Spyderco Phil Wilson Southfork Owners: Sharpening Advice?

[Radjxf]

Hey guys. Just picked up a like-new Sppyderco Phil Wilson Southfork off the exchange. Awesome little knife. I intend on using as a fishing, skinning, light-use camping knife (no chopping/batoning nonsense).

Was relatively dull upon receipt, which I've found typical of new knives. I've spent a couple of hours trying to get this thing sharp on my Spyderco Sharpmaker with the brown (coarse) and white (fine) ceramic rods. I am NOT sure of the factory angle, but it seems close to 30* inclusive (I could be way off).

So, I went through the typical steps from coarse to fine, all using the 30* setting. Got just a touch sharper [after a LONG time!]. So, I tried to add a 'microbevel' at the 40* setting to improve things. Made it duller!

Any advice on how to get this thing sticky, hair-popping sharp would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

*ETA* My sharpening tools consist of the Sharpmaker with standard ceramic rods, small pocket diamond hone, and a sharpie marker.

 

[rycen]

The first thing to do would be to take a sharpie and color the edge of the knife. This will tell you where the stones are hitting the edge and let you see what you're actually doing.

 

[Jason B.]

S90V will test your sharpening skills with its high levels of wear resistance.

Your sharpmaker will help keep it sharp once you have a good bevel set but until then it's about useless.

I highly recommend a full size diamond plate, 8x3 DMT coarse comes to mind. Overall a coarse and fine DMT would be an ideal sharpening tools for that blade, the steel will prefer a coarser edge as will the tasks you intend to perform. A strop with 1 micron diamond compound would be helpful for deburring and to maintain the edge between sharpening.

 

[Twindog]

In addition to what Rycen and Jason said, you may also have an issue with your technique. If your edge was getting slowly sharper with the 30-degree setting, it should have gotten sharper faster at the 40-degree setting.

If the edge bevel was close to or less than 30 degrees, which is the only way the 30-degree setting would work, the 40-degree setting would put on a micro-bevel, which is much easier and faster to establish than the primary edge bevel.

 

[Radjxf]

Thanks for the replies.

I coated both bevels with the Sharpie. Took extra-special care that I was holding the knife vertically, while using the brown rods on the 30* setting.

The right side seems to be removing all of the sharpie across the bevel. However, the last inch+ near the tip, seems to be a lesser angle, closer to 40*.
The left side is definitely greater than 30*, as the Sharpie is primarily removed from the "shoulder" of the bevel more than the edge.

I had to use a (cheapo) magnifying glass and stand outside in the sun to see the edge!

Should I spend a lot more time working the left side only to try and get it to match the approximate angle of the right side?

 

[singularity35]

Thanks for the replies.

I coated both bevels with the Sharpie. Took extra-special care that I was holding the knife vertically, while using the brown rods on the 30* setting.

The right side seems to be removing all of the sharpie across the bevel. However, the last inch+ near the tip, seems to be a lesser angle, closer to 40*.
The left side is definitely greater than 30*, as the Sharpie is primarily removed from the "shoulder" of the bevel more than the edge.

I had to use a (cheapo) magnifying glass and stand outside in the sun to see the edge!

Should I spend a lot more time working the left side only to try and get it to match the approximate angle of the right side?

Not sure how long it'll take you to do those with the sharpmaker but it take a long time. You can wrap your rods in low grit wet/dry and that'll get you there much faster. I can tell you right now it won't be a picnic.

 

[IXLR8]

Not sure how long it'll take you to do those with the sharpmaker but it take a long time. You can wrap your rods in low grit wet/dry and that'll get you there much faster. I can tell you right now it won't be a picnic.

Great advice but does nothing to address the problem.

 

[singularity35]

...

Should I spend a lot more time working the left side only to try and get it to match the approximate angle of the right side?

Great advice but does nothing to address the problem.

If you read carefully, you'll find that he asked a question. That post was my answer. You should really be more careful, you might step into your mouth again. From our interactions, 2 out of 2 seems pretty high occurence.

Not sure how long it'll take you to do those with the sharpmaker but it take a long time. You can wrap your rods in low grit wet/dry and that'll get you there much faster. I can tell you right now it won't be a picnic.

Oops, you did it again. :foot:

That is how to address the problem with the tools he has. :thumbup: