I have been using the Spyderco Sharpmaker and have gotten good results. However I have 2 Benchmade knives, a 705 and 940 both plain edge,that were fairly dull when I bought them.While I can get a very sharp edge with the Sharpmaker, they dull fairly quickly with only light use. On the other hand my Spydercos retain their edge and seldom need sharpening. What am I doing wrong with the Benchmade knives?
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Benchmades and my Sharpmaker
- Thread starter Sammie
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2000
- Messages
- 555
Perhaps the ceramic rods needs cleaning...
- Joined
- Nov 24, 1999
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- 4,981
What angle are you using? Benchmades are typically ground at a wide angle that gives a thick edge that doesn't perform very well, but doesn't damage very easily. Spyderco knives have a much finer edge.
If you haven't reprofiled the edge on the benchmades to an angle closer to what you sharpen your spyderco knives at, they won't perform very well for you at most cutting chores. The thick edge creates a lot of drag right behind the cutting edge and makes the knife seem dull. Its kind of like a splitting wedge.
If you have reprofiled the edge on the benchmades to a finer angle, and they aren't holding an edge well, you may try and drop the angle a few degrees to give you a slightly thicker edge(but not as thick as the factory bevels). benchmade knives are hardened to a higher RC than spydercos. If you put a really fine edge on them, and try to cut something fairly hard, the edge may chip or roll as you cut. The high Rc makes them more wear resistant, but less resistant to stress.
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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.
If you haven't reprofiled the edge on the benchmades to an angle closer to what you sharpen your spyderco knives at, they won't perform very well for you at most cutting chores. The thick edge creates a lot of drag right behind the cutting edge and makes the knife seem dull. Its kind of like a splitting wedge.
If you have reprofiled the edge on the benchmades to a finer angle, and they aren't holding an edge well, you may try and drop the angle a few degrees to give you a slightly thicker edge(but not as thick as the factory bevels). benchmade knives are hardened to a higher RC than spydercos. If you put a really fine edge on them, and try to cut something fairly hard, the edge may chip or roll as you cut. The high Rc makes them more wear resistant, but less resistant to stress.
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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.
My guess is that, particularly if you're using the Sharpmaker with 30-degree rod settings, you simply haven't removed enough metal to form a true 30-degree edge. You haven't really formed an edge.
While the Sharpmaker is a fast and convenient system to re-sharpen a formed edge, it's tedious for reprofiling a wide-angle edge to a narrow-angle edge.
I would recommend bench stones for re-profiling edges to an angle slightly less than 30-degrees, working until you definitely get a perceptible wire-edge. At this point, revert to the sharpmaker with the rods at 30-degrees at light pressure to remove the wire edge.
From this point on, the Sharpmaker will work very well to quickly restore edges on that blade.
While the Sharpmaker is a fast and convenient system to re-sharpen a formed edge, it's tedious for reprofiling a wide-angle edge to a narrow-angle edge.
I would recommend bench stones for re-profiling edges to an angle slightly less than 30-degrees, working until you definitely get a perceptible wire-edge. At this point, revert to the sharpmaker with the rods at 30-degrees at light pressure to remove the wire edge.
From this point on, the Sharpmaker will work very well to quickly restore edges on that blade.
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2001
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could it be that you are not entirely removing the wire edge?
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
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- 4,842
It could definitely be not removing the wire edge.
The fact that the knives get sharp inthe first place leads one to believe that enough metal has been removed, but do your Benchmades really get as sharp as your other knives? If not, we have to work on basic technique there. If so, we have to work on finishing techniqe.
The fact that the knives get sharp inthe first place leads one to believe that enough metal has been removed, but do your Benchmades really get as sharp as your other knives? If not, we have to work on basic technique there. If so, we have to work on finishing techniqe.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2001
- Messages
- 2
I agree that it sounds like the "wire edge" is not being removed. Try this: re-profile the edge to the 30-or-so-degree range with a coarser gritted sharpener. I have had much luck with the DMT sharpeners, especially the combination 325/1200 grit. When the edge starts to bite into the test medium of the thumbnail, simply go to the finer stones/ ceramic/ abrasive, INCREASE the angle slightly and the pressure greatly, and polish off the edge. Strop on leather or fiberboard (like the back of a legal pad) if desired. I have had many sucesses with my BMs and the blades of lesser knives with this technique. Good Luck, and let us know if it works.
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"There never has been a good knife made of bad steel."-- Benjamin Franklin
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"There never has been a good knife made of bad steel."-- Benjamin Franklin
- Joined
- Oct 11, 1998
- Messages
- 707
I suspect bad4u is right on in his post.
My experience with Benchmade is that they do hold an edge well.
Are you really getting as good results as with your Spyderco?
If the problem was a wire burr, which I doubt, why is it only a problem on the Benchmade and not on Spyderco?
Benchmade does make their edges thick, too thick. You need to reprofile and doing this on the Sharpmaker is much to slow.
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Roger Blake
My experience with Benchmade is that they do hold an edge well.
Are you really getting as good results as with your Spyderco?
If the problem was a wire burr, which I doubt, why is it only a problem on the Benchmade and not on Spyderco?
Benchmade does make their edges thick, too thick. You need to reprofile and doing this on the Sharpmaker is much to slow.
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Roger Blake
Our BM mini-AFCK sharpens on the 204SM, better then any knife I've tried. It's dulled once since I got it 5 yrs. ago. I went through all four steps(plain edge)when I first got the SM 4 months ago. It was sharper then when it came to me from A.G. Russell. I've used it quite a lot since, and it still remains scary sharp! RKBA!