Dodo and the Sharpmaker? I'm just on the fence.

MyLegsAreOk

MyLegsAreOk

Joined
Aug 31, 2017
Messages
607
I just don't know if using the sharpmaker for the dodo is the best. For one it's too easy, for second it sometimes gives a nice edge with a huge bur, but sometimes it doesn't. Does everyone use the sharpmaker for your dodo or should I be using rounded ceramic rods in the lansky :/ system or something. Should I be sending it in every few weeks? I don't know, I just take it to work and it shreds material but I look at it and go "ionno".

The other knife this applies to is the cricket.
 
I'd say the SM is one of the most ideal tools for recurve and specialty edges ever imagined. Having said that, I can't wait to take the Gauntlet for a spin!

Many times using the SM, I don't even form a burr. I know some guys would argue that I'm not hitting the apex-- that's cool. But my sharpie and my loupe tell a different tale ;).

I keep a very light touch with as close to zero side pressure on the rods as I can get. I've got one of my grandmother's old perfume atomizer bottles I spritz down the rods with Windex too. I think that helps...but it may just be the placebo effect. But in the final analysis, if I think it helps, it helps....make sense?

Burrs, when they happen, are easy enough to deal with-- just tilt the blade about double what angle you've been grinding on, on the burr side, and slice it down a couple *very light, as light as possible* strokes and PRESTO!... burr-b-gone. I like doing this with the Medium Rods, YMMV.

Keep your touch light to avoid microbevel, unless of course, that's what you're shooting for.

These tips I've learned from trial and error, and most importantly, learned from patient BB & forum members have helped me maintain scary sharp edges for decades now. :)
 
Last edited:
You know that was a bit of improvement. I was doing the cricket and dodo like the other knives, run it down the diamond, go up and down on one side then the other to create a bur, then go down one side then other in the brown, then white, then super fine white. Your method was a new take and kinda gave me a little better of an edge on these double recurve hawkbills. The windex was new too, interesting little trick that kept clean rods. I think it sure worked. Oh something interesting I found about the dodo, the CF and orange ones have two different grinds. Check it out!
Htz800L.jpg
 
I guess I'm just one of the fortunate few that stumbled onto what I believe is the ideal tool to sharpen the Dodo model. I got my first Dodo back when they were released in late 2003. Also at that time I got one of Spyderco's older but now discontinued "GALLEY V" sharpening kits that was put out by Spyderco and sold in the mid to late 90s. The stones that came with that kit were a "Cat's Eye" shaped stone which I quickly discovered were ideal for sharpening the Dodo model. Of course I'm speaking of the plain edged Dodo. Because in the early 2003 edition of the Dodo you could also get that model in full Spyderedge. And I've been lobbying Spyderco heavily to not only bring back the Dodo model but to bring them back in both edge types as well.

Now according to the news I got about a year ago Spyderco is in the process of making a new edition of the GALLEY V sharpening kit and they are going to use those "Cat's Eye" stones again. The contour of those Cat's Eye stones fit the curvature of the blade of the Dodo model near perfect for most of the sharpening that needs to be done. Those "Cat's Eye" stones along with an old discontinued set of Spyderco 701 Profiles are the only tools I use to sharpen my old blue PE Dodo model that I do use from time to time.
 
Fascinating, but yes the new sharpener models have that more sharp ended ovular shape do them.
 
Chris "Anagarika" said:
J JD Spydo

Can you share photos showing us how it really fits the recurve?
Click to expand...
Sorry at this time I don't due to being ravaged by medical costs I've incurred in the past two years. I don't currently own a digital camera. The stones of the old GALLEY V sharpening kit made by Spyderco in the 90s had stones that had the "Cat's Eye" shape and have convex contours on both sides. Sal Glesser said on the Spyderco.com forum a while back that they are close to releasing a new GALLEY V kit. And I believe that kit will have the same type of stones.
 
JD Spydo said:
Sorry at this time I don't due to being ravaged by medical costs I've incurred in the past two years. I don't currently own a digital camera. The stones of the old GALLEY V sharpening kit made by Spyderco in the 90s had stones that had the "Cat's Eye" shape and have convex contours on both sides. Sal Glesser said on the Spyderco.com forum a while back that they are close to releasing a new GALLEY V kit. And I believe that kit will have the same type of stones.
Click to expand...

Understand and hopefully someone who has it can share. Is it similar to “scythe stone” that @FortyTwoBlades shared on his video/website?
 
