I'm hard on working knives but this sharpener keeps 'em sharp

[mykem]

I have an old Meyerco Sharpen-It. Lots of people don't like them. But, to me anyway, it's a fast and effective sharpener.

Here is my ancient Spyderco Endura. I just edged it. I'm more than satisfied with the edge on this VG 10. I guess I wouldn't shave with it but it just glides through a regular piece of paper with no snags. Good enough for me.

Nah, I don't baby working knives. What would be the point? It's a worker and it's going to get banged up some.

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[shinyedges]

Yikes! Pull through sharpeners eat up lots of steel. I tried a few before I got into actually sharpening my knives on Japanese stones and belt sanders.

Glad it works for you but vg10 will get hair popping razor sharp on a stone in mere minutes or less. Look at how much steel has been taken off your endura for the quality of edges it puts on... Not knocking you at all. Just trying to let you know how super easy vg10 sharpens on a stone.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

I just carry Dia-Sharp sharpening cards in my wallet. Makes touch ups on anything from AUS8 to S110V pretty quick and easy. Biggest thing is what works for you.

 

[mykem]

Yikes! Pull through sharpeners eat up lots of steel. I tried a few before I got into actually sharpening my knives on Japanese stones and belt sanders.

Glad it works for you but vg10 will get hair popping razor sharp on a stone in mere minutes or less. Look at how much steel has been taken off your endura for the quality of edges it puts on... Not knocking you at all. Just trying to let you know how super easy vg10 sharpens on a stone.

I've been using that same sharpener on that knife since right after I got the knife, 10 years or a bit more.

Go find a photo of a brand new Endura. As you will see, the overall blade shapes are nearly identical. Yes, my Endura has lost a little on the belly, but again, compare it to a new one. It's barely noticeable.

I would not say this particular sharpener "eats up steel."

I pulled the following from one guy's reviews of all types of sharpeners. It's pretty interesting.

http://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/knives1b.htm


"SLOT GADGETS

There is one class act in every category, and the Meyerco Sharpen-It is it for slot gadgets.* Designed by Blackie Collins to be so simple that it could be used on horseback, the Sharpen-It features tungsten carbide wheels for the first stage and fine ceramic wheels for the second.* The ceramic is so hard and fine-grained that it is more like using a steel.* With this combination, the Sharpen-It performs well at both sharpening and honing.

Unlike other slot devices, the Sharpen-It adds a third wheel to each set, giving two slots, and shapes them so that they sharpen one side of the blade at a time.* This setup allows you to vary the bevel angle somewhat.* Drawing the knife through at an angle decreases the bevel angle and gives a more razor-like edge. Since it is assembled with tamper-proof screws, I could not measure the bevel angles, but this information is less important because you won't have to use it with another sharpener to get complete results.

Also unlike others, the Sharpen-It can be used equally well left-handed.* It is so compact when closed that it can be carried in the watch pocket of your jeans.* The unit well built and sturdy, and features a tapered hone for serrated blades.* A less expensive model is available without the tapered hone."

So guys, would I use this sharpener on a "gentleman's knife?" Probably not, but then again, I don't own one of those. : )


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[22-rimfire]

I have been known to do kitchen knives on sharpeners like that. I have an electric sharpener that takes a lot of metal off which I use for cheap kitchen knives that I don't care about much. If a knife is so dull that I have to spend a long time re-profiling, I might use a sharpener like that to get me started.

 

[shinyedges]

I wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers man, to me I see the most steel removed from the heel of the blade. Google endura 4 and take a look at the heel of the blade and you'll see what I'm referring to.

10 years of sharpening is a long time and I get that, my point was just to inform you vg10 steel is one of the best easiest sharpening steels I've come across. Sharpens like a dream and takes an edge that left both my arms with huge bald spots lol


With a cheap Arkansas stone and a strop vg10 will get razor sharp and wear considerably better than when sharpened on a pull through sharpener. In the end use what you enjoy and works, just giving you my experience with vg10 steel which is worth less than 2¢…

I've been using that same sharpener on that knife since right after I got the knife, 10 years or a bit more.

