Just ordered my Sharpmaker 204

I just ordered my Sharmmaker 204 from Mr. Mattis. Anybody have last-minute advice before I set in to sharpen every knife within a 1/4-mile radius of this computer screen?

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Bill

Unfortunate but Increasingly Necessary Disclaimer:

While this post likely contains incorrect information, fuzzy logic, poor grammar and misspelled words, what it does not contain is intentional malevolence toward anyone.


 
Get some "Comet" cleanser, and some of those green scouring pads ready, as you'll need them to clean the sharpening sticks.
 
Try using the 35 degree angle. If the steel is hard enough to hold the thinner edge, watch out! Scary sharp in a heartbeat. ATS-34 is pretty good for it, 440V is better.

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"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n"
John Milton
There are only two types of people; those who understand this, and those who think they do.
 
Don't cut yourself.
smile.gif


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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
Bill,

The main thing you've got to be carefull of when using the Sharpmaker is to make sure you don't pull the tip of the blade off the stone on your downstroke. This will result in rounding the tip of the blade. There was a thread on this in the Spyderco forum a while back. I thought the best suggestion to correct this was to use the flat sides of the stones only and stop the downstroke while the tip is still on the blade. You could always use the corners for the back part of the blade and use the flats only when you sharpen near the tip.
 
Mark,
When I was at the NYCKS, I got a demonstration of the 204, at the Spyderco booth. That's exactly what they suggested, for that very reason. Stop short of the point with the angle, finish up on the flat side.

Do they mention that in the video?
 
I don't know if they mention it in the video. I sent off my warranty card back in May or June to get the video and haven't received it yet. Might be time to contact Spyderco customer service.
 
I agree with Alex. You might want to get some for your legs to. I have knife sharpeners mange. Have fun!!!

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Shawn R Sullivan
~San Diego, Ca~
 
Uncle Bill, if you have some knives with the newer and harder hi-tech steels, you should be aware that the Sharpmaker can handle them, but they can take a LONG time if you have any significant grinding to do.

Case in point, if you have a 440V blade that's either really dull, or whose primary bevel is way too wide for your liking and you want to narrow it a lot for better cutting performance.

This can take much longer than the 20 stroke minimum per step (4 steps) suggested by the instructions (I think someone has mentioned on the order of hours using the 204).

Diamond stones do a MUCH better job if you need to signicantly re-do the primary bevel ... but the 204 does a fine and relatively fool-proof job of finishing the final edge bevel.

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Longden Loo - Ventura, CA
Technology's the answer, what's the question?

 
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