Sharpening?

lemmuhj said:
I'm really looking at getting a Wicked Edge system for all my CRK's. I've been watching alot of comparison videos of the different sharpening systems, and to me it looks fool proof.
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It is. Aside from the initial learning curve, it's amazing how easy it is. I practiced on some old kitchen knives to start but was sharpening my sebenza by the 5th or 6th knife. Also, by using the alignment guide that comes with it, you can touch up a previously profiled blade real easily. I just throw it back in the system and give it a few passes with the ceramic stones and the stropping paddles and it's back to razor sharp in seconds. I highly recommend it. :thumbup:
 
I have a new PM2 and wonder if I should strop it. Would it get sharper? More polished?

What is the best way to do this?

Sorry for the dumb questions but very new at this sharpening/stropping thing. :D
 
Diamond hones are your friend if it becomes dull. That said, I love a stropped edge if you can stay ahead of the dulling process. Does that make sense ?? Does to me :)
 
Stropping most definitely worked for me. When I noticed my Umnumzaan wasn't that sharp, I stropped it and its now back to shaving sharp with light scratches polished away. Also its very gentle and doesn't do any harm to the blade. Try stropping before sharpening. If it ain't broken, why fix it?
 
I love my Edge Pro! And so do my Sebenzas. :thumbup:
Edge Pro and Chris Reeve Knives = best investments I ever made.
 
Thanks for all the great information guys!

Still have to do a ton more research on the process before I decide on anything, but all of your inputs has been invaluable.

Much appreciated!
 
A knife that has lost that crisp feeling edge has just had the metal moved out of alignement so to speak. That can be brought back by steeling a knife, using a fine ceramic stone or a strop. Once you actually start to wear away the metal at the edge you will then need to remove material (sharpen the knife) to reform the cutting edge. The former can usually be done several times before one really needs to get the sharpening equipment out. :):thumbup:
 
I like to strop with the gray bark river compound to fine the edge. After stroping I use a spyderco sharpmaker. the trick is just to maintain the edge not grind the metal down. I have had a sebenza for several years doing this and it still looks like the knife has not been sharpend. light strokes is all it takes to keep the edge.
 
Edge pro and Wicked edge are nice investments, I just can't bring them along when I work for X number of weeks in the field.

So if your job does require you to leave home for a while knowing freehand is important and you can keep a working edge on one or two tools.
 
Amen to that. This system rocks. You can easily to knife repair, reprofile or quick touchups. I like the sharp maker as well but it won't reprofile or do repairs. At least from my experience.
 
Wicked Edge. Only the best and you got a system that will last you forever. Be careful. Once the word gets out on what you can do with this system, all you buddies will be bringing over their hunting knives and their wive's kitchen knives. The wicked edge is a pleasure to use.

bamahabir said:
Thanks for all the great information guys!

Still have to do a ton more research on the process before I decide on anything, but all of your inputs has been invaluable.

Much appreciated!
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cburris72 said:
Amen to that. This system rocks. You can easily to knife repair, reprofile or quick touchups. I like the sharp maker as well but it won't reprofile or do repairs. At least from my experience.
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You can reprofile and do repairs with the sharpmaker, it just takes time, probably more so than some of the other gimicks out there. I took my strider smf from their goofy 23-24 degree angle to a pretty standard 20 degrees. It took aprox 2 hours, but the edge was perfect and when I finished up with the ultra-fine stones, the edge was mirror polished..........My dad gave an old rapela fillet knife over the holidays to sharpen for him. The edge was FLAT and I mean FLAT. It took maybe 2 hours and it was back to shaving sharp again. And you know what a PITA it is to sharpen a very flexible blade..........When I told him about it and how long it took, he said he would have just thrown it away and bought another....lol. Everyone has their limits I guess.

Gotta look too at cost, a sharpmaker costs around $50, some of the other systems ( and I have considered purchasing them ) can run upwards of $300+. The sharpmaker will do what they do ( unless you want some goofy angle ), with a little more time and effort and in the end, you will be much more experienced with sharpening than you were when you started. And of course, you gotta add the $2 sharpie as that works wonders...!!!!
 
nyefmaker said:
You can reprofile and do repairs with the sharpmaker, it just takes time, probably more so than some of the other gimicks out there. I took my strider smf from their goofy 23-24 degree angle to a pretty standard 20 degrees. It took aprox 2 hours, but the edge was perfect and when I finished up with the ultra-fine stones, the edge was mirror polished..........My dad gave an old rapela fillet knife over the holidays to sharpen for him. The edge was FLAT and I mean FLAT. It took maybe 2 hours and it was back to shaving sharp again. And you know what a PITA it is to sharpen a very flexible blade..........When I told him about it and how long it took, he said he would have just thrown it away and bought another....lol. Everyone has their limits I guess.

