I’ve been using a Sharpmaker for several years to touch up many of my edges. But now I’d like to start using it with coarser stones. Do Norton or others make triangular rods that would fit into the Sharpmaker base? I’m not wild about the price of the diamond rods, and like the feedback of stones.
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Sharpmaker: Options for coarser stones?
- Thread starter RobbW
- Start date
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- Oct 2, 1998
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- 45,389
You can get MoldMaster SiC (and various aluminum oxide) 6" triangular hones from Congress Tools.
(They also come with the Jim Ankerson seal of approval. Well, at least the versions that fit the Edge Pro.
)
Caution: The corners are generally left pretty rough when they come out of the molds, so if you are planning on using the corners rather than the flats, it's something to keep in mind.
(They also come with the Jim Ankerson seal of approval. Well, at least the versions that fit the Edge Pro.
)Caution: The corners are generally left pretty rough when they come out of the molds, so if you are planning on using the corners rather than the flats, it's something to keep in mind.
View attachment 960441 I use the Sharpmaker for touch up but use a homemade jig for reprofiling.
Perfect! Thank you. That’s exactly what I’m looking for. BTW it’s good to “see” you here from time to time, Blues. I know whenever Cattle Knives come up in Traditionals that you’re likely to make an appearance. Hope all is well!
I’m really impressed with your abilities, and like the infinitely variable adjustment of your jig. Well done. I usually freehand or re-bevel my edges with an Edge Pro, but lately I’ve been cutting down a lot of industrial cardboard and am looking for a way to quickly bring a stainless edge back from really worn to sharp. The standard Sharpmaker rods just aren’t aggressive enough with higher-alloy steels. They do OK getting a “cardboard-ready” edge as the final step, but aren’t fast enough to bring something back that is really worn.
View attachment 960551
The jig can hold my Norton SiC and Al2O3 stones, my large Arkansas stones, my Venev Diamond stones, my DMT Diamond stones, my Shapton water stones, lapping plates with .3 micron film, and many others in many sizes. The turnbuckle adjusts the angle to 1/10th of a degree using an angle cube. I generally use the Diamond stuff on blades containing TiC, VC, and NbC as these are harder than SiC and Al2O3.
Perfect! Thank you. That’s exactly what I’m looking for. BTW it’s good to “see” you here from time to time, Blues. I know whenever Cattle Knives come up in Traditionals that you’re likely to make an appearance. Hope all is well!
I’m really impressed with your abilities, and like the infinitely variable adjustment of your jig. Well done. I usually freehand or re-bevel my edges with an Edge Pro, but lately I’ve been cutting down a lot of industrial cardboard and am looking for a way to quickly bring a stainless edge back from really worn to sharp. The standard Sharpmaker rods just aren’t aggressive enough with higher-alloy steels. They do OK getting a “cardboard-ready” edge as the final step, but aren’t fast enough to bring something back that is really worn.
The jig can hold my Norton SiC and Al2O3 stones, my large Arkansas stones, my Venev Diamond stones, my DMT Diamond stones, my Shapton water stones, lapping plates with .3 micron film, and many others in many sizes. The turnbuckle adjusts the angle to 1/10th of a degree using an angle cube. I generally use the Diamond stuff on blades containing TiC, VC, and NbC as these are harder than SiC and Al2O3.
Very nice, thanks for the pic. I have a set of Shapton Glass stones for my straight razors. You gave me a great idea for a storage system with your Festool box!
View attachment 960895 These are some of the 1/2” Triangular (prisms) files that fit the Sharpmaker. L to R Med. India, 320 grit Ruby, and Coarse India.
RayseM
Platinum Member
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- Feb 18, 2010
- Messages
- 8,259
You can get MoldMaster SiC (and various aluminum oxide) 6" triangular hones from Congress Tools.
(They also come with the Jim Ankerson seal of approval. Well, at least the versions that fit the Edge Pro.
Caution: The corners are generally left pretty rough when they come out of the molds, so if you are planning on using the corners rather than the flats, it's something to keep in mind.
Are they too rough to become usable or is it just that they need to be worked a bit. If can be worked - how would you go about it? Run a diamond plate over them?
Thanks for the info, I didn't know about these as an option.
Ray
- Joined
- Oct 2, 1998
- Messages
- 45,389
Ray, I haven't smoothed or attempted to smooth the corners. Perhaps others may have some info.
This is a most interesting conversation about Spyderco's great 204 Sharpmaker system ( kit). I've said over at the Spyderco.com forum many times over the years that one deficient aspect of the 204 Sharpmaker is that they had never offered up a really coarse stone for rapid stock removal for use on the Sharpmaker. Especially when you've got a really beat up, dinged up, dented up blade that needs some serious stock removal. Oh yes the diamond rods were a good addition to the kit and I have two sets of those and have used them a lot. But still they lack a stone that will really remove defects in a beat up blade much faster than what they currently offer IMO.
I've gotten around it by using one of my coarse or extra-coarse diamond benchstones to eliminate the damages to an edge that has been used hard. OK I guess you can say that is a remedy. But isn't the whole point of having the 204 Sharpmaker to have something portable that you can carry in one case to take with you to the field if necessary? Now I do like the suggestions of the idea of Silicon Carbide stones that would fit the SM and that might just be the ticket to have an extra-coarse stone for the 204 Sharpmaker to make it a more complete sharpening system. Because it has been said that the 204 Sharpmaker and what it comes equipped with presently should be called the Sharp-Maintainer instead of the Sharp-Maker. And this is coming from a big fan of the Sharpmaker and I got my first one in 1999.
A coarser grade of diamond would be great but to keep the costs down I believe that SiC or Aluminum Oxide might be a better choice for such a stone.
I've gotten around it by using one of my coarse or extra-coarse diamond benchstones to eliminate the damages to an edge that has been used hard. OK I guess you can say that is a remedy. But isn't the whole point of having the 204 Sharpmaker to have something portable that you can carry in one case to take with you to the field if necessary? Now I do like the suggestions of the idea of Silicon Carbide stones that would fit the SM and that might just be the ticket to have an extra-coarse stone for the 204 Sharpmaker to make it a more complete sharpening system. Because it has been said that the 204 Sharpmaker and what it comes equipped with presently should be called the Sharp-Maintainer instead of the Sharp-Maker. And this is coming from a big fan of the Sharpmaker and I got my first one in 1999.
A coarser grade of diamond would be great but to keep the costs down I believe that SiC or Aluminum Oxide might be a better choice for such a stone.