Sharpmaker

In my opinion, Sharpmaker is not ultimate sharpening tool, but it is very damn good tool.
I have it for two month only and I had no problem after just watching DVD to sharpen couple Swiss army, Hard Wear Emerson, BM 551, small pocket Zippo knife and something like old Bear Hunter made in Pakistan. This is several different brands; still sharpmaker did not have any problem with them. I cannot wait when my Native get dull.
It must be a lot of people who cannot buy Edge Pro or do not have enough time to learn free hand sharpening or just can not do it due to the lack of coordination or dexterity. This is the tool for them. Also you can add course diamond sticks if you feel you need it or set up diamond stone on sharpmaker.
The only thing I would love to have is more bevel angles.
 
Bigjim,

I understand your concerns for the lack of angle choices; I can see how that would reduce your enthusiasm for the product. But as a casual knife collector/enthusiast who keeps my knives fairly sharp to begin. When I want to reset the edge razor sharp this is a really good product for me. There is fairly little setup and I can take it anywhere easily. Plus the DVD helped me with the understanding the nuances with sharpening various blade types. To each his own. I will defend my original statement that this is a great product, IMHO.

AZ...
 
Please, understand me correctly. I feel that sharpmaker is a great tool also.
 
It is a great product and it is made in the USA. The funny thing is that if that dvd was a infomercial on at about 5 a.m., I wouldn't order the product at all--I'd think it was just another gimmick. But that sharpmaker really works, especially on 1095 or cv.

Yes, the degree settings are limited. As they explain on the dvd, the 40 degree setting is a compromise setting. But it seems to work just fine.

Also, it can handle serrated blades, shears, fish hooks, chisels, etc. It may not be the perfect sharpening device, but it will put a good edge on what you own.
 
Im having mixed results with mine . Some of my older knives im not having much luck with . Maybe ill get more used to it as time goes .
 
travis55 said:
Im having mixed results with mine . Some of my older knives im not having much luck with . Maybe ill get more used to it as time goes .
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You probably need to reprofile the edges. This means many hours of work with the medium stones at the 30 degree mark, or upgrading to the diamond stones.

If you are using the sharpmaker to resharpen exclusively, some of the guys here will wrap the stones with low-grit sandpaper; or prop a diamond benchstone on the rod and CAREFULLY sharpen (as you have to hold the stone there, bypassing the safety rods).
 
Deadhead Archer said:
You probably need to reprofile the edges. This means many hours of work with the medium stones at the 30 degree mark, or upgrading to the diamond stones.

If you are using the sharpmaker to resharpen exclusively, some of the guys here will wrap the stones with low-grit sandpaper; or prop a diamond benchstone on the rod and CAREFULLY sharpen (as you have to hold the stone there, bypassing the safety rods).
Click to expand...

The 30 min reprofile: Don't make this harder than it needs to be.

Just lay that blade flat, grab a course stone or diamond hone. Rough that edge back as far as you can go with out scratching up the primary grind. ( use some judgement if you have a Really thin flat blade. ) Average 5 inch blade can be done in about 10 to 20 mins. THEN grab the medium Spyderco rods and using them like files smooth that edge up and begin to give it a bit of polish. This should take about another 2 mins per side.

Then as a last step drop the fine rods into the 30 degree spots and do four or five passes per side. This edge will resharpen in seconds and cut as well as your knife blade can.

The key is to remember that as long as it is acute ENOUGH the actual degree or absolute accuracy of the back bevel is NOT critical and all the excessive worry we place on it is mental masterbation.

Practice this once or twice and you will be able to build a quality edge on a knife in a fraction of the time it takes others to do and get GREAT looking and function results.
 
This is what the sharpmaker has done to me , lol .

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I gotta agree to a point with BigJim.

The Sharpmaker is definitely the best of its type, and its utility at sharpening and maintaining everything from serrations, to axes, to fingernail clippers, scissors, etc. is almost legendary.

But alas like most things it's not perfect either. It's a better knife maintenance tool than anything. A little less effective at reworking damaged knives, or heavy duty sharpening chores. A better tool for such work on plain edges is definately the Edge Pro. I suppose in a perfect world where space and money wasn't an option, the best equipped knife enthusiast would have both, as well as a few other sharpening gadgets on the market for larger and smaller tools, such as a small round diamond file, and an edge maker diamond file for heavier work on larger, less precise tools. Of course for those with the hand steadiness of a surgeon, and the geometric judgment of Euclid, etc., various water stones, and other bench stones are preferable.

But if I had to only have one sharpening system on my bench for knives, axes, scissors, and almost everything else you can think to sharpen, it would be the stock sharpmaker 204 with diamond triangles.

It's simple, reliable and works. Even for those without years of skill, hundreds of dollars worth of sharpening equipment and a rock steady hand.

I just wished I had discovered it years ago. I would have saved alot of money in ruined knife blades. Easily the cost of the unit itself with diamond triangles.
 
travis55 said:
Im having mixed results with mine . Some of my older knives im not having much luck with . Maybe ill get more used to it as time goes .
Click to expand...

You may need to rebevel the edges on some of your knives, if they aren't 15/20 degrees, or are excessively dull comparatively speaking.

To rebevel with the sharpmaker 'only' requires the diamond triangles.

It can be done with the medium ceramic, but it can be very time consuming and hence aggravating. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it helps prevent the less experienced from oversharpening and hence damaging blades.

The diamond triangles make such work simply a matter of a few strokes (be gentle). Then a quick polish with ceramic.
 
I agree with the rebeveling , im glad my Dad ordered an edgepro about a week ago . Im anxiously awaiting its arrival , lol .
 
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