Sharpening Spyderco Paramilitary 2, need help

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Bladenoobie1

Bladenoobie1

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Hi,

I just joined these forums and I recently acquired a Spyderco Paramilitary 2, my first edc, and I had a few questions regarding sharpening. I'm a bit puzzled about the term inclusive. I've ordered a sharpmaker along with the knife and I'm not sure whether I should sharpen on the 40 or 30 degrees placements. I do know that the angle of the knife needs to be lower than the angle you sharpen at, but I have no idea what angle of the factory edge of the Paramilitary 2 is. Moreover, for clarification I do not have the means to re-profile the edge nor do I have a way to measure what angle the blade is at.

Thanks,
Julian
 
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Inclusive is just the total angle. Sometimes people give an angle from the centerline so the inclusive angle would be 2x that angle. Each knife is hand sharpened so can vary slightly but Spyderco shoots for 30 deg. The best way to figure out what setting to use is the sharpie trick. Take a marker and color the very edge on both sides. Take a couple swipes on each side of blade to see where you are removing material. If on the very edge, use that setting. If on the shoulders then go to the more obtuse 40 deg setting. If you touch it up frequently and don't let it get dull, the sharpmaker is a great tool. If sharpening a dull knife, it can take awhile because its not very aggressive.
 
What do you mean by the very edge and the shoulders? Because spyderco aims for around a 30 degree edge, should I just sharpen at 40 degrees? I also have a strop. I'm aiming for a hair-whittling edge
 
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Hope this helps...

VEdgeGeometry.jpg
 
That helps a lot, thanks! Also just a quick question. Is the factory edge of the paramilitary 2 sharper than it would be if I sharpened it with the fine rods of the sharpmaker? And what is the bur?
 
How can I know how sharp your knife could be if you sharpened it with fine rods? How can I know how sharp your paramilitary was out of the factory?
I'm not sure we mean the same thing when we say "sharp"...

Typically, based on my limited experience, Spyderco knives are "pretty sharp" (highly technical term :p) out of the factory.
 
For clarification, would the factory edge get any sharper if I used the fine rods from the sharpmaker on it.
 
Bladenoobie1 said:
For clarification, would the factory edge get any sharper if I used the fine rods from the sharpmaker on it.
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Again, can't really answer that. Please realize I'm not trying to give you a hard time but I just don't know how skilled you are at sharpening, with the sharpmaker.
In the hands of someone not knowing what they do, you can completely dull the "pretty sharp" factory edge.
 
Its fine, I just got into edc's and I'm trying to learn more about sharpening before I actually attempt to sharpen my knife. I hear a lot of great things about the sharpmaker, I just want to make sure when I do use it, I use it right. If possible can anyone link me a video on utilizing the sharpie method for a knife? I'm still quite puzzled on how it works
 
May I suggest you practice (both using the sharpmaker, and the sharpie method) on a cheap kitchen knife?

The sharpie "method" is actually pretty simple; just color the edge with the marker on one side, then proceed to sharpen this side (2-3 passes). Examine the edge: where is the color gone? Where do you see exposed metal? That's where you removed metal from your blade. If it's on the shoulder, re-color, and 2-3 passes at a more obtuse angle. Examine the edge. Use very light pressure. Take your time. Open a cold one. Feel the burr :D
 
I would say the chances good your PM2 will come from the factory about as sharp or possibly sharper than you are going to get it with the fine rods. Once you've cut a few things, or a few dozen things, you can touch it up with the fine rods and get it back to that original sharpness. They make ultra fine rods as well as coarse rods, that you can buy as accessories. I especially like the coarse rods since they can quickly get a dull edge to the point where medium and fine rods (that are included with the Sharpmaker) are most effective.
 
Is it safe to use the 30 degrees placements on the knife though? I'll be sure to try out the sharpie method though. The inclusive angle of the blade always needs to be lower than the angle you have your sharpner set at right?
 
Bladenoobie1 said:
For clarification, would the factory edge get any sharper if I used the fine rods from the sharpmaker on it.
Click to expand...

If you plan on using the sharpmaker as your primary sharpening implement, I would suggest getting the diamond stones for it if you can spare the expense. It will make your sharpmaker experience much nicer. Don't get dismayed, as you will eventually understand how to sharpen and what is actually happening to the edge and the steel when you do sharpen. The fine stones will refined the factory edge, though you should still use the medium stones prior to the fine if sharpening the factory edge just to be sure you set an appropriate bevel. If you are new to this, you might try using the knife a bit before sharpening to see how you like the edge. Spyderco's CPM S30V has a nice toothy edge from the factory. It is sharp as all get out, just not as refined as it will be when using the fine stones. You will understand with time. Stick around, ask questions, and search/read the forums. There is a lot of great information and knowledgeable people here.

Bladenoobie1 said:
Is it safe to use the 30 degrees placements on the knife though? I'll be sure to try out the sharpie method though. The inclusive angle of the blade always needs to be lower than the angle you have your sharpner set at right?
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You can use the 30 degree, yes, but if the factory edge is more obtuse than 30degrees, it could take you awhile to reprofile to 30 degrees with the basic sharpmaker setup. You will have to remove more steel if that is the case. Definitely watch the DVD. IT's a nice little primer, so to speak, about sharpening in general.
 
what is the bevel? Right now my main concern is whether I will need to reprofile the edge of the PM2 prior to using the sharpmaker. Right now I won't be able to get the diamond rods, but its something I'll look into later. Thanks for the advice though
 
Bladenoobie1 said:
what is the bevel? Right now my main concern is whether I will need to reprofile the edge of the PM2 prior to using the sharpmaker. Right now I won't be able to get the diamond rods, but its something I'll look into later. Thanks for the advice though
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the bevel is just the angle of the edge.
 
Bladenoobie1 said:
A few more questions. What is the micro bevel and how would I reprofile my edge to 40 inclusive?
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If you had an edge that was a 30 degree inclusive angle and sharpened it with the 40 degree angle, that would give you a micro bevel. The first thing you need to do is determine what the edge angle is at right now, approximately, using the sharpie method.
 
Bladenoobie1 said:
A few more questions. What is the micro bevel and how would I reprofile my edge to 40 inclusive?
Click to expand...

The microbevel is like another tiny edge on top of the already existing edge. It would be pretty time consuming to reprofile a knife to 40 degrees inclusive with the sharpmaker. If you are good at freehand sharpening, you could use a stone. ore you could go with a guided sharpening system such the lansky as a cheaper one or an Edge pro or Wicked edge for the more expensive ones.
 
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