Spyderco Sharpmaker

themccords2009

themccords2009

Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
34
Does anyone have any tips? The DVD made it look so simple, but I cannot replicate the results.

And 'dos' and 'donts'?
 
Practice (cheapo knife with soft metal is a good start).

Keep the rods clean.

Light strokes.

Mostly practice. It'll come to you.
 
The Sharp Maker is a great sharpening tool. Unless you invest in the diamond rods though, don't expect to be able to reprofile or sharpen a REALLY dull knife with a super hard steel like D2 or ZDP-189. The Sharp Maker is best for maintaining your blades. It's pretty much fool proof as well. All you need to do is choose either the 30 or 40 degree angle, then hold the knife straight as you pass the blade down the rods. A few passes every few days will keep a knife super sharp.
 
I used my Sharpmaker to reprofile a brand new Sebenza (in S30V) back in 2002, because the edge came so thick OOB that I could lightly run my thumb along it without danger of cutting myself, and it didn't cut anything else well, either. And while I wouldn't necessarily recommend the SM for reprofiling, and it took considerable time off and on, I did eventually thin down the bevels, first using the 15 degree angle, then finishing at 20 degrees. At the time, I was a bit worried about removing too much metal at one time, so the SM was a good tool to check my gradual progress.

Jim
 
KrisOK hit the nail on the head.
If your knife does not have a dedicated 30 or 40 degree edge, then the Sharpmaker can be frustrating.
I bought the diamond rods and they work well for re profiling. Although patience is still required.
The diamond rods are worth the investment.
Once you have the dedicated edge angle, the Sharpmaker excells at maintaining it.
 
I got much better with my Sharpmaker after watching multiple Youtube videos as well. After watching Jdavis and his technique I was finally able to get a razor edge on my first knife. With only having the medium and fine stone it took me forever though.
 
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