I'm going to spend $200 on a sharpener... tell me what to buy

BePrepared

BePrepared

Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
4,441
i have absolutely ZERO skill. I have ruined knives before trying to sharpen them. I can't seem to make a lansky sharpener work.

I need something that will put a razor sharp edge on my knives without any real skill on my part.

I am a sharpening MORON, so please keep that in mind with your recommendations

thanks :)
 
The Spyderco Sharpmaker is pretty straightforward and easy to use. The main thing with sharpening by hand is to do it slowly and don't get distracted. Always be aware of what you're doing and don't rush, it takes more time and steel to fix a mistake.
 
BePrepared said:
i have absolutely ZERO skill.
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Welcome to my world. I can get a knife sharp with sandpaper, but thats about it. I have never been able to get a good edge, even with a Sharpmaker which everyone else says is easy to use.

What turned me from zero to hero was the Edge Pro Apex. It pretty much removes the opportunity for human error. If you want a sick, mirrored edge, trust me on this one. Its not cheap, but life is too short to carry a dull knife.

IMG_0360.jpg
 
That edge sure looks nice... much better than anything i've ever been able to put on a knife

i guess the real question is, could i make that happen?
 
BePrepared said:
i guess the real question is, could i make that happen?
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Watch the video of him explaining and showing you how to do it.
[video=youtube;CY6DJ0PQxyA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY6DJ0PQxyA[/video]
You should be able to answer that question for yourself.
 
Its not ya'll not being able to put a good edge on the sharpmaker. Its the bad bevels that about every production knife comes with. It took me awhile to figure this out. I learned it from the marker trick. Rather than a single spot per side. I marked the whole bevel on both sides, and very quickly you see the uneven and poor factory edges on your knives that stop any chance of hitting the edge. The sharpmaker taught me a very valuable lesson in sharpening. What looks even and good to my eye typically isn't and it takes a long time to reprofile bad and uneven bevels. I mean a long time using the sharpmaker even wth the diamond rods.

So now I use dmt diamond diafolds rubberbanded to the sharpmaker ceramic rods to reprofile not so bad ones. Can't remember the gentleman's name who posted this idea. Thank you Sir, though. The belt sander gets used on terrible ones.

So to sum up its not so much ya'll, its those uneven and bad bevels from the factory, more often than not. The skill is adjusting the angle of the knife to hit the edge, or reprofiling.

That said if i was gonna invest some big bucks I prefer that wicked edge deal to the apex. On the surface it looks more dummy proof, and that's important to me.

Edit:shouldn't this thread be in the sharpening forum?
 
practice makes perfect, use the Lanksy stones as benchstones with a cloth underneath,this way Im used to small stones for field use and still gets my blades hair-whittling sharp
 
Sounds to me like you need a really high speed belt grinder and some very aggressive grit belts.

I'm just kidding.

Sounds like you need to be mentored with someone who knows how to sharpen, so you can learn.

Andy
 
Spend $55-$60 on a basic Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker - the remainder of your two big bills can go towards another nice knife!

Stainz
 
I don't have one myself YET but I plan on getting a Worksharp K&T sharpener. I have seen some pics of the work that it does here on the forums, plus I have seen them for $70-$100 depending on the site/store. Its like a mini belt grinder with idiot proof guides that will give you a mirrored convex edge that is shaving sharp in no time. That's just my two sense but you should do a search and check out some of the reviews and decide for yourself. If you go that way you will still have at least $100 to spend on more steel or something else, good luck!
 
InquisitorLord said:
I don't have one myself YET but I plan on getting a Worksharp K&T sharpener. I have seen some pics of the work that it does here on the forums, plus I have seen them for $70-$100 depending on the site/store. Its like a mini belt grinder with idiot proof guides that will give you a mirrored convex edge that is shaving sharp in no time. That's just my two sense but you should do a search and check out some of the reviews and decide for yourself. If you go that way you will still have at least $100 to spend on more steel or something else, good luck!
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now that impresses me even more than the wicked edge gadget and the edge pro apex. that is one good idea. thank you Sir, for the tip. i didn't explore the site enough to see it all, but i watched a video on their site. looks like the dummy proof guide does 50 or so degree inclusive and 40 degrees inclusive? it would be great if they came up with or have? more adpaters to handle more angle choices. i think i am going to have to invest in one of these, just to see for myself. thanks again, Sir, for the tip.
 
I'm a fan of the Sharpmaker, although I'd HIGHLY recommend getting the diamond and UF rods. Most of the problems you may have with the Sharpmaker would be because the edge needs to be re-profiled, and it takes forever on the gray rods. Diamond rods will get you there more quickly. All you have to do is keep the spine vertical.

The Wicked Edge looks pretty easy too. BePrepared, what happened with the WorkSharp? I was thinking about picking one up to get some initial bevels on my own project knives.
 
be VERY careful with the tip of your knife on a worksharp...i used one on my first Kershaw Needs work... it rounded the tip like a butter knife

the slotted guides aren't very good... not sure how to describe it, but i don't think the design is foolproof, as this fool screwed it up

it will put a shaving edge on my machettes and tomahawks though
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
Sounds like you need to be mentored with someone who knows how to sharpen, so you can learn.
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This is the best advice.
Or, get a hold of a sacrificial knife and a quality bench stone and practice, practice, practice.

If you hunt, fish, or use your knives outdoors, a bench stone allows easy sharpening anywhere.
How are you going to set up a whiz-bang sharpening gizmo on the ground next to a partially dressed animal to re-edge your knife? Plus, a bench stone carries with ease, unlike the myriad of parts and pieces that whiz-bang gizmos consist of.
 
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