Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the issue was "holding" an edge, not putting a razor edge on a knife.

The simplest I can try to explain is this approach: Look at your blade edge with it facing UPWARDS. The shallower the angle, the more like likely it is to chip. The steeper the angle, the sooner it will wear. The trick is to find the ideal angle in the middle. That is usually 15 to 18 degrees. Some people just say "15 - 20 degrees." It just takes practice.

BUT, for knives for different purposes, people want different angles. For example, I have a knife I use just for de-barking tree limbs when woodcarving. I like the angle REAL steep, and don't mind having to keep sharpening it.
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Me, a vegetarian? My set of teeth came with canines.