Get it sharp!

[Tequila45]

All of the systems have some sacrifices- lansky's are not very precise due to the nature of the rod sliding in a loose hole. Edge pro requires you to hold the knife in place and only allows one side at a time - same with lansky and kme, these can lead to precision issues. The wicked edge is very expensive (I did the sport pack and simply added stones) and there are limitations to knife size.
I recommend the free hand due to simple knowledge base and you will quickly learn what works and what does not - this helps you decide what sacrifices you are willing to make. Get on YouTube and watch all of jdavis' videos. He doesn't die them anymore, but he covers all of this in great detail with examples.
In the event you have never seen a wicked edge's edge, when I say I can whittle on a hair it is not an exaggeration


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I agree with you on learning how to free hand but I will have to disagree on the lansky not being precise.....to some extent. I use the regular stones from a lansky with the clamp from my DMT aligner. the lansky clamp only has 4 holes for only 4 angles. The DMT has 7 angles of adjustment. The key to consistency is how you set up the stones. I lay the stone flat with the guide bar inserted on a flat level table. When it's level I tighten the screw down. That's the key.

To the OP, Learning freehand will teach you what to look for. Feel, sound all that comes into play. what types of material you cut on a day to day basis will tell you, you may need a steeper angle or a toothier edge depending on what materials you are cutting. My suggestion is to have at least two knives kept sharp. That way you can keep them in rotation for when one goes dull and you either don't have time or in my case just to lazy. Good luck and just keep practicing.