Gotta look too at cost, a sharpmaker costs around $50, some of the other systems ( and I have considered purchasing them ) can run upwards of $300+. The sharpmaker will do what they do ( unless you want some goofy angle ), with a little more time and effort and in the end, you will be much more experienced with sharpening than you were when you started. And of course, you gotta add the $2 sharpie as that works wonders...!!!!
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this takes longer because the sharpmaker takes a lot less metal off. the less metal the longer your knife will last.
 
Well I decided to go with the sharpmaker.

I figure since I have no experience what so ever it would be a good introductory tool.

Also got the ultra fine rods ^_^ will post results when I get it.
 
No way in hell would I take 2 hours to sharpen my whole knife collection, much less one single knife.

Paper wheels for me. Grit wheel if a knife is dull, polishing wheel if it just needs a touch up. I wouldnt get a set and start grinding on CRKs though. There is a definite skill set to learn with them.

I also use a strop if a knife just needs a few passes to bring it back to normal.

The Sharpmaker is awesome, but for me, it is touch ups only. I like to set it up when we are butchering deer or filleting fish. Its really convenient to just swipe it a few times and bring the edge back to almost as good as when you started, and the Sharpmaker cleans up really, really easily.
 
the guy who made the wicked edge has a detailed video on sharpening a sebenza on youtube, anyone wondering just search youtube wicked edge sharpens sebenza
 
Tripton said:
No way in hell would I take 2 hours to sharpen my whole knife collection, much less one single knife.

Paper wheels for me. Grit wheel if a knife is dull, polishing wheel if it just needs a touch up. I wouldnt get a set and start grinding on CRKs though. There is a definite skill set to learn with them.

I also use a strop if a knife just needs a few passes to bring it back to normal.

The Sharpmaker is awesome, but for me, it is touch ups only. I like to set it up when we are butchering deer or filleting fish. Its really convenient to just swipe it a few times and bring the edge back to almost as good as when you started, and the Sharpmaker cleans up really, really easily.
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2 hours was not a simple resharpening. On the strider SMF, which has a thick blade, it took just over 2 hours non stop reprofiling it to a 20 degree angle from the goofy 23-24 degree angle they use. It looks liked a factory edge when I was done as it was nice and even thoughout. I recently sold it, otherwise I would have taken pics. On the Rapela my dad gave to sharpen, the edge was FLAT. It took 2 hours to get it back to shaving sharp and sharpening the very flexible blade is a real PITA and don't plan on doing it again....lol.

2 hours each of learning when doing these was invaluable. It might seem like alot to some, but I was not sharpening a cheap china knife, I was sharpening and reprofiling very high quality S30V with RC close to 60, which is hard. In the end, you cant Buy experience, it has to be learned over time and there is no quick or easy way.

For those with the sharpmaker, you gotta get a sharpie. Sharpie the edge and stroke the knife down the rods about 2 times each side lightly. You will quickly see where the edge is touching. You will ALSO see that nearly all factory knives have One Perfect Edge and the other side is Off. By using the sharpie, you will see how you may need to adjust your stroke, especially near the tip.

Also cleaning your ceramic rods on the sharpmaker with Comet regularly will make sharpening easier and faster.
 
How good of a mirror polished edge would you be able to get with the sharpmaker?

A few guys on the spyderco forums said it's nothing close to what edge pro gives or wicked edge...

Some guy on youtube said it's good enough, and to just finish with stroping with an added compound to make it shiny.

Please share your experience. Thanks!
 
If all you're interested in is a morror polished edge just get a strop and use that to get your knife shiney. A polished edge is not always the best edge to have on a knife and is not always an indication of being sharp, it's just polished. I would forget about spending time on a wonderful looking edge and worry about one that actually performes with regards to ones needs. A polished edge will be scratched up in no time any way so why bother ? Stropping is done to clean and align the edge the polished look is just a consequence of the polishing compouds effect on the metal.

:):thumbup:

bamahabir said:
How good of a mirror polished edge would you be able to get with the sharpmaker?

A few guys on the spyderco forums said it's nothing close to what edge pro gives or wicked edge...

Some guy on youtube said it's good enough, and to just finish with stroping with an added compound to make it shiny.

Please share your experience. Thanks!
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