Just picked up a sharpmaker and two of the UF sticks! WOW

P

PC87

Joined
Dec 27, 2011
Messages
783
I have always hated sharpening knives and have never really picked up the technique or have the equipment to do it right. Well I've got lots of spydies and other knives and most are pretty dull.

Decided to pick up a sharpmaker and just for kicks I wanted to see if I could get my brand new tenacious sharper. Hooooooly Cow, ran it across the fine stones that came with it then ran it on the UF stones that I bought separate.

I just want to say thank you Mr.Glesser for making this thing. I got that tenacious so sharp I cut myself just laying it on my skin to see if it was sharp. Hope I can achieve same sharpness on my other blades.

Going to get a strop next, but I dont think I need anything that sharp.
 
Nice. I use my Sharpmaker every other day and it's wonderful. I don't have an UF rods though. I recently bought a strop and I love how quickly it can fine-tune and maintain an edge. I definitely recommend picking one up.
 
Sharpmaker is a great sharpening system. I have used one for years. Even if I convex or use some other method for a blade it usually gets a micro bevel from the spyderco. If you take care of the stones they will last a lifetime. Mine is so old it says "pat pending " on it.:D
 
Which angle on the sharpmaker do you guys use for kitchen knives? Ive got a nice set of those j.A henckels I paid good money for awhile back that my wife hates cause their dull has, well you know, and she always wants to buy "better" knives. I just tell her their dull and need sharpening. Well this has been going on for yrs. Going to attempt to sharpen them on the spydie machine but I'm thinking I might need a coarser stone first though.
 
PC87 said:
Which angle on the sharpmaker do you guys use for kitchen knives? Ive got a nice set of those j.A henckels I paid good money for awhile back that my wife hates cause their dull has, well you know, and she always wants to buy "better" knives. I just tell her their dull and need sharpening. Well this has been going on for yrs. Going to attempt to sharpen them on the spydie machine but I'm thinking I might need a coarser stone first though.
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I know exactly the Henckels you are talking about>> those blades are a monster to sharpen :eek: >> I think that steel must have a lot of vanadium, cobalt or their heat treat must be the best on the planet because those blades are truly some of the best kitchen knives I've ever used or sharpened. I would try them at 30 degrees just to see if they would hold a decent edge because personally I sharpen just about every one of my culinary knives at 30 degrees and seem to have good luck with them.

On those Henckels I would highly advise to grind out the relief in them with a good coarse or extra coarse diamond benchstone before putting them on the Sharpmaker to fine tune them. Otherwise you'll be using curse words you haven't used in a while :rolleyes: The Henckels I sharpened about a year ago were some of the toughest most abrasion resistant steel I had honed in quite a while. That steel reminds me a lot of Crucibles 440V that Spyderco used in their USA made models before S30V came along. I still like 440V better than S30V IMO but that steel is truly a nightmare to sharpen :D

Good Luck my friend and let us know how it turns out. JD
 
JD Spydo said:
I know exactly the Henckels you are talking about>> those blades are a monster to sharpen :eek: >> I think that steel must have a lot of vanadium, cobalt or their heat treat must be the best on the planet because those blades are truly some of the best kitchen knives I've ever used or sharpened. I would try them at 30 degrees just to see if they would hold a decent edge because personally I sharpen just about every one of my culinary knives at 30 degrees and seem to have good luck with them.

On those Henckels I would highly advise to grind out the relief in them with a good coarse or extra coarse diamond benchstone before putting them on the Sharpmaker to fine tune them. Otherwise you'll be using curse words you haven't used in a while :rolleyes: The Henckels I sharpened about a year ago were some of the toughest most abrasion resistant steel I had honed in quite a while. That steel reminds me a lot of Crucibles 440V that Spyderco used in their USA made models before S30V came along. I still like 440V better than S30V IMO but that steel is truly a nightmare to sharpen :D

Good Luck my friend and let us know how it turns out. JD
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JD SPydo, thanks for the info and your not kidding, I used the 30 degree today on them and yes, I was not a happy man, that is some hard stuff. I dont have a coarse stone but I did manage somewhat of an edge on them using the sharpmaker and they were sharper, and they would pop a few hairs but nowhere near what I want. I think these will have to be sent off for repair then I can maintain them with the sharpmaker. They will cut a tomato now real nice but my new tenacious I touched up using the sharpmaker goes through a tomato like its not there. I have a guy I can send them to, I just dont have the patience to fix all 4 of them.

