Sharpening your Knife
First, never, ever sharpen your knife on a grinder or other powered device. This can get the metal too hot and ruin the temper, or hardness, of your blade.
Most knives come from the factory with a good sharp edge and a very visible tapered edge. This edge will most likely be around 15° and this is the approximate degree that you will want to adhere to. You can buy a sharpening kit such as the Lanksy for around $35.00 that will guarantee the same edge every time. These are very helpful if you kinda know how to sharpen a knife but want to get that expert sharpness. These kits come with several grades of grit starting with a rough grit to get the edge down, to a really fine grit to get that true razor edge.
Other than the kits, there are a couple of other options. You can purchase a diamond stone or a natural stone such as an Arkansas Oil Stone. The diamond stone, as its name implies, has a coat of industrial grade diamond dust. These sharpeners will sharpen a knife very quickly and can be used wet or dry. If you choose to use the wet method, you can just use water, applying a light pressure. Excessive pressure can cause excess wear on your blade and really isn’t necessary. Make sure you rinse the stone off after you use it and clean and oil your knife.
Arkansas oil stones are a type of genuine silica indigenous to Arkansas. They come in different coarseness and are exceptionally suited for knife sharpening. These are best used “wet” and can be used with water or oil.