RE: best knife sharpening for a rookie
Chef's Choice model 120 is a pretty good edge in my opinion. Warden, what is your opinion of the Chef's Choice Trizor edge. I realize it is not as good as the convex edge a finely honed craftsman such as yourself can put on, but is does seem to get a yahoo like me pretty close. A steel is a nice finisher to stand and burr up which might be left and to straighten a used edge back tosharp.
At last, does anyone have tips for how to stone a perfect convex edge onto a blade?