When I get it I'm going to sharpen a 8Cr13MoV blade and a 1095 High Carbon blade.Is there any technique I should use between the differing steels or should I use the same pressure and amount of strokes for both? Is 1095 harder than 8Cr13MoV? How long does it take to get a reasonable utility edge when useing a sharpmaker?
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Getting a Spyderco Sharpmaker soon.Any suggested techniques?
- Thread starter initb2009
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You don't sharpen knives by some prescribed number of strokes. There are hundreds of variables that you will never know that effect how honing will progress. You always hone a little, see how much more you need to go, hone some on the other side so that your bevel is symmetrical, and look to see how much more you have to go. While 1095 steel is likely to be harder than 8Cr13MoV that doesn't tell the whole story. The Chrome, Molybdenum, and Vanadium in the 8Cr13MoV make it resist honing even at lower hardness numbers. So already we get into vague territory of hardness vs wear resistance.
Your first consideration is likely to be what angle your knives were honed to when you start out. It will take a lot of work if you try and go to a lower angle than you started with. I would color the sides of your edges with a dark permanent marker (such as a Sharpee) and try the two different Sharpmaker honing angles. For your first experience you want to work with the angle that takes the ink off at the edge rather than back away from the edge. If both angles take off ink right at the edge use the lower "30-Degree" slots. If neither takes off ink right at the edge go easy on yourself and hone with the "40-Degree" slots.
Do all of your sharpening using the darker "medium grit" rods until your knives are sharp. The white rods should only be used briefly as a finishing step. Do all serious work with the medium rods. If your edge is extremely dull (if you can see a significant reflection off a flat surface when you look straight edge-on at the blade) then you can use moderately high pressure strokes on the edges of your triangular rods. Once that obvious dullness goes away you need to apply less pressure. If your blade is not serrated switch to the flats of the medium rods at this point and soft honing pressure. With serrations you need to keep using the edges of the rods and you need to switch to extremely light pressure immediately (the edges of the honing rods concentrate the force and easily breakdown the material at the edge).
Once the blade seems sharp to the eye and easily slices paper reduce your pressure to a truly light caress. Then do a few strokes at a slightly higher ange. You can do this by switching from the 30-degree slots to the 40-degree slots or just by tilting your wrist a little left when you hone the right side and a little right when you hone the left side. At this time you may move on to the white rods. With serrations move on to the edges of the white rods. With a smooth edge switch from the flats of the medium rods to using the flats of the white rods. Use extremely light strokes at the same angles you left off with on the medium rods.
The length of time it takes is highly variable. If your blade is not visibly dull to start off with and you match the prior honing angle or hone at a slightly higher angle it might take 5 or 10 minutes. If the angle are extremely off or the knife is extremely dull it could take over an hour. With extremely dull knives you might want to clip some 120 grit Wet or Dry sandpaper to your rods to do some bulk material removal. The medium rods only cut about as fast as 600 to 1000 grit sand paper.
Your first consideration is likely to be what angle your knives were honed to when you start out. It will take a lot of work if you try and go to a lower angle than you started with. I would color the sides of your edges with a dark permanent marker (such as a Sharpee) and try the two different Sharpmaker honing angles. For your first experience you want to work with the angle that takes the ink off at the edge rather than back away from the edge. If both angles take off ink right at the edge use the lower "30-Degree" slots. If neither takes off ink right at the edge go easy on yourself and hone with the "40-Degree" slots.
Do all of your sharpening using the darker "medium grit" rods until your knives are sharp. The white rods should only be used briefly as a finishing step. Do all serious work with the medium rods. If your edge is extremely dull (if you can see a significant reflection off a flat surface when you look straight edge-on at the blade) then you can use moderately high pressure strokes on the edges of your triangular rods. Once that obvious dullness goes away you need to apply less pressure. If your blade is not serrated switch to the flats of the medium rods at this point and soft honing pressure. With serrations you need to keep using the edges of the rods and you need to switch to extremely light pressure immediately (the edges of the honing rods concentrate the force and easily breakdown the material at the edge).
Once the blade seems sharp to the eye and easily slices paper reduce your pressure to a truly light caress. Then do a few strokes at a slightly higher ange. You can do this by switching from the 30-degree slots to the 40-degree slots or just by tilting your wrist a little left when you hone the right side and a little right when you hone the left side. At this time you may move on to the white rods. With serrations move on to the edges of the white rods. With a smooth edge switch from the flats of the medium rods to using the flats of the white rods. Use extremely light strokes at the same angles you left off with on the medium rods.
The length of time it takes is highly variable. If your blade is not visibly dull to start off with and you match the prior honing angle or hone at a slightly higher angle it might take 5 or 10 minutes. If the angle are extremely off or the knife is extremely dull it could take over an hour. With extremely dull knives you might want to clip some 120 grit Wet or Dry sandpaper to your rods to do some bulk material removal. The medium rods only cut about as fast as 600 to 1000 grit sand paper.
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I don't count my strokes either.
I start on the coarse rods with about as much pressure as it takes to slice an apple. All the while gradually let the pressure ease. By the time I'm on the ceramic flats I use about the pressure it takes to make a mark with a pencil. Once it's sharp then I pass the blade a few times with as much pressure as a brush stroke--soft but steadily--to align the burr. I also use some cardboard or my belt and drag the bevel backwards across it for the same purpose.
If you want to sharpen the tip then be very gentle; if you drag the tip off with too much pressure you'll dull it instead. On the corners, just let off the pressure and only make contact with the corner as you quickly pull the knife straight back. On the flats, try to end your stroke with the tip on the center of the rod.
I go about 2 seconds per stroke which isn't too fast but still steady and smooth.
I start on the coarse rods with about as much pressure as it takes to slice an apple. All the while gradually let the pressure ease. By the time I'm on the ceramic flats I use about the pressure it takes to make a mark with a pencil. Once it's sharp then I pass the blade a few times with as much pressure as a brush stroke--soft but steadily--to align the burr. I also use some cardboard or my belt and drag the bevel backwards across it for the same purpose.
If you want to sharpen the tip then be very gentle; if you drag the tip off with too much pressure you'll dull it instead. On the corners, just let off the pressure and only make contact with the corner as you quickly pull the knife straight back. On the flats, try to end your stroke with the tip on the center of the rod.
I go about 2 seconds per stroke which isn't too fast but still steady and smooth.
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With 1095, easy does it with the pressure. Carbon steels can get a wire edge with a lot of lateral pressure during sharpening. It's just more work to get one off than to prevent one.
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System comes with instruction book and DVDThey come with DVD's now?