For the longest time I used a standard wet stone and a ceramic rod from an old metal halide light. You can get a razor sharp edge as long as you are patient.
Stone to diamond blade to strop or cardboard it’s all a gimmick.
I have a bro that sharpens professionally and I chuckled to see a maul
needing to be professionally sharpened! We never had any of that **** growing up this is all new advent.
GLWSharppening.
Some might know this trick some might not-- Roll down your window on your vehicle half way down and you'll see the frost part at the top of the window- run your knife along the edge. I do it all the time at work when my knife gets dull. Try it you'll like it.
Ken Onion here too. It can take a while to get a convex shape on a thick blade, but normal knives it sharpens very quickly. Easy maintenance as well. I sharpen everything now, because it's so easy.