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I've been big on the KME, but for decades I used a simple tri-stone Arkansas oilstone set and freehanded. Okay, it's actually a corundum coarse and two Arkansas stones.
Depending on the steel and what you usually cut with it that can be all you need and may do better than getting totally fancy. Most sets come with a simple angle guide which is basically a plastic wedge to get you the starting angle.
The whole secret is to get the apex, that is get the two sides to meet and form a sharp edge, at the lowest stone. If you don't do that then all you are doing is refining a dull edge. A little time at it and you start to feel and hear when the angles are right.
I usually sharpen on the KME with the Gold Diamond set and a strop with 4 micron CBN emulsion. Maybe to waterstones and higher grits for certain things. However, lately I don't have time for much sharpening at all. A little stropping to keep things going on bare or green compound loaded leather. This is because of work.
Also because of work I've reinforced and rediscovered, that sometimes the ultimate, even beveled edge isn't always the best for a given set of tasks. Or that the return on the investment of time is that great a deal going to far or too fancy. That's probably sacrilege to some, but it's not the first time I'll have come under fire for saying the two days to polish, polished edge isn't the end all be all or even the best for certain uses.
I cut the usual paper, some string, etc., throughout the day. However, I also find myself now cutting some thick cable ties. I had finally gotten my revised cutlery loadout for the day settled again and actually EVERYDAY carrying the same knives. Then I got the Firearms Specialist job and ended up having to start dressing different and develop a new loadout.
I wanted something close at hand for quick cuts and tried the small fixed blade and the one hand openers again. Either they poked me in the side or just bulked the edge of the pocket for the clip ins, or whatever. Being the traditional knife guy I am I even tried a clip in Case Russlock. I ended up carrying my fancy Case full sized trapper in a horizontal leather sheath on my left side just past the first belt loop with the open end pointing to the right. Easy to reach over and pull the knife out in a way that position the blade for and easy open.
The reason for me going around the barn to kick the cat so to speak with the above is that I also happened to notice something while trying out different knives. My other knives have been carefully sharpened and refined on a guided system and taken out to a bit higher edge level. And, they worked great on most things I encountered. Except the thick cable ties.
This particular Case Trapper, in Tru Sharp stainless (basically 420HC) had been put up after carrying it awhile back before I left the oilstones and went to the guided systems and other stones. This trapper came with a nice edge from the factory. All I ever did while carrying it was touch it up freehand on the oilstones and a bare leather strop until I put it up and stopped carrying it. When I pulled it out to go with the horizontal sheath I just took it to work as it was. I picked this one because it has hand engraved bolsters and it sort of plays into the "gun guy" persona at the store. I'll toss in a photo a little lower just because we all like a little knife porn.
I also found that this knife while still cutting paper, string, and other things just fine with it's less refined edge (comparatively speaking) did a darned good job on the thick cable ties where my more refined edges slid off. Now mind you that I had already tuned the other edges by testing on sticks cutting notches and fuzz sticks, then testing after on paracord and rolled denim. They weren't refined out to sashimi blades, but tuned to the things I had normally been cutting before. However, when it came to the cable ties those lovely, even bevels and smooth shaving edges that usually had enough toothiness for most things still didn't dig into and through that plastic. Yet the freehand on oilstones sharpened, still original factory bevel did everything else I needed quite well and still would do the job on the thick cable ties.
Get a simple set of stones and learn to freehand first making sure you learn to get that initial sharp edge on the first one. Also learn to strop after the last stone. Then use something like ceramic sticks and some basic stropping to keep things going. You will find that basic stropping will bring and edge back to almost what it was before. That means each time you will come back to almost what it was the last time you stropped. In other words at some point you need to go back and actually take off steel and sharpen the knife. However, stropping will stretch out those times and keep you cutting quite well.
The advantage of learning to freehand a good, working edge is as Rocky pointed out. You can put an edge back on the blade while outback with simple tools. A basic pocket stone and the back of a leather belt will keep you going when you are out and away.
If you turn into an edge junky like many, myself included, then jump to KME, Edge Pro, or even the Wicked Edge (nice, but pricey). The basics though don't change. It's on the upper end that you can slip down the rabbit hole. It can be down home simple, or as complex as the fine differences between different English or Virginia pipe tobacco blends, or the complex and subtle variances of single malt Scotch.
Now that knife porn I promised. I still have my SAK Alox Farmer in one pocket and a SAK Manager in the other for various tasks. This Case Trapper does most of my cutting work at work though.
