Am I a Sharpmaker retard?

[tyr_shadowblade]

I, in fact, AM a Sharpmaker retard. After DECADES of not being able to sharpen a knife with any system, including the Sharpmaker, I bought one of these
http://www.warthogsharp.com/
at the Eugene show last weekend.

Those Warthogs are great . . . I can't sharpen very well either.

 

[Will Power]

What's that warthog cost? Can't put an area code in as I'm in the EU not US.

I'm not too competent with the Sharpmaker-yet.Had problems with an already blunt carbon knife and ended up using a stone,sharp it is but a lot of metal went west.

I think pressing too hard is a problem here,at first the sweat was pouring off me.....as for the poster that said the Sharpmaker is like a woman,well er...not so sure about that bit about keeping it straight, I find an angle gets response!

 

[Snake Dr.]

What's that warthog cost? Can't put an area code in as I'm in the EU not US.

I'm not too competent with the Sharpmaker-yet.Had problems with an already blunt carbon knife and ended up using a stone,sharp it is but a lot of metal went west.

I think pressing too hard is a problem here,at first the sweat was pouring off me.....as for the poster that said the Sharpmaker is like a woman,well er...not so sure about that bit about keeping it straight, I find an angle gets response!

That WartHog Is a Nice one, Here's the link of Price's If It work's http://www.warthogsharp.com/products_cart.php Take Care !

 

[Zeasor]

...The only problem I still have is getting the very tip of the knife sharp...

Try starting with the tip of the blade on the Sharpmaker. Push the blade gently downward and slightly forward, focusing your efforts on the tip of the knife. A pushing stroke is awkward at first so have patience. Using two hands, one holding the handle and the other on the spine may help. Just don't apply excess pressure against the stone.

One problem some people have with the Sharpmaker when using the flat faces of the stones is that they don't keep the blade parallel with the flat faces. Off a degree or two and you are sharpening with the corners. Look closely at the stones to see that you are leaving metal trails down the centers of the flat faces, most apparent on the whites.

 

[Mtn Hawk]

1) To get to the edge, you should not be alternating sides on the sharpmaker. Simply work one side until you raise a burr, then do the same on the other side. After that you can alternate and move to finer rods.

:thumbup:

I'm always surprised how infrequently raising a burr is mentioned in threads such as this, since it's probably the most important step in sharpening.

 

[mongatu]

I love my Sharpmaker but for me the medium stones are simply not coarse enough to reprofile an edge or even sharpen a very dull knife quickly enough for me. I find it a lot quicker and easier to use DMT diamond bench stones freehand to remove most of the metal that needs to be removed and then do most of the finishing work on the Sharpmaker. Also, the Sharpmaker is great for maintaining an edge that is already in pretty good shape.

Of course one could use the Sharpmaker for the whole process but it would take more effort and time than the above method. I think everyone should be able to sharpen freehand. It really isn't that hard and is a good skill to have.

Edit: Have since moved on from the Sharpmaker to Japanese waterstones in a variety of grits. Much faster and much more fun (great tactile feedback) to work with. With the waterstones (plus loaded and unloaded strop) I'm getting the sharpest and most beautiful looking mirror polished final results I've ever achieved. Still use the DMT's for initial reprofiling or starting out on very dull knives and the Sharpmaker for serrated edges though.

 

[Lurker]

"Retarded" literally means "slowed", as in "the rocket's descent was retarded by its parachute." While I agree that there are all sorts of derogatory usages of things that shouldn't be ("retarded", "gay"), I think everyone would be better off if the people using it tried to stop, and the people who were bugging them got a %^& bee out of their bonnet!

Mods, feel free to delete this, I just felt it needed to be said, since the thread had already veered off topic.

"Retard" does not mean to decrease velocity when it is used as a noun in a phrase like "am I a retard...?" Its only meaning is as a derogatory term for certain people who also happen to be human and deserve some dignity. Just pointing that out in a gentle manner without undue criticism, recognizing that he may not have ever considered it that way before. Sorry if that put a bee in your bonnet.