Chris "Anagarika" said:
Understand and hopefully someone who has it can share. Is it similar to “scythe stone” that @FortyTwoBlades shared on his video/website?
Click to expand...
When you lay that Scythe Stone flat it appears to have a side view of the "Cat's Eye" stones from the old Spyderco GALLEY V kit. One of the guys last night over at the Spyderco.com forum told me that Spyderco is most definitely going to release that new GALLEY V sharpening kit in the near future. He also said that the new unit would have stones that are somewhat shorter than the ones on the old GALLEY V kit. The older stones that I have are a bit over 12 inches long>> I think the newer ones are going to be about half that long from what I've been told. I just hope this time around they will be available in more grit selections. I also hope at some point they will also make the GOLDENSTONE in more grit selections as well. Because I've also found that GOLDENSTONE to be able to do good finish work on those curved bladed models like the Dodo. Just the FINE grit by itself isn't enough to do a thorough sharpening job in many cases.

But I've been using some diamond rods and my MEDIUM 701 PROFILE stone of Spyderco's to do the reprofiling on the Dodo blade if necessary. But the finish work that old GALLEY V stone does for a plain edged Dodo model gives fabulous results IMO.
 
This discussion now has me anxiously awaiting the new GALLEY V unit. Because I've found stones with curvature to work best on the Dodo model and most other Reverse S style blades as well. But I wouldn't rule out using the 204 Sharpmaker because decent results can be got with that tool as well. I wish I could find another Spyderedged version of the original 2003 Dodo model because I would make an EDC rotation folder out of it.

Also I wish Spyderco would consider making the Dodo in a bigger/larger scale. A Dodo model that would be double or 3 times the size of the original would really make for a great hard use knife in my opinion>> I would want to be the first to test drive one too.
 
I bought a pre-loved PE blue scaled Dodo. The blade was pretty dull and after a quick visit to the Sharpmaker, it got pretty damn nasty.

I'd still argue that the Sharpmaker is more of a Sharp Keeper, but in this case, it worked well.
 
JD Spydo said:
This discussion now has me anxiously awaiting the new GALLEY V unit. Because I've found stones with curvature to work best on the Dodo model and most other Reverse S style blades as well. But I wouldn't rule out using the 204 Sharpmaker because decent results can be got with that tool as well. I wish I could find another Spyderedged version of the original 2003 Dodo model because I would make an EDC rotation folder out of it.

Also I wish Spyderco would consider making the Dodo in a bigger/larger scale. A Dodo model that would be double or 3 times the size of the original would really make for a great hard use knife in my opinion>> I would want to be the first to test drive one too.
Click to expand...
Ya it's a great work knife. I use the orange one for work and the blade design does excellent task in like an extra finger, for all kinds of stuff. It has a hawkbill, recuves, and swedge. On top of that it's in s30v. It's great for everything but destroying piles of boxes, that's a PM/Manix job.

Kreyzhorse said:
I bought a pre-loved PE blue scaled Dodo. The blade was pretty dull and after a quick visit to the Sharpmaker, it got pretty damn nasty.

I'd still argue that the Sharpmaker is more of a Sharp Keeper, but in this case, it worked well.
Click to expand...
Ya I agree that it does the job. Thing is I have a wicked edge and take my more straight geometry blades to it. The keen edge is different. I find more of what seems to be a working bezel when it comes to the dodo and cricket on the sharpmaker. It's hard to describe and maybe you can make it out in my image. I will agree with the "sharpkeeper" moniker to the sharpmaker too, even with the diamond and boron rods which I have it seems to spruce up your edge not give you a new one. It does a darn good job at it too.
 
Kreyzhorse said:
I bought a pre-loved PE blue scaled Dodo. The blade was pretty dull and after a quick visit to the Sharpmaker, it got pretty damn nasty.

I'd still argue that the Sharpmaker is more of a Sharp Keeper, but in this case, it worked well.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree with you more Kreyzhorse. I've said for years that the unit should have been named "The Sharp-Maintainer" instead of the Sharpmaker. But now that the diamond and CBN stones are available it is a little better in that regard. I've often wondered why they don't make or provide at least one "coarse" or "extra-coarse" stone to go with the 204 Sharpmaker kit.

Also I would like to see the 204 Sharpmaker modified to where it could accept on of the convex stones like the ones out of the old GALLEY V kit or even an oval shaped stone for blades like the Dodo model.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top