This is the sheath I carry it in. Sorry for the sizing. On the list of things to eventually get around to fixing.
Depending on the steel and what you usually cut with it that can be all you need and may do better than getting totally fancy. Most sets come with a simple angle guide which is basically a plastic wedge to get you the starting angle.
The whole secret is to get the apex, that is get the two sides to meet and form a sharp edge, at the lowest stone. If you don't do that then all you are doing is refining a dull edge. A little time at it and you start to feel and hear when the angles are right.
I usually sharpen on the KME with the Gold Diamond set and a strop with 4 micron CBN emulsion. Maybe to waterstones and higher grits for certain things. However, lately I don't have time for much sharpening at all. A little stropping to keep things going on bare or green compound loaded leather. This is because of work.
Also because of work I've reinforced and rediscovered, that sometimes the ultimate, even beveled edge isn't always the best for a given set of tasks. Or that the return on the investment of time is that great a deal going to far or too fancy. That's probably sacrilege to some, but it's not the first time I'll have come under fire for saying the two days to polish, polished edge isn't the end all be all or even the best for certain uses.
I cut the usual paper, some string, etc., throughout the day. However, I also find myself now cutting some thick cable ties. I had finally gotten my revised cutlery loadout for the day settled again and actually EVERYDAY carrying the same knives. Then I got the Firearms Specialist job and ended up having to start dressing different and develop a new loadout.
I wanted something close at hand for quick cuts and tried the small fixed blade and the one hand openers again. Either they poked me in the side or just bulked the edge of the pocket for the clip ins, or whatever. Being the traditional knife guy I am I even tried a clip in Case Russlock. I ended up carrying my fancy Case full sized trapper in a horizontal leather sheath on my left side just past the first belt loop with the open end pointing to the right. Easy to reach over and pull the knife out in a way that position the blade for and easy open.
The reason for me going around the barn to kick the cat so to speak with the above is that I also happened to notice something while trying out different knives. My other knives have been carefully sharpened and refined on a guided system and taken out to a bit higher edge level. And, they worked great on most things I encountered. Except the thick cable ties.
This particular Case Trapper, in Tru Sharp stainless (basically 420HC) had been put up after carrying it awhile back before I left the oilstones and went to the guided systems and other stones. This trapper came with a nice edge from the factory. All I ever did while carrying it was touch it up freehand on the oilstones and a bare leather strop until I put it up and stopped carrying it. When I pulled it out to go with the horizontal sheath I just took it to work as it was. I picked this one because it has hand engraved bolsters and it sort of plays into the "gun guy" persona at the store. I'll toss in a photo a little lower just because we all like a little knife porn.
I also found that this knife while still cutting paper, string, and other things just fine with it's less refined edge (comparatively speaking) did a darned good job on the thick cable ties where my more refined edges slid off. Now mind you that I had already tuned the other edges by testing on sticks cutting notches and fuzz sticks, then testing after on paracord and rolled denim. They weren't refined out to sashimi blades, but tuned to the things I had normally been cutting before. However, when it came to the cable ties those lovely, even bevels and smooth shaving edges that usually had enough toothiness for most things still didn't dig into and through that plastic. Yet the freehand on oilstones sharpened, still original factory bevel did everything else I needed quite well and still would do the job on the thick cable ties.
Get a simple set of stones and learn to freehand first making sure you learn to get that initial sharp edge on the first one. Also learn to strop after the last stone. Then use something like ceramic sticks and some basic stropping to keep things going. You will find that basic stropping will bring and edge back to almost what it was before. That means each time you will come back to almost what it was the last time you stropped. In other words at some point you need to go back and actually take off steel and sharpen the knife. However, stropping will stretch out those times and keep you cutting quite well.
The advantage of learning to freehand a good, working edge is as Rocky pointed out. You can put an edge back on the blade while outback with simple tools. A basic pocket stone and the back of a leather belt will keep you going when you are out and away.
If you turn into an edge junky like many, myself included, then jump to KME, Edge Pro, or even the Wicked Edge (nice, but pricey). The basics though don't change. It's on the upper end that you can slip down the rabbit hole. It can be down home simple, or as complex as the fine differences between different English or Virginia pipe tobacco blends, or the complex and subtle variances of single malt Scotch.
Now that knife porn I promised. I still have my SAK Alox Farmer in one pocket and a SAK Manager in the other for various tasks. This Case Trapper does most of my cutting work at work though.
This is the sheath I carry it in. Sorry for the sizing. On the list of things to eventually get around to fixing.
