It is worth learning. A single two sided whetstone and some basic skill will give you sharp knives for the rest of your life.
Bonus, keep your cheap knives. They are typically a softer metal that will require maintenance more often so you can practice.
Also learn when you need to sharpen and when you need to hone. Your knife may be sharp but the edge is out of shape (folded, bent over). A few swipes of a hone and you could be back to 80-90% sharp.
At this point I use medium value knives and sharpen them once a year. I have no regrets regarding learning to sharpen with a whetstone. I also typically don't sharpen beyond 1000 grit and it's still enough for people to remark on how sharp the knives are.
Best of luck.
Instead of a hone you could make a strop.
A 2”x10” bit of leather, buy a stick of stropping compound and you get to feel like an old timey barber.
Once a year?? I have to sharpen like every time I use my kitchen knives
That's no longer true. A dishwasher safe trend took over, most cheap knives are extremely hard now. I've a nice old set of not quite stainless that sharpen very easily and the ten thousand grit polish stone I have actually does something. Most new knives I sharpen for people I don't even go over 3000 because they are far too hard to take much effect. My personal favorites are old Wiltshire 70s wood handled inox cleavers and Opinel knives, those opinel especially turn into a razor incredibly easily.
It is worth learning. A single two sided whetstone and some basic skill will give you sharp knives for the rest of your life.
Bonus, keep your cheap knives. They are typically a softer metal that will require maintenance more often so you can practice.
Also learn when you need to sharpen and when you need to hone. Your knife may be sharp but the edge is out of shape (folded, bent over). A few swipes of a hone and you could be back to 80-90% sharp.
At this point I use medium value knives and sharpen them once a year. I have no regrets regarding learning to sharpen with a whetstone. I also typically don't sharpen beyond 1000 grit and it's still enough for people to remark on how sharp the knives are.
Best of luck.
Instead of a hone you could make a strop. A 2”x10” bit of leather, buy a stick of stropping compound and you get to feel like an old timey barber.
Once a year?? I have to sharpen like every time I use my kitchen knives
That's no longer true. A dishwasher safe trend took over, most cheap knives are extremely hard now. I've a nice old set of not quite stainless that sharpen very easily and the ten thousand grit polish stone I have actually does something. Most new knives I sharpen for people I don't even go over 3000 because they are far too hard to take much effect. My personal favorites are old Wiltshire 70s wood handled inox cleavers and Opinel knives, those opinel especially turn into a razor incredibly easily.