Gave up on my $200 electric sharpener and went back to a $12 stone, and I'm not going back
Bought a fancy electric knife sharpener for around $200 three winters back because I got tired of freehanding on a whetstone. Within a year the coarse wheel was cupped and it started chewing up my good chef's knife, so I dug the old $12 combo stone out of a drawer and gave freehand another shot. Took me about two weeks of practice to get a decent edge, but now I can put a shaving edge on a knife in five minutes and the stone will probably outlive me. The cheap stuff just works if you're willing to put in the time to learn it. Anybody here still rocking a plain stone, or did you find an electric one that actually holds up?