What are the best of those $5 automatic sharpeners?

[FNQCairns]

I now use a swiss istor sharpener, fairly cheap and pretty amazing for me in my limited use of different sharpeners, the stone and steel has not been touched since igot a couple of these beauts.

cheers fnq

[pontificator]

I use a Spyderco product because I can maintain a vertical angle on them, but not a constant angle on a stone

[rando]

Just a point of semantics; You can't sharpen a knife on a steel.
You use a steel to "straighten" the fine edge. and to help remove any wire-edge,after sharpening on a stone or other sharpening device..

[Mac1952]

Thee is no better way to truly sharpen a blade thn by using a leather strop.
I have been using the Lansky sharpening system for 20+ years (idiot-proof provided high quality steel blades are the go), honed on a 40-year old army leather belt.

Have shaved mumsie's legs with a Swiss Army knife to prove the point.

[GPB]

As Rando said, a 'steel' only straightens the edge. The Diamond steel type sharpener though is a true sharpener and is unreal, a touch up with that and then a few strokes on the steel does wonders