Sharpmaker Question

[BoJack]

have the Spyderco Sharpmaker.At the present time only have a Delica 4 sabre grind plain edge VG-10 knife.I haven't sharpened it yet but will need to soon. I have watched the cd of Sal explaining the sharpener.He says to use the 40 degree angle for sharpening and about every 10 times it has been sharpened to use the 30 degree back bevel as well.The Sharpmaker was given to me by someone else and it is around five years old.I don't know if the cd on the current Sharpmakers has changed or not, but have read in recent statements by Sal that all Spydercos shoots for an edge of 30 degrees.So if I sharpen at 30 degrees what is the back bevel angle ?.The back bevel angle would have to be lower than the 30 degree inclusive sharpening angle, 10 degrees ??. As you know the Sharpmaker has only 2 settings 40 and 30 degrees.It seems the more I read on the sharpmaker the more I am confused. Also another question. I want to get a new FFG Delica .If I sharpen it at 30 degrees inclusive, there is no back bevel right ??. Since it is a full flat grind it seems this would be a whole lot easier to maintain and you would only need to use the 30 degree angle only.Maybe someone can help me understand this better. Thanks

 

[jacktrades_nbk]

if you have a 30 degrees back bevel, and sharpen at 40 degrees, you will have a 40 degrees micro bevel, and that will make the edge stronger as opposed to no micro bevel at all.
and if you sharpen only at 30, and have the edge bevel already at that angle, you will have no micro bevel.
anyway, im not sure what exactly you don't understand, but the edge rarely comes from factory at those precise angles..

you can sharpen only at 30 degrees, but i doubt you will be hitting the actual edge of the sabre delica, which is quite thick at the edge.
of course, you can use a sharpie to mark the edge, and see from where you are removing the mark while sharpening.

 

[Bryan J]

if you have a 30 degrees back bevel, and sharpen at 40 degrees, you will have a 40 degrees micro bevel, and that will make the edge stronger as opposed to no micro bevel at all.
and if you sharpen only at 30, and have the edge bevel already at that angle, you will have no micro bevel.
anyway, im not sure what exactly you don't understand, but the edge rarely comes from factory at those precise angles..

Spyderco shoots for edges that are 30° inclusive, but like any other measurement there is variation. Do not assume the angle is precise, but instead feel for the burr or use a Sharpie to ensure metal is being removed from the very edge. This is why the 40° edge setting is foolproof--you needn't concern yourself about what the precise angle is because you can be confident it's much less than 40° (but not true for Benchmade knives!).

 

[allyourblood]

These two have nailed it pretty much perfectly, BoJack. You seem to understand the overall concepts fairly well so don't feel too confused. A lot of Sharpmaker users indeed sharpen their knives at 30° and follow with a 40° microbevel. As for the straight 30° edge, that's what I do with a lot of my knives. It may make the edge a bit more delicate, but it's never been a big deal, and unless you're using your knives very often or super-aggresively, I doubt you'll be disappointed. You could always take the edge down to 30° and if it doesn't work as well as you'd like, it won't take too long to cut in a 40° microbevel.

Enjoy the Sharpmaker. It's an excellent system.

 

[KNaB]

These two have nailed it pretty much perfectly, BoJack. You seem to understand the overall concepts fairly well so don't feel too confused. A lot of Sharpmaker users indeed sharpen their knives at 30° and follow with a 40° microbevel. As for the straight 30° edge, that's what I do with a lot of my knives. It may make the edge a bit more delicate, but it's never been a big deal, and unless you're using your knives very often or super-aggresively, I doubt you'll be disappointed. You could always take the edge down to 30° and if it doesn't work as well as you'd like, it won't take too long to cut in a 40° microbevel.

Enjoy the Sharpmaker. It's an excellent system.

Yup. This is what I do as well. I'll bring a new knife to 30 degrees. Thinner edge geometry and easier to sharpen/maintain.:thumbup: