I really suck at Sharpening HELP!

K

Knife11

Joined
Feb 13, 2001
Messages
750
I let a trucker borrow my 730 M2 to try to cut his blown tire from the rim...needless to say it dulled the blade. So I got out my sharpmaker and went to work with the darker ceramic stones once I thought that the blade was comming along (looked like the steel was getting sharp)I swiched to the white stones... Now I wathed the video and I read the book tha comes with it and I think I'm doing it right but when I got all done the blade was about as sharp as an old bannana!!! :confused:

(gets on his knees) please save me from myself! I don't know what I'm doing wrong here :( :( :(

Thanks!
 
knife11--read the sharpening FAQ, and for some info on using the Sharpmaker, check this article on sharpening the Benchmade 710

In a nutshell, the trick with the Sharpmaker (or any other sharpening system for that matter) is to sharpen one side of the edge until you raise a burr, or wire edge. You should be able to feel this as a tiny ridge by running your thumbnail or fingernail from the spine towards the edge on the opposite side of blade from where you are sharpening. Once you have raised a burr along the entire edge, switch sides and sharpen until you form a burr on the opposite side. This ensures that you have sharpened until the two angles meet to form the edge. Once you have done this, sharpen both sides of the edge alternately, using decreasing amounts of pressure until the burr is removed. You can sometimes remove the burr by angling the knife away from the sharpmaker rod by a few degrees and taking some really gentle strokes, usually just with the weight of the blade itself. Hope this makes sense-- it's explained far better in the links I posted.
--Josh
 
If your blade is really dull, it will take a while to get the M2 back to a good edge. You really should stick to using one side at a time until you reach the edge and create a burr along the entire edge on the opposite side. Then you switch to the other side and do the same until you get a burr back on the entire length of the original side. Then proceed like you would normally do with alternating strokes and going to the white stones. Give this a try, but remember it will take a while to get good if really dull.

Mike
 
M2 is hard to get dull, but it's even harder to sharpen. Josh and Medic1210 are giving you good advice to raise and gently grind away burrs. You'll actually sharpen it faster that way.
 
Blacken the sides of your edge with felt pen. Try sharpening. See if you are removing material up to the edge. On M2 it may take hours to get there using a ceramic hone. Don't even think of using the white rods until the knife feels sharp with the medium rods. You may want to get a medium to coarse diamond hone to get you there quicker. I would use my belt sander.
 
I guess this is why Spyderco came out with the 204D diamond triangle stones. I think you have to use something similar to reprofile the edges. Then use the mediums to get a burr.
 
I know little to nothing about knife sharpening. I recently baught a lansky deluxe for $45 and have no problem getting a razor edge on all my knives. I never used the sharpmake but i suggest buying a lansky.
 
I'm not sure what the problem is I tried the felt marker trick...It seemed like non of the marker was comming off at the 40 degree setting but it did come off at the 30 degree seting... What does this mean do benchmades come with a 30 degree edge instead of 40???

My knife is still as sharp as a wet noodle after about a half hour of good sharpening :confused:

What should I do?
 
Hmmmm... it's really hard to diagnose sharpening problems over the internet:D

When you use the 30 degree setting on the Sharpmaker, is it taking the magic marker off right next to the edge, the shoulder between the primary and secondary grinds, or is it removing the marker evenly from the entire edge? Are you getting any kind of a burr?
--Josh
 
Knife,

Go to Harbor Freight and buy some of there cheap diamond hones, they cost about 7 bucks.
Get the course one I think it is red in color, and tape just a little bit on the top and bottom to the flat of your spyderco sharpener.
Now sharpen one side till you feel a burr on the opposite side.
Flip everything around and do the other side, until you feel a burr

Then go back to the first side and just do a few strokes.
Now take the gizmo apart and use the dark stones on the Spyderco sharpener and work you way done to the finer ones.

