Which Budget Sharpening System is the Easiest to get a Great Edge?

I love conversations like this.
On one hand a person says, “ Find a flat river rock….” The next one says,”So, I added a room onto the garage for the sharpening system”
Everybody ends up with a sharp knife.
Humans🤷‍♂️
 
That's great! I thought after "find a flat river rock" you would write "buy the full set of Shaptons Pros" or so. But building an extra room onto the garage for the sharpening system...That's indeed a huge step for just having a sharp knife.
 
I used a Lansky for years, regular and diamond stones. Then I got the Kme diamond kit. It is a definite upgrade, though more expensive.
 
I have used my Lansky kit for decades now. Added a new stone from time to time.

Seems to work great for me.

In my seventies now, I'm getting lazy, losing patience and concentration though. I have been toying with the idea of getting one of the Work Sharp powered belt units, even though it could cost several hundred USdollars.
 
VorpelSword said:
I have used my Lansky kit for decades now. Added a new stone from time to time.

Seems to work great for me.

In my seventies now, I'm getting lazy, losing patience and concentration though. I have been toying with the idea of getting one of the Work Sharp powered belt units, even though it could cost several hundred USdollars.
Click to expand...

I could not get used to the convex edge on small knives. I love the belt system for larger fixed blades.
 
Started with the basic smaller Work Sharp belt system and "upgraded" to the larger Ken Onion model. Don't use the smaller one at all anymore but the larger lives with the attachment on it so I can free hand on the belts for larger blades, axes/hatchets, and mower blades.

I say I couldn't get used to a convex on small edges because they were sharp without "feeling" sharp. I gently rub a finger over the edge to feel for the burr or final sharpness. I was sharpening a SAK and the edge felt dull as heck until I sliced open my thumb on it. But it felt too much like a U instead of a V. That was using the guide on it. You can probably do better by just free handing everything on the belts.

I should add I did for a while keep a very worn fine belt for adding compound for use as a really fast strop.
 
I have been using a Harbor Freight 1x30 for years but it tends to convex. I buy trizac (Spelling) belts off of the internet. I use it on kitchen knives mostly these days, and anything convex.

I also use a wicked edge for many/most of my folders (this ain't cheap though)

The 1x30 with a leather loaded belt works great for touching up after the wicked edge as well but takes a very light touch.
 
If I was in the market for a cheaper sharpening system, the Wicked Edge Carbon would be at the top of my list.
 
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