1) Use a big knife for practice. I can't tell you how difficult it was to sharpen my little paring knife accurately. And then I tried on my big chef's knife,

1) Use a big knife for practice. I can't tell you how difficult it was to sharpen my little paring knife accurately. And then I tried on my big chef's knife, and it was soooo much easier to hold the angle properly. 2) Your knife doesn't need to be razor sharp I see this all the time, but putting that good an edge on a functional knife is useless wankery (if you're shaving with a straight razor, this does not apply). Studies show that the edge dulls itself down almost immediately upon usage. The edge still works well, but it won't cut your hairs anymore.