The Edge Pro Apex is a fabulous system. Diamond stones are great for free handing (get the largest you can afford for home use). A belt sander works great if you have a good eye, a steady hand and are careful not to overheat the blade. Some folks recommend paper wheels on a buffer, but that will leave you with a weaker hollow ground edge. I find that the Sharpmaker is fine for touchups with the stock ceramic stones, but for serious sharpening the optional diamond stones are worth the investment. A few leather strops loaded with various compounds and a bare horsebutt strop will finish edges nicely and maintain your blades in between major sharpenings.