Another vote for hand sharpening. You can get very good results with a diamond-impregnated stone (or actually a diamond-impregnated, plastic-backed, nickle-faced steel plate) such as those made by DMT. It doesn't take a lot to put a functional edge on something. I guess to some people the slight variations in the appearance or flatness of the edge are offputting when hand-sharpening, but as far as real-world cutting potential, it really doesn't make a difference. The edge is what's doing the cutting, not the secondary faces. As long as you've prevented a burr from forming by alternating faces while decreasing the number of strokes, you'll end up with a good edge. What I like to do is take a few strokes with a "fine" stone at the dominant edge angle to maintain it; and then take one last light stroke down each side with an "ultra fine" stone, at just a hair more obtuse of an angle, to make absolutely sure I'm hitting that edge. I don't shave with my knives or use them as mirrors, but they seem sharp enough to me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />