Reddit reviews An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro

About a month ago I had the same dilemma so I went on a bit of a research binge and got a few tools for it. I started by getting a copy of An Edge in the Kitchen. It's written by Chad Ward and walks through a lot of the history of knives, the different ways their made, the different materials they're made from, chopping technique and, most pertinent to this thread, how to keep them sharp.

So it sounds like you're familiar with using sharpening steel. Ward recommends using a smooth steel or ceramic hones rather than the grooved steel that comes with most knife sets. The theory behind this is that the smoother hones are more gentle while the grooved steel will be rough on your edge and take tiny chips out of it. Resulting in an edge that will feel sharp since it's on a very microscopic level serrated but won't last.

That said about steel, he goes into the advantages and methodologies of sharpening knives. Keep in mind he precedes this section with a big write up about how the edge angles are set and a lot of detail about the edge of your knife. The key take away you get from that section is the key to sharpening knives is a consistent angle, and progressively finer grits.

I emphasize consistent angle. Essentially all sharpening systems just help you keep that consistent angle so if you want to get a collection of whetstones and have really good muscle memory you can have some screaming knife edges. But for the rest of us, you can "cheat"

The major sharpening systems are as follows:

• Whetstone / Sandpaper / Leather strop / Freehand sharpening - Just get a few whetstones and go at it. Con is it can be difficult to maintain a consistent angle. But it's how people have done it for years...
  
  
• Edge Guide systems: An example is the Razor Edge System Edge guides clip onto the spine of the knife and help you keep the angle as you glide along the whetstone. Combine the edge guide with various whetstones and you're set.
  
  
• Rod Style - Examples include Edge Pro and [Gatco] (http://www.timberlineknives.com/). In these systems the knife stays stationary and you move the whetstone across the edge of the knife.
  
  
• V-system - Such as the Spyderco system. In these systems you keep the kinfe perpendicular to the surface and draw the knife down.
  
  
• Pull through / Electric sharpeners - These are the things you see at most stores. Ward's a bit of an elitist when it comes to these devices. Basically he says they don't actually really sharpen your knife. Electric sharpeners tend to be way too agressive and the pull throughs are just rough on your knives.
  
  So those are a few examples of some really good sharpening systems. If you master any of them (pull throughs aside) you can get rid of the sharpening service and do everything in house yourself. I would recommend reading Ward's book if you're really interested in getting a good edge. I wouldn't say it was an exciting read but it was definitely educational.
  
  All in all that was probably a lot more information than you wanted to know. But honestly I'm just really excited about knife edges right now and have been sharpening all of my knives and all my friends knives over the last few days. There's just something about the repetitive motion that I find soothing I think, but I digress.
  
  My recommendation if you just want to get a waterstone is to get a few , maybe three waterstones of varying grit. Finishing in the 1500-3000 grit (Japanese waterstone range). Tools for woodworking. Seems like a good source for waterstones. You could also look at Arkansas stones. From what I've read from Ward and other online resources you may want to shy away from diamond stones since they tend to cut very aggressively.
  
  The key is maintaining a consistent angle. Regardless of what system you end up using learn how to use it and you'll be set!
  
  So I hope I gave you some insight into your options when it comes to sharpening your knives. Good luck!
  
  TL;DR: I list a few systems for knife sharpening, choose one and learn how to use it. They all work on a basic fundamentals of consistent angle and increasing grits. If you choose the freehand or edge guide route, there are lots of different sources for water / whet stones choose a few of varying grit and go at it. I can't recommend any specifics since I didn't got that route.
  
  Edit: Formating and added freehand sharpening.
  Edit2: Added TL;DR

I have struggled with the same difficulty for many years. Instead of plugging a specific knife, let me recommend this book:

An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives -- How to Buy Them, Keep Them Razor Sharp, and Use Them Like a Pro
http://amzn.com/0061188484

It will answer the question you asked and 20 other questions you didn't think to ask but need an answer to.