I did get the sharpmaker broke in though trying to sharpen those things. I would like to learn free hand sharpening at some point though, much more stone options and I like those mirror edges I have seen some guys on here put on there knives. WOW, dont know how they do it. Thats got to take some time though.
 
Hi PC87,

Thanx for the kind comments. Glad it's working for you. As you use the tool, it should also help you to a greater understanding of sharpening. An interesting pursuit separate and apart from knives. The edge is a woundrous thing with depth and width. High performance matter separators are based on the edge. The edge goes along with fire and language as stepping stones towards human evolution.

sal
 
JD Spydo said:
I know exactly the Henckels you are talking about>> those blades are a monster to sharpen :eek: >> I think that steel must have a lot of vanadium, cobalt or their heat treat must be the best on the planet because those blades are truly some of the best kitchen knives I've ever used or sharpened. I would try them at 30 degrees just to see if they would hold a decent edge because personally I sharpen just about every one of my culinary knives at 30 degrees and seem to have good luck with them.

On those Henckels I would highly advise to grind out the relief in them with a good coarse or extra coarse diamond benchstone before putting them on the Sharpmaker to fine tune them. Otherwise you'll be using curse words you haven't used in a while :rolleyes: The Henckels I sharpened about a year ago were some of the toughest most abrasion resistant steel I had honed in quite a while. That steel reminds me a lot of Crucibles 440V that Spyderco used in their USA made models before S30V came along. I still like 440V better than S30V IMO but that steel is truly a nightmare to sharpen :D

Good Luck my friend and let us know how it turns out. JD
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this comment in the mouth of a knife nut surprise me A LOT

unless you are talking about their newest and very expensive myiabi line that use ZDP for the highest end an a simplest japanese stainless for the "cheaper" line the steel on henckel is pure junk.

it's just about the same grade most european knifemaker use, a X50CrMo variant, hardened to the mid fifty hrc range. it's pretty much 440a run soft. it's nowhere near cpm440V, in fact it's nowhere near a good 440C ....

i exagerate slightly when i say junk, it has its advantages, it's very stainless, like dishwasher safe, very tough, very easy to maintain if you sharpen coarse and use a steel. otoh it won't hold a polished edge at all, it won't hold anything below 15°/side and the chefs knives have an awfully thick edge geometry (not true for the slicers and smaller knives). even when properly sharpened and deburred edge retention is far from stellar ... i spent most of my aprenticeship with this kind of tools, i started to appreciate prep work when i bought my first japanese gyuto ... another world.

i understood that you are a long time knife user and thought you had a better appreciation of what a good cutlery steel is ... one point i agree is that it's a pain to sharpen, but not on the grinding side, it's a real pain to deburr without steeling because the steel is very ductile,
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi PC87,

Thanx for the kind comments. Glad it's working for you. As you use the tool, it should also help you to a greater understanding of sharpening. An interesting pursuit separate and apart from knives. The edge is a woundrous thing with depth and width. High performance matter separators are based on the edge. The edge goes along with fire and language as stepping stones towards human evolution.

sal
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Mr.Glesser, I watched the video that came with sharpmaker and you did a really good job showing how to use your product. I am amazed, and truly appreciate your level of involvement with your products. I was also amazed that when I posted a thread out here and went in to find you had posted a comment. I have bought your knives for 20+yrs and to speak to you via this forum is really an honor.

Thanks for the comments, oh, one more small ? When should I be able to purchase one of those new tenacious with the new steel, rough guesstimate?:D
 
My sharpmaker is in the mail so this is nice to read.
Thank you for considering the upgrade steel in Tenacous. For some reason that knife just fits me and I will be among the first to get one in the new steel.

Tom
in cracker country
 
panicotr said:
My sharpmaker is in the mail so this is nice to read.
Thank you for considering the upgrade steel in Tenacous. For some reason that knife just fits me and I will be among the first to get one in the new steel.

Tom
in cracker country
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Amen in the cracker country, the tenacious is just about the best EDC I have found from spyderco, cant wait for the new steel!
 
orangish ducktape said:
What new steel?????
What steel is it gonna be?

-orangish ducktape
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Sal stated they are testing a new carpenter steel, I cant remember the designation, but if the maker can work with it, we should have one hopefully. Logically thinking, if they determine they can work with it, they already have production line in place for the tenacious so in my mind all they should have to do is change out the steel. Maybe add some better G-10 and we have a higher quality tenacious that would sell well IMHO. I know I would buy several for a little more $$. So hopefully sooner rather than later. Sal could give better estimates if the steel is workable by the maker.
 
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