sharpmaker, why not more grit choices for re-profiling?...

jbmonkey

jbmonkey

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i realize this is probably more of a maintenance/sharpening question....but, since it's directly talking about the spyderco sharpmaker....i'm hoping it can be tolerated by the group so i get more thoughts on the subject? if i stepped over the bounds, feel free to move it moderators and accept my apology for creating more work for you, which is/was not my intention.


the biggest complaint i see with the sharpmaker and i have myself is the massive under taking of re-profiling production knife blades, using it. it's a rare deed for me to get a knife setup from the factory where the sharpmaker can keep the edge sharp. because.... most production knives i have gotten have different, inconsistent angles per side and often the 40 degree side on the sharpmaker hits the shoulders on both sides.

so being the sharpmaker lover i am, i have adjusted to adjusting the knife angle to match the factory angle to keep it sharp and when i find the time re-profiling with the belt sander. in my hunt to find a better way i came across folks using the congress stones to use in the sharpmaker for the range of grits available. so i wonder why doesn't spyderco offer more sharpmaker stones in more grit choices for re-profiling?

i have the diamond rods and they are okay at around 400 (i think?), but still take a loooonnngg time to re-profile a poorly factory sharpened knife. an option for 120 or 220 would speed things up much faster, and still utilize only one sharpening contraption to do the bulk of one's knife sharpening. am i looking at this all wrong and i should just go buy the congress stones and move along? thanks in advance for your feedback and thoughts.
 
This reason drove me to buy an edge pro, actually it was a present. I have seen videos were people wrap and clip sand paper with lower grits to the stones to speed up the reprofilng,this might help ya
 
spydusse said:
This reason drove me to buy an edge pro, actually it was a present. I have seen videos were people wrap and clip sand paper with lower grits to the stones to speed up the reprofilng,this might help ya
Click to expand...

+1.... My SharpMaker does get used several times a week, but it is only for quickie type touchups to bring an already fairly sharp edge back to being hair popping sharp. Any and all "heavy lifting" re-beveling type sharpening tasks get done on my Edge Pro Apex.
 
jbmonkey said:
in my hunt to find a better way i came across folks using the congress stones to use in the sharpmaker for the range of grits available. so i wonder why doesn't spyderco offer more sharpmaker stones in more grit choices for re-profiling?
Click to expand...
I am one of the people, who is using congress stones along with Sharpmaker. I use them for several years. I used to buy 1/2" triangular stones. About a year ago I switched to 1/4"x1"x6" flat stones. still it take time. Certainly Edge pro is better tool for reprofiling, I just cannot bring myself to spend $200 for this. Also I reprofile my knives just few time a year. If Spyderco would sell sharpmaker rods, coarse than their current diamond rods at reasonable price that it would be great. But this topic was discussed many times, probably Spyderco doesn't see sufficient demand or probably this is not an easy task.
 
I imagine it would not be an easy thing for SC to do, but I'll throw my hat in with the group that would LOVE to see more grits for the SM. I think a 120 and 220 (maybe 320) would be all that's needed. Make them from silicone carbide and you'd have one hell of a system! Then we could use the SM to sharpen up the proposed K390 mule and the upcoming 110v native (sans many hours of headache).

It would be awesome.
 
I have suggested to Spyderco on this forum and on the Spyderco.com forum as well that they need a set of really aggressive coarse and extra coarse stones to be made available for the Sharpmaker unit. And why they don't do I have no idea :confused: I'm sure they would sell just as good if not better than the Ultra-fine and diamond 204 stones do. Personally the Sharpmaker is not even half the tool without the UF and Diamond stones. I use my Sharpmaker so much and I would use it more if it had a very aggressive extra coarse stones available for it.

Right now at this time I used a 3M extra coarse diamond benchstone and a Norton coarse diamond benchstone for serious reprofiling before I even get my 204 unit clamped to the workbench.

I know that Spyderco is aware of many of us 204 users who have voiced our desires for the extra stones. I've also petitioned Spyderco to make a diamond 701 Profile rod to go with the medium and fine stones in that kit. And much to my disappointment I've learned that Spyderco is discontinuing the 701 Profiles :confused:>> I truly hope that there is some new sharpening tool coming down the pipeline that will take the place of the 701 Profiles because it's truly one of my very favorite sharpening tools period>> they are absolutely super for Spyderedged blades and that's the only thing I currently use on Spyderedged serrations.
 
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