Quick Sharpmaker question.

S

Shabada

Joined
Jan 16, 2009
Messages
51
I've had my Sharpmaker for a few months now and I've only been touching up on the 40 degree angle. Is it alright to use the 30 degree "back bevel" on the blade for a more acute angle? Or is that a bad idea?
 
I think that a 30 degree back bevel with a 40 degree micro bevel is always a highly recommended way to do it.
 
If you've got the time go for it. Use a Sharpie or similar marker to mark the edge. This will give you a visual of your progress.
 
You're not going to profile the entire bevel to 30° with the sharpmaker. You can slowly knock the shoulders down little-by-little, but doing the whole bevel on the sharpmaker is going to take forever and a day.
 
THG said:
You're not going to profile the entire bevel to 30° with the sharpmaker. You can slowly knock the shoulders down little-by-little, but doing the whole bevel on the sharpmaker is going to take forever and a day.
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If the OP has a Spyderco knife, the odds are the edge is already 30 degrees from the factory. The 30 degree setting maintains that scary sharp factory edge.
 
D1omedes said:
If the OP has a Spyderco knife, the odds are the edge is already 30 degrees from the factory. The 30 degree setting maintains that scary sharp factory edge.
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That's not an accurate statement. Maybe in your experience. If you want to take my experience, then odds are that the factory edge is around 45-50° (or some other angle that the 40° setting hits the shoulder.)

It varies so much that each knife should be treated on a case-by-case basis.
 
THG said:
It varies so much that each knife should be treated on a case-by-case basis.
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Correct. They are done by hand--on a belt, IIRC.

The way I see it, there are two choices: Use a consistent system (like an EdgePro) to set the main bevel at 30 degrees and then use the Sharpmaker to set the microbevel at 40 degrees, or use a consistent system (like an EdgePro) to set the main bevel at <30 degrees and then use the Sharpmaker to set the microbevel at 30 degrees.

Setting the main bevel for the first time with the Sharpmaker is like digging a ditch with a teaspoon.
 
THG said:
That's not an accurate statement. Maybe in your experience. If you want to take my experience, then odds are that the factory edge is around 45-50° (or some other angle that the 40° setting hits the shoulder.)

It varies so much that each knife should be treated on a case-by-case basis.
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REALLY??? Every Spydie I've seen I'd say was between 30-40. Most closer to 30. I've never seen a spydie factory edge only hitting the shoulder on the 40 degree sharpmaker sticks....

I'm sure it could happen, but I highly doubt it's common to be above 40.
 
Forever and a day is a pretty close estimate if you're using the brown rods. The diamond rods speed it up significantly, but it is still slow going. The sharpie trick will show you just how slow it's going to be. If you have or are getting the diamond rods, use light pressure. Remember, more strokes, not more pressure. You'll just knock the diamonds off the rods.
 
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I use 30 degrees exclusively and except for our crappy kitchen cutlery every knife does just fine!
 
Hi Shabada,

Good question.

You are welcome to use either setting for your edges. Some blade steels will hold a 30 degree inclusive angle longer than others will. Some will roll at that angle pretty easily, and some could chip out if you hit a staple in some cardboard.

The good news is if you take the time to sharpen at the back bevel angle all the way to the edge you do not have to keep it that way. You can just go back to using the 40 degree setting.

Doug
 
The knife in question is a s90V Military. I think it's seen so much use and then sharpenings that the 40 degree angle just isn't doing the trick. So I've sharpened with the 30 degree angle as instructed by the booklet that I dug up that came with my Sharpmaker. After doing so is it advised that I go back to sharpening it at 40 degrees from now on? The edge feels and performs noticeably better with this 30 degree sharpen.

Also...this s90V takes forever to sharpen on the stock stones, I really need to invest in some diamond stones.
 
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