Sharpmaker - Things they don't tell you?

N

nuggetz

Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
39
I've been using the SM for about a week or so now and I have some questions. The DVD in my opinion is very poor, Its marketing material for people who expect the tool to do all the work. The fact that they market the tool as being able to flatten the back of a plane with stones that aren't 100% flat irks me.

Anyway, what does it mean when I'm using the SM and then feel the edge of my blade for sharpness from right to left with my finger and notice that it feels sharp only in one direction? Testing from right to left for example doesn't allow me to feel any sharpness whatsoever. Is this because the angle on my Buck knife is larger on one side than the other? I know the angle is wider on one side. Can someone confirm my logic?

I wish the docs/DVD would place a bigger emphasis on how things should "feel" so people know whether or not they're doing it right. Sometimes the stroke on the right stone might feel too "smooth" when compared to the left or vice-versa. Again, is this due to the angles or metal buildup? I think its the angle but would like someone to confirm. They don't tell you any of this on the DVD.

With regards to keeping the blade straight and stroking up and down, would I ever need to twist my wrist to ensure contact on the belly of my buck knife? I guess this is only applicable to the flat side of the stones but nonetheless I'm not sure what's correct.
 
Without knowing more I would have to guess the original edge angle is steeper than the angle the SM would give ,this is something I feel like they left out of the video . It should explain that a very steep original angle will prevent you from getting a sharp cutting edge on your knife ,reprofiling is in order. Look around the forums you will find the info you need to get the edge you want.
 
The video that comes with the blade does have a bit of the infomercial in it...I'll stipulate to that for sure. However I found it rather different in character. I think, despite the preppy couple ooohing and aaahing over what Sal does, the content of the video, IMHO, was directed at experienced knife sharpeners rather than beginners. Now I mean no offense here to you at all Nuggetz so please take none. Having spend a lot of time in front of a variety of stones, I knew what parts to take with a grain of salt and what parts were useful.

As the The Brain says above, if your knife is not already "indexed" to the sharpmaker, it will be a real chore. By indexing I mean that the bevel should ideally be less than 30 degrees inclusive and at a minimum less than 40. I have exactly 1 knife (Scandis excluded) that came that way. All the others which are knives around or north of the $100 mark, came with bevels more obtuse than 40 degrees or with off-center bevels...so a little less than 20 on one half and a little more on the other.

To really get your money's worth out of the Sharpmaker, you really need to get your knives indexed. You just cannot do that with the Sharpmaker...your hand will cramp up and fall off before you get there. You have to use a much more aggressive method to get that bevel down to 25 - 28 degrees. THEN you can touch it up and get very good results very quickly with the Sharpmaker.
 
I just bought a sharp maker , got it today. I have watch videos on YouTube but I have not watched the DVD.
I bought the course diamond an the extra fine stones as well. Tried it on a older sog and a chefs knife, got decent results with both. But they were both in bad shape so anything was an improvement. I'll have to practice a lot and make sure im keeping my hand nice and straight.I know what you mean about favoring one stone, for me I'm right handed so it seems I favor the left stone more with better consistent contact. I did the sharpy on my sog, that helped a lot to see were I was contacting the knife with the stone. More will be revealed
 
Bottom line is that your blade needs to be at an angle of 30* inclusive, or 40* inclusive to maintain (key word is MANTAIN) Then with a sharpie, color the blade angle and stroke the blade on the stones. If it is removing all the sharpie with the strokes, then your angle is correct. If it only removes part of the sharpie, then you need to do more work on re-profiling your blade angle. The Sharpmaker is actually a maintenance device instead of a full feature sharpener. You can buy the diamond course stones for it, or clip some coarse wet/dry sandpaper on the sticks and use that for re-profiling. Trying to use the standard stones to re-profile is a lesson in futility. Good luck!

Blessings,

Omar
 
HoosierQ said:
I think, despite the preppy couple ooohing and aaahing over what Sal does.
Click to expand...

Omg, I can't stop chuckling. I was actually thinking about that video this morning! I can't tell from clothes and hairstyles if it was made in 1981 or 2006! And yeah, the couple is classic, but what gave me the belly laugh was trying to figure out in what corner of the universe those two qualify as preppy!! Brother, if those guys are preppys in Indiana I want to come up there and see what qualifies as a hillbilly or redneck! ;-). Seriously, you know those two came straight from a NASCAR event to do the taping! ;-). No offense Indiana, thanks for the laugh.
 
nuggetz said:
I've been using the SM for about a week or so now and I have some questions. The DVD in my opinion is very poor, Its marketing material for people who expect the tool to do all the work. The fact that they market the tool as being able to flatten the back of a plane with stones that aren't 100% flat irks me.

