Recommendation? Sharpener

[Wannabe Rambo Guy]

it is raining in ROME1000 right now, so i have time to browse forums and post my 2 cents if not .

it is not about money or equipment, but skill and really knowing what you're doing. once you're skilled you'll need 1 stone only. to get there, i started with several guided rod systems, experienced a lot along the way (so i am thankful in a way lol), eventually bought the Sharpmaker, liked it okay, then bought benchstones (1 is worth 400USD?), spent hundreds of hours with them, and after a while i returned to the Sharpmaker with my own technique. the bulk of my sharpening tasks gets done by the Sharpmaker, it's an energy-efficient sustainable way to go. In general, i grew tired of handling benchstones or guided rods sharpening systems. how much energy do you have? (ooh that makes me sound like a s*ssy lol )
other folks retire and sell the Sharpmaker and stick with the benchstones. to each her own.

10 months ago a pal bought the Sharpmaker because i recommended it (like i am doing it here). days after he went on a shopping spree and bought a whole bunch of cheap and expensive benchstones (and leather strops and Japanese chef knives) because $$$$ and storage space is of no concern to him and he got other influences too (youtube), not just Sharpening Master Me. I am sure that he never uses the Sharpmarker, i will send him a text later and ask about it. i have yet to see his sharpening skills.

what one would NOT use the Sharpmaker for are straight blades like Spyderco Yojimbo. a Stanley utility blade is straight for example. of course one can sharpen Yojimbo and Stanley with Sharpmaker but the blade (edge) won't be straight anymore. just practice with a Stanley and you'll see what i mean.

i don't have a Yojimbo but i do need/want to maintain straight edges for certain blades (e.g. from my pruners). and that's best done with a 100.00% mean flat benchstone. For straight razors and Stanley blades a benchstone is the natural choice too, even though these blades don't have to be straight for the cutting task.

Argh it is still raining in Rome. ****! so should i blab more?

I actually know what you're saying I obviously haven't been there, but I can picture what you are talking about, considering the straight edge. Looks like I'm taking the sharp maker out the cart

 

[Wannabe Rambo Guy]

I have a pile of different guided sharpening systems and free hand bench stones and whatnot, and every sort of strop and polishing compound. For one guided system I have something like a dozen different grits, for another something like twenty. That said, nowadays I use coffee cups for touching up pretty much anything within reason. If I need to heavily grind something I use a more appropriate tool for the job (e.g. knocking the shoulders off a fat edge bevel) but everything else gets the coffee mug. Admittedly I stop at the "it shaves arm hair easily" level of sharpness. I sharpen for cutting performance 99%, and rarely go for the pointless mirror polishing routine, which is a neat thing to do for a while but once the novelty wears off it offers little or no practical value to me.

IMO, just about any abrasive can work--even the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug--so the the real most important requirements to becoming proficient at sharpening are these:

1. One or more cheap knives that you don't mind dulling/scratching/grinding away on
2. Practice

If you hand me a dull (not dinged up badly, just dull) pocket knife and a coffee mug in most cases I can make it shave arm hair in thirty seconds, but I sharpen knives frequently. Practice is the key.

For a reasonably inexpensive guided system I like the Spyderco Sharpmaker basic set (throw the fine stones out/in a drawer though, keep the mediums) and then add a couple of much more aggressive ruby 320 1/2" triangular stones from congresstools for $15 or so. Use the 320s as your rough and the mediums as your fine polishing stones and you can sharpen anything.

Or if you have a beater gas station knife lying around grab a ceramic coffee cup, dull the knife if it's sharp by running the edge vertically along the rim at the bottom of the cup like you're trying to lightly cut through the cup, then verify it doesn't cut paper. Next, swipe the edge across the bottom rim of the cup at an angle appropriate to the edge bevel (where the edge bevel would be parallel to the bottom). You'll know you've found the right-ish angle when you can form a burr that you can feel from the opposite side. Then reverse hands or directions, flipping the knife to do the opposite side. If you maintain a somewhat consistent angle and manage to raise and then remove a burr, you will end up with a knife that at least cuts paper. All of which sounds far more confusing in text than it feels in practice after you do it.

To quote Ricky from TPB, "it's not rocket appliances". Sharpening is a simple process that just requires practice.

I have a pile of different guided sharpening systems and free hand bench stones and whatnot, and every sort of strop and polishing compound. For one guided system I have something like a dozen different grits, for another something like twenty. That said, nowadays I use coffee cups for touching up pretty much anything within reason. If I need to heavily grind something I use a more appropriate tool for the job (e.g. knocking the shoulders off a fat edge bevel) but everything else gets the coffee mug. Admittedly I stop at the "it shaves arm hair easily" level of sharpness. I sharpen for cutting performance 99%, and rarely go for the pointless mirror polishing routine, which is a neat thing to do for a while but once the novelty wears off it offers little or no practical value to me.

