Knife Sharpening With the Sharpmaker

C

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I've got a lot of knives made with varying types of steels. And I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker to sharpen them with. But I've got some questions.

I love the Sharpmaker; however, I'm not clear on the two types of rod holders.

One is 30º and the other is 40º. My understanding is that the 40º settings are for mid-grade steels like 440C, AUS 6/AUS8 and 440A, and the 30º is for VG-10 and S30V. Is this correct?

If not, what would these rod settings be used for?

Finally, I have some CRKT chisel grind knives that I would dearly love to reprofile to double grind. How is the best way to do it? An electric grinder? Or is there a relatively inexpensive system out there that will do it? Can I do it using a small file? And if I decide not to reprofile them, what's the best way to resharpen them on a Sharpmaker? I would only need to sharpen one side, but would I use the 40º setting or the 30º?

I also got the extra fine rods based on the feedback at Amazon.com. What can I expect them to do for me? Do they eliminate the need to strop sharpened edges? And are they really worthwhile to have?

Thanks.


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I would also suggest looking around youtube for sharpening vids. There are tons of great ones besides Sal's. Reprofiling on the Sharpmaker would be pretty difficult using the stock stones. You have two options. You can get the diamond stones or wrap your stock stones with sandpaper to save a bunch of time.
 
The angle settings are so you can choose between slicing power and durability; it doesn't really have to do with the perceived "grade" of steel. The 30 degree setting will produce edges that cut better, but they are more prone to chipping. The 40 degree preset will produce a stronger edge that doesn't slice quite as well. The main property you'll be looking for in the steel is toughness; the tougher the steel is, the less likely it is to chip. But it mostly depends on your personal use of the knife. Some people can put super thin edges on more brittle steels like ZDP-189 with no problem, while others somehow manage to have chipping problems with steels like CPM-M4.
 
[video]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=jdavis%20dull%20to%20hair%20whittling%20sharpmak er&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CE0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-MHe_8wTHmg&ei=EQ0aUN_hNqbE0QGA9YDYBA&usg=AFQjCNF3eJhacRVrWorhE9V7JGTcUFqe9A&sig2=Xg543v3zXpEFfrI-MvUKvA[/video]

This is my personal favorite video of the sharp maker, his technique works for me (your mileage may vary, though).

Regarding the 30 and 40 settings, I believe the instructions that come with the sharpmaker say that 30 is for removing the "shoulders" off of your bevel and the 40 is for actually sharpening the edge (giving you a microbevel). Granted, you can sharpen on the 30 or 40 setting the entire time if you wished to.

The ultra fine rods you brought are great and definitely worthwhile! I really suggest you invest in a strop and compound regardless though. The ultra fine rods will help give you a great edge, but combined with a proper strop will let your knife's edge reach nirvana. Look up either the "knivesplus strop block" (which comes preloaded with green compound) or "stropman" strops. Won't set you back $30 dollars for either product. Moreover, if you have a belt lying around, you can try stropping on that, too.
 
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