I’m new to sharpening knives. All I know is I’m buying a Kukri knife tomorrow, and I need a simple "beginner’s guide" if you will to sharpening knives. I wanna get a pretty fine edge on it(high sharpness)

All I have right now is a "Hard Arkansas Stone." I know I’ll need lubrication oil for it as well, but I’m concerned about technique. What exactly do I need to do to sharpen the knife accurately and correctly? Thanks in advance.

Also are certain Japanese stones really better for honing?

Thanks in advance~

Which would be better for sharpening a pocket knife, a stone or a chefs steel (the long steel rod)? I would guess a stone, but how come? Is it a really significant difference? What about a bench stone, like this http://smithsedge.com/products/product.asp?id=24&cid=1 ? I ask because I am wondering if I should go out and buy a stone when I already have the steel and the sharpener shown in the link. Thanks in advance.

I just purchases a Wüsthof Classic 2-Piece Knife Starter Set and am wondering what is the best way to maintain that sharp, factory edge? I don’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a diamond impregnated sharpener, but I want a simple, effective way to keep the edge like it came from the factory. Please answer from experience only; I’m only interested it what actually works, not what an advertisement says will work. Thanks in advance for imparting your wisdom.

Well, I have a cavalry sword, and it was sharpened pretty well at the top, but completely dulled at the bottom half, so I decided to sharpen it with a knife sharpener. Before I sharpened the blade, the top half could cut almost completely through cardboard, now the sword just dents the cardboard… Maybe I didn’t use the right sharpening tool, or didn’t sharpen it right? I held the knife sharpener (oh this sharpener is rectangular) so it was diagonal, and when it was on the blade, I had it going a little diagonal, so it was somewhat on the actual blade, and some of it wasn’t (I thought I should do that because if i had put the sharpener horizontally it would dull the blade) This is a manual sharpener…. Thanks in advance.