I can relate to your frustration trying to sharpen a knife, plane, leather tools and blades of any kind. I have worn out several decent knives and stones trying to get the knives sharp. Finally decided to learn how to sharpen before I died. I watched lots of videos and learned a little from each one. Finally learned to sharpen a blade on a stone. The secret is the angle and the burr. Takes some practice to use a stone effectively. There are many different kinds of stones. They will all work. I think a stone and strop is the best way to sharpen and maintain an edge if you have the time and are willing to go through the learning curve. The Lansky system incorporates an angle guide and uses stones to create the edge.
Mechanical sharpeners are easier and usually create an acceptable edge. I haven't found one that gets the blade really sharp. They also grind away part of the blade each time. There are probably some very good mechanical sharpeners and I would imagine you get what you pay for.
Ask what time it is and someone always tells you how to make a watch