Sharpmaker Angle?

A

ASBOB

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Feb 8, 2008
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I have a Sharpmaker and I like it a lot. But when I get a new knife (or a used one), how do you know when to use the 30 degree setting and when to use the 40 degree setting?
 
You can try it on the 30 degree angle and if it gets sharper then it's hitting the edge. If it doesn't get any sharper after a while, you'll probably be better off shifting to the 40 degree slots.

Or you can use a sharpie but I'd try the 30 degree angle first. It's easier to microbevel on the 40 degree coming from 30 degrees than to go to the 30 from 40.
 
Is there any way to tell without that kind of trial and error? Or any device that you can test a knife angle with? Spyderco used to have something like that but it never went into production, and it is impossible to find now. Any alternative?
 
I use 30 for spyderco's and my Shun kitchen knives. 40 for sebenza's and most everything else (choppers, etc.).
 
ASBOB said:
Is there any way to tell without that kind of trial and error? Or any device that you can test a knife angle with? Spyderco used to have something like that but it never went into production, and it is impossible to find now. Any alternative?
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In all likelihood, each and every knife you buy will have a different bevel angle, one way or the other. Most of 'em probably won't even be 30 or 40 degrees. They'll often be mis-matched (one side different than the other). The best thing you can do is get yourself a decent magnifier (at least 10X), and inspect the edge under bright light. As suggested earlier, use a Sharpie to mark the edge, then make a pass or two on the rods. With the magnifier and bright light, take a CLOSE look at where the ink came off. If the ink comes off the shoulder of the bevel, the angle is too shallow/thin (relative to the rods). If it only comes off at the very edge, but not from the rest of the bevel, the angle is too steep/thick. With 10X or more magnification and good lighting, it usually becomes obvious what needs to be done.
 
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Never considered checking the progression of steel removal through a magnifying glass, but that makes a lot of sense.
Just got my Sharpmaker too.
Does anyone else try doing it in their lap instead of on a table???
 
HuntBomb said:
Does anyone else try doing it in their lap instead of on a table???
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No way. Too easy to throw off the angles. You can do it, but it's a helluva lot harder that way than if you placed the Sharpmaker on a flat surface.

The idea about the Sharpmaker is that it's relatively easy for the human brain to identify a 90° angle and hold a knife vertical. It's a lot more difficult to hold other angles. So you need to orient the Sharpmaker exactly flat so that, when you hold the knife vertical, the rods form the same angle with the knife on each side.

If you hold the Sharpmaker in your lap, it is very likely to be at a slight angle. Then when you hold the knife vertical, the rods will contact the blade at different angles. This results in the infamous "uneven grind" that folks scream about on their fresh from factory blades.
 
ASBOB said:
I have a Sharpmaker and I like it a lot. But when I get a new knife (or a used one), how do you know when to use the 30 degree setting and when to use the 40 degree setting?
Click to expand...

Most knives have to be rebevelled to match the Sharpmaker. I choose the angle based on the hardness of the alloy and what I intend to cut with the knife.

A 20° per side angle provides more steel to support the edge so that the edge doesn't bend over as easily. 15° slices better.
  • If I know the knife manufacturer hardens their steel at 59 or above, I'll likely use the 15° angle. If softer, the 20° angle.
  • If I intend to use the knife for slicing food or items that aren't hard (skinning etc.) then I tend toward the 15°. If for general EDC cutting (for me that often includes hard stuff like PVC plastic) I'll use the 20° angle.

These are rules of thumb that work for me. Lots of exceptions. And for sure YMMV.

BTW When first sharpening a new blade on the Sharpmaker, don't forget to have a Sharpie to mark the edge so that you know when you are sharpening instead of still changing the edge bevel.
 
Sharpie and a light swipe of the white rods on the 40 degree setting. If the marker is only wiped off of part of the edge closest to the apex(where the two sides meet at a point), then you can probably move back a bit to the 30 degree setting. Though most production knives are ground with an obtuse angle and you'll probably never use the 30 degree setting much.
 
If you are feeling up to a re-bevel, then a pair of the diamond rods might suit you just fine.
I just re-beveled my D2 to 30, and I was using those diamond rods like a madman.
I have all the rods in the set, and I must have used my diamond rods about 5x as much as any others.
In the end, the edge came out really nice.
 
As an added bonus if you are sharpening a Spyderco is that the Spydie hole can be used to insure you are hitting 90 degrees on the SharpMaker. As you look down on it, at vertical, the Spydie hole "disappears" when you are straight up and down over it! I found using the SharpMaker to be very intuitive.
 
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