>>1129866You will never get a perfect result with any freehand sharpening technique. You can get near, but a human being is not a precision tool.
A constant angle is what you want and that's easier to accomplish with an aid. A newbie with Lansky Crock Sticks can easily produce nearly 'the perfect edge' whereas it takes lots of practice to do without an aid.
Edge retention gets slightly better with finer grits. After using a strop the difference is negligible really.
Don't waste your money on fancy sharpening systems or whetstones. Instead, get a very fine grit diamond stone (preferably a light one) and learn to use it without an aid. That way you can touch up the blade on the field without carrying a cumbersome lansky box. It's also better to learn angles with finer grit stones.
>>1130063Dull knives are dangerous to use. Also, you'll develope bad habits and will cut yourself once you get a razor sharp knife.
