Can every knife be sharpened?

S

Shann

Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
5,251
I just got a sharpmaker, and was going to practice on a cheap folder that is stamped "pakistan" and "stainless". Can a sharpmaker "sharpen" pretty much any knife to a decent edge.

(I know that an expert with a belt sander and grinder could take anything and give it a sharp edge)


For purposes of my practice, I don't really care about its ability to hold an edge, just whether I will be able to sharpen it up if I use the sharpmaker correctly.
 
yes, BUT, if it is to hard steel it will take a great amount of work to give it an edge. If the steel is too soft it will sharpen very easily but will losse it's edge very fast. The only things IMO sharpmakers can not sharpen are ceramic blades or diamond coated titanium blades.
 
My only experience with what you're trying to do (sharpening a cheap Pakistani POS knife with a sharpmaker) ended in failure, but that was before I knew anything about sharpening angles, and I suspect that I was actually trying to reprofile the thing without knowing it. Try the dry-erase marker trick if you aren't sure.

And if you've not read about the marker trick, here it is...

Take a dry-erase marker (or a sharpie, but dry-erase markers wipe off easier when you're done) and mark all over the edge of the knife. Now run it down the Sharpmaker stones a few times on either side, being extra careful to hold the knife vertical. Now look at the edge. If the marker has been rubbed off right at the shoulder of where the main part of the blade transitions to the "edge", then the existing edge is ground at a larger angle than the Sharpmaker, and you're going to have to remove a lot of metal to change the profile of the knife to match the Sharpmaker. With a perfect secondary bevel to sharpener match, the marker will be removed along the entire secondary bevel. If the marker is removed only along the very very edge of the secondary bevel, then the sharpmaker is set at a larger angle than the grind of the knife, and it should sharpen up pretty quickly.

If anyone wants to jump in with constructive (or destructive) criticism of the above explanation, feel free. :D
 
I use stones and don't use the sharp thingy, but from reading about it they supply you with a video on how to use it. I know this is against the rule of "Guy Stuff", but have you tried reading the directions, or watching the video? I find it strange that you have the thing and a POS knife to practice on and you’re on the computer. When I was a kid my father would periodically ask to see my knife. If it weren’t sharp and clean he would take it away for a few days. He only did it once and then I carried a small whetstone with me all the time…and used it. I’ve probably worn out a dozen pocket stones since having that ingrained in me at around 7 years old.
 
Piney said:
I use stones and don't use the sharp thingy, but from reading about it they supply you with a video on how to use it. I know this is against the rule of "Guy Stuff", but have you tried reading the directions, or watching the video? I find it strange that you have the thing and a POS knife to practice on and you’re on the computer. When I was a kid my father would periodically ask to see my knife. If it weren’t sharp and clean he would take it away for a few days. He only did it once and then I carried a small whetstone with me all the time…and used it. I’ve probably worn out a dozen pocket stones since having that ingrained in me at around 7 years old.
Click to expand...



First of all, I'm not seven years old, my Father's dead, and he wouldn't care if my knife was sharp or not.

Second, it might be a little more noticeable here in the office if I set up a knife sharpener on my desk, instead of popping onto the internet to chat for a minute.
 
So sue me, I missed your age by a few years we can’t all be perfect. Oh that’s right you aren’t yet either, at least till you learn how to sharpen a knife.
 
those crappy knives can definitely be sharpened. they just won't keep that edge very long. i've got a couple real skanky knives that are razor-sharp!

abe m.
 
Shann said:
I just got a sharpmaker, and was going to practice on a cheap folder that is stamped "pakistan" and "stainless". Can a sharpmaker "sharpen" pretty much any knife to a decent edge.

(I know that an expert with a belt sander and grinder could take anything and give it a sharp edge)


For purposes of my practice, I don't really care about its ability to hold an edge, just whether I will be able to sharpen it up if I use the Sharpmaker correctly.
Click to expand...

Sharpmaker will work fine with two caveats.

The first has been gone over well be FoxholeAtheist ^^^.

The second is the tip. If you are not careful you will wipe out the blade tip. When you move the blade down on a sharpening stroke, it is important to make sure you do not run the blade off the edge.

If you do, before you can say " Vote for Kerry" you will have rounded over the tip and possibly ruined your blade. Take great care until you understand the principle of this sharpening device.
 
I would definitely give that question a NO! I mean, you would probalby get it sharp, but not not really sharp. I guess it all depends on the steel and the angle. I find some steels roll so easily and are so "gummy", that I am not able to cut off the burr or roll the edge while sharpening. I don't know if that is even the real reason. Ask Cliff Stamp or Jeff Clark they might know. If you increase the angle drastically, you should be able to get a decent edge on most steels.

in this thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314467
Jeff Clark expressed just how much he likes to sharpen a cheap blade steel ;) ...and I totally agree. :barf:
 
I've sharpened a few Pakistani knives on my Sharpmaker, and it works just fine. Just be aware that the soft stainless they make 'em out of may "clog up" the ceramic stones faster than a properly hardened blade. That's what I found, anyway. So if it quickly feels like the stones aren't cutting, give 'em a good scrubbing.
 
I hadn't thought about that, Grover, but you're absolutely right. I keep a scotchbright pad and comet handy for longer sharpening sessions, and scrub off the stones after they start looking especially "sparkly" along the edge.

On the other hand, you could always follow my philosophy:

"Life is too short to sharpen cheap knives."

:D
 
Life is too short to sharpen cheap knives."

Truer words were never spoken. Trash that blade and go shopping.

I watched the 1/2 hour video that comes with the new Sharpmaker last week. It is like an info-mercial but for the novice worth the 30 min. Sal does the demo for two shills who want to know about sharpening. At the end are a couple of first rate short Spyderco TV type commercials.
 
Piney said:
So sue me, I missed your age by a few years we can’t all be perfect. Oh that’s right you aren’t yet either, at least till you learn how to sharpen a knife.
Click to expand...


Not even close. I'm all thumbs. The only reason I even have all my thumbs is that I can't get a knife sharp :cool:
 
I had no problem in putting a shaving edge to some POS knives, but it really doesn't worth the effort. The damn thing wouldn't hold a decent edge for 10 minutes of serious cutting.
For practice, it's OK though. You will learn to control the movement of your hand and to "feel" the the touch on stones.
BTW, the clogged stones can be wiped with a pencil eraser, works fast and efficient.
 
Every knife can be sharpen but not all can be call a success. Some will not stay sharp long enough. Some are a waste of time and energy. If you discuss with the good peoples here long enough, you'll find out.

kee ;)
 
Well, after working away at the Sharpmaker with a really cheesy knife, I gave up; it really wasn't worth it. As people mentioned.

I then worked on several other knives and had much better success. I wouldn't say any of the edges are great, but all are much sharper than I have ever been able to get a knife. All of them went to a very usable sharp edge. It was very easy too. I am very happy with my purchase. If I can use a Sharpmaker, it is pretty much idiot proof.

thanks.
 
There you go Shann, keep it up. You will soon be responding with sarcastic comebacks to the people that post similar threads.
 
Shann - I have one of those "Cali-legal" 2-inch automatic blades that I keep in my shop for cutting tube, wires, junk, etc. I had a hard time keeping a decent edge on it with stones...and was resigned to let it just sit in a corner and be forgotten (after the cutesy novelty of it wore off). Then, for the heck of it, I decided to put a small convex edge on it and oila!...it stays sharp now. I guess it's like another person said about increasing the angle (the convex edge I put on it is small, but obtuse). Just make it "wide" - sharpen at 25 degrees each side. Seems to be ok despite being POS steel. And boy is it handy. :D LOL....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top