>>638737Sandpaper doesnt necessarily suck if you get the proper grit.
If you're a poorfag maybe you can fancy yourself a good sharpener gluing sandpaper to a piece of wood that's completely flat. Maybe have one with a coarse grit and another one with a superfine one. Look it up on the internet.
Some people in knifeforums even recommend sandpaper for Fällknivens, for example.
You can also finish up an edge stroping it on the back, untreated side of a leather belt.
Pass it back and forth spine first, on both sides for some times. The harder the steel is, the more times you should pass it.
Dont waste your money on kitchen sharpeners or cheap shit though.
Also bear in mind, if a steel is good, you can get a superfine, smooth edge that can cut hair, or a toothy edge that functions like a miniature saw of sorts, that will most likely not cut hair or paper very well, but will excell with "sawing" motions on most things, and it is generally better for cutting rope
