A board with thousands of knife and sharpening enthusiasts, so my own take on the advanced topic can't be new or too exciting i guess. But it's the first time that we have an "official" name for it (and i am coining it 
), a full reference to the niche method. See video description for a link to the (unnecessary) textual review of the method:
Anyway, just wondering if you or someone/something else ever made one of your Sharpmaker rods break. Could be the open window clashing against the device, the grumpy cat tipping it over, the toddler trying to play drums on the floor, the wife dropping everything on the kitchen floor, or the dog chewing it like a bone. Or a mishap by yourself.
), a full reference to the niche method. See video description for a link to the (unnecessary) textual review of the method:Anyway, just wondering if you or someone/something else ever made one of your Sharpmaker rods break. Could be the open window clashing against the device, the grumpy cat tipping it over, the toddler trying to play drums on the floor, the wife dropping everything on the kitchen floor, or the dog chewing it like a bone. Or a mishap by yourself.
Code:
Module[
{g (*inclination angle of rod wrt the vertical*),
z = 5 (*uncut height of vertical prism*),
b = 3 (*rod profile: length of triangle edge*),
a = Pi/3 (*rod profile: 3 angles inside triangle are all 60 degrees*),
R (*center of common circumcircle is coordinate origin*),
tri1Base (*rod profile: triangular base near the bottom*),
tri1Top (*rod profile: triangular base near the top*),
pri1 (*vertical prism formed by the two bases*),
tri2Base (*2nd triangle base*),
tri2Top (*2nd triangle base*),
pri2 (*2nd prism*)
},
R = N@(b/Sqrt[3]);
tri1Base = tri1Top = {{R Cos[a], R Sin[a], 0}, {-R, 0, 0}, {R Cos[a], -R Sin[a], 0}};
tri1Top[[All, 3]] = z;
pri1 = Prism[tri1Base~Join~tri1Top];
tri2Base = tri2Top = {{R, 0, 0}, {-R Cos[a], R Sin[a], 0}, {-R Cos[a], -R Sin[a], 0}};
tri2Top[[All, 3]] = z;
pri2 = Prism[tri2Base~Join~tri2Top];
Manipulate[
Graphics3D[{
Triangle[tri1Base],
Triangle[tri2Base],
{PointSize[.03], Red, Point[{R, 0, z}]},
Style[{pri1, pri2}, ClipPlanes ->
{InfinitePlane[{{R, 0, 0}, {R, 1, 0}, {0, 0, R Tan[g]}}],
InfinitePlane[{{-R, 0, z}, {-R, 1, z}, {0, 0, z - R Tan[g]}}]
}, ClipPlanesStyle -> Opacity[.1]
]
}, Boxed -> False, RotationAction -> "Clip"
]
, {{g, 20 Degree, "Edge Angle"}, 0 Degree, 45 Degree}
]
]
Last edited:
When you do a sawing motion of the serrated blade against the 204M edge —which is needed for sharpening the entire length of the serrated edge—, the knife shaves the very surface of the stone and you end up with black (or superdark brown) micro shavings around/on your stone. First i thought that the black stuff was metal shavings from the blade. However, the bread knife is made out of stainless steel, not carbon steel; the blade is shiny, not black, not rusty. Also, i can see with my bare eyes that the corner line is consumed
(and roughened up!) where i did the freehanding. Maybe i used too much pressure while freehanding on 204M, but that's not the point.
It will be interesting to use this messed up corner line specifically for its higher aggressive-cutting property in future sharpening sessions, we will see. I still have five perfect smooth 204M corner lines left (2*3 - 1 = 5), so I am not worried. Also, i typically use the flat sides ("faces") of the 204 stones when freehanding.
to use such a narrow stone for freehanding but it absolutely works and is imho the way to go for new/old owners of the Sharpmaker product! Even though i really am new to freehanding, the fact that i can and do freehanding successfully on such frikkin narrow stones is a testament to my confident advancement
in sharpening expertise. I have a total of 'hundred' of hours of practice and experience with the Exduct system, the Ruixin system, the Sharpmaker system, and with guided strops (PTS method) and freehanding strops. It's probably mostly due to my practice/experience with the latter (the freehanding leather strops) why i advance so fast/successfully —without fails or errors— with my freehanding results, so i shouldn't be too surprised. But it is exhilarating nonetheless!
but luckily once i a while i can still make use of its four diamond sharpeners, e.g. for sharpening gardening tools, scythes, lawnmower blades, etc.