Go find a photo of a brand new Endura. As you will see, the overall blade shapes are nearly identical. Yes, my Endura has lost a little on the belly, but again, compare it to a new one. It's barely noticeable.

I would not say this particular sharpener "eats up steel."

I pulled the following from one guy's reviews of all types of sharpeners. It's pretty interesting.

http://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/knives1b.htm


"SLOT GADGETS

There is one class act in every category, and the Meyerco Sharpen-It is it for slot gadgets.* Designed by Blackie Collins to be so simple that it could be used on horseback, the Sharpen-It features tungsten carbide wheels for the first stage and fine ceramic wheels for the second.* The ceramic is so hard and fine-grained that it is more like using a steel.* With this combination, the Sharpen-It performs well at both sharpening and honing.

Unlike other slot devices, the Sharpen-It adds a third wheel to each set, giving two slots, and shapes them so that they sharpen one side of the blade at a time.* This setup allows you to vary the bevel angle somewhat.* Drawing the knife through at an angle decreases the bevel angle and gives a more razor-like edge. Since it is assembled with tamper-proof screws, I could not measure the bevel angles, but this information is less important because you won't have to use it with another sharpener to get complete results.

Also unlike others, the Sharpen-It can be used equally well left-handed.* It is so compact when closed that it can be carried in the watch pocket of your jeans.* The unit well built and sturdy, and features a tapered hone for serrated blades.* A less expensive model is available without the tapered hone."

So guys, would I use this sharpener on a "gentleman's knife?" Probably not, but then again, I don't own one of those. : )


.

 

[ATwistedStaple]

I used one of these almost exclusively when I was a kid and couldn't be bothered to learn how to sharpen with stones. I still keep it in a car bag with an Opinel and a Mora. It DOES get a knife sharp, albeit in a not so elegant fashion.

At least you keep your knife sharp. I'd rather see one of these used than a dull knife.

 

[mykem]

I wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers man, to me I see the most steel removed from the heel of the blade. Google endura 4 and take a look at the heel of the blade and you'll see what I'm referring to.

10 years of sharpening is a long time and I get that, my point was just to inform you vg10 steel is one of the best easiest sharpening steels I've come across. Sharpens like a dream and takes an edge that left both my arms with huge bald spots lol


With a cheap Arkansas stone and a strop vg10 will get razor sharp and wear considerably better than when sharpened on a pull through sharpener. In the end use what you enjoy and works, just giving you my experience with vg10 steel which is worth less than 2¢…

My feathers didn't get ruffled. I was just trying to point out that using this sharpener is quick and easy, no stcks or stones or strops. And yes, I concur VG 10 takes a magnificent edge and the longer you take with VG 10 knives the sharper you can make them.

I have beat the crap out of that Endura for a long time and it still does what I ask it to do and that sharpener keeps it the way I need it.

 

[sharp_edge]

glad it works for you. but your standard of sharpness is among the lowest here on bladeforums.

 

[shinyedges]

I hope to have that kind of longevity out of my blades as well, and like twistedstaple said above at least you keep it sharp. All the guys around where I live that carry a pocket knife NEVER sharpen there knives. So dull it isn't even funny.

My feathers didn't get ruffled. I was just trying to point out that using this sharpener is quick and easy, no stcks or stones or strops. And yes, I concur VG 10 takes a magnificent edge and the longer you take with VG 10 knives the sharper you can make them.

I have beat the crap out of that Endura for a long time and it still does what I ask it to do.

 

[mykem]

glad it works for you. but your standard of sharpness is among the lowest here on bladeforums.

sharp edge,

Your name alone tells me you're a hair splitting sharp knife fetishist. (Just joking).

And here's my standard for sharpness for a working knife. It has to cut what i need it to cut when i want to cut it. And it has to cut with as little pressure brought to bear on the blade as possible to avoid mishaps.

And thank you, I pride myself on my low standards.

 

[mqqn]

Hi mykem -

That is interesting; I read about the ceramic cutting wheels. I don't use the pull-through sharpeners, but if I did that would be one to investigate.

Just as a comparison, following is a picture of a new Endura similar to your hard-working knife -

And your knife after 10 years of sharpening -

Although the secondary bevel is noticeably wider, the loss of metal is not as significant as I would have guessed if I had been told someone was using a pull-through sharpener on a knife for 10 years.

You are obviously very careful with your knife maintenance.

Just as a friendly FYI - BF does no allow the use of the "jerkit" smiley outside of the W&C forum - you might want to remove that before one of our mods has to intervene.

Thanks for the pictures and review on the sharpener!

best

mqqn

 

[Insipid Moniker]

glad it works for you. but your standard of sharpness is among the lowest here on bladeforums.

Mine is about the same. I've yet to have a steel that will hold a hair popping edge for any amount of time, most of them quickly degrade to a working edge and there's a very noticeable difference in how long they hold that. Given that, I keep most of my knives sharp enough to easily slice paper and don't generally bother with an exceptionally fine edge unless I'm messing around.

Similar philosophy for kitchen knives, if they can easily dice a ripe tomato they're sharp enough for anything I use them for, so the extra time spent achieving a hair whittling edge is, for me, realistically best spent doing something else.

Truly razor edges are fun, and for some specific tasks can be important, but for most EDC tasks it just isn't necessary.

 

[crom]

sharp edge,

Your name alone tells me you're a hair splitting sharp knife fetishist. (Just joking).

And thank you, I pride myself on my low standards. :jerkit:

Right on man! You don't see many well loved long term knives like yours around here. And it didn't get that way petting it like a kitty cat!

 

[mykem]

Hi mykem -

That is interesting; I read about the ceramic cutting wheels. I don't use the pull-through sharpeners, but if I did that would be one to investigate.

Just as a comparison, following is a picture of a new Endura similar to your hard-working knife -

And your knife after 10 years of sharpening -

Although the secondary bevel is noticeably wider, the loss of metal is not as significant as I would have guessed if I had been told someone was using a pull-through sharpener on a knife for 10 years.

You are obviously very careful with your knife maintenance.

Just as a friendly FYI - BF does no allow the use of the "jerkit" smiley outside of the W&C forum - you might want to remove that before one of our mods has to intervene.

Thanks for the pictures and review on the sharpener!

best

mqqn

Thanks for those pictures! They really show, when used correctly, the sharpener doesn't "eat" metal.

And you're right about the secondary bevel. I used to worry that it might make the blade prone to chipping. Over all that time, I have had one miniscule chip that I only noticed because the blade was snagging slightly when i was doing the paper test. The chip was easily removed and i haven't had another.

That's the thing about that sharpener. If you bear down on it, it will take off a lot of metal. But you don't have to use a lot of pressure with it, light, easy strokes do the job. And the ceramic pull through finishes it off pretty well.

And I removed that avatar.

 

[22-rimfire]

glad it works for you. but your standard of sharpness is among the lowest here on bladeforums.

Most of us know that using one of these types of sharpeners isn't the best choice, but at least mykem actually cares about having a sharp knife. My thought is..... if the knife gets worn down due to sharpening method and it has already been 10 years, just buy another. Seriously, who really cares? They got 10 years of good use out of the blade and counting.

 

[Twindog]

Where did that super wide back bevel come from? It's difficult to believe you did that with a pull-through sharpener.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Where did that super wide back bevel come from? It's difficult to believe you did that with a pull-through sharpener.

That's definately a hack-job with a belt sander (or similar). Look by the plunge line, you can see where it was "accidentally" pressed against the sander.

Anyways, if it makes you happy OP, then that's all that matters. Personally, I think that edge is ruined.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

That's definately a hack-job with a belt sander (or similar). Look by the plunge line, you can see where it was "accidentally" pressed against the sander.

Anyways, if it makes you happy OP, then that's all that matters. Personally, I think that edge is ruined.

If it cleanly cuts whatever needs cutting it's far from ruined.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

If it cleanly cuts whatever needs cutting it's far from ruined.

Personally, I think it's ruined