Sharpmaker flats - bad for 710D2's recurve?

S

Sobriquet

Joined
Jul 27, 2008
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I've been practicing using my Sharpmaker on some cheaper knives and my old EDC Spyderco Enduras and am finally ready to give my new (and current EDC) Benchmade 710D2 a try on the Sharpmaker.

My question is whether I need to use only the corners because the flat surfaces would be bad for the blade's recurve?

Also, the knife is still brand new. Should I go ahead and use the diamond triangle, then the gray, then the fine ceramic, or should I only use some of the stones? Thanks, gentlemen.
 
I just use the corner for the tight recurve because it works better there then I swing over to the flats for the rest of the edge to ensure I don't dull the tip. And I just use the standard rods. Then strop.
 
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When you say standard rods, you mean the grey and then the white fine ceramic?

Is there a good primer on how to strop? I've never done that before, but I heard you can do it on the cardboard back of a legal pad. I'd be curious to know how to do that.
 
The flats of the rods will not hurt your D2 blade. Instead of honing along the apex of your rod edges you will be honing along the sides of two edges of your rod. This is probably better for your knife edge than running along a single narrow rod edge. You will tend to sharpen the edges of your rods over time. The recurved section of your edge will not actually contact the center of the flats of your rods.
 
Sobriquet said:
When you say standard rods, you mean the grey and then the white fine ceramic?

Is there a good primer on how to strop? I've never done that before, but I heard you can do it on the cardboard back of a legal pad. I'd be curious to know how to do that.
Click to expand...

Yes but I also bought the 1200 rods after the fact too.

I use a strop from knivesplus.com. Awesome deal for $14.95
 
You've got to Google "Joe Talmadge and AFCK" to see if you can find his article on improving the recurved edge with a Sharpmaker. I learned his way and it works - if you are patient and slow and determined. My 710 may be my favorite knife and it still isn't as sharp as I'll eventually get it. Don't ever get it really dull! Fortunately, that's hard: I cut a steel belted radial tire apart with mine. Good luck.
 
I wouldn't think you'd need the diamond rods for a reasonably sharp knife. If you touch it up occasionally and don't let it get too dull in the first place, the rods that come with the Sharpmaker should be sufficient. I let both my Delica 4 and Boker Trance get pretty dull, and the ceramic rods sharpened them both up quickly.

I haven't tried re-sharpening my Camillus CUDA EDC, which is a recurve drop point, on my Sharpmaker yet.
 
nevertoomany said:
You've got to Google "Joe Talmadge and AFCK" to see if you can find his article on improving the recurved edge with a Sharpmaker. I learned his way and it works - if you are patient and slow and determined. My 710 may be my favorite knife and it still isn't as sharp as I'll eventually get it. Don't ever get it really dull! Fortunately, that's hard: I cut a steel belted radial tire apart with mine. Good luck.
Click to expand...

http://www.edcknives.com/pdf-files/Steel_v2.pdf
 
I use the flats on a re curve blade just fine... But it does take a modified technique.. So do what works for you...
 
FYI: My Sharpmaker "flats" aren't flat at all. They're slightly concave and will contact a straight blade at just two points. Hence, I never use the flats for any but the roughest of bevel establishment.

Though potentially irrelevant to this thread, you may want to check you stones anyway.
 
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