This is a real cheap way of doing it I know. But I done it on a few knifes and it works and I didnt spend 50 or 60 bucks for the diamond sleeves.
I admit I am a cheapskate .

I have also done this with my lansky and its also worked. I then finish up with my spyderco.

I like doing it with the Lansky sharpener. I got 2 diamond hones permantly attached to to rod set up for the lansky.

But you can do it with the Spyderco. The whole key is keeping the same angle, and if you are not experienced in sharpening on a flat hone then this is the best way to go.

good luck
Jack
 
Originally posted by DgrantD
40 degree angle!!!!:eek: :eek:
Click to expand...

I know Spyderco recommends using only the 30 degree for back beveling, but some knives come with a 30 degree edge. I think some of the newer Benchmades are coming with the 30 degree edge.

Knife11, if you are removing more marker with the 30 degree setting, then using the 40 degree setting is only going to be hitting the edge, so it might not look like much marker is being removed. Try the 40 degree for a while, only stroking one side. Then check for a burr on the other side. Don't quit until you get a burr along the entire edge. Then repeat with the other side to work the burr off. Your knife will seem sharp if the burr is straight, but this is kind of like a false edge, meaning it will fold over with light use and seem to dull extremely fast. This is called a wire edge. Your knife isn't truly sharp until you completely remove that burr. Once the burr is present, it might be easier for you to strop it off with a good piece of leather or cardboard with polishing compound. Unfortunately, M2 seems to be harder than most other steels to remove that burr, so it might take a good bit of work on your part. Stick with it.

Mike
 
Well I brought the sharpener home and spent a long long time with the darker ceramic sharpener stone... Umm a LONG time I eventually got a burr then I repeated for the second side... After that I did like the directions said I think that I got it fairly sharp I'll test it tomorrow...

Thanks all!!!
 
You should learn two things from this experience:
1-How to sharpen a knife. That blade is hard steel and is really dull. If you can sharpen it, you can sharpen almost any knife. It's too bad you didn't have a softer, cheaper knife to practice on first.
2-It's easier to dull a knife than it is to sharpen it. I would not use a good knife to remove a blown tire from a rim. I would use a cheap knife or a hack-saw (maybe even a tire iron). I don't use a good knife for frivolous or abusive cutting. It causes too much wear on the knife and it's too much work to sharpen it afterwards. I'm too lazy to spend all that time sharpening.
 
I agree about being too lazy to sharpen it after but the whole point of having tool steel is to use it in extreme ways...Cheap knives just break :p
 
Hell, you can either send it to a sharpening service for a few dollars. Find Ashes, she does it now...
 
Somewhat off topic but I'm curious as to how often knife users touch up their edges. Sure if you cut a tire off you're going to need to sharpen it but what about just normal everyday use? Do people stroke it daily or wait til it's really in need? I find I touch up my EDC on a ceramic rod every two to three days unless it saw some heavy usage. If I do some heavy cutting I use a diamond sharpener followed by the ceramic stick. Rarely do I have to go to a stone first. Is this a typical practice?
 
General touchup I use a steel and a strop. If these won't get it back to a razor, then I will touch up lightly on the white stones of my 204. If that won't work, the brown stones come out, but it would have to be something severe to have to go that far. I don't let my knives get dull. Chipped?...well sometimes $hit happens, so for that I use a diamond benchstone to reprofile the edge and grind the chips out. Then follow with the 204 and then the strop.

Mike
 
This is very important to get good performance out of ceramic stones. Because you are using them dry, a buildup of steel filings plugs up the pores of the stone. Its surprising how fast it happens with the finer grit stones.
This is really important if your trying to remove alot of material, they can still cut a little plugged up bit its going to take forever to get a dull edge back.

It should have instructions for cleaning the stones in the manual. I have a spyderco ceramic benchstone and it came with instructions any how. All you have to do is scrub the thing with scouring powder of some sort. It will not damage the stone and it will cut SO much better afterwards.
 
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