So I bought a 204 Sharpmaker...

C

coyotekid

Joined
Jan 2, 2004
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8
I need a little advice about my new 204 Sharpmaker. I've been able to get nearly shaving-sharp on most of my knives, but I just can't seem to get them truly shaving sharp.

One knife, my SOG Tomcat, I just can't seem to get sharp. I've profiled a nice even bevel on it, but I just can't seem to get it truly sharp.

Any ideas as to what I'm possibly doing wrong? I've followed the manual and video very closely. Are there any common newbie-type mistakes?

Thanks in advance!
 
Part of my 'adjustment' period was in getting my knives used to the constant angle of the sharpmaker. Then after that its just practice.
 
If it came with the video make sure to watch it. Practice with some old knives first so that you can get used to it. When you're comfortable with it move onto your good knives. When I first got mine I couldn't get that razor sharp edge either, but now I can get the dullest knife shaving again.:)
 
You might want to scrub back the edge bevel with a file or coarse sandpaper/stones to create a "relief" of under 40 deg (or 30 deg. if you're using that setting), then use the Sharpmaker to put in a secondary edge bevel (the actual edge). It's the fastest way as the initial step is done very quickly, you spend little time at the Sharpmaker to clean up. It almost guarantees a razor edge.

In general, you want to avoid trying to profile an edge on the Sharpmaker, as it'll take a *long* time (unless you have the diamond rods which cost a lot). It's cheaper to just buy some sandpaper/glass plate or a diamond benchstone for the initial profiling.

If you're lucky, the edge will come from the factory fairly thin, and you can go straight to the Sharpmaker.
 
Don't have your knife here to look at but it may be that the shaving sharp you're looking for is hiding beneath a burr or 'wire edge' which develops at the edge when the two bevels come together. My primary complaint with the 204 is you can't apply the pressure needed to break off the burr. I have found the 204 great for touch up but when serious shapening is called for I need a large bench stone to do it right. The two things which really helped me to understand how to get the edge were one, The Burr and two, Apply enough Pressure against the stone. While you're learning, use inexpensive knives. I wore down a couple high cost knives while I was learning. I chalked it up to the cost of an education. But you can benefit without that expense of you begin by using inexpensive knives. Then you can spend your money on something else you want to learn.
 
Make sure you keep your ceramic rods cleaned. I was having a problem getting an edge on a couple of my folders last night. Took a 3M pad to the rods and did the 20/20/20/20 again, and this time they were hair popping sharp:)
 
Seems that some steels(440V,S30V) do not like the white stones.I can get a really sharp edge on the browns but if I go on to the whites if seems to dull the edge I just got with the browns.This is not the case wit my other steels like VG10,Aus 8 and ATS 34.Oh and a light presure on the whites seems to help not develop a burr.I ussally hit the blade on a crock stick after I am finnished with the 204 also.This seems to really bring out the edge.
 
I'll second the backbevel idea. I have a wooden support for my course stone that consists of a cedar 4x4 cut at 17 degrees and screwed to a 1x8 base. I just lay the stone against the 4x4 and do 20-30 strokes per side until I get a wire edge on both, then I set the sharpmaker up for the 20 degree slot and polish to the desired grit. Then for normal day to day sharpening I just go back to the sharpmaker. The actual edge is just a thin line at the edge of the blade. Be sure to alternate sides on the sharpmaker. It can form a burr on its own, and without eyeballing an angle of 23 degrees or greater, its nearly impossible to get rid of it.

BadGuy, that may be the exact problem I was having. I finished a chef's knife yesterday and sharpened it on the 1x30 sander. When I went to cut the burr off with the sharpmaker, it just rolled from one side to the other. I guess I need to clean my stones.
 
One thing the instructions does not tell you is very important. You must raise a burr by doing one side at a time before you start alternating sides. Make some marks on the edge with a felt pen and then you will see if you have the right angle. Then do one side and raise a burr. Then do the other side and raise a burr. Only after this is done should you start alternating sides. This takes awhile the first time you sharpen a knife. After this, touch ups are easy.
I use the Edge Pro to set the angle and then use the Sharpmaker for maintaining the edge. It is a great system for maintaining the edge, but sucks for setting the correct angle in the begining.
 
The Sharpmaker 204 uses two angles. Thats it.

Now if the knives you want to sharpen are at one of these angles.

Great.

If however, using the felt tip trick, you find that the knife you want to sharpen is a couple of degrees off, then you must be prepared to spend at least a half hour or more until you re profile the angle to what the Sharpmaker is set to.

It has been me experience that most new owners need to sharpen knives that have angles all over the place and this is why for serious sharpening, a device that has infinite angle adjustment is quicker.

As others have mentioned, get a bur on one side and then the other.
No burr......no sharp<g>
 
Hawaiian
Thanks for the bur tip.Most of the knives I sharpen are not that dull and I have never done it that way to get a good edge.
After reading your post I decided I would try it on a couple of the wives very dull kichen Kershaws.They came out very sharp with very little effort.I am sure that if I had gone with 30 instead of 40 and spent a little longer on them they would have been scary sharp.
 
I usually finish up a blade with the white ceramics and just the weight of the blade keeping the edge in contact. A light touch is all that's needed. It gets really scary when I use the ultra-fine stones.
 
Occasionally, I get what you're describing...almost, but not quite shaving sharp. In this situation, I grab an old belt I glued to a piece of wood and strop it gently a couple times. Suddenly, shaving's not a problem any more. I figure I'm getting a tiny burr on there that's just flopping back and forth on the Sharpmaker stones, and a couple light swipes across the strop do the trick.

By the way, my strop is half of a $2 leather belt from Goodwill glued to a scrip of wood I found in the garage.
 
You can use your jeans as a strop also.
After I get the best edge from light swipes on each side, I use my thigh as a strop.

This may not be the best advice. Be very careful not to cut any important things in that area.

Just wanted to mention what works for me.
YMMV
 
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