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

Sharpmaker is pretty portable, honestly. I usually do my initial bevels on the belt sander and touch up with the sharpmaker rods and strops at this point. But I started a sharpening noob, and now I can put a shaving edge on all of my blades.
 
Forget the sharpmaker. I can sharpen free hand better then I can with it. My edges are okay with the sharpmaker but not great. I find it awkward to use.
 
BePrepared said:
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
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there is a way to not have the point rounded off isn't there? i just read through a long thread about this contraption and how to not round off the point.

anyways....i kinda like this setup/machine for reprofiling which is truly the only thing i dislike doing when it comes to sharpening a tool. i do it now freehand on a belt sander.. i have been thinking of some way to make a guide to simplify it, and this prodcut does excatly that, or so it seems from the videos i saw. after that, i use the sharpmaker once the bevels are even and useable with a stick style sharpener. trust me it's the bad uneven factory bevels on pick your brand name knife, that make using any sharpening device like a sharpmaker not seem to work.
 
jbmonkey said:
i use the sharpmaker once the bevels are even and useable with a stick style sharpener. trust me it's the bad uneven factory bevels on pick your brand name knife, that make using any sharpening device like a sharpmaker not seem to work.
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This is false. The fact that only a tiny amount of edge area is in contact with a crock stick at any one time allows contact pressure to vary wildly. Most also apply less pressure toward the tip to avoid having the knife wrap around the stick and migrate to the other side at the end of the stroke; which in turn results in the tip area being dull.

There's no disputing that perfectly symmetrical bevels are more appealing to the eye, but even bevels don't amount to squat when it comes to actual use.
Knives with asymmetrical and chisel grinds are proof of this.
 
Buck_110 said:
This is false. The fact that only a tiny amount of edge area is in contact with a crock stick at any one time allows contact pressure to vary wildly. Most also apply less pressure toward the tip to avoid having the knife wrap around the stick and migrate to the other side at the end of the stroke; which in turn results in the tip area being dull.
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some do and some don't(meaning apply less pressure towards the tip)....so be it. same could be said of using a benchstone or any type of pull across, push across sharpener system, couldn't it?

There's no disputing that perfectly symmetrical bevels are more appealing to the eye, but even bevels don't amount to squat when it comes to actual use.
Knives with asymmetrical and chisel grinds are proof of this.
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i think you missed what i am saying, or i typed it very poorly? either way.... let me try to clarify.... if you want to sharpen your edge/secondary bevel on your knife at the 40 degrees inclusive, but the shoulder/primary bevel/pick the correct term if i missed it..... is wider than 40 degrees either in some spots or the whole edge. you end up hitting the shoulder, not the edge. i've seen uneven primary bevels on just about every production knife i own, that lead to exactly what i am saying. not hitting the edge. hence allot of people get frustrated and give up not realizing this is occuring.

maybe i am using all wrong terms? if so i apologize, i've never been good at correct terms.
 
you have it right jb, an uneven bevel needs to be reground to effectively sharpen it. asymmetrical and uneven are two different things with edges
 
jbmonkey said:
some do and some don't(meaning apply less pressure towards the tip)....so be it. same could be said of using a benchstone or any type of pull across, push across sharpener system, couldn't it?
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No. The contact patch on a bench stone is tremendous compared to crock sticks.

jbmonkey said:
i think you missed what i am saying, or i typed it very poorly? either way.... let me try to clarify.... if you want to sharpen your edge/secondary bevel on your knife at the 40 degrees inclusive, but the shoulder/primary bevel/pick the correct term if i missed it..... is wider than 40 degrees either in some spots or the whole edge. you end up hitting the shoulder, not the edge.
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This is due to the fact that manufacturers do not edge their knives with crock sticks. Bench stones are limited only by user ability. Sharpening contraptions are limited by user ability as well, but more so by their poor overall design. The promise of sharpening ease is more promise than ease.
 
hardheart said:
you have it right jb, an uneven bevel needs to be reground to effectively sharpen it. asymmetrical and uneven are two different things with edges
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How so? An asymmetrical edge has uneven side to side bevels.
A convex edge is rarely perfectly even from side to side, yet it's one of the most universal edges; uneven and all.
Uneven bevels don't preclude a knife from being effectively sharpened; at least not by leading edge strokes on a bench stone.
 
Uneven along the length, where you miss the edge in spots if you hold a consistent angle.
Also, a fixed angle sharpener doesn't do you any good when the angle changes from side to side either. You have to reset the bevel to the desired angle, or you don't sharpen the edge. IE, A sharpmaker in the 20 degree slot is great for your knife with the right hand bevel at 20 degrees, but it does you no good on the left side that's at 25 degrees.
 
Buck_110 said:
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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That seems like a silly post. He could do like the rest of us and make sure his knife is sharp before he goes hunting? Or is your knife so poor at edge retention that you need pause partway through dressing an animal and "touch up" the edge?

Some folks are just not steady or patient enough to freehand with bench stones, trust me I've tried to teach a few of them. You gotta know when to keep trying or match your skill set to a tool more suited to your style, in this case he should look at a Sharpmaker, as mentioned a half-dozen times already. If he can't use a Lansky no way a benchstone will give him a good edge.
 
if he can't use a Lansky, a Sharpmaker is not an improvement. the Sharpmaker allows for much more free movement and changing of angles. all you have to do with a Lansky is tighten the clamp consistently.
 
