The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
I also would really like the option of having at least one more sharpening angle. I experimented once by alternately propping one end up and then the other a bit so that I could achieve less than 15 degrees. Problem for me is that I clamp my Sharpmaker down to my work surface allowing me to use both hands to control my strokes minimizing tip slip and vertical wobble. Also I can eliminate the brass safety rods. But no way will I frustrate myself in having to remove and reposition the clamp and prop block each time I work the other side of the blade insane.
What would work perfect for how I use the SM, would be have a second housing minus the rods (I have a full set); butt the two housings up to each other and clamp the center where the two meet while propping up both ends. Voila! No repositioning; still use both hands for stabilizing.
Smoke dream, I know because Im not kicking for another SM just to satisfy that sharp fetish. At least I don't think I will.![]()
OP.
You put to much thought into it.
I have a 20yr old SM with one angle on it.
It has never failed me. Always works.
Is DEAD KISS near perfection.
That is why I like it
As someone with a some machining & tool-building experience, the polar serrations on the adjustable "gooseneck" (for lack of a better word) would probably be fragile if made in 1° increments.
Here's my suggestion -- widen the base to accommodate an extra row of holes in the top with different angles.
I don't own a Sharp Maker, but have used a friends -- without a doubt, it is a well-designed, good-working system.
Another idea might be to allow the base of the rods to slide but have a fixed rod support point. A scale could be put on the base to indicate angle and it would be infinitely adjustable. If you put the tracks next to each other so the blocks could slide past each other the base could be made quite a bit shorter. As the blocks move closer to the supports the inclusive angle is reduced and as the blocks get closer to each other it gets larger. Support height would dictate max/min angles or at least the amount of block movement to change X degrees.
Forgive the horrible drawing. The red lines are the rods, the other vertical lines would be non-moving supports that the rods would pivot on. The black blocks would slide back and forth and be able to be tightened in place. The only complicated bit would be the rods would need to pivot in the blocks.
View attachment 465327
You see, I like cholocate cake. Always did. It's been 20 years I eat it whenever I can. It has never failed me. Always works. Is DEAD KISS near perfection.
But that does not mean I will ONLY eat chocolate cake forever. If the same bakery cooks an awesome vanilla cake, I'll try it for sure!
I love the Spyderco SM. I use it almost daily. I think, however, that there is always room for improvement in everything in live. And that's a good thing. Try do get better always: that's not a bad goal IMHO.
Reading the replies, I feel that I am not alone in the idea of wanting a "multiple angle" sharpmaker. And, in this very thread, people posted some cool home made ideas of how to do something like that. If it would be viable with a small piece (or set of pieces), why not? Of course, as Sal said, there are many variables involved... But we are talking about Spyderco. What can't they do?![]()
I own several Sharpmakers but built an adjustable model that holds bigger stones. I made the turnbuckles out of tie rod ends and the clevises out of split 1"X3" box channel. I can adjust the angle to 1/10 degree using an angle cube.View attachment 464861
I own several Sharpmakers but built an adjustable model that holds bigger stones. I made the turnbuckles out of tie rod ends and the clevises out of split 1"X3" box channel. I can adjust the angle to 1/10 degree using an angle cube.View attachment 464861