Prepare for blasphemy! Beyond a very basic degree of consistency, you don't need perfection. There is such a thing as close enough. There's even something to be said about there being benefits to an edge bevel that's not angular. A slightly convex bevel isn't a bad thing. The key is that the actual cutting edge needs to be consistent. It's when that edge isn't relatively even that you start running into failures to perform rather than just degrees of sharpness. Now, the more even you are, the cleaner the bevel is, the more consistent the bevel is across the length, the better it'll be up to a point of diminishing returns. But it doesn't have to be perfect at all. Even straight razors can have a small degree of uneveness and do their job without problems. For day to day use, no knife has to be as perfect as guided systems get them (which isn't perfect to begin with, just more consistent). If your knife is doing the job you intend it to do, there's nothing else that matters. Yeah, seeking the closest to ideal you can get is a thing, it's the hobby part of sharpening, improving the skill and precision of the edges we can get. But it isn't necessary. There's also zero problem with not wanting to spend time practicing. If having a functional tool is the goal, use the quickest and most efficient means of getting there. It takes a good bit of practice to build the muscle memory and "feel" to get those high polish jobs. So, unless you just enjoy doing it as a hobby, get the kit. You'll spend less time, less effort, and get good results. If you do enjoy it, the sharpening itself rather than the end results, pick up a cheap knife at the grocery store and practice the basics. There's no way to get around having to learn how to control a knife on the stone, to get a feel for what's going on where you can't see (and you can't see the actual sharpening, only the effects). So don't waste higher cost supplies on that. Just use the cheapest stones and cheapest knives until you get the degree of control you are looking for. The work sharp is a damn fine system. With the ability to expand it finally available (gritomatic finally put out their kme size adapter, and there's 3d printed lapping strip adapters all over eBay), it's able to take you from basic sharp edges to scary sharp mirror polishes with very little start up expense. Seriously, those systems exist for a reason. Most people just want their knives useful sharp, and want them that way with minimum effort. Ain't no shame in that. Just because I giggle like a kid when I can make a knife whittle hair doesn't mean you have to care, much less spend the unnecessary time and effort to do so. More on reddit.com

I use a metal file but my neighbor has a bench grinder if my tool is really bad. For my hand pruners, I use a file from Fiskars.com More on reddit.com

Looks like the FSS Hand Tool Sharpening Gauges have a new contract holder. 10 just popped up on eBay with a promise for more to come (but who the… More on reddit.com

The Work sharp ultimate edition is a work horse! It’s the work sharp Ken and onion with the blade grinder attachment. I’ve got 3 setup in my shop and I knock out almost everything with them. Yard tools. Knives. Etc. Scissors I like to use files and my cheap Amazon stones for. Edit - I’m also a full time sharpener. More on reddit.com