IMO, just about any abrasive can work--even the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug--so the the real most important requirements to becoming proficient at sharpening are these:

1. One or more cheap knives that you don't mind dulling/scratching/grinding away on
2. Practice

If you hand me a dull (not dinged up badly, just dull) pocket knife and a coffee mug in most cases I can make it shave arm hair in thirty seconds, but I sharpen knives frequently. Practice is the key.

For a reasonably inexpensive guided system I like the Spyderco Sharpmaker basic set (throw the fine stones out/in a drawer though, keep the mediums) and then add a couple of much more aggressive ruby 320 1/2" triangular stones from congresstools for $15 or so. Use the 320s as your rough and the mediums as your fine polishing stones and you can sharpen anything.

Or if you have a beater gas station knife lying around grab a ceramic coffee cup, dull the knife if it's sharp by running the edge vertically along the rim at the bottom of the cup like you're trying to lightly cut through the cup, then verify it doesn't cut paper. Next, swipe the edge across the bottom rim of the cup at an angle appropriate to the edge bevel (where the edge bevel would be parallel to the bottom). You'll know you've found the right-ish angle when you can form a burr that you can feel from the opposite side. Then reverse hands or directions, flipping the knife to do the opposite side. If you maintain a somewhat consistent angle and manage to raise and then remove a burr, you will end up with a knife that at least cuts paper. All of which sounds far more confusing in text than it feels in practice after you do it.

To quote Ricky from TPB, "it's not rocket appliances". Sharpening is a simple process that just requires practice.

The majority of my small knife family, is actually ones I use for hiking, camping, etc.. so the toothy edges are just fine for me. They're all pretty thick spined, except for my buck 101.. I think. The mirror polishes look nice, but I'll just destroy them anyways within walking a few hundred feet during a trek. I'm going to try that coffee cup trick on my work knife when I get home, appreciate it. Now you know where I can get 25 gallons of some custom Sherman Williams paint? This paint issue is killing my work down here, or I might be using a coffee cup to sharpen everything in the long run

 

[Wannabe Rambo Guy]

So lots to consider after setting the budget

Free Hand vs Guided?
If Guided do you want Powered or Manual?
What steel(s) will you be sharpening?
Do you plan or want to change the edge angle?
How polished do you want to go?
What kind of storage space do you have for a kit?

I can't say much for the free hand stones and methods I just cant do it but for guided I can see a few quick options of note in the budget.

Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener - it is a step down from the KO edition but is the only powered option with a guide
Work Sharp Precision Adjust - It is a guided system along the lines of the KME and such but more limited and budget friendly
Lansky - A few options to consider top end price looks to be about $115 so it just depends on your needs and desires weighed in against your budget
Spyderco Sharpmaker - No experience with this myself but it is mentioned so often by so many from a brand I would trust I will trust that it is as good as claimed.

You may also find some of these options for less on a used market but you might not get as much life out of any stones or belts.

I'm leaning towards the worksharp, again The KO model. Mine as well just be patient, and take the hit, considering I do appreciate my knives

 

[K.O.D.]

I use a sharpmaker, but freehand. I've had good results with S30V, S35VN, M390, S90V, CTS-XHP, and D2. I want to get some free hand stones, but I'm trying to figure out which. I definitely recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I recommend getting the ultra fine stones if you like stuff stupid sharp, and the diamond stones if you tend to let your knives get stupid dull.

 

[Blues]

I use a sharpmaker, but freehand. I've had good results with S30V, S35VN, M390, S90V, CTS-XHP, and D2. I want to get some free hand stones, but I'm trying to figure out which. I definitely recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I recommend getting the ultra fine stones if you like stuff stupid sharp, and the diamond stones if you tend to let your knives get stupid dull.

I think a reasonable continuum, if you like sharpening with ceramic, would be adding Shapton Glass hones, (500, 2000 and maybe even 4000 if you like a refined edge), and then bonded diamond for higher carbide steels. You get to retain much of that "feel".

Of course, there's nothing wrong with SiC and AlOx either.

Lots of reasonable choices.

I have enough of all of them to keep me busy for my remaining years.

 

[TravisH]

I luv my Sharpmaker but, IMO, it really needs the CBN or Diamond rods to be truly versatile. Repair or reprofile work is difficult and time consuming without them and nearly impossible with any "super steel".

For a newbie, I would recommend the Lansky Diamond Turn Box TB-2D2C with 2 diamond and 2 ceramic rods for $30.
A Spyderco Sharpmaker with additional CBN/Diamond rods will be about $135.

