Re: Knives
I bought an Apex Pro a few years ago and I am simply amazed at the results. Over the decades, I became accustomed to varying degrees of sharpness correlative with heavy use. But after just one sharpening with the Apex, I still have not had to re-sharpen any of my knifes (really inexplicable). All I do is straighten the edge with a "sharpening" steel after each use; typically three light strokes per side and I am done!
Note: My most often used knives are just run-of-the-mill grade Henckel Professional S and Four Star cutlery.
To be perfectly honest, I am a little disappointed because I bought the system with the intention of enjoying the catharsis of periodic sharpening and knife maintenance. But alas, I have been denied the pleasure.
...and no, you cannot send me your knifes to help fill the void.
http://www.edgeproinc.com/
The Apex system requires a few strokes with two-or-three varying grit stones with each knife taking about two minutes from start-to-finish.
P.S. The previously mentioned Tormek system looks mighty impressive.