Anyway, what does it mean when I'm using the SM and then feel the edge of my blade for sharpness from right to left with my finger and notice that it feels sharp only in one direction? Testing from right to left for example doesn't allow me to feel any sharpness whatsoever. Is this because the angle on my Buck knife is larger on one side than the other? I know the angle is wider on one side. Can someone confirm my logic?

I wish the docs/DVD would place a bigger emphasis on how things should "feel" so people know whether or not they're doing it right. Sometimes the stroke on the right stone might feel too "smooth" when compared to the left or vice-versa. Again, is this due to the angles or metal buildup? I think its the angle but would like someone to confirm. They don't tell you any of this on the DVD.

With regards to keeping the blade straight and stroking up and down, would I ever need to twist my wrist to ensure contact on the belly of my buck knife? I guess this is only applicable to the flat side of the stones but nonetheless I'm not sure what's correct.
Click to expand...

I have had this before and it was from having a small burr that had folded over. Try giving a little more attention to the side that "feels" sharp and work that burr off. Dunno. Give it a shot.
 
nuggetz said:
Anyway, what does it mean when I'm using the SM and then feel the edge of my blade for sharpness from right to left with my finger and notice that it feels sharp only in one direction? Testing from right to left for example doesn't allow me to feel any sharpness whatsoever. Is this because the angle on my Buck knife is larger on one side than the other? I know the angle is wider on one side. Can someone confirm my logic?
Click to expand...

Can you define left and right? And how should sharp feel to you? A lot of sharpness tests need experience to really get the most out of them and there is no real way to describe them until you have played with an edge at all of its stages of sharpness. To be more direct to how i am reading your concern, the way the sharpmaker sharpens a knife, it will leave a very distinctly angled grind pattern. This angle will cause the edge to cut like a saw. Either push or pull. What i am assuming you mean by left to right is heel to tip and vice verse.
 
fervens said:
Can you define left and right? And how should sharp feel to you? A lot of sharpness tests need experience to really get the most out of them and there is no real way to describe them until you have played with an edge at all of its stages of sharpness. To be more direct to how i am reading your concern, the way the sharpmaker sharpens a knife, it will leave a very distinctly angled grind pattern. This angle will cause the edge to cut like a saw. Either push or pull. What i am assuming you mean by left to right is heel to tip and vice verse.
Click to expand...

He means when he lightly pulls his thumb across the edge from side to side (left to right) not "along" the blade. He feels it catch in one direction and not in the other. Which leads me to believe he's feeling the burr in what he's calling the "sharp" side. I admit his description is rather unclear, but I'm pretty sure this is what he's trying to say. I've been wrong before though. :-)
 
Ah. Makes much more sense. I haven't done that to actually test an edge in a while. I still do it when i'm bored and playing with my knife and not paying attention.
 
Surfingringo said:
He means when he lightly pulls his thumb across the edge from side to side (left to right) not "along" the blade. He feels it catch in one direction and not in the other. Which leads me to believe he's feeling the burr in what he's calling the "sharp" side. I admit his description is rather unclear, but I'm pretty sure this is what he's trying to say. I've been wrong before though. :-)
Click to expand...

yep, thats what i mean indeed.
 
OHALLUM said:
Bottom line is that your blade needs to be at an angle of 30* inclusive, or 40* inclusive to maintain (key word is MANTAIN) Then with a sharpie, color the blade angle and stroke the blade on the stones. If it is removing all the sharpie with the strokes, then your angle is correct. If it only removes part of the sharpie, then you need to do more work on re-profiling your blade angle. The Sharpmaker is actually a maintenance device instead of a full feature sharpener. You can buy the diamond course stones for it, or clip some coarse wet/dry sandpaper on the sticks and use that for re-profiling. Trying to use the standard stones to re-profile is a lesson in futility. Good luck!

Blessings,

Omar
Click to expand...

I never understood using sandpaper and the flat stones..seems like it would be a PIA dealing with having to deal with keeping the sandpaper on and moving it around and also dealing with the clips etc... I bought two of the 220 grit Ruby 1/2 x 6 Triangular stones from Congress Tools..they fit the SharpMaker fine and work great for profiling..they seem to work better when they are kept wet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top