Depends.
I have a Sharpmaker, Lansky, and Gatco.
They all do a better job for me than free hand.
The Sharpmaker is the fastest, also the least precise.
Also the most used. It will make a knife sharp enough.
Quickly. I often use it as a bench stone if in a hurry.
At work, we have the chefs choice machines and several stones.
There it's stones, always. We carry sheath knives, and use them
constantly. Sharp isn't a dick measuring contest, it's a necessity
for doing your job. The stuff we cut dulls a knife quickly, and sharp
enough is good enough.
