Sharpmaker

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Nov 5, 2009
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I have the old Sharpmaker 203. Bought it at The International Sportsmen's Expo in the mid to late 80s and it still works. Is there a good reason to replace it with the 204. The rods look to be the same as the 204. Any real benefit to go with the 204?
 
Look at it this way, if the 203 works for you, and you don't feel the need for anything different, stick with what you've got.

If you feel the need for something bigger, better, faster, easier, different, whatever, then maybe try a different system altogether like say Edgepro or Lansky or maybe some diamond stones.
 
If I recall correctly, the 203 has holes for only one angle - 40 degrees included. Using the 204 gives you a choice of 40 or 30 degrees included. Newer steels are more stable at lower edge angles, giving better perfomance. Even if the steel on your knife is not strong enough to stand a 30 degree edge, cutting a 30 degree relief bevel with a 40 degree microbevel at the very edge will let the blade cut with less resistence. So there are benefits to the 204 over the 203, but only you can decide if that is reason enough to replace your old unit.
 
Also the 203 unit didn't have nearly the versatility of the newer 204. I don't believe the 203 had the slot for sharpening scissors for instance. And like Yab just said it only has one degree setting and I use both different degree settings on my 204 all the time. I just recently turned down an offer for a 203 unit. A guy offered to sell me one complete with carrying case for $10.

Because the 204 is just head and shoulders over it's predecessor the 203. Now don't get me wrong because you can sharpen a lot of different knives with the 203 but you don't have nearly the options that you would with the 204 unit.

Also I don't recall the 203 ever having a video to help you get started and to learn the different options. Truly it will be well worth your money to get a 204 unit. They occasionally will come up used on Ebay and other places for sale. And a used, well taken care of 204 Sharpmaker I would never hesitate to buy at a good resale price. The 203 must be getting really old at this point. Because I've had my first 204 unit since either the late 90s or early 2000s. I'll have to look up the original receipt to know for sure.
 
Robert Ptacel said:
I also have the 203 in addition to the 204 and yes the older one does have the scissor slot.
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I'm wondering if that scissors slot may have been a later addition. Because the one I looked at recently didn't have a scissors slot. At least I didnt see one anyway.

Also I don't remember but I don't believe that the 203 had the set up to put the 2 stones side by side in order to be able to sharpen straight razors and other tools that need that set up like the 204 unit.

Hey I'm not at all knocking the 203. But with all the improvements of the 204 I just personally wouldn't have much use for one. They were great in their day and they are still better than many of the junk sharpeners on the market. But the 204 was a vast improvement over it's predecessor.
 
JD Spydo said:
I'm wondering if that scissors slot may have been a later addition. Because the one I looked at recently didn't have a scissors slot. At least I didnt see one anyway.

Also I don't remember but I don't believe that the 203 had the set up to put the 2 stones side by side in order to be able to sharpen straight razors and other tools that need that set up like the 204 unit.

Hey I'm not at all knocking the 203. But with all the improvements of the 204 I just personally wouldn't have much use for one. They were great in their day and they are still better than many of the junk sharpeners on the market. But the 204 was a vast improvement over it's predecessor.
Click to expand...

I bought my 203 about 2 years before the 204 cAME Out so it is a later model I guess. It has only one groove on top.
 
Robert Ptacel said:
I bought my 203 about 2 years before the 204 cAME Out so it is a later model I guess. It has only one groove on top.
Click to expand...

Yeah Robert I do think that there were improvements to the Sharpmaker as it went on. Because the first time I pondered on buying a Sharpmaker was when I bought my very first Spyderco knife ( GIN-1 Mariner). And that was in the early part of 1995. When that dealer at the gun show sold me the Mariner he also showed me the Sharpmaker. But I don't remember that one having a cordura carrying case as the ones I saw later on did.

I'm sure that there were improvements as time went on. For instance even on their 302 model benchstones>> the earlier ones were not chamfered on the corners. I have some older ones from the mid nineties that were not chamfered. But the set of 3 i.e. Medium, fine & ultra-fine that I bought back in 2001 were all chamfered. They do make changes in their products. Heck they do small changes in their knives too.

Again I wasn't in any way knocking the 203 unit. I would sure take it if the 204 wasn't available. The 204 is truly the best kit sharpener on the market barr none. Unless you go to the really high dollar units like the EDGE PRO. But I would be willing to bet anyone I can get any knife just as sharp with a 204 Sharpmaker with the extra stones as anyone could do on one of the commercial units like the Edge Pro.
 
"The 204 is truly the best kit sharpener on the market barr none. Unless you go to the really high dollar units like the EDGE PRO. But I would be willing to bet anyone I can get any knife just as sharp with a 204 Sharpmaker with the extra stones as anyone could do on one of the commercial units like the Edge Pro."
Yep I agree you can. The difference I find is in the time it takes especially if someone has vandalised a blade with a bad sharpening job, or the blade is getting a bit old and has had a hard life, then I break out the Edgepro. I have both the Apex Edgepro and the 204 sharpmaker. I use the Edgepro on my knives about once a year but day to day I always use the sharpmaker.
 
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