Can You Wear Out a Sharpmaker?

braillediver

braillediver

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Can you wear out the Sharpmaker Base?

I’ve got a 28 year old Spyderco Sharpmaker and was wondering if it’s time for a new one or advise on how to properly use it.

When sharpening my bevels look like a ✔️instead of a V. I’ve put the Sharpmaker on graph paper to help align my angles but it still results in a ✔️instead of a symmetrical V.

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I was wondering if one of the rod holders in the Base has worn enough that the angle’s changed? Or is my technique flawed?

The Sharmaker is from Nov 1989. It comes in a nylon pouch and has course diamond sleeves.

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Thanks Mitch
 
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I cannot see any photos pics.

The stones/rods can wear out but that doesn't sound like the problem. I think it would be hard to wear the base out.

There are two ways to get an eneven bevel like that. One is to have a different angle on each side. If you are at 15 degrees on one side and only 12 on the other your bevels will be like that. The other way is to have an offcenter bevel on it. By that I mean that when the bevel was created that more steel was removed from one side than on the other.

Knives can come from the factory with either or both of these problems. I have seen a knife that looked like it had even bevels but it was both uneven and off center. When I put even bevels on it the fact that it was off center became obvious.

I assume your issue is the first one and that you are not holding the knife at the same angle on each side.
 
I find putting the sharpamker on my kitchen table instead of my workbench or kitchen counter helps. It is a touch lower which gets me, and my eyes, higher up above it and looking down more. I think it helps with my angle. You just gotta find what helps you with alignment. For some it is a certain grip. For others it is body position.

Also, even if the base was off you should be able to adjust for that. I have maintained knives under 30 degrees by angling my hand a little. A sharpie is key here to help you find the angle. After a stone and a knife I find a sharpie to be the next most important piece of sharpening equipment.
 
I've had either the 203 or the 204 Sharpmaker since about 96. I probably got one of the very first models of the 204 Sharpmaker in the late 90s/ early 2000s. I currently own 2 of the 204 models and I also have several extra stones that you can buy extra for the unit.

Now about two years ago I did replace a set of medium/gray stones in the unit that I had since the late 90s/early 2000s>> but over time I really put those stones through a lot of hard use. The medium stones on that one set is all I've had to replace up till now.

Now I've had a set of the diamond stones that you can buy extra for the 204 unit and it seems like I might be replacing them sometime in the near future because they just don't seem to abrade like they used to. But other than those two minor problems I haven't had anything wear out or malfunction>> and please keep in mind that I use one of my 204 Sharpmaker units almost daily.

I have heard on one of the threads that the medium stones will indeed wear out over time but I've yet to hear Spyderco confirm that.
 
ceramics eventaully for sure. not exactly worn out just corners and flats worn out of shape. diamond types if used to hard will wear out.

the abs base on mine has stretched for a lack of a better term a bit and the angles are very slightly off. i just compensate my grip.
 
Well I tend to respectfully disagree with some of you guys. Because I believe at one time I even heard Sal Glesser himself say that the fine and ultra-fine stones would not wear out with normal use of knife and tool sharpening jobs>> but I did hear him say later on that the medium stones could wear out over time. And the only stone I ever wore out was my set of medium/gray stones. I still have the original fine and Ultra-fine stones that I bought extra in about 2002 and I've truly put those stones through a lot of hard use over the years. I'm still using those very stones to this day and both the fine and ultra-fine stones are still perfectly flat and still doing a great job>> but only replaced the medium stones once in that time period.

I think the wearing out of the medium stone was kind of out of my carelessness to a large degree. I had dropped those stones on a couple of occasions and even chipped them during cleaning at one point. But the fine and ultra-fine I've used just as much and I've not seen any significant wear which in a way surprises me because I have truly used the hell out of those 204 Sharpmaker ceramic stones.

Also I've never machined any of those stones or used lapping plates to flatten them. The only cleaning I've ever done has been with Bar Keeper's Friend and Scotchbrite pads and the stones cut/abrade just as good as new.
 
I was wondering about the Black Base and the Holes maintaining the proper angel on the ceramic rods.

How much left \ right wobble do you have with the ceramic rod and the base?
 
I don't use mine much, but the stones do fit in the base a bit loosely. It isn't a problem, since once the stone hits the bottom of the hole and lays against the outside edge, it stays there. If the angle changes when you run the knife down the stone, you are using WAY too much pressure.

