Sharpmaker for very dull knives

S

Shann

Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
5,251
I have fallen behind on my maintenance of my kitchen knives (nothing fancy, some spyderco kitchen knives and pampered chef steak knives).

I did the normal 20 strokes pers side on the gray stone on edge and flat and 20 strokes per side on white on edge and flat. The knives still wouldn't cut newsprint. (I don't think thats really that sharp but thats kind of what I look for).

Should I just do the whole thing over again (and again) until they've gotten sharp or do I need to use something else? They have been sharpened several time on the sharpmaker in the past, I've just been lazy and let them get dull. I used to sharpen them every couple of weeks.

Thanks.
 
When my kitchen knives got really dull I used a diamond steel to get it started before the sharpmaker. Obviously that's only helpful if you have a diamond steel but you get the idea. Something agressive first.
 
The directions suggest 20 alternating sets of strokes as a general guideline, but it can be overkill or insufficient depending on the edge. At least they said so back in my day...

Do you sharpen with the 30 or 40 degree setting and do you use a dual-bevel approach? With a dual-bevel approach, you can use corners of the brown hones and use excessive force for the back-bevel until you reach or almost reach the edge and then switch back to proper pressure (light, very light, and lighter) for using the corners and flats of the rods as usual.
 
I love the Sharpmaker for keeping my knives sharp but when they get really dull I take them to a stone renew the edge/bevel and then to the Sharpmaker. And yes I am guilty of that same thing.

RKH
 
Wrap some wet/dry sandpaper around your sharpmaker rods. Choose a grit based on how much 'catching up' you need to do, so your knives are once again ready for the ceramic hones. It's a cheap & easy way to do a little more edge restoration, without having to invest in diamond rods or something similar. Just make sure to go light on the pressure, so as not to cut the paper.
 
Shann said:
I have fallen behind on my maintenance of my kitchen knives (nothing fancy, some spyderco kitchen knives and pampered chef steak knives).

I did the normal 20 strokes pers side on the gray stone on edge and flat and 20 strokes per side on white on edge and flat. The knives still wouldn't cut newsprint. (I don't think thats really that sharp but thats kind of what I look for).

Should I just do the whole thing over again (and again) until they've gotten sharp or do I need to use something else? They have been sharpened several time on the sharpmaker in the past, I've just been lazy and let them get dull. I used to sharpen them every couple of weeks.

Thanks.
Click to expand...


what i would do is throw your sharpmaker in to the nearest river and either buy a paperwheel system or a belt sander system (works or a true belt sander)!
 
eccvets said:
what i would do is throw your sharpmaker in to the nearest river and either buy a paperwheel system or a belt sander system (works or a true belt sander)!
Click to expand...

The sharpmaker is generally foolproof. And I'm generally a fool!
 
The Sharpmaker is a very capable tool but as with all things it has its limitations. IMO it excells at making the fairly sharp really sharp by average standards.
 
The only thing keeping you back regarding the Sharpmaker and very dull knives is that the brown stones are not coarse enough.

Wrap some 220 grit sandpaper around the rods and use them like a poor man's diamond rods. That will remove some metal right quick. Then go back to the normal process.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Wrap some wet/dry sandpaper around your sharpmaker rods. Choose a grit based on how much 'catching up' you need to do, so your knives are once again ready for the ceramic hones. It's a cheap & easy way to do a little more edge restoration, without having to invest in diamond rods or something similar. Just make sure to go light on the pressure, so as not to cut the paper.
Click to expand...

:thumbup:

I find that wet-and-dry paper zip-tied around a stone works really well. I back bevel at thirty using it, then use the flats of the whites at forty, finishing off by stropping with some paste.

 
Have you tried the sharpie trick to make sure you are getting the bevel properly? I free hand and the sharpie is my friend.

Ric
 
Steve Andrews has an excellent answer listed above. Alternativingly you could purchase the 204D Diamond rods for your Sharpmaker.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top