buying a sharpener, need help deciding

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rocker786

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May 10, 2012
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hey guys. my sharpening system is shot and unworking. I can't really justify spending more than 20-30 bucks on one. I found one on amazon, it has excellent reviews, but I wanted to get the approval of the most knife savy people on the Internet. here is a link to the item. I would appreciate any advice or input

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004WFTW/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1344109304&sr=8-1


DMT FWFC Double Sided Diafold Sharpener Fine / Coarse
 
It's DMT. DMT makes excellent sharpening equipment. What more needs to be said?
 
I use a DMT medium benchstone and a strop and get great results. I'd go for Coarse/Fine if it was me, it gives you more flexibility. You can get a hair popping edge anywhere from 220 grit on up, higher grits only refine the existing edge and give a smoother cut.
 
thanks. I really have no experience with a "professional" sharpening system. I have a 30 year old benchstone, which only works for coarse sharpening and reprofiling. the rest of my sharpening is done magyver style with files and sandpaper and such. does anyone have any reccomendations for the sharpening angle of s30v, VG10, and 8cr13mov
 
If you don't have experience with using benchstones, you may want to consider a guided system like the lansky. If you choose a lansky, I'd go for the diamond set even though it's a little more expensive, it will cut better. For angles, it depends more on how you use a knife then the steel type. There is a lot of information here written by people who know more then me about angles, if you read up a bit, I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for.
 
oh, I may have underplayed my sharpening ability. my skill at the benchstone is actually pretty proficient. I have had good results reprofiling, and even getting a quite usable edge with the coarse side of the benchstone. I just never had a tool to get a fine edge
 
DMT FWFC Double Sided Diafold Sharpener Fine / Coarse

Good choice. This is one of my favorite sharpeners. Portable, effective, good for touch-ups, good for working out chips. I also use a Spyderco DoubleStuff sometimes to finish off what the DMT starts.

does anyone have any reccomendations for the sharpening angle of s30v, VG10, and 8cr13mov
Click to expand...

The better steels can take a narrower angle but I would start with a 30 degree primary bevel with a 40 degree secondary and only change if I had a knife specialized for something else. A chopper edge thicker, a kitchen knife, thinner.
 
guys, if I were to break down and buy a spyderco sharpmaker, would I get any significantly faster or better results
 
Spyderco sharpmaker will give you extremely sharp edges right out of the box but, this system SUCKS for reprofiling and sharpening very dull knives. The base system doesnt come with coarse enough stones, and I've heard the diamond rods are somewhat low quality and wear very quickly. In my opinion, the sharpmaker is better suited for maintenance and putting micro-bevels on rather than removing lots of steel to get a knife sharp. It can be VERY time consuming if youre starting with a dull knife. If you're looking to spend only around 30 dollars, I'd stay away from the Sharpmaker because youll need close to $80 extra for the coarse & ultra-fine rod upgrades to reach its full potential and by that point you might as well just get an EdgePro (which I highly recommend for sharpening high dollar blades).

If you are willing to spend a little extra on something good, I'd just recommend getting a couple DMT bench stones. Like everyone said, you really cant go wrong with anything from DMT and thier bench stones are excellent!
 
1badcj_7 said:
Spyderco sharpmaker will give you extremely sharp edges right out of the box but, this system SUCKS for reprofiling and sharpening very dull knives. The base system doesnt come with coarse enough stones, and I've heard the diamond rods are somewhat low quality and wear very quickly. In my opinion, the sharpmaker is better suited for maintenance and putting micro-bevels on rather than removing lots of steel to get a knife sharp. It can be VERY time consuming if youre starting with a dull knife. If you're looking to spend only around 30 dollars, I'd stay away from the Sharpmaker because youll need close to $80 extra for the coarse & ultra-fine rod upgrades to reach its full potential and by that point you might as well just get an EdgePro (which I highly recommend for sharpening high dollar blades).

If you are willing to spend a little extra on something good, I'd just recommend getting a couple DMT bench stones. Like everyone said, you really cant go wrong with anything from DMT and thier bench stones are excellent!
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You mentioned getting an edge pro for sharpening nice knives but they only have natural stones right not diamond hones?
 
I use an old silicon carbide stone to rough in the edge, then the Sharpmaker for fine tuning and maintenance. I just use the medium rods that came with the Sharpmaker, and sometimes the fine rods if I don't have anything better to do. It's good enough for me. I just want a good, sharp blade for everyday tasks.
 
Diafolds are fantastic sharpeners, especially in the field since they are so packable. Watch this video by Scott Gossman. The diafold is a handheld sharpener, so you get better results with this technique (moving the stone along the edge rather than vice versa), especially with bigger blades. Enjoy! :D

[youtube]dubB5nIhe6A[/youtube]
 
Hans17 said:
You mentioned getting an edge pro for sharpening nice knives but they only have natural stones right not diamond hones?
Click to expand...

They actually have several kinds of aftermarket stones for the Edge Pro including diamond hones but, I'm not convinced you really need DMTs to sharpen tool steels and other exotics on more expensive knives.... The factory stones seem to work just fine despite what some people say.
 
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