Sharpeners?

[Zeva]

hello! so i was looking at sharpeners and one that comes up alot is the sharp maker but thats kinda pricey for me as of now Does anyone happen to have an opinion on THIS I doubt its as good as the sharpmaker but its only 1/3 of the price. I was thinking of getting this or maybe saving up for the sharp maker. Currently i am using a cheap chinese sharpening stone and i think i am dulling my knives more than sharpening them can cant manage them to slice paper cleanly or shave anymore thanks for the help!

 

[Zeva]

Sorry the Link is hard to see but its HERE <--- link there

 

[Jarrett Fleming]

I don't know much about that smith sharpener in the link. I've heard they were ok. My first sharpening system was the lansky crock sticks. I like them a lot, very good sharpener imo for about $20 at academy. Then I got the sharpmaker and now I have an edge pro apex

 

[zhangmaster12]

Learn to sharpen freehand.

Heres a cheap combo stone: http://www.chefknivestogo.com/kingcombostone.html

For larger choppers, I like to use something quicker, either a 1x30 beltsander for convex or paper wheels for v edge. However, they can come later.

If you really want easy sharpening that gets you really sharp edges on any knife, the only option is an edge-pro. Changing geometry on those stick-type sharpeneners just ins't going to happen.

 

[rpttrsn]

Welcome to the Forum Zeva.
I believe that most people who start out on a fixed angle sharpener and are using it correctly, might not be sharpening the blade at the same angle the knife came with. This can get you frustrated. The first thing you should try is to determine if you are sharpening the cutting edge of the knife. Color the edge with a sharpie marker and then sharpen a few strokes on each side to see what area of the blades edge you are making contact with. Where the ink comes off is where you are making contact with the stone. This could help you understand why its not getting any sharper. Any system requires a bit of practice to get it right. You are on a good track to upgrade your equipment. Also sharpening by hand with stones can teach you about sharpening angles but also takes practice. Good luck and keep us informed of your progress. There is alot of help in this forum for all of us.
I started out with a cheap set of crock sticks and look what happened to me. This is only a small amount of the sharpening methods I use. It becomes, for some, addictive.