if it's sharpened more since the angle is not staying the same.

You could spend a good chunk of change on a Tormek T7

I'd love to build a 2x72" grinder like below. Many jigs that keep the blade fixed for consistent mirror edge plus with a 2hp motor, it can form knives and do axes, chisels etc.

20180603_082525.jpg
 
Whetstones + practice. Don't need any of these cockamamie contraptions.
 
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