New Knife Sharpening Routine?

[razorhunter]

How do you go about sharpening new knives that you purchase? Is it ok to just start sharpening away with the Spyderco Sharpmaker?
I guess my concern is of the angle on knives from the factory. What if the factory has used an angle different than my Spyderco Sharpmaker?

 

[JohnW]

I just sharpen at 20 degrees each side. If the knife was more acute than that to begin with, it won't take but a few strokes. If it was more oblique (the Sebenza is, for example), then I'll notice nothing changing. So I then slowly increase the angle, until I find the bevel they used. No sense re-grinding to 20 until it's seen a lot of use.