The best SharpMaker advice I ever read was: Prop a mirror up behind the unit so you can see the blade from the tip end in reflection. You may find out you only think you are holding the centerline of the blade perpendicular to the base. That can be really hard to judge from behind, especially on a blade with a thick spine and full flat grind.
 
ndmiller said:
I'd give the stones a good cleaning and try all the options above.
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That's excellent advice>> because I clean my ceramic stones for the 204 sharpmaker after every two sharpenings. I know a lot of people would say that's overkill but it has advantages in that the stones abrade very consistently and uniformly. I find that when the stones get loaded with too much metal filings they just don't give you that edge with a really good bite anymore. I use Bar Keepers Friend cleanser that you can buy at any grocery and hardware store>> I've yet to find anything that works better for cleaning ceramic sharpening stones.
 
JD Spydo said:
I use Bar Keepers Friend cleanser that you can buy at any grocery and hardware store>> I've yet to find anything that works better for cleaning ceramic sharpening stones.
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+1 back at ya. The chemical in BKF loosens the metal off the surface being cleaned. Can use mixed with water in dry-paste--->watery slurry consistency with different results, I use sort of a mushy paste and scrub. BKF not very skin friendly so wear some gloves or they will peel a bit in a day or two. Get it in your eyes and you'll explode.....not really but will wish you did.
 
Try one of these if you really want to know what angles each side of your SM really is. Just make sure you're checking it on a level table or check the table first and add/subtract the table angle from the reading you take on each side of the SM.

I think I bought this one at Home Depot several years ago for less than $10. Digital angle finders are available too if you want to spend a little more money. The one shown below has served me well for years and I don't use it very often, so I haven't bothered to upgrade to digital.

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There are also several angle finder apps you can download to your phone. They seem to work pretty well. Just make sure your using a flat spot on the side of your phone where there are no buttons protruding.

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I've had a 203 SM for over 25 years that has some miles on it now. Both sides measure 21°. I honestly don't know if the angles have changed at all since new but both sides are the same so it's fine IMO. I have a new 204 SM and both sides are right at 20°.
 
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JD Spydo said:
Well I tend to respectfully disagree with some of you guys. Because I believe at one time I even heard Sal Glesser himself say that the fine and ultra-fine stones would not wear out with normal use of knife and tool sharpening jobs>> but I did hear him say later on that the medium stones could wear out over time. And the only stone I ever wore out was my set of medium/gray stones. I still have the original fine and Ultra-fine stones that I bought extra in about 2002 and I've truly put those stones through a lot of hard use over the years. I'm still using those very stones to this day and both the fine and ultra-fine stones are still perfectly flat and still doing a great job>> but only replaced the medium stones once in that time period.

I think the wearing out of the medium stone was kind of out of my carelessness to a large degree. I had dropped those stones on a couple of occasions and even chipped them during cleaning at one point. But the fine and ultra-fine I've used just as much and I've not seen any significant wear which in a way surprises me because I have truly used the hell out of those 204 Sharpmaker ceramic stones.

Also I've never machined any of those stones or used lapping plates to flatten them. The only cleaning I've ever done has been with Bar Keeper's Friend and Scotchbrite pads and the stones cut/abrade just as good as new.
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yeah wear out it wont. you are right, but the ceramics do lose shape from years of use. especially the edges and some of the flats. still usable though. the base does tend to lose a tiny bit of its precise angle least mine has not from hard pushing. ive reprofiled many knives over years on them its just normal wear and tear at worst but still completely usable. mines about a decade old now and still going strong with all original ceramics and diamonds, etc.
 
Thanks for the input. I think the chances of one base hole wearing noticeably more then the other unlikely. The stones are dirty but don't show any noticeable wear. So probably technique.

I'm thinking something like Parallax and how I'm viewing the blade angle from the left bevel to the right bevel. I'll try the mirror in front of the blade to verify angle mentioned above.
 
I used to get the same edges shown in the OP, after a lot of head scratching, blaming my technique and mucking around I found that my SM base is out of whack, so now I have to tilt it to get even edges. I checked this by using a sliding bevel, propping up the base till the stones were even and now I get nice even edges. Perhaps your's is the same?
 
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