Knife maintenance is important, a big part of that is keeping your blades sharp. I have had great luck with the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Most of my knife are Spyderco and I do have some brand loyalty there, but it is a quality product.
One thing I quickly realized with the system is the 2 sets of rods that come with the Sharpmaker are not sufficient to perform as needed. For knives that need reshaping or that are very dull, the grey medium stones don't take enough steel off for me. I purchased the diamond rods, they make all the difference in the world. A quick 20 or so passes on the diamond stones will give you a massive head start. From there I bought the ultra-fine stones, they bring a higher polish than the standard fine stone that come with the unit. The ultra-fine stones do take a bit of work to get results.
Overall I would recommend the Sharpmaker, I have used a Lansky sharper, but this seems a bit easier and faster. I can run the kitchen knivies through the Sharpmarker and get fast results, again, the diamond stones really help with this, I think they should come standard with the sharpener.
For oil I have been trying Ballistol Sportsman's Oil, it's a mineral based oil, and is safe to use on and around food prep items and surfaces. It doesn't seem to attract dirt like some lubes, it does have a peculiar smell, but so far I like how it performs.
