Got the Spyderco sharpener for XMas and I'm pleased:

http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-204MF-Triangle-Sharpmaker/dp/B000Q9C4AE

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=spyderco+sharpmaker&aq=f

Those sharpening stones are industrial synthetic sapphires, bitch!

Before purchasing a knife set, ya need to go to a well-stocked store and ask to feel them in your hand to determine if they are a good fit for the size of your hands and that the balance seems controllable.

BTW, my knife set are Henckels 4-stars from the early 90's...I recall reading somewhere that their quality has dipped somewhat since then.

If I had to start from scratch again, I would look at Shun because they are very attractive...