How To Sharpening brand new knife

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Lazybaker

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Jun 30, 2018
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First off let me apologize, I'm sure this has been answered several hundred times. I've lurked in the shadows here for a while and picked up lots of good information but I'm inexperienced enough with knives that I probably just didn't realize I was looking at the answer to my question.
I've finally upgraded from the $5 or $6 knives you find by the cash register at the store and got a benchmade griptilion. After a little use (opening boxes/mail that sort of thing) its time to sharpen it. What I don't understand is the grips bevel is in the 15 to 18 degree range. And the sharpmaker recommends doing the 30° and then the micro bevel at 40°. Do I need to get the diamond rods and set the bevel to 30° first? Or is it close enough to just sharpen it with out the extra work of setting a new bevel?
Again sorry for the question that's certainly been answered a lot. Thanks experts!!!
 
To expand - the difference is in use of language.
When you say the Grip's bevel is 18 degrees, that's 18 degrees per side, or 36 degrees inclusive (both sides added together - 36 degrees inclusive as they say)
When the Sharpmaker says 40 degrees, that's inclusive.
Most knives are symmetrically ground. That, each side of the knife is ground to the same angle.
 
Don’t forget to colour the edge with a sharpie,makes sure where your hitting.
 
When people are talking knife sharpening it seems like half of them will be talking about "degrees per side" and the other half mean "inclusive", or both sides added together. It can be confusing to someone new to the the whole sharpening world. Degrees per side always made more sense in my small brain.
 
The Sharpmaker uses inclusive angles, so the 40 is 20 degrees per side and the 30 is 15 degrees per side. To actually sharpen the apex the angle of sharpening needs to be larger than the bevel angle. So a knife that has an angle of 15-19 you'd use the 40 degree setting. For under 15 degrees per side you'd use the 30 degree setting.

I don't recommend using the Sharpmaker to reprofile. An 8" Crystolon (silicon carbide), diamond, or India stone are better choices, depending on the alloy. The Sharpmaker excels at maintaining an already profiled blade.
 
Lazybaker said:
Even with their diamond stones?
Click to expand...

Fanglekai said:
They will work but a larger stone will do it faster.
Click to expand...

The major issue being that the narrow 1/2" width of the rod does not lend itself, (as readily as a wider bench stone), to maintaining an angle along the entire edge of the blade. So, yes, it will work but there are advantages to working with larger stones or plates and then finishing on the rods.

The Sharpmaker excels at maintenance, touch-ups, "light" sharpening and burr removal. (That said, I do have some coarser rods for mine for occasional use.)
 
Dang. So I may have to put on my big boy pants and learn to sharpen on a stone. :( Lol I was hoping to avoid that with the sharpmaker. The flat stones intimidate me. But I really like a sharp knife so I'll have to look into getting some stones when I have some more disposal cash again.
 
Lazybaker said:
Dang. So I may have to put on my big boy pants and learn to sharpen on a stone. :( Lol I was hoping to avoid that with the sharpmaker. The flat stones intimidate me. But I really like a sharp knife so I'll have to look into getting some stones when I have some more disposal cash again.
Click to expand...

I think that the learning is a lifelong project. I learn stuff here all the time. Sometimes it's nuance, sometimes it's a light bulb that has me smacking my forehead and saying "Duh!"

Here's an approach: Get a dual sided diamond plate or Silicon Carbide / India combo stone in the coarser grits. Then you can use the stone or plate to "rough" sharpen your bevels down to the edge. Even if they are a little raggedy and uneven do not despair. They don't have to be perfect. Just try to make them as even as you can. (Watch some videos to help with the process.)

The second stage will be to take that blade from the plate or stone to the Sharpmaker to put a nice clean, sharp edge on the blade you've just worked.

I'll bet you'll be very happily surprised at how well it works and it will serve as a good introduction to working freehand on the stone or plate.

You don't have to spend a fortune to accomplish this and you will learn a great deal in the process.

It'll only get better from there.
 
Mark your bevel with a sharpie.
Use the 40 degree slots and take 6 strokes per side being careful to keep the blade perpendicular.
See where the ink was removed on each side; they may not be the same (uneven).
Remove the ink and reapply and do the same using the 30 degree slots.
How do the two compare? How much ink was removed and where.
That should put you in the ballpark of where you are and where you need to go.
Be patient, relax, go slow and diamonds are your friend.
 
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