I sharpen my knives and can get a pretty good edge on one. Some of it depends on the kind of edge you want. I can get one scary sharp but they don't hold that type of edge very long. The sharper the knife, the thinner the edge the quicker it dulls. Best thingyou can do is go to a convenience store and buy a handfull of the knives off the counter for $1.99 and go to practicing. You will ruin a few before you get the hang of it. I use flat oil stones and do them all by hand. Out of the packageI generally start with a medium stone and lay the blade almost completely flat on the stone to pull the edge back a ways up the blade. Factory edges are way to short. I then slowly work the angle on the stone up until the final edge goes on at about 15 degrees. You need to keep the number of strokes on each side equal and try to use the same pressure on each side. For a good all around edge just try to keep the knife at about 15 degrees and go in slow circular motions on the stone. Start with a medium and go to a fine stone. The more time you spend on the fine stone the sharper it will get. Don't get frustrated, it takes a long time to get the hang of it. I would guess I messed with cheap knives for over a year before I put a good one on a stone. A good razor strop to finish it off will help also. I sharpen my broadheads the same way. I have tried several of the gadgets they sell to sharpen them and I can do a better job with a stone.