 

[Robert Ptacek]

I'm a big fan of the Sharpmaker and other crocksticks but you must have a coarse benchstone to thin the bevels on most knives.While a lot of knife companies are doing better at edging their knives today a lot are too thick.The Sharpmaker is for final edging and touch ups.I have the diamonds but I mainly use them for back bevelling between full regrinds.

 

[Wannabe Rambo Guy]

I luv my Sharpmaker but, IMO, it really needs the CBN or Diamond rods to be truly versatile. Repair or reprofile work is difficult and time consuming without them and nearly impossible with any "super steel".

For a newbie, I would recommend the Lansky Diamond Turn Box TB-2D2C with 2 diamond and 2 ceramic rods for $30.
A Spyderco Sharpmaker with additional CBN/Diamond rods will be about $135.

I was just looking at how the Sharpmaker would cost me about the same as the ko Worksharp, if I got them extra rods. I'm definitely shooting for the worksharp. I could take the guide off and sharpen my tanto edge as well, without wrecking the corners or edge.

 

[Dergyll]

Checked yesterday. The cheap 40$ worksharp guided will sharpen your A1, just be careful bigger knives will tilt the sharpener since it's so small and light, especially handle heavy ones

Good luck!

 

[Wannabe Rambo Guy]

Checked yesterday. The cheap 40$ worksharp guided will sharpen your A1, just be careful bigger knives will tilt the sharpener since it's so small and light, especially handle heavy ones

Good luck!

Thanks, brother! If I do partake in grabbing that guided worksharp, I'd just have to steady the larger knives from the bottom, using my other hand, I guess. I'm leaning back towards the worksharp again

 

[RustyIron]

Thanks, brother! If I do partake in grabbing that guided worksharp, I'd just have to steady the larger knives from the bottom, using my other hand, I guess. I'm leaning back towards the worksharp again

If you hadn't specified your caveats, I'd steer you towards EdgePro Professional, or at least the EdgePro Apex. I know you're hesitant about the price of the KOW, but you must be curious or you wouldn't have asked. So let me ask you this, will you be happier saving money today, and from now on having to wonder whether your blades could be better if you hadn't settled on the "affordable" sharpener? Or might you derive more long-term satisfaction by throwing down a pile of cash today, and giggling like a child every time you whip out your insanely sharp blade?

 

[scottc3]

Days off can be more expensive then lost wages sometimes... I'm old, tools should last, so save up a bit more and buy quality. Long haul common sense. Outdoor edges get beat up, a Sharpmaker would not be best for ironing out rolls, chips, n broken tips on a regular basis. We love our KME which is designed to be handheld for field work. We use Gritomatic's great set of Silicon Carbide stones, which would sharpen any steel you now own.

 

[scottc3]

Gish, must be a knife forum, in some circles their would be frowning and dire warnings, but no, we read...

giggling like a child every time you whip out your insanely sharp blade?

 

[scottc3]

Yes our KO Worksharp electric sharpener works great as well.

 

[Wannabe Rambo Guy]

Gish, must be a knife forum, in some circles their would be frowning and dire warnings, but no, we read...

Love it

 

[evilgreg]

I luv my Sharpmaker but, IMO, it really needs the CBN or Diamond rods to be truly versatile. Repair or reprofile work is difficult and time consuming without them and nearly impossible with any "super steel".

For a newbie, I would recommend the Lansky Diamond Turn Box TB-2D2C with 2 diamond and 2 ceramic rods for $30.
A Spyderco Sharpmaker with additional CBN/Diamond rods will be about $135.

The Ruby 320 stones from congresstools were like $6 when I bought them and they work great in the Sharpmaker (they're under triangular stones, 0.5" IIRC).

 

[scottc3]

Those Congresstools Ruby stones are AluminumOxide, we use Moldmasters which are stronger SIC, in 240, 400 and 600 with our Sharpmaker. We also like our Idahone Course,100-200 grit, Sharpmaker rod. Though, now that I have a Sharpmake stone carrier for KME, all sharpmaker rods are useful for clamped knife edge maintenance. Both Sharpmakers are purely for honing now, as a maintenance step.

 

[Blues]

The moldmasters are good but the triangles are roughly cast and if one uses them in the Sharpmaker, they should check that the edges are not too ragged and smooth them if necessary. Also, the fit is not the same as OEM so there will be an angle difference. I've measured in the past and it was a few degrees.

The ones I glued to Edge Pro blanks are superior, imho...for freehand or use with the Edge Pro.

 

[scottc3]

yea Blues, my congress triangles fit ok and I don't notice wobble on the base I use. But replacements will be rectangles, adding more surface area with KME stone holders, along with your observations. Idahone's fit like spyderco's rods.