Best method to sharpen knives?

[WoodlawnSmoker]

I have a tiny piece of whetstone that I've been using for years but as I've been cutting plenty of meat lately for sausages and smoking I find it's lacking.  I'm just curious, is there anything better out there than a whetstone or do I just need to get a bigger/better stone?

[mustangmoe]

I have had one of these for a few years and it works great. Easy to use.

http://www.worksharptools.com/knife/sharpeners/knife-sharpener/work-sharp-knife-and-tool-sharpener.html

[rexster]

Yes to the Worksharp device. Works perfectly for knives, scissors as well

[SiFumar]

I have Worksharp also...easy!

[love the smoke]

I have one of these and it gets your knives scary sharp

http://www.edgeproinc.com/

LTS

[barbquebec]

...Speedy Sharp...and you can buy it at Canadian Tire... 8)
http://www.speedysharp.net/

[WoodlawnSmoker]

Thanks folks, some interesting tools for sure.

[carnie1]

I use this http://lansky.com/
I think it does a pretty good job

[meyer lemon]

I use a Spyderco.  It is great for establishing the bevel.

[Caneyscud]

I mainly use a various grades of ouachita stones when I want to do it right.  But, now a Lansky most of the time.  Point is, that there is no right way - there are bad ways, but no one right way.  I've seen carpenters put a razor edge on chisels and axes with a stone they picked up off the ground.  Its more of learning what you have and using it to get the most out of it.  Even though I have several motorized sharpeners, I'm not keen on using them for culinary knives unless you really know what you are doing.  I mainly use them for my wood turning tools and to recondition carving chisels ( the belt sander type, a low rpm grinder with various wheels, a Work Sharp 3000, and an older Woodcraft wet sharpener) 

[tskeeter]

I've been using the DMT diamond stones.  I think they offer a lot of advantages to other sharpening devices.  The most important is that I find I can get the knives sharper and need to sharpen the knives less often.  Fewer sharpenings on a knife with a forged bolster means you are less likely to sharpen a hollow into the blade over time.  You lubricate diamond stones with water, rather than oil, which is nice.  (If you're used to water stones, diamond stones don't require soaking in water prior to use.  Just pass under the faucet and go to town.)  Diamond stones cut really quickly.  Takes only a few strokes to sharpen the edge vs. dozens of stokes with my oil stones.  While making fewer strokes, you have less risk of slightly changing your sharpening angle if you free hand your sharpening, as I do.  And, it goes so quickly that sharpening is less of a hassle.  So you are more inclined to maintain your knives better.  The stones I use have different grits on either side, so about five strokes per side of the blade on the fine stone, then about seven strokes per side on the extra fine, and you've got a razor sharp edge.  The diamond stones don't dish over time and require flattening, as oil stones and water stones do.  (What do you use to flatten an oil stone?  A big diamond stone.)  Swarf doesn't build up and clog the surface of the stone, as tends to happen with oil stones.

My preference is for large sharpening stones.  I think they give you more surface area to work with when sharpening large knives, such as knives 10 inches long and longer.  (Yeah, I know some people consider knives that big to be a small machete.  But, I learned my knife handling in restaurant kitchens, where bigger translated into more efficiency.  So, an 8 inch chef's knife feel like a toy to my hand.)