In my quick research on Hapstone, I came across Iki Ruixin Pro. Does that ring a bell with anyone? It is closer to my $100 budget.
Go with a Hapstone for sure and not the Ruixin's aren't that great at all.
What makes the Hapstone different from the KME is that the Hapstone use's 6 inch long stones that are edge pro format and not 4 inch long stones like the KME use's.
The Hapstone sharpeners are a solid and well unit that will last you a lifetime,you can also get the TSProf diamond stones to start off with and then upgrade to the Venev resin bonded diamond stones later on or another brand of stone.
I have tried a lot of different stones and the Venev stones are the best stone that I have found for sharpening any kind of steel you throw at them,you'll find some stones work better with stainless steel and won't work well with carbon steel.
If you decide to get a Hapstone sharpener no matter one it is get the fine tuning angle adjuster in the link and get a cheap angle cube from ebay or amazon it really doesn't matter which brand you go with.
I have been using guided systems for about 30 years now and if it's one thing I have learned it's that you get what you pay for sure,the KME isn't a terrible system it's just slower to use because of the 4 inch log stones the selection that you can choose from isn't as good plus the Hapstone sharpeners offer more optional part's if you should need them,if you just going to sharpen pocket hunting and kitchen knives the Hapstone will be perfect for that.
The Venev stones are on the pricey side for the set at 295.00 usd but they will last a very very long time,I know some people have told me they think they have gotten between 200 and 250 sharpening's out of the Venev stones.
If you get just the sharpener and the angle cube and the cheaper TSProf diamond plates you can get the rest of the stuff more slowly,and you don't have to buy the full set of Venev stones either you can go up to just the 400 or 800 grit if your not wanting a mirror polished edge,the 400 give a really good cutting edge because the edge still has some tooth and the 800 is a bit more refined and still has a bit of tooth to the edge.
https://www.gritomatic.com/collections/hapstone-accessory/products/fine-tuning-adapter-for-hapstone
https://www.gritomatic.com/products/tsprof-diamond-set-for-edge-pro?_pos=17&_sid=09c7d1aa0&_ss=r