Not a cooking appliance per se, but a GOOD knife sharpening system and taking the time to learn about how to sharpen a knife and what it entails. What got me started was this book for the knowledge, and I ended up using an Edge Pro Apex, but a more economical alternative to that is the AGPtek on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Kitchen-Ultimate-Guide-Knives/dp/0061188484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527779143&sr=8-1&keywords=an+edge+in+the+kitchen

https://www.amazon.com/AGPtek-Professional-Kitchen-Sharpener-Fix-angle/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1527779055&sr=8-7&keywords=edge+pro+apex&dpID=41kOlJo6D4L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Just as a quick counter to some of those with expensive knives who will pipe up here (and I own some myself,) there are really only a few things you need to know about a good knife: how sharp its edge can be, how long it can hold its edge, and how durable the knife is as a whole. Balance, as in all things, is key. A $25 dollar set of knives in a block from WalMart are usually stamped metal, don't hold an edge well, and cannot be sharpened to a very good edge in the first place.

If you don't want to break the bank, consider a well rated stamped blade, there are a few out there. A good specific starter brand would be Victorinox. You really should consider two knives to start for kitchen work, a chef's knife, and a paring knife. Everything else you can add later. Always hand wash your blades and treat them as kitchen tools, not substitute letter openers and screwdrivers. Learn how to use a honing steel (though some are actually ceramic) and sharpening stone.

I would highly recommend starting with a book like this:
An Edge in the Kitchen

I really loved this book, it is well written and informative about kitchen knives, and it gave form to my obsession with kitchen knives.

Victorinox 8 inch Chef's knife. The 10 inch is overkill in most cases because it's bigger than most cutting boards that you'd use on a daily basis. A cutting board that's over 12 inches deep and 18 inches wide is unwieldy to wash in the sink and dry in a rack.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000638D32

If you want some expertise on the subject, read "An Edge in the Kitchen" by Chad Ward. It covers the metallurgy of different steels used in knives, various sharpening methods, and the blade geometry of Japanese and Western knives.

https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Kitchen-Ultimate-Guide-Knives/dp/0061188484

I would suggest you get this first: http://www.amazon.com/An-Edge-Kitchen-Ultimate-Knives/dp/0061188484

It's a great book and teaches you all about knives, how to sharpen, different cuts, etc. I use whetstones/waterstones to sharpen and it doesn't take long to learn. I see you have a Wusthof knife. Those typically have an edge at 22 to 25 degrees. Euro chef blades are the easiest to sharpen.

Take the blade and gently put it at a perpendicular (90 degrees) placement to the stone. Then tilt it 1/2 the way. This is now 45 degrees. Now go 1/2 of that. Now you are at 22.5 degrees, which is a good angle for a euro chef knife. Sharpen using that angle. It's not hard, and you can always do the 1/2 - 1/2 method.

I only use 320 grit when I get a knife that is quite damaged and has chips in the edge. Otherwise, I use 1000 grit. Either way, even after 320, the edge should cut paper like a razor. All the other grits just put a nice polish on the edge to help it glide through food easier.

If you start to take the angle down to 20 or even 15, you hit japanese knife territory. You'll find that they have a finer edge, but that edge doesn't keep as well, and frequently requires a hone or steel to keep the edge in shape. Google "the sharpie sharpening method" to see how you can use a sharpie to see if you have the correct angle as well.

I keep most of my blades between 23 and 25 degrees and only my Japanese sushi knives at 16 degrees edge angles. All my knives will shave hair off your arms easily. It makes working in the kitchen much easier. Besides, I usually cut myself with dull blades using too much force than with a sharp blade. Again, get the book I mentioned. it will help a LOT.

Read through this article: eGullet - Knife Maintenance and Sharpening

And this article: eGullet - An Edge In The Kitchen (which is an excerpt from the book he literally wrote on the subject)

Congratulations! You now know more about cooking knifes than 99.99% of the population.

It's all about balance and feel, so it's hard to give a "one size fits all" recommendation. However, make sure you read the part about "forged" knives and how many of the more well known brands have been mailing it in for a while. For the price, it's hard to beat those Forschner/Victorinox knives.

If you want to choose for him, you absolutely should get yourself a copy of An Edge in the Kitchen and read it first. If you're even slightly interested in knives or at least a little nerdy you'll probably enjoy it for its own sake, as well as learn why you should or shouldn't buy certain types of knives.

I will suggest a specific honing rod. That thing is the tits.