Sharpnaker question

R

ryosuke

Joined
Jun 27, 2006
Messages
359
hi, everyone I am thinking of purchasing a sharpmaker and I was watching the video on how to use the sharpmeker. In the video they said use the corner on the rod first and then use the flat side. I was wondering why should you use the corner instead of just use the flat side only?
I have read somewhere in this forum saying that sharpmaker is not very good for
reprofiling edge because the diamond rod is
not coarse enough. Is this true for reprofiling edge made from softer steel like 440c?
 
I have never had any issue using my sharpmaker over the three years that I have had it. Reprofiling can be a little tiring on the sharpmaker, but I have done it, and I know many others who have as well in person. The reasoning behind using the corner of the stone as opposed to simply the flat is that the corner acts very similarly to a lower grit than the flat section of the same stone.
 
you gotta get diamond or CBN rods, sold separately, to be able to reprofile anything on a sharpmaker
When you do this on it's 15 degree per side setting (DPS) 30 degree inclusive setting, you can then keep using the 40 inclusive setting with the brown and white rods for touchups.
When you do these touchups, to speed things up, sometimes you use the corners. It just cuts faster, but it's hard to get the very tip of the knife using the corners.
 
Thank you everyone. I'll get the sharpmaker and try if I can sharpen my knife in 440c. I tried sharpening with free hand many times but never got sharp. I really got sick and tired with freehand sharpening.
 
its a great tool for keeping sharp and touching up. reprofiling is a bear even with diamond and cbn rods. alot of work and time. not the tools i want to use for that chore. ive done it many times but it takes a really long time. even with 440c or any steel really.
 
Sergeua said:
you gotta get diamond or CBN rods, sold separately, to be able to reprofile anything on a sharpmaker
When you do this on it's 15 degree per side setting (DPS) 30 degree inclusive setting, you can then keep using the 40 inclusive setting with the brown and white rods for touchups.
When you do these touchups, to speed things up, sometimes you use the corners. It just cuts faster, but it's hard to get the very tip of the knife using the corners.
Click to expand...
I've done it without diamond or CBN rods. It just takes a real long time.
 
jbmonkey said:
its a great tool for keeping sharp and touching up. reprofiling is a bear even with diamond and cbn rods. alot of work and time. not the tools i want to use for that chore. ive done it many times but it takes a really long time. even with 440c or any steel really.
Click to expand...

I really like the Sharpmaker, but it really is best suited to making sharp things sharper.
 
Don't mean to hijack the thread but I wonder if it is a good idea to free hand for reprofiling and then move on to sharpmaker for further sharpening, i.e., making the knife sharper. I ask this because 1) I find free hand with a stone or diamond plate is the fastest to remove steel, but 2) it is difficult to keep as a consistent angle with free hand as with a guided system or as I imagine with SM (one can argue SM is more guiding than free hand), and a consistent sharpening angle usually translates to a higher degree of sharpness.
 
If you don't have a lot of knives to reprofile, you can wrap coarse wet-dry sandpaper around the sharpmaker rods, or even clamp a cheap diamond stone to the rods. You can google- plenty of pics showing how its done. Will work fine for reprofiling.
 
i've reprofiled S35VN and softer on a sharpmaker using the stock stones. It just takes patience, and a slightly modified method (up and down repeatedly instead of just down once each side).
 
In my experience with the SM it's been good for putting a micro bevel on but not so much for sharpening along the primary and I wouldn't attempt a re-profiling personally but it is a stone held at a consistent angle so it should be possible
 
sabre cat said:
I like it. I assume you made that yourself. If so, how long did it take to make it?
Click to expand...
I made this before you could get parts on the internet, so I spent a little time running down parts: fasteners, bar stock, tubing, box channel, tie rod ends, taps, etc. Once you have all the components, set up time plus sawing, drilling, tapping, slitting, milling, grinding, turning, etc. probably equals about 16 hrs. I do not like to rush when I am doing projects. The second jig would go faster than the first. I would also modify the design.
 
get some dmt diamond plates. take 2x4 cut 30 and 40 inclusive angles. put a bracket system to make it stable. mount the diamond plates, easy reprofiling with coaser diamond and quicker work for any steels. then move to the sharpmaker for finishing work.

mucj cheaper and easier than a wicked edge or other high end guided system. i own most of them and choose to use a sharpmaker like homemade setup, just faster and cheaper, and easier learning curve if ya understand the angles and how to use a sharpmaker.

you can also use ths sharpmaker and attach dmt diamond plates/stones to it. via clips or other attachment that doesnt get in your way while sharpening and keeps the plate stable. works almost as well. even less prep work and time.
 
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Check out Congress Tools-1/2" tri angle Ruby rods in several grits, as low as 60 I think..
Fits the holes in SM and does not scratch as bad as diamonds. Cheap too.
 
I love my Sharpmaker, I've had it close to a year and have used it many times. I don't use the 30 and 40 degree angle slots any more though. Several knives I have tried to sharpen came with factory edges that didn't line up to the preset angles on the Sharpmaker. Instead of going through the trouble of reprofiling the edge, I use the slot on the end of the case, and it works much better for me.
 
My thoughts on using corners vs flats for reprofiling.

When I reprofile a blade I like to have a bigger surface than the flats of the sharpmaker. Unless there is a recurve in the blade, then the width of the sharpmaker flats or using corners, in this type of scenario, I see beneficial.
Big even surface gives you a nice even plane to work with so that the edge that is going to be formed on it will also come out in a nice straight line.
When you use corners for reprofiling, you have to be even with your pressure and grind the metal away evenly. You risk spending more time in a certain spot with a corner and have a problem developing. As you start with a somewhat straight edge, hopefully, from factory and get an even burr forming using corners you should be fine i guess. However, in my opinion, it's not a good way of setting the foundation. Alot more consistency to be achieved using greater surface to make sure your are taking away metal evenly throughout the whole length of the edge.
 
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