How to sharpen a Hinderer

[Lone_Wolfe]

Brad did you get my email about that?

[RubiconSS]

I just use my spyderco sharpmaker cause thats all I have at the moment to sharpen with. I've found that S35VN is the easiest of the three major XM steels to sharpen, at least with the sharpmaker. It takes a much sharper edge much quicker, in my experience. Remember though, all I'm working with is some ceramic rods. Maybe one day I'll upgrade to the Wicked Edge System...

I have a W.E. and my Sharpmaker sits right along side it. I still use the SM for quick touchups on knives not far gone OR blades that just don't quite fit into the W.E.. I use the W.E. to reprofile an edge, bring an edge back that is damaged or dull, when I want a mirror edge OR when I just want to have some fun "Me and my Knife Time" turn a little music on.... dim the , Oh nevermind I drifted off there for a minute. Knives, right.
Yeah W.E. and SM - Both Good.

[cziv]

I have a W.E. and my Sharpmaker sits right along side it. I still use the SM for quick touchups on knives not far gone OR blades that just don't quite fit into the W.E.. I use the W.E. to reprofile an edge, bring an edge back that is damaged or dull, when I want a mirror edge OR when I just want to have some fun "Me and my Knife Time" turn a little music on.... dim the , Oh nevermind I drifted off there for a minute. Knives, right.
Yeah W.E. and SM - Both Good.

rubiconss is 100% right in his post I'm just the echo. Your Sharpmaker will do just fine BigBrad75, but as you may already know - you can't let a blade get "too dull" or you'll have trouble with it. It's really more of a system for maintaining blades who've done a bit of cutting and need a little TLC. Get the blade good and dull and you may be sitting there for hours to bring it back.

[bm11]

Yeah, don't try to reprofile any steel that Hinderer uses on a Sharpmaker. I spent a few hours on an ATS-34 blade before realizing that it would probably take 20 more hours to get where I wanted to go, and I wasn't even removing much steel.

[RubiconSS]

Yes, hours turning into days and honestly as good as the sharpmaker is as a touch-up device, I would never do anything as extreme as a reprofile on a system that was not guided. Just too much margin for error when working a super stee
For that long. Unless someone is lucky or extremely skilled the end result is going to be inexact at best.
Something like a wicked edge ensures very exact repetition of movement and angles. Then you can repeat those same movements weeks and months later maintaining the edge profile.
IF I was going to try and master anything freehand it would be a paper wheel system.

[Jonsa]

Watch the "Sharpening #3 (freehand)" video series by (SolosKnifeReviews). He has a 4 part video series from reprofiling to the touching up stage of sharpening a spyderco manix with D2 steel freehand just using flat stones and a leather strope. He has a great technique he taught himself to keep the same angle on the knife by using both hands and keeping the blade on the stone to not lose your angle. He also has a great technique for making the bevel. He gets a mirror shine on the final edge and he can get the manix hair whittling sharp (he actually drag his wifes hair across the blade and whittles it), he also does a "sharpening freehand" video with a damascus sebenza. He is real good at explaining the techniques and I believe most people could do this without spending all the money on fancy sharpeners. Using a stone to sharpen a blade is like driving standard in a car everyone should a least learn how.

[RubiconSS]

Watch the "Sharpening #3 (freehand)" video series by (SolosKnifeReviews). He has a 4 part video series from reprofiling to the touching up stage of sharpening a spyderco manix with D2 steel freehand just using flat stones and a leather strope. He has a great technique he taught himself to keep the same angle on the knife by using both hands and keeping the blade on the stone to not lose your angle. He also has a great technique for making the bevel. He gets a mirror shine on the final edge and he can get the manix hair whittling sharp (he actually drag his wifes hair across the blade and whittles it), he also does a "sharpening freehand" video with a damascus sebenza. He is real good at explaining the techniques and I believe most people could do this without spending all the money on fancy sharpeners. Using a stone to sharpen a blade is like driving standard in a car everyone should a least learn how.

Yes, I saw his series. Impressive. The Good make it look easy.
I rank that skill right up there with speaking a foreign language or playing a musical instrument.

[Jonsa]

Well it is an improvement on my old technique, and works good for me, but then again I used to be a die polisher which gave me pretty steady hands. But with patience and practice I think this technique will work for a lot of people. I guess you even got it or you don't.

[RubiconSS]

Well it is an improvement on my old technique, and works good for me, but then again I used to be a die polisher which gave me pretty steady hands. But with patience and practice I think this technique will work for a lot of people. I guess you even got it or you don't.

The Gift of touch, one gets it or they don't. Your former profession undoubtedly embued you with the touch, possibly through practice and repetition OR some degree of natural ability. Either way, the ability to sharpen an edge by hand is a wonderful thing.

[Jonsa]

and a cheaper practice knife

[Ben Dover]

I've been using the WEPS for a couple of months now. It's truly a marvelous little machine.

I've also been using an Edge-Pro Professional for several years. Another very well designed, and precise sharpener.

If you're an afficianado of fine knives, my advice is to acquire both. Each will do things easily and well that are dufficult on the other. I would be quite reluctant to choose between the two, and my advice, based on experience, is to get both.

[Lone_Wolfe]

My Wicked Edge just showed up today. Arm hairs, watch out!



And the 40% I got off doesn't hurt either.

[BBW]

nice! post your thoughts.. I love it. I have the 800/1000 and the 10/14 mic strops... currently waiting on the 1200/1600 ceramic stones to ship. Its so freaking easy and I get such an amazing results!!!!
you'll love it

[RubiconSS]

Sitting here typing (with my middle finger, Again) Maybe just maybe I will get smart enough someday to be able to touch up my knife on the W.E. and then go to remove the strop compound and NOT cut my freaking finger so bad that I probably need stitches.
How frigging hard is it? Answer: It isn't (I'm an idiot)
Bled over everything.
Like living a Homer Simpson existence sometimes....

[BBW]

Sitting here typing (with my middle finger, Again) Maybe just maybe I will get smart enough someday to be able to touch up my knife on the W.E. and then go to remove the strop compound and NOT cut my freaking finger so bad that I probably need stitches.
How frigging hard is it? Answer: It isn't (I'm an idiot)
Bled over everything.
Like living a Homer Simpson existence sometimes....

I think you are the perfect candidate to own a crappy sharpening system were your knives not end up been SO sharp ;-)
You are not WE worthy, please return for a full refund. The WE system will be resale to a more responsible user ;-)
hope you heal fast!!

[RubiconSS]

I think you are the perfect candidate to own a crappy sharpening system were your knives not end up been SO sharp ;-)
You are not WE worthy, please return for a full refund. The WE system will be resale to a more responsible user ;-)
hope you heal fast!!

Thanks man, wow no kidding. Sharpening, relaxing.... couple strokes with 1200/1600 then a strop or two. Take my towel to remove the strop compound and Bang! Right through the towel. Damn that thing turns out an edge.

[Birdhunter1220]

I think you are the perfect candidate to own a crappy sharpening system were your knives not end up been SO sharp ;-)
You are not WE worthy, please return for a full refund. The WE system will be resale to a more responsible user ;-)
hope you heal fast!!

Well let me know when rubiconss returns the WE for resale, I will be waiting to buy it. :-). Heal fast my friend and Merry Chirstmas

[strider214]

So I got a WE for Christmas and it took me a little while to find some free time to use it. Sharpened up a couple of beaters and found the process to be extremely easy and fun. I do have two findings to share. One, I ordered only up to 1000 grit and find I just don't like the scratches it leaves behind. You guys are right, I'll have to order some finer stones to keep me satisfied. And two, one of my 1000 grit stones is more like a 600. Really bummed me out and I'll have to contact WE to send it back. When I get to the 1000 I have to switch out the good stone for each side and it really spoils the zen like moment. Other than that it's a really great setup.

[RubiconSS]

Congrats Strider. Glad to hear you are having fun with it. I'm sure you won't have any trouble but IF you do send an email to Clay about that paddle and I'm confident it will be rectified with dispatch.

[bm11]

I just got my Wicked Edge a few days before Christmas. Its a really nice piece of kit.