Good Alternative to Spyderco Sharpmaker?

D

Desertrobot

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Feb 26, 2016
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As I get more expensive knives I feel a lot less comfortable sharpening them on my crappy dual grit stone. I'd really like to get a Sharpmaker by Spyderco but they're a bit pricey.

Any other alternatives to the Sharpmaker that would be good for sharpening pocket knives? Preferably a sharpening rod system like the Sharpmaker but feel free to recommend any other sharpening systems.
 
Honestly, a couple of good benchstones and some practice would be the way to go......

I started with a cheap double sided stone many years ago, and my results where junk, but so where my skills.

I moved to an SM, and I got decent results, but I always felt I could do better.
It was a great tool in teaching me the fundamentals that would later help me when I decided to give stones another try.

I have never looked back.

The control you have over your edges, repairs, etc is something I would really miss if I used a "system"
 
If you think the Sharpmaker is expensive, you don't want to see my recommendations.
I'll be interested in what might people might suggest, though.
 
Spyderco makes a double-sided stone with the same ceramic used on the Sharpmaker. I love mine! It's not good for reprofiling though, get some DMT's for that:thumbup:
 
Blues Bender said:
Spyderco makes a double-sided stone with the same ceramic used on the Sharpmaker. I love mine! It's not good for reprofiling though, get some DMT's for that:thumbup:
Click to expand...

The Spyderco Double Stuff. Makes short work of getting your blade back up and running, but BB is right... you'll need to augment for re-profiling.
 
another vote for lansky. With it plus some patience and practice, I can make any of my folders mirror-polished and hair-popping.
 
Blues Bender said:
Spyderco makes a double-sided stone with the same ceramic used on the Sharpmaker. I love mine! It's not good for reprofiling though, get some DMT's for that:thumbup:
Click to expand...

I totally forgot I have a double stuff until I read your post LOL. Time to go find it, thx for the memory jog sir :thumbup: :D
 
I got the 4 rod turnbox and it works pretty well for EDC knives but the rods are short so longer blades are kinda tough to use on it. I'm eyeballing the master's edge.
 
A.G. Russell offers a 'Field Sharpener' that's more compact than the Sharpmaker, and also features a set of diamond rods in addition to the ceramics (all 4" rods). Only about $40 for the set:

ag3750.jpg


I have one of these, and have used it to re-bevel a few blades, including the S30V blade on a large Sebenza as a 'test subject' for the sharpener; diamond rods make this more realistically do-able. It's got one set angle, at 30° inclusive, which I think is ideal for most knives. If you're looking for a comparable system to the SM, it's a pretty decent option, especially considering the inclusion of the diamond rods for the money spent.


David
 
Desertrobot said:
As I get more expensive knives I feel a lot less comfortable sharpening them on my crappy dual grit stone. I'd really like to get a Sharpmaker by Spyderco but they're a bit pricey.

Any other alternatives to the Sharpmaker that would be good for sharpening pocket knives? Preferably a sharpening rod system like the Sharpmaker but feel free to recommend any other sharpening systems.
Click to expand...

My .02... you're into better "more expensive" knives, and your answer to sharpening is to buy the cheapest thing you can find?

Maybe skip the next knife, and invest in better sharpening equipment... perhaps something that you can fix a chip, repair a dulled tip, or reprofile a blade in a reasonable amount of time. A decent guided system, or even better benchstones if you're decent at freehand and just want better than what you have now. Not something as limiting as the Turnbox. I'm sure you can hone a decent edge onto a knife... but beyond that... :confused:

All depends on your needs... I just don't quite understand wanting better knives, but then not wanting a better way to maintain them.
 
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