I sure that I won't be the only one to say, "Yes, absolutely!". RES has several good products (stones and steels are excellent), but the book is to me the single most important. I've heard that the video is great as well.
I couldn't sharpen a knife except by accident until I found BladeForums, read Joe Talmadge's FAW on sharpening, and then took his suggestion to buy this book. Best money I've ever spent on knives. I have a 204 Sharpmaker and, between it and RES's book, stones, and steels, I can now get a hair popping edge on anything!
The manual and video that come with the 204 are very good to learn what the mechanics are and to show them, but the RES book goes into great detail on the hows and whys. For me, the hows and whys gave me the desire to stick with it for a few knives until I got the hang of it.
I just can't bring myself to call a knife scary sharp unless I sharpened it!
------------------
Knowledge without understanding is knowledge wasted.
Understanding without knowledge is a rare gift - but not an impossibility.
For the impossible is always possible through faith. - Bathroom graffiti, gas station, Grey, TN, Dec, 1988
AKTI Member #A000831
[This message has been edited by Codeman (edited 10-24-2000).]
