- Joined
- Apr 6, 2016
- Messages
- 39
I bought this setup some time ago and finally got around (yesterday) to watching the instructional video (available on YouTube) as well as some other videos. So far I am amazed by this device.
I began with a guinea pig knife. A horrible "Smith and Wesson" aka Taylor Cutlery thing that I have been hoping to wreck or loose for some time. It was quick work for the clueless (me) to put a pretty good edge on this knife. Now it is actually dangerous, especially given that the liner lock usually doesn't lock up.
I have to say that I don't know how anyone can sharpen knives without a sharpie and some kind of magnification. Because of another hobby, I have a good binocular microscope right at hand. It was easy to see just where the stones are working the blade in this way. Without knowing you could waste a lot of time and/or never get results.
When I began with this awful knife, I tried the 30 degree setting and could see I was only working the shoulder of the original bevel way back from the edge. So I would either have to reprofile the blade or use a steeper setting. The 40 degree setup worked the edge and did the job.
Another note on the sharpie. You don't need to paint the whole edge (unless you are trying to debug your technique or ensure you are working the tip or some such). Just painting a short section is enough to verify what angle you want to use. Honestly after a bit of study you could use a magnifier to tell where the new scratches are showing up without the sharpie.
Then I pulled out a Benchmade 930 with S30V that has always been absurdly dull. I expected the worse in every way (but was pleasantly surprised). Again, the 30 degree setting is working back on the shoulder of the factory bevel. But I decide to dive in and reprofile this blade. I have the diamond rods I ordered with the Sharpmaker. New and never used.
I unwrap them and install them so I will cut on the flats, not the edges. It seems to me that since we are doing bulk material removal here, this is the thing to do. I use a pretty light pressure and after maybe 30 passes, holy cow -- I am cutting all the way to the edge. She is done in less than 5 minutes! People say they have spent hours doing this.
Incidently the Spyderco diamond rods seem to be about 220 grit. I compared them to some 180 and 400 diamond plates I have on hand using the microscope and the Spyderco rods are "in between" and closer to the 180. But I am not complaining given how quickly they did the job.
Now it is on to finishing up the 930.
I began with a guinea pig knife. A horrible "Smith and Wesson" aka Taylor Cutlery thing that I have been hoping to wreck or loose for some time. It was quick work for the clueless (me) to put a pretty good edge on this knife. Now it is actually dangerous, especially given that the liner lock usually doesn't lock up.
I have to say that I don't know how anyone can sharpen knives without a sharpie and some kind of magnification. Because of another hobby, I have a good binocular microscope right at hand. It was easy to see just where the stones are working the blade in this way. Without knowing you could waste a lot of time and/or never get results.
When I began with this awful knife, I tried the 30 degree setting and could see I was only working the shoulder of the original bevel way back from the edge. So I would either have to reprofile the blade or use a steeper setting. The 40 degree setup worked the edge and did the job.
Another note on the sharpie. You don't need to paint the whole edge (unless you are trying to debug your technique or ensure you are working the tip or some such). Just painting a short section is enough to verify what angle you want to use. Honestly after a bit of study you could use a magnifier to tell where the new scratches are showing up without the sharpie.
Then I pulled out a Benchmade 930 with S30V that has always been absurdly dull. I expected the worse in every way (but was pleasantly surprised). Again, the 30 degree setting is working back on the shoulder of the factory bevel. But I decide to dive in and reprofile this blade. I have the diamond rods I ordered with the Sharpmaker. New and never used.
I unwrap them and install them so I will cut on the flats, not the edges. It seems to me that since we are doing bulk material removal here, this is the thing to do. I use a pretty light pressure and after maybe 30 passes, holy cow -- I am cutting all the way to the edge. She is done in less than 5 minutes! People say they have spent hours doing this.
Incidently the Spyderco diamond rods seem to be about 220 grit. I compared them to some 180 and 400 diamond plates I have on hand using the microscope and the Spyderco rods are "in between" and closer to the 180. But I am not complaining given how quickly they did the job.
Now it is on to finishing up the 930.
