deimos posted:

How much do you want to spend?

Cheapest: (~$15)
Pros: Very Cheap, does a convex grind
Cons: does a convex grind
- Buy a cheap FLAT mousepad
- Apply high grit wet sanding sandpaper
- Watch a few videos on sharpening
- More info

Cheap: (~$30)
Pros: Cheap
Cons: Usually small stone so it's harder to do larger knives properly
- Get two cheap waterstones (one 200-400 one 600+ grit)
- Watch a few videos on sharpening
- Explanation: Eventually, if you're doing it right, water stones will bow in the middle, the reason I told you to buy two stones instead of one two sider is that you can use one stone to level the other, like magic.

Mid-Range (~$70) (HC < 60 knives only, so no VG-10+ stainless, no carbon steel knives)
Pros: HUUUUGE stones so it's easy to get even results, DuoSharps last pretty much forever, DuoSharps don't bow like waterstones
Cons: DON'T DO THIS ON HARD KNIVES, if you apply too much pressure you will eat a shitload of metal off your knife
- Get a DMT DuoSharp Fine/Extra-Fine (link)
- Watch a few videos on sharpening
- Watch a video on how to sharpen specifically with it with it on youtube
- Bonus: if you ever need to reshape a knife just buy the coarse/extra coarse DuoSharp, it gobbles metal like a champ
- Bonus2: If you want to get an ever finer edge on poo poo (you don't really need to go beyond DMT extra fine) and you get a waterstone, DMTs can be used to level other waterstones perfectly every time
- Explanation: The reason you don't want to do it on really hard knives is that the knives have a tendency to gobble the diamond from the DMT plate and they embed on the edge, I mean I guess diamond coated edge on a knife could be a good thing (it isn't).

Higher end (~120)
Pros: Decent sized stones, fairly long lasting
Cons: Expensive, don't drop these
- Buy two Shapton Glass stones (220 or 320 and 1000 will give you a ridiculously sharp knife)
- Buy a stone holder (generic works, the Shapton one is neat and heavy but unnecessary)
- Watch a few videos on sharpening

This is a hobby and you wan to sharpen for everyone you know: (~$250)
Pros: EASY AS gently caress
Cons: You don't actually get to practice sharpening, this is easy mode
- Get an Edge Pro Set with either Shaptons or Choseras
- Read the manual.
- Find videos online on how to use it.

This is your hobby and you sharpen for everyone you know, super sperglord edition: (~$500+)
Pros: You can be the spergiest of sharpeners
Cons: You have to know how to sharpen before you use this
- Get a couple low grits of good quality stones (see above)
- Get a high quality high grit japanese water stone
- Sharpen that fucker
- Bonus: If you look at your knife wrong IT WILL CUT YOU.


edit: It's me, I'm the sperglord sharpener.