Can anybody vouch for the Sharpmaker?

I love my sharpmaker. It puts a really nice microbevel on my knives. It will put a good edge on your blades. You wont get "air bleeding" edges unless you get other supplies, be it ultrafine rods, or a strop. Its a great sharpener for the money. Note that it wont reprofile very easily, so if you need to reprofile, you will need other tools. I use a norton stone and then the sharpmaker.

About the ultrafine rods...They work great. They really make a difference. But, the fine rods that come with the sharpmaker will make your knives plenty sharp. If you want a finer edge, you can always get the ultrafine rods.
 
The Sharpmaker helped me to understand edges and back bevels, I find the kit that it comes with more than adeqate. I have to say that it is a great teacher(great dvd and booklet- when all else fails read the instructions) and becomes a bit obsessive at times- I will be getting the UF rods later, and either an edge pro(Apex) or Wicked Edge, part of the obsession I believe.
It gave me confidence to experiment with my tools that I hold dear.
I can say that it is pretty compact and I like its portability, mostly it stands open in the kitchen as tribute to the sharpening gods.
Good luck with your decision,
Cheers,
Guy
 
Zatx said:
I like my Sharpmaker... but I LOVE my new DMT Diamond Aligner system.

I got this one http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/dmtalignerdiamondsharpener-deluxe4honekit.aspx which is almost the same price as a sharpmaker, but is smaller and more portable. It also allows you to choose many different angles. It has stones that are great for re-profiling and stones that are great for polishing.

It's a great little product and I went from not knowing how to sharpen a knife to hair whittling in about an hour of practice with it.
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That's similar to my Lansky system I've had for eons. The thing I hate about the Lansky is the way it clamps tp the blade is never 100% 90 deg to the blade. So I don't get an even/equal grind on both sides.
 
Funny, I just got my Sharpmaker in the mail yesterday (ordered it with the ultrafine rods too). Followed the instructions in the booklet (made some passes at 30 degrees for the back-bevel, then switched to 40) and got one of my knives the sharpest it has ever been. I've used flat whetstones or Japanese water stones my entire life, but the Sharpmaker was much easier. Not as much fun, but easy. Highly recommend it. The first time you use it, it may take a while to grind through all that metal to the correct bevel, but once that's done sharpening should be a breeze.
 
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I'll vouch for it. I do all of my sharpening on it. I use the diamond through UF rods, but also purchased some Congress Tool silicon carbide hones in 120 and 240. I'm able to set bevels and maintain edges very easily with this setup. Hard to beat for the price, IMO.
 
Zatx said:
I like my Sharpmaker... but I LOVE my new DMT Diamond Aligner system.

I got this one http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/dmtalignerdiamondsharpener-deluxe4honekit.aspx which is almost the same price as a sharpmaker, but is smaller and more portable. It also allows you to choose many different angles. It has stones that are great for re-profiling and stones that are great for polishing.

It's a great little product and I went from not knowing how to sharpen a knife to hair whittling in about an hour of practice with it.
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I agree with this. The DMT will get to work on D2 as it's diamond based. It's easy to use BUT some of the plastic components are fragile which is a real nuisance unless you are careful/aware of it.

As for the Sharpmaker, I agree with other people. It's good for maintaing/touch ups. It can be portable but you have to be careful with the rods, no throwing it into a pack and slamming it around. Worth the money? Certainly.
 
willgoy said:
I agree with this. The DMT will get to work on D2 as it's diamond based. It's easy to use BUT some of the plastic components are fragile which is a real nuisance unless you are careful/aware of it.

As for the Sharpmaker, I agree with other people. It's good for maintaing/touch ups. It can be portable but you have to be careful with the rods, no throwing it into a pack and slamming it around. Worth the money? Certainly.
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Thanks for that post.
It seems your saying Sharpmaker for touchups but DMT for re-profiling a very blunt/damaged edge?
Please advise:
I'm shopping for a DMT or Sharpmaker.
I am very particular about a nice clean even edge. (read, perfectionist)
I usually use a Lansky stone system similar to DMT.
I presume the DMT can produce a very even edge/grind with ease?
I have long lansky crock sticks (fine) ala sharpmaker - and feel the Sharpmaker would not give an even edge?
Am I correct?
Thanks
 
my luck/experience with the sharpmakers is that they suck! get yourself a set of paper wheels and enjoy getting that razor edge at a cheaper rate, a much easier time, and much fater rate!

I pitty anyone which has never tried or seen what paper wheels can do compared to what the crappy sharpmakers do. Seriously, has anyone actually gone back to a sharpmaker?
 
I swear by the Sharpmaker as it has always done the job for me.! You can't beat anything Spydie brings out anyway. Try it and you will swear by it to.
 
Menace said:
It's been said the sharpmaker would be better suited if named the sharpkeeper. It's easy to use to keep your blades sharp but doing any reprofiling or serious grinding will require some more accessories. I will add my name to the list of people that vouch for the sharpmaker, I use it and it makes keeping your blades sharp very easy.
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My recent experience agrees. However, I just the optional diamond course rods, and they have really helped when a blade was not sharp enough to start with.
 
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