I need help keeping my Edge..

Ares1307

Ares1307

Joined
Jun 14, 2012
Messages
545
I'm new to this forum and to Kershaw. I just bought a Scallion, Speed Bump, and ZT 350... They all have at least a moddest recurve. Ive had many knives before but none with a recurve and I don't want to ruin the blade by sharpening them wrong. I wanted to know how everyone else keeps they're edges on they're recurves and what they use. And in advance..Thank you all for any advice!

-Ares
 
What kind of sharpening stuff are you using? For stones, don't be afraid to use the corner a bit to get in there.
 
Ares1307 said:
They all have at least a moddest recurve.
Click to expand...

I don't own any recurve blade but I bet a Sharpmaker could take care of your blades no problem... as long as you don't need/want to reprofile the edge heavily. It could take a very long time even with the diamond coated rods. I also don't know if the angle of the Sharpmaker matches the stock angle of your edges.

Mikel
 
The sharpmaker would be great and they are very inexpensive compared to other top shelf systems. They can also be used to reprofile a blade by wrapping 150-220 grit sandpaper around the stones and staring there. I reprfiled my paramilitary 2 this way and it went very quickly.

I believe all ZT/Kershaws come with a 18-20 degree bevel from the factory.
 
Wow. Thanks guys. As for what I use... to be honest. Ive never used any kind of stone or anything. Ive only used those cheap little V shaped sharpeners which always worked for me.. But I wont touch my Kershaws with that. Thanks for all the feedback.

How easy is it to learn how to use a SharpMaker? I'll probably practice on my scallion. :D I Love the other blades too much to ruin.
 
It's very easy to get the hang of it. It's also pretty much fool proof. The sharpmaker comes with a very detailed instructional dvd and booklet. The dvd contents can also be found on youtube. Most people say you can get the hang of it in about 5-6 tries. If you get a sharpmaker you may want to supplement the purchase with some ultra fine rods and a leather strop. With these additional items you can get a hair whittling edge pretty easy. There are several other techniques besides the ones in the dvd, they are all pretty easy to master.

Here's a link to another thread that has some great videos about sharpmaker techniques.
 
Last edited:
WOW Thanks alot M4JOR TOM and everybody else for the great info. The sharpmaker will have to be my next investment! Thanks alot guys!
 
M4J0R T0M said:
...If you get a sharpmaker you may want to supplement the purchase with some ultra fine rods and a leather strop.
Click to expand...
AND a Sharpie! (or any other brand of felt tip pen for that matter). It will easily show if you are hitting the edge at the right angle or not. Just coat the entire edge of the knife to be sharpened with the pen. After a few passes with the stones, check the edge and the ink will be gone ONLY where the stone meets the metal. If you are grinding the shoulders only or the very edge only... the angle of your blade does not match the angle or your sharpening system... and needs to be adjusted (or reprofiled, or altogether).

Good luck!
Mikel
 
Thanks. That will help out alot. Im surprised how inexpensive the sharpmaker is. I also saw another system called a lansky kit.. any feedback on that? I just want to make sure I make the right purchase, this being my first Real knife sharpener and all. Thanks alot guys!!!
 
Sharpmaker is hard to beat. And by the way you can reprofile with it by simply taping some 120 or 240 grit sandpaper to the stones.
 
Ares1307 said:
...lansky kit.. any feedback on that?
Click to expand...

The whole point about the Sharpmaker is that the stones have three flat sides AND THREE USABLE CORNERS. If your blade is recurved, no flat stone will fit said recurve (no matter how narrow they are)... only the corners will. Our suggestion for the Sharpmaker was mainly because you could use those corners. The flats won't be of much help for the recurved blades.

The Lanksy system is a guided system that uses flat stones... so it won't work as well as the Sharpmaker. It will help maintaining the angle better than the sharpmaker on any other kind of blade you may have (because of the guides)...

My advice is to stick with the Sharpmaker.

Mikel
 
Mikel_24's advice is well worth following. Using a Sharpie on the blade surface is about as important to sharpening as an x-ray is to a doctor. It will tell you everything about what's going on between the blade and the sharpening implement. I still use the Sharpie even though I've been sharpening for about two years now and can pretty much tell when I'm screwing up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top