Sharpening A 7 to 9" blade?C

Razor

Razor

Joined
Dec 8, 1999
Messages
3,975
Could anyone give me an idea on what would be a good way to sharpen a knife with this length blade? I use a sharpmaker on my pocket knives and it works great.
 
Razor said:
Could anyone give me an idea on what would be a good way to sharpen a knife with this length blade?
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The often repeated advice is to use a stone roughly the same length as the biggest knife you will be sharpening. So a 7 to 9" stone would be good for 7 to 9" knives. I've found my 8" stone to work well for knives up to 9", though it's not quite as smooth and comfortable as a smaller blade on the bigger stone. Longer stones seem to be better; the only drawbacks are storage space and money spent on them.

I use a sharpmaker on my pocket knives and it works great.
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Like many here, I like the sharpmaker, but I find it essentially useless for a very dull knife. Even on a knife that's been sharpened properly, but then has become dull enough to no longer slice paper, the sharpmaker just takes too long. Plus, focusing on the parts of the blade that are more dull than the others is more difficult with the SM versus a bench stone. Seems that all kitchen knives become more dull at the front on the drop portion of the blade from all the rocking during chopping.

It's interesting you should post this, as I recently was touching up a blade on the SM; my 9" chefs knife to be exact, and I found that the stroke was awkward and uncontrolled due to the length of the blade. It's hard to hold the very tip of a 9" blade with a 4" handle perfectly straight as you draw it both down and towards you using the SM. Maintaining the same amount of pressure from hilt to tip is also VERY difficult with a blade this length. For me anyway.

So I did what I do with bench stones: I steadied the front half of the blade with my opposite hand. I found this to work quite well, as it allowed me to maintain a more even angle, more exact pressure against the stone, and get more feedback. I was also able to press harder against the stone, but I didn't do that too much. This "new technique" for me seems to be the way to go using the SM on longer blades.

For really dull knives, I think you need either a different guided system, or a set of bench stones and some time learning how to freehand. Just based on my middling level of experience.

Brian.
 
Your Sharpmaker should do just a fine job on that blade length, just a matter of pulling back a little more as you slide down the rods. Typically, a longer knife will be thicker, though, perhaps giving you trouble with the bevel. If it's not thinner than 40 degrees, obviously your Sharpmaker will be a tad over-matched without help.

My personal method of choice for blades of all length is a belt grinder.
 
I don't like how the 2 Sharpmakers that I've purchased allow the rods to move around. I'd like to see Spyderco improve that triangular mating area with metal perhaps or something else??
 
Well, my thought was that making some kind of spring-loaded pinch that would keep them forced to the outside would be the easiest way to do that, what they're running into is tolerance stack-up between the rods and the plastic. I'd guess there's not ALL that much that can be done about it and still keep the price reasonable.
 
Komitadjie said:
Well, my thought was that making some kind of spring-loaded pinch that would keep them forced to the outside would be the easiest way to do that, what they're running into is tolerance stack-up between the rods and the plastic. I'd guess there's not ALL that much that can be done about it and still keep the price reasonable.
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I was thinking also of a deeper well to seat the rod into too. Mine always end up sloppy and flopping around with one side wider than the other. I bought a new one and it was nice & snug for a few uses and now it's got a lazy side - offering an off center bevel due to the one rod hanging out a little more. One side is snugger and the other wobbles around in the socket on both of mine.

I've got it it - maybe I can tap some sort of sliver of something in the loose sockets to shim them and make them solid??
 
Couldn't you drill out a new base using an aluminum block? Another cheaper and easier trick might be to position a fender washer (with a few small holes drilled through the outer edge) over the hole and secure it in place with small screws or finish nails.
 
Drilling a triangular hole is amazingly tough, the machinists here at work tell me the bits for that are really pricey. :D

I might actually be tempted to just wrap a single layer of foil tape (like the HVAC aluminum stuff) around the base of the rod and see if that's enough to tighten it up. I'd guess it actually might be TOO much, and you may only need it on one side to completely remove the
 
Komitadjie said:
Drilling a triangular hole is amazingly tough, the machinists here at work tell me the bits for that are really pricey. :D

I might actually be tempted to just wrap a single layer of foil tape (like the HVAC aluminum stuff) around the base of the rod and see if that's enough to tighten it up. I'd guess it actually might be TOO much, and you may only need it on one side to completely remove the
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Agreed, on one side should do it. Your post made me think of a thin line of aluminum foil. I'll mess with them today.
 
cziv said:
They may have a set of crock sticks with a round shape??
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This reminds me. I tried it out a few months ago, and completely forgot. I have an old 'Kwik-Sharp' croc-style sharpener, bought probably 20+ years ago. Wooden base/storage box, made of cedar. It's round ceramic rods are 3/8" diameter and 9" long, and fit perfectly in the triangular holes in my Sharpmaker's base. With my base, at least, they're even more snug than the Sharpmaker's rods. With that in mind, some very commonly available 3/8" wood dowel, with sandpaper, might be a perfect alternative. The obvious advantage of wooden dowel is, it can be cut to length, appropriately sized for larger blades.

Might also be able find some aftermarket round ceramic rods, of the right diameter also.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
This reminds me. I tried it out a few months ago, and completely forgot. I have an old 'Kwik-Sharp' croc-style sharpener, bought probably 20+ years ago. Wooden base/storage box, made of cedar. It's round ceramic rods are 3/8" diameter and 9" long, and fit perfectly in the triangular holes in my Sharpmaker's base. With my base, at least, they're even more snug than the Sharpmaker's rods. With that in mind, some very commonly available 3/8" wood dowel, with sandpaper, might be a perfect alternative. The obvious advantage of wooden dowel is, it can be cut to length, appropriately sized for larger blades.