Buck_110 said:
No. The contact patch on a bench stone is tremendous compared to crock sticks.



This is due to the fact that manufacturers do not edge their knives with crock sticks. Bench stones are limited only by user ability. Sharpening contraptions are limited by user ability as well, but more so by their poor overall design. The promise of sharpening ease is more promise than ease.
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understood. thank you Sir for the counter points and follow up. appreciated.
 
hardheart said:
Uneven along the length, where you miss the edge in spots if you hold a consistent angle.
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If the edge bevel is uneven lengthwise, leading edge strokes will knock the uneven shoulder back to where you want it.

R15K said:
That seems like a silly post. He could do like the rest of us and make sure his knife is sharp before he goes hunting? Or is your knife so poor at edge retention that you need pause partway through dressing an animal and "touch up" the edge?
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Actually, only being able to sharpen at home is a silly thing. What's the sense of carrying a knife if you've got to run home to sharpen it?

R15K said:
Some folks are just not steady or patient enough to freehand with bench stones, trust me I've tried to teach a few of them. You gotta know when to keep trying or match your skill set to a tool more suited to your style, in this case he should look at a Sharpmaker, as mentioned a half-dozen times already. If he can't use a Lansky no way a benchstone will give him a good edge.
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I personally believe that most people merely give up too easily, and will never learn due to this fact alone.
 
BePrepared said:
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 :)
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If you take the time to learn sharpening theory and then practice it a bit, you can effectively sharpen a knife with any sharpening system. If you don't invest the time and effort to develop a proper skill set, no manual system will work for you unless you're lucky.

I just got my new AFCK in M390 steel. It came very sharp and with relatively even edge grinds -- 14 degrees and 16 degrees. The fit and finish are perfect. The lockup is solid. The blade is centered. I have no complaints. I love this knife. But I know I can get the edge sharper. I can put a highly refined 15/15 edge on it, and sharpen the point better. It's something I look forward to. I can't imagine collecting knives and not being able to maintain them myself. That would be like collecting muscle cars but not being able to drive them fast.

I have my Wicked Edge set up for 15 degrees. With Benchmade giving the blade such a excellent profile already, I can put an extremely sharp, nearly perfect edge on it in maybe an hour. Yes, a paper sharpener can do it faster, but the Wicked Edge is like Zen poetry.

To me, acquiring a new skill such as blade sharpening is more satisfying than acquiring a new knife, especially a knife I can't maintain. Rather than go looking for the most idiot-proof sharpener, stop looking at yourself as an idiot and acquire skill you need. Then get the sharpening system that will give you the most satisfaction.
 
Buck_110 said:
If the edge bevel is uneven lengthwise, leading edge strokes will knock the uneven shoulder back to where you want it.
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you don't 'knock back a shoulder', you change the edge angle, because the way for a bevel to be uneven is for the primary or edge grind angle to also be uneven. If the primary is uneven, then you are stuck with the uneven look but not an issue in sharpening. If the edge grind angle is inconsistent, then you fix it and then can sharpen consistently. Edge leading, edge trailing, holding the blade steady and moving the stone, any way you remove metal can accomplish this. You just need an abrasive of reasonable cutting speed and the ability hold the edge angle. It can be done with the Sharpmaker, but even the diamond rods aren't that fast.

There is nothing wrong with the contact area of a sharpening rod or steel. It just takes practice and an understanding that the smaller area concentrates you sharpening force into more pressure and you have to know how to move the blade to keep your angle and control burr formation.
 
I have never sharpened a knife before and went with the wicked edge pro. It will be here by the end of the month. 14 week wait for it, so if you go that route be prepared to wait longer than the 6-8 weeks they quote on the website. I only use the several knifes I have for lite duty, so none are really that dull. I will practice on a few kitchen knifes to get the hang of it and give a review after some use.
 
I am new to knife sharpening. I ordered a couple of wetstones a few weeks ago and tried sharpening some knives. Not a success. I then ordered a Sharpmaker. The main reason (apart from recommendations here) was that Chris Reeve recommends it on his site.

Today the Sharpmaker was delivered. I tried to sharpen two kitchen knives: a cheap "test" knife with probably a rather soft blade steel and my wife's favourite Global Japanese knife with a Rockwell hardness of about 56. It worked very well! The test knife was quite blunt, it wouldn't stand still on my nail. It was very easy to sharpen and it now cuts paper like butter. According to the Spyderco DVD (hi Sal, nice to've seen you) I should be able to shave myself with it. Well, let's say it cut a few hairs.

The Global knife was a bit harder to sharpen (took a bit longer) but it now cuts paper very finely as well. My wife was impressed.

Both knives together took me about 30 minutes to sharpen, but I expect this to be much shorter when I've got some experience.

I can highly recommend this to any newby. It is nearly fool-proof. I guess the trick is not to let your knives too dull, because in that case it would probably take ages to get them sharp again, particularly with harder blade steels.
 
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