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Any advice on using the spyderco sharpmaker
- Thread starter Eroc162
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2006
- Messages
- 3,724
For really dull knives, I'd recommend either the sharpmaker diamond speed sleeves/stones, or a belt grinder. 
Despite the video, some knives take a long time to sharpen. Be ready for that. Sharpmaker doesn't excel as a reprofiling tool unless you use the diamond rods. Without them, some knives will take you a couple of hours to sharpen. If the edge angles happen to match the Sharpmaker's angles, sharpening a 1095 carbon steel blade might take less than 10 minutes if it's not too dull to begin with.
Go slowly. Use very little pressure, keep the contact surface perpendicular to the stone and keep the blade vertical. Pay attention to what you're doing.
It might be helpful to take a really REALLY cheap knife with soft metal and do some practice with that. You'll be able to quickly see just what is going on when you put the edge to the stone.
The Sharpmaker is a very easy system to use, which sometimes causes me to not pay as much attention as I should when I use it. That is not a good thing. Keep focused on what you're doing and you'll wind up with a very sharp knife.
Stitchawl
Another thing:
Don't slide the tip of the knife off the rods when you're sharpening; you'll dull the point.
Sharpen the blade only until the very tip.
___________________________
Practicing with a knife that's of little or no value to you is a good idea because there is a "learning curve" with the Sharpmaker.
Don't slide the tip of the knife off the rods when you're sharpening; you'll dull the point.
Sharpen the blade only until the very tip.
___________________________
Practicing with a knife that's of little or no value to you is a good idea because there is a "learning curve" with the Sharpmaker.
I find it helpful to clamp the SM204 to a table with a spring clamp and use both hands on the knife.
Also be aware that, even though you alternate strokes, the SM will raise a burr on the opposite side that you just ran down the stone, especially on the corners. Color the edge with a magic marker and make sure that you're hitting just the edge. If not, keep going or get a coarse stone to cut the bevel back so you can actually reach the cutting edge. If you are hitting the edge, try Jeff Clarks burr removal method for the SM. Hold the blade parallel to the opposite stone and stroke VERY LIGHTLY at this high angle to remove the burr, maybe 2 strokes per side. Then go back and give a few more passes at the normal angle. Yes the burr removal strokes will be at either 80 or 60 degree included angles. That's why pressure must be light and no more than 3 strokes per side. I'd recommend only deburring on the stone flats, not the corners, though I can't remember if Jeff makes a distinction.
The SM excels at micro-beveling. I sharpen on a coarse then medium stone at an angle slightly less than the slot I want to use. For instance, my trapper slip joint gets coarse/medium at 12 degrees, then to the SM at 15, for about 20 strokes per side on the flats only, plus the deburring. This gives a hair whittling edge even without stropping just off the brown triangle flats. The exact angle before the SM isn't critical, just as long as it is lower by at least a couple degrees. I have trouble holding the angle if the difference is only 1 or 2 degrees. You may not, so try and see if it works. The actual cutting edge bevel will be only 1/64" or so, just barely visible. When they get to 1/32", I start back on the coarse/medium stone.
Also be aware that, even though you alternate strokes, the SM will raise a burr on the opposite side that you just ran down the stone, especially on the corners. Color the edge with a magic marker and make sure that you're hitting just the edge. If not, keep going or get a coarse stone to cut the bevel back so you can actually reach the cutting edge. If you are hitting the edge, try Jeff Clarks burr removal method for the SM. Hold the blade parallel to the opposite stone and stroke VERY LIGHTLY at this high angle to remove the burr, maybe 2 strokes per side. Then go back and give a few more passes at the normal angle. Yes the burr removal strokes will be at either 80 or 60 degree included angles. That's why pressure must be light and no more than 3 strokes per side. I'd recommend only deburring on the stone flats, not the corners, though I can't remember if Jeff makes a distinction.
The SM excels at micro-beveling. I sharpen on a coarse then medium stone at an angle slightly less than the slot I want to use. For instance, my trapper slip joint gets coarse/medium at 12 degrees, then to the SM at 15, for about 20 strokes per side on the flats only, plus the deburring. This gives a hair whittling edge even without stropping just off the brown triangle flats. The exact angle before the SM isn't critical, just as long as it is lower by at least a couple degrees. I have trouble holding the angle if the difference is only 1 or 2 degrees. You may not, so try and see if it works. The actual cutting edge bevel will be only 1/64" or so, just barely visible. When they get to 1/32", I start back on the coarse/medium stone.
I am confused by this statement. Do you mean keep the blade perpendicular to the base?
Almost... or sometimes.
I mean keep the exact contact point of the edge perpendicular to the rod. On a Warncliff blade this would also make the spine perpendicular to the rod and the base through the entire stroke. On a recurve, the spine would be off-set by the amount of curvature, making it go up or down as needed. The video shows this clearly as he raises his hand as he nears the curved tip of the knife to keep the edge contact point perpendicular to the rod.
Said another way, the edge (not the spine) needs to be 90 degrees to the rod. On a karambit, when contacting the tip the handle would be pointing almost straight down because of the reverse curve of the blade.
Is that any clearer?
Stitchawl