Might also be able find some aftermarket round ceramic rods, of the right diameter also.
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I remember the very same set!! I asked my buddy "what the hell are you going to do with that contraption?" He informed me that it was a precision knife sharpener - "wtf?" says I and asked him to show me how it worked.

I was into the "biker" lifestyle after getting out of the USMC back then and knew nothing except free hand sharpening on oil stones. I honestly thought you could somehow drag your blade through the V configuration that it formed and somehow mysteriously sharpen your knife. We all wore Buck folders on our belts, in holsters back then and this sharpener was unlike anything I ever saw.

It had the wood case and really long ceramic rods - exactly as you described. Boy that was a long time ago and I think it only had one setting but it might have had a double setting like the SharpMaker?? Too much Jack Daniels, beer and bong resin to remember much more than that. Shoot that was in the 70's - a lifetime for some and more for others around here! :D
 
cziv said:
I remember the very same set!! I asked my buddy "what the hell are you going to do with that contraption?" He informed me that it was a precision knife sharpener - "wtf?" says I and asked him to show me how it worked.

I was into the "biker" lifestyle after getting out of the USMC back then and knew nothing except free hand sharpening on oil stones. I honestly thought you could somehow drag your blade through the V configuration that it formed and somehow mysteriously sharpen your knife. We all wore Buck folders on our belts, in holsters back then and this sharpener was unlike anything I ever saw.

It had the wood case and really long ceramic rods - exactly as you described. Boy that was a long time ago and I think it only had one setting but it might have had a double setting like the SharpMaker?? Too much Jack Daniels, beer and bong resin to remember much more than that. Shoot that was in the 70's - a lifetime for some and more for others around here! :D
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When I have some better light tomorrow, I'll take a pic of it (or three). :)

I actually have maybe 6 or 8 different sets of the crock-type sharpeners, acquired over many years. I've been digging some of them out recently, and finding new appreciation for them. My hands are 'trained' now (finally), and I'm finding at least some of these 'old' systems aren't as troublesome or ineffective as I once believed. The rods in this set, in particular, are very good. And their extra length is a big plus. I touched up another knife today on them, using the 30 degree setting on the Sharpmaker base. By the way, my set only has one angle setting, and it's pretty wide, even wider than the 40 degree setting on the Sharpmaker. I think that might've been the reason I checked the fit of the Kwik-Sharp rods in the Sharpmaker base, to take advantage of the narrower angle settings.
 
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cziv said:
I remember the very same set!! I asked my buddy "what the hell are you going to do with that contraption?" He informed me that it was a precision knife sharpener - "wtf?" says I and asked him to show me how it worked.

I was into the "biker" lifestyle after getting out of the USMC back then and knew nothing except free hand sharpening on oil stones. I honestly thought you could somehow drag your blade through the V configuration that it formed and somehow mysteriously sharpen your knife. We all wore Buck folders on our belts, in holsters back then and this sharpener was unlike anything I ever saw.

It had the wood case and really long ceramic rods - exactly as you described. Boy that was a long time ago and I think it only had one setting but it might have had a double setting like the SharpMaker?? Too much Jack Daniels, beer and bong resin to remember much more than that. Shoot that was in the 70's - a lifetime for some and more for others around here! :D
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Obsessed with Edges said:
When I have some better light tomorrow, I'll take a pic of it (or three). :)

I actually have maybe 6 or 8 different sets of the crock-type sharpeners, acquired over many years. I've been digging some of them out recently, and finding new appreciation for them. My hands are 'trained' now (finally), and I'm finding at least some of these 'old' systems aren't as troublesome or ineffective as I once believed. The rods in this set, in particular, are very good. And their extra length is a big plus. I touched up another knife today on them, using the 30 degree setting on the Sharpmaker base. By the way, my set only has one angle setting, and it's pretty wide, even wider than the 40 degree setting on the Sharpmaker. I think that might've been the reason I checked the fit of the Kwik-Sharp rods in the Sharpmaker base, to take advantage of the narrower angle settings.
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Pics of my 'Kwik-Sharp' set, scars and all. The Kwik-Sharp rods are longer, at 9" compared to the 7" Sharpmaker rods. 3rd pic illustrates the snug fit of the 3/8" diameter Kwik-Sharp rods in the Sharpmaker base:
 
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Looks like a better build quality than a SharpMaker for sure. The one I saw had white rods, must been a different brand. I see the rods in the 30* back-bevel so I assume they'll work fine in the 40* setting for finishing. Thanks for sharing pics of that old classic. :D :thumbup:
 
cziv said:
Looks like a better build quality than a SharpMaker for sure. The one I saw had white rods, must been a different brand. I see the rods in the 30* back-bevel so I assume they'll work fine in the 40* setting for finishing. Thanks for sharing pics of that old classic. :D :thumbup:
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You're welcome. Yes, the rods'll fit just fine in the 40 degree setting, as well. I'd used 'em yesterday on a knife with a pretty narrow bevel, so the 30 side worked for that job.

I was doing a little more Googling, looking to see if there were still some of these out there, somewhere. Came across an archived image of an old newspaper ad from 1980. Some dealer, at the time, had them on sale for $4.99 (regular price: $7.97). Not bad quality at all, at that price. The rods alone are well worth it. Wish I'd known well enough to look for more than one set.
 
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