Spyderco Sharpmaker

[Mister Coffee]

on softer steels it can. but grinding on 204M wears the stone down faster than you think.

on S30V it can't.

congrats to the Sharpmaker buy!

Thanks.

This was probably a waste of money for me, since I already have a ceramic rod and a Spyderco Double Stuff, but I wanted to see if it could do what it does in the Spyderco video. I'm not an idiot, and I understand that they were using certain knives, made of certain steels, and in certain conditions of repair. But, still. Even Jdavis882 took a knife from dull to shaving sharp with the Sharpmaker.

 

[karnaknives]

At one time I was very skeptical of the Sharpmaker...it just looked a little too simple, too gadget-y, or something to me. I also just didn't see the need for one, there was no way it could compete with my collection of waterstones, oilstones, etc, etc.
Well, then I got to try one, and the first knife I sharpened with a Sharpmaker happened to be a Henckels "Classic" Santoku.
When I started the knife wasn't visibly damaged, but was not sharp enough to cut cleanly through phonebook paper.

I followed the included instruction booklet step by step, EXCEPT rather than the 40 strokes (20 left, 20 right), I did maybe 10 left and 10 right (I wasn't counting), moved to the white rods, another 10 or so left and right strokes (I was in a rush to prove to myself the Sharpmaker didn't work!), and after a quick strop on my pant leg I'll be damned that knife glided through the phonebook paper!!
I noticed it had a little spot where it hung up at the tip, a few more strokes on the white rods, and wow! Right through the paper.
To be honest it wasn't perfect, it wasn't a mirror finish, it wasn't the sharpest knife I'be ever touched, BUT the Sharpmaker WILL sharpen a Henckels knife.

So without any judgment intended, you must be doing something wrong.

Start from scratch, take your time, read the instructions, and check your work, meaning check the sharpness of your blade before you start (cutting phonebook or other paper), and after 10-20 strokes on the brown rods, then again before switching to white rods, then again after 10-20 strokes and so on.
You SHOULD see improvement in the sharpness of the blade.
It WORKS.
I still prefer my waterstones, but I do use the Sharpmaker, and it WILL sharpen your knife.

 

[Mister Coffee]

At one time I was very skeptical of the Sharpmaker...it just looked a little too simple, too gadget-y, or something to me. I also just didn't see the need for one, there was no way it could compete with my collection of waterstones, oilstones, etc, etc.
Well, then I got to try one, and the first knife I sharpened with a Sharpmaker happened to be a Henckels "Classic" Santoku.
When I started the knife wasn't visibly damaged, but was not sharp enough to cut cleanly through phonebook paper.

I followed the included instruction booklet step by step, EXCEPT rather than the 40 strokes (20 left, 20 right), I did maybe 10 left and 10 right (I wasn't counting), moved to the white rods, another 10 or so left and right strokes (I was in a rush to prove to myself the Sharpmaker didn't work!), and after a quick strop on my pant leg I'll be damned that knife glided through the phonebook paper!!
I noticed it had a little spot where it hung up at the tip, a few more strokes on the white rods, and wow! Right through the paper.
To be honest it wasn't perfect, it wasn't a mirror finish, it wasn't the sharpest knife I'be ever touched, BUT the Sharpmaker WILL sharpen a Henckels knife.

So without any judgment intended, you must be doing something wrong.

Start from scratch, take your time, read the instructions, and check your work, meaning check the sharpness of your blade before you start (cutting phonebook or other paper), and after 10-20 strokes on the brown rods, then again before switching to white rods, then again after 10-20 strokes and so on.
You SHOULD see improvement in the sharpness of the blade.
It WORKS.
I still prefer my waterstones, but I do use the Sharpmaker, and it WILL sharpen your knife.

Experiences like yours are the reason why I bought the Sharpmaker.

You are certainly correct: I must be doing something wrong. I will follow your advice and start from scratch. It will be the fifth time that I have started from scratch, but it's the only way to go forward.

Thank you.

 

[tiguy7]

Love your set-up.

I have five stones, and I just bought an 8x3 DMT Course and a Fulton holder.

The stone in the picture is a 3” X 8” Shapton Glass, but the rig will hold the 2 1/2” X 11 1/2” Norton stones as well as the 4” X 10” DMT DuoSharp Diamond “stones”.

 

[AntDog]

I can’t remember which video I watched, but it was a revelation for me. Completely changed the way I use the sharpmaker.

I used to do alternating strokes stone to stone, corners first, moving to flats on both grits (just as the Spyderco vids recommend) and I wound up with rounded tips (from the tip slipping off the corners).

What I do now (as I learned from the video I watched) is use only the flats. I basically scrub up and down on one side in the same motion but keeping the blade on the stone the whole time until a burr is raised (don’t ever let the tip slip off). Then I switch to the other stone and raise a burr on the other side. Cut down on the number of passes per side until you wind up alternating 1-1. Repeat with the finer grit stones.

I can reprofile most blades in this manner because it works much faster than the alternating stone to stone method. I get razor sharp edges easily.

That said, I have a set of DMT diamond stones and freehand most of my edges now because they cut ANYTHING, and quickly.

 

[Mister Coffee]

I can’t remember which video I watched, but it was a revelation for me. Completely changed the way I use the sharpmaker.

I used to do alternating strokes stone to stone, corners first, moving to flats on both grits (just as the Spyderco vids recommend) and I wound up with rounded tips (from the tip slipping off the corners).

What I do now (as I learned from the video I watched) is use only the flats. I basically scrub up and down on one side in the same motion but keeping the blade on the stone the whole time until a burr is raised (don’t ever let the tip slip off). Then I switch to the other stone and raise a burr on the other side. Cut down on the number of passes per side until you wind up alternating 1-1. Repeat with the finer grit stones.

I can reprofile most blades in this manner because it works much faster than the alternating stone to stone method. I get razor sharp edges easily.

That said, I have a set of DMT diamond stones and freehand most of my edges now because they cut ANYTHING, and quickly.

Sounds like a Jdavis882 video.

Thanks.

 

[AntDog]

Sounds like a Jdavis882 video.

Thanks.

Try it. It’ll work unless you’re holding the knife wrong or you’re being inconsistent with your movements.

If you keep going on one side until you form a burr then switch to the other side it can’t help but get sharp.

 

[Robert Ptacek]

This may not be what you want to hear but I freehand first to thin the edge to prepare for the Sharpmaker.A coarse hone is what you need.After you get a bur on both sides at a low angle you then can go to the medium rods to establish your edge.You are probably hitting the shoulders of the edge right now and not working the actual cutting edge.

 

[kreisler]

Sounds like a Jdavis882 video.

i adopted the technique from this girl's video:

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

It's been mentioned on BF before, it would've been better to call the Sharpmaker the 'Sharpkeeper'. It's at its absolute best when used to maintain a well-set edge at good geometry (30° inclusive or narrower) and not too deteriorated in condition. But, for creating a brand new edge, sharpening a severely dulled edge, reprofiling or fixing substantial damage, there are much better ways to do that. The time it takes to make major changes to the edge is also plently long enough to introduce user fatigue and all the human error resulting from that.

I like the SM a lot. But I limit its use to just a handful of very light passes per side on knives I've originally set to good geometry on other, coarser, larger stones. For my stainless kitchen knives and pocket knives in similarly simple stainless, I usually set and repair edges on an 8" India bench stone (Fine side @ 360 - 400 grit). Then for some light refinement beyond that, the medium rods on the SM work great. I also use the SM for subsequent touching up, after the fact.

You can do more edge repair and reprofiling with the optional diamond/cbn rods for the SM. If sticking with the SM, it may be worth looking in that direction to add some versatility.

 

[soc_monki]

Get the diamond or cbn rods, start on the 30 degree setting and do the down/up method and raise a burr, then swap to the other side and do the same. Remove the burr. THEN move to the medium and fine stones, don't even need to raise a burr on them, although you probably will.

Or you could get the diamond/cbn finish on 30 degrees, and then microbevel on the 40 degree setting with the medium and fine stones.

I have reprofiled 20cv, m4, m390, S30V... All with the sharpmaker diamond stones. It may take a little while depending on steel, but it works and works pretty quickly when going up and down, especially with the diamonds. I still use it at times to set a bevel, then freehand after.

The sharpmaker is a great tool, and very versatile, I just think it needs an even coarser stone for better reprofiling ability.

 

[karnaknives]

Henckels knives that could cut paper. (One of the Henckels had the factory edge on it.)

If the Henckels knives are as Mister Coffee described, then we're not talking about reprofiling and the brown and white rods would be more than sufficient.
Actually, if one has a factory edge on it, the brown rods would make the edge less sharp initially, but in any case shouldn't require the use of diamonds, CBN, or alternate techniques to using the SM.

 

[Mister Coffee]

Try it. It’ll work unless you’re holding the knife wrong or you’re being inconsistent with your movements.

If you keep going on one side until you form a burr then switch to the other side it can’t help but get sharp.

I did try it, but . . .

I'm sure that I am holding the knife wrong and that I am being inconsistent. Especially after three or four sessions and the frustration sets in.

 

[Mister Coffee]

This may not be what you want to hear but I freehand first to thin the edge to prepare for the Sharpmaker.A coarse hone is what you need.After you get a bur on both sides at a low angle you then can go to the medium rods to establish your edge.You are probably hitting the shoulders of the edge right now and not working the actual cutting edge.

I'm not surprised to hear this. But Spyderco states that the Sharpmaker will take a knife from full to shaving sharp.

 

[Mister Coffee]

Get the diamond or cbn rods, start on the 30 degree setting and do the down/up method and raise a burr, then swap to the other side and do the same. Remove the burr. THEN move to the medium and fine stones, don't even need to raise a burr on them, although you probably will.

Or you could get the diamond/cbn finish on 30 degrees, and then microbevel on the 40 degree setting with the medium and fine stones.

I have reprofiled 20cv, m4, m390, S30V... All with the sharpmaker diamond stones. It may take a little while depending on steel, but it works and works pretty quickly when going up and down, especially with the diamonds. I still use it at times to set a bevel, then freehand after.

The sharpmaker is a great tool, and very versatile, I just think it needs an even coarser stone for better reprofiling ability.

The Sharpmaker may not be what I expected it to be, but it still may be a great tool. I just have to be sure that I am using it correctly. That's why I started this thread.

And I am grateful for all of the feedback.

 

[Mister Coffee]

i adopted the technique from this girl's video:

I guess my problem is that I'm not using the right gloves.

Seriously, this person's technique looks pretty sloppy to me. And I'm a rank amateur.

Ever seen Michael Christy's videos? He may be a lunatic who never leaves his mom's basement, but he's interesting.

 

[karnaknives]

I guess my problem is that I'm not using the right gloves.

Seriously, this person's technique looks pretty sloppy to me. And I'm a rank amateur.

Ever seen Michael Christy's videos? He may be a lunatic who never leaves his mom's basement, but he's interesting.

The Ultra Fine only? And oil? What kind of oil? Essential? CBD?
Boy am I doing it all wrong!!
AND there's a name for that technique - The Pivot Response Technology...No talk of angles or stupid 3rd party accessories like rags LOL
I'll pass, but thanks for sharing.

Things like this serve to prove again what I find myself saying more and more lately...."To be a model, musician, political expert, medical expert, or any sort of expert, all you need is an internet connection"

 

[Dergyll]

Took me a few tries to get the sharpmaker perfect, so dont feel bad (you dont suck )

First