Amatuer needs your sharpening wisdom!

I am a relative newb, and have a Sharpmaker.

There is a learning curve, but it is pretty easy to learn. The results are outstanding.

This will sound like heresy, but sometimes for a quick fix, I use an Accusharp (got it for $10), and finish with a Rapala ceramic croc stick thingy ($2.50). It is the two-stage "Fillet Knife Sharpener" model SH2. Haven't tried the coarse side yet.

The Accusharp places a nice "toothy" edge--which is pretty decent by itself for general use.
The Rapala ceramic makes it hair-popping sharp. Usually, I only need to touch up my knives on the Rapala, as the Accusharp removes a fair amount of metal.
 
Nozh posted those two links. The second one, ameritech.net, sell them.

Looking at Nozh2002's pictures I noticed something about those rods. They look hollow, not solid ceramic like mine. Are those the diamond rods?
 
Does anyone have any experience with the Warthog V-Sharp? I'm looking for something that will work on my EDC knife, kitchen knives, and basic utility knives. I was sold 100% on the Warthog, until I read this post about the paper wheels. It looks like the paper wheels will put a factory edge back on. The Warthog will only take a few seconds to use, unless you have to change out sharpeners.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
for thick blades , the warthog I tried a few years ago at SHOT show , I could not fit either my Strider AR or SnG in the slot. For thin long blades ( like Kitchen knives ) it might work , I found for pocket knives , not worth the $$$.
 
John T Wylie Jr said:
I will echo that.. I do all my sharpening on a set of wheels. I have a sharpmaker , Edge Pro , stones.... they are all gathering dust. I picked up a 8" variable speed bench grinder , lowest setting is 1800 rpm which is where I leave it , from no edge to shaving edge in no time flat. and with less chance of having "stone" scratches on your blades ;)
Click to expand...

I have several questions and am in Serious need of advice.

1] Is there such a thing as a compact, inexpensive bench grinder which can simply be "Clamped" onto a kitchen counter or table?

2] Did I do something wrong or was my Sharp Maker defective? I got the sharp maker system and was horrified at what happened. I tried to follow directions, but both sets of rods Very quickly developed deep pits and grooves on all the sharpening surfaces. Could I have applied that much pressure?? Also didn't seem to do much for my knives.

3] NOW, my big question, and working on a budget, is what to try next:
a] Another Sharp Maker
b] Grinder and wheels
c] A V shaped system using two Arkansas stones instead of ceramic rods.

Any ideas are Most appreciated.
 
blm4l, rickppoole or anyone else looking for a sharpener. i have sharpened probably more knives than most people here have seen that are my age. i used to have the lansky style sharpener, the crock sticks and regular stones. i have seen many gadgets that say they will put an edge on a knife but nothing to impress me. i too have spent hours putting edges on my knives.
in the ammount of time it takes to put an edge on 1 knife, say 45 minutes, i can do about 30 knives or more depending on how bad the edge is.
i have read numerous posts by amatures asking for help. i figure that 24 years makes me a professional at it. for the initial investment in a set of sharpening wheels and a motor, anyone can get professional results with just a little practice. plus you can make money doing other people's knives to pay for the wheels.
 
StretchNM said:
Looking at Nozh2002's pictures I noticed something about those rods. They look hollow, not solid ceramic like mine. Are those the diamond rods?
Click to expand...

This is diamond rods. Standart ceramic rods are too fine to re-profile edge from 20 to 15 degree for example. So you need this if you want your own edge.

They are sold separately.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
BLM4L said:
2] Did I do something wrong or was my Sharp Maker defective? I got the sharp maker system and was horrified at what happened. I tried to follow directions, but both sets of rods Very quickly developed deep pits and grooves on all the sharpening surfaces. Could I have applied that much pressure?? Also didn't seem to do much for my knives.
Click to expand...

It should not be this way. I used Sharpmaker for year or so and nothing like this happen. Sometimes they may have some little bumps, but for this you just rub it one to another. I think you have just bad rods.

You better ask this on Spyderco SubForum here. I think they may just exchange them and give you new good rods.

Sharpmaker is excellent for beginner who want to sharpen some quality knife they bought which lost sharpness. With initially good edge it make restore shaving sharpness without to much effort. I hear a lot of very emotional first review when somebody was able to shave with his knives and remember my own olso kind of emotional first experience with it. But if you need get rid of chip or put different angle - some serious job, you need diamond rod as minimum.

Personaly I have it work excellent on Kershaw or Spyderco or Buck (for which I did not ruine edge befoe with my attempts to resharpen them), but it did not work for KaBar 1217 just because it has 25 degree edge and so need first to be reprofiled. This is not job for sharpmaker ceramic rods and even with diamond rods may take a while to fix.

This is the reason in many cases for frustration with Sharpmaker, which may restore excellence of edge with was excellent initially...

2 richard j

This paper wheels sounds like very good solution. However it is for professional use most of guys here do not need to sharpen 30 knives in 45 minutes! I am sure many will not sharpen so many knives in a year. Most of them also may not have grinder or even place for grinder.

Hardwood wheel may also work.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
richard j said:
i figure that 24 years makes me a professional at it. for the initial investment in a set of sharpening wheels and a motor, anyone can get professional results with just a little practice. plus you can make money doing other people's knives to pay for the wheels.
Click to expand...

Thank you for changing my mind on this. Now, I have to buy a bench grinder. Would you go with the 8" set up, or would the 6" work just as well for sharpening, and some very light gunsmithing?
 
go big with the wheels. i have ran into knives with antler handles that hit the motor with an 8". a 10" is well worth the money in the long run and will give you the clearance you need. if you have any more questions feel free to email me.
 
The wheels are very tempting for regular use. (Though I wonder how hot the edge gets, and whether annealing takes place.)

In any case, what I'm shooting for is to be able to sharpen a high-end blade in the bush using minimalist means, so I think I will avoid the wheel temptation and focus on the more manual approaches.

The SharpMaker has worked out great. Next I'd like to get some coarse and ultra-fine stones for the SM, a high-end kitchen "steel", and then onto DMT products for freehand use.

(Though I must admit that the basic grooved kitchen steel works well for cheap kitchen knives. It chews them up quickly, and they need frequent steeling, but who cares about the semi-disposable ones anyhow.)
 
I use a 1800rpm bench grinder in use with the wheels.

Finished a knife in D2 yesterday , edge never got more than slightly warm to the touch during sharpening , the grease on the wheel helps keep it cool.

I used to dread sharpening after finishing a knife , and would let a knife sit for days after being finished before sharpening it...not any more :)
 
just for giggles , after using the 10 inch wheels , I went to the edge pro , I wouldnt call the final edge hollow ground , as after sharpie and a pass or 2 on the stones , all sharpie was gone.

Gabe , email incoming. :)
 
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