In between sharpenings, does a steel work?
(Sorry, I don't know much about steel or knife making. I just appreciate a really good kitchen knife.)
So if MagnaCut is run hard, it will most likely dull before rolling or chipping. It will still cut, especially if you have think geometry. Once a blade starts to roll/chip, performance really suffers. That's when you need to sharpen.
I have never sharpened MagnaCut, but it only has 4% vanadium (the hardest carbide) and 2% niobium (another hard carbide). You can probably get away with something like the Shapton Pro line of stones. They are readily available.
There are so many different methods and tools you can use. I say find a well regarded technique and stick with it. Sharpening takes time. Sharpening can be distilled down to forming an apex and removing the burr. It doesn't matter if you use soaking stones, a fixed-angle sharpener, splash and go stones, sharpen with both hands, etc. You need to build muscle memory so there is as little change in angle as you sharpen. That will develop the apex. Then you need to remove the burr. You'll use different strokes, different pressure, and different tools. Focus more on the technique and worry less about the tools. Maybe Murray Carter doesn't appeal to you. Take a look at Big Brown Bear and Michael Christy (also on YouTube). Find a method that makes sense to you and practice a lot. Start with a simple technique with fewer grit jumps. You can add complexity over time.
The best thing I got was a jeweler's loupe. You need to understand what you are doing (or not doing) at the apex to improve. Take your time and evaluate your work often. Even an inexpensive USB microscope is helpful.
Watched a YouTube video and got half a dozen kitchen knives sharp enough to shave arm hair in about an hour. They seem to be holding their edges reasonably well a couple of weeks later.
I'd previously not had much success with Japanese water stones and with the lansky(?) gadget.
It seems like the key part of the process is (a) detecting when you have formed a burr so you know when to change sides/move to the next grit and (b) stropping at the end (get the leather strip with polishing wax).
The Chinese gadget is a bit crude but was honestly surprisingly effective.
I don't think the theory is that complicated but getting good practical results reliably can be a bit tricky. The gadget seems to work quite well for that.
Ps: Just looked at Cliff Stamp's sharpening site. I think that's an order of magnitude sharper than I was going for with my kitchen knives.
