Sharpmaker problems...

S

SarcoBlaster

Joined
Jul 1, 2002
Messages
602
I picked up a Spyderco Sharpmaker last night and tried to touch up the edge on my Sebenza. Well, after watching the video and reading the instruction manual, I thought I was ready to use it. I only used the fine stones, but somehow managed to dull the edge.:grumpy: I was extra careful in making sure that the knife was straight up and down and that the strokes were slicing motions (this isn't the first v-type sharpener I've used; I have another one at home, but the angles weren't right for the Sebbie). What could I be doing wrong? I'd really appreciate any suggestions/advice/help. Thanks!

-Randy
 
I bought a Gatco sharpener the other night and the course one is already worn out! I should've got the diamond kit instead...
 
Zytif, I don't know what Gatco sharpener you have, but I doubt it's worn out. It may need cleaning. Scrub the stone with warm soapy water and a coarse sponge, rinse it, let it dry. Try again and let me know if it works better.
 
Randy, I don't know why the Sharpmaker didn't work on your Sebenza. I'm sure you know it has worked on others. I use the fine stones on edge at 40 degrees to touch mine up.

Sharpening is a complex art :D

One of the great resources is here at the Bladeforums Sharpening FAQ. This may help isolate what's not working. Maybe you got a wire edge rolled over that needs to be removed.
 
You used your Sharpmaker for the first time on your Sebenza?!
I suggest you practice on some old knives to get used to the sharpener first. Soon every knife you own will be shave-sharp!
 
Esav: Yeah, it's weird how it didn't work. I've heard that it works great so that's why I bought it.

Steven: Yes, like an idiot, I used my Sebenza.:D I did try using my Runt as a test knife first, but that didn't even get sharp at all.

It's just frustrating to me how this isn't working. I've read the Bladeforums Sharpening FAQ, but that didn't seem to help. I think the main problem I'm having is with using the flat sides of the stones. I can use the corners fine, but have trouble keeping the blade flat against the stones. Oh well, I'll see what I can do I guess. Thanks for the replies, everybody.

-Randy
 
Randy, how much pressure are you using? Especially with the flat sides I like to barely rub the blade along them. It may take a little longer, but it gives you more even pressure and a cleaner edge.

Did you test for a wire edge? I find I can feel it after I've sharpened, running my thumb away from me across the edge (edge also facing away). Then I do the other side of the blade with the other thumb. Sure enough, every now and again, I feel a coarseness on one side or the other, and have to remove the wire. Then the blade is sharp.
 
It's just a standard Gatco sharpening kit. I'll wash it and see if the courseness comes back. It's probably just the metal dust that is making it feel smooth.
 
It probably is. In fact, that it feels smooth may not even degrade its ability to hone entirely. I have a Gatco Tri-seps that I've used a lot and I never clean it. I use it for buffing an edge, touching up minor dulling in the field.
 
Two of the biggest mistakes people makre when sharpening for the first couple hundred times,:D is the don't sharpen one side to a wire edge, and they generally use to much pressure which tends to roll the edge over. This can make a sharp knife feel dull, depending on the knife and the stones I used, sometimes I strop my wire edge off, or just let the weight of the blade at a slightly more acute angle to the stones hone it off.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
Don’t feel bad. I gave up on the SharpMaker flats a long time ago. They're just not worth the aggravation to me. I use the corners, and then the stop.
 
I am sure this has been asked many times before but please indulge me.

When using a sharpmaker should you only sharpen one one of the roda until you get a burr or do you sharpen on each rod one after the other??
 
If you follow the video and instruction book, you are supposed to alternate your strokes left and right, back and forth. You aren't supposed to sharpen one side until raising a burr. This is how the instructions say to do it, and will keep your edge bevels even. You can, however, sharpen only one side, raising a burr, then switch to the other side to remove the burr, but this isn't what the instructions recommend.

Mike
 
While I've not tried it on my Sharpmaker yet, I have always sharpened one side until a burr was raised. Then did the same on the other side, before moving towards alternate strokes. I've had very good success with this method and don't see why it would not work using a Sharpmaker. The technique is the same, only the tool is different.

However, if your only touching up an already sharp knife, then I would use alternate strokes from the start. I use the above method only if the blade is dulled. So far these have worked for me.....
 
Sarcoblaster, is it possible that the angles on your Sebenza are ground different from the angle on the sharpmaker? I found that out with a couple of knives of mine. Once I reground them to the same angle as the Sharpmaker then it worked perfectly. (it took too long to reground on the sharpmaker).

Zytif.. I had the same thing happen with my Gatco extra course stone. I only used it on 3 bad shape knifes and it is already worn smooth. I tried to do all the scrubbing, washing etc but nothing has worked. The coarse stone actually works better. Has anybody tried the Gatco coarse diamond hone? It's $20.99 on their website but I don't want to order one without some track record behind it.
 
Originally posted by Medic1210
If you follow the video and instruction book, you are supposed to alternate your strokes left and right, back and forth. You aren't supposed to sharpen one side until raising a burr. This is how the instructions say to do it, and will keep your edge bevels even.
Click to expand...
The biggest mistake in Sharpmaker’s Manual is that recommending this way of sharpening it doesn’t take into consideration that the particular knife may be sharpened to more obtuse angle. There is nothing wrong using this method in subsequent sharpening sessions when your blade’s sharpening angle matches Sharpmaker’s preset one. However in first sharpening session it makes a lot of sense to work on one side until you get burr on another and then to work on another side up to the same point.

Randy,
Doesn’t your Sebenza have – accidentally ;) - convex edge? In this case using Sharpmaker in V-mode isn’t too good idea. I would advise to turn it into bench stone mode and to try to “catch the edge” sharpening free hand.
 
To deal with the Sebenza's convex secondary bevel, you can sharpen at 40 degrees, then at 30 degrees. This will approimate it. CRK recommends 40 degrees, and they can restore the convex edge for you if you like. I just think it's better to be able to sharpen one's own knives. The Sharpeniong FAQ touches on convex edges.
 
Well....

Got to Chris Reeve's website and they recommend using a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Most of us don't have a belt grinder handy for convex sharpening.

I just sharpened my Mnandi the other day on the Sharpmaker. I would recommend using the gray stones first and then the fine stones. If you let you knife get dull, sharpening on the Sharpmaker can be very frustrating, as it takes a lot longer to get it sharp.

I have found that up to 40 strokes on the flats and 40 on the corners of the gray stones may be necessary to get the angle just right and get a good working edge on dull S30V. The fine stones will get it shaving sharp on the flats and scary sharp on the corners.

Just don't get hung up on pressing the blade into the stones, keep you hand free-moving and keep it light. More passes, less pressure.

I remember a thread or two on these forums where Sal said it took him up to an hour to sharpen a knife on the Sharpmaker that someone had really phucked up!!
 
if you know how, freehand sharpening using a DMT diafold sharpener will be much faster
but you'll need more practice with it, that's one thing
 
Now that Sharpmaker has diamond rods available, I doubt it would Sal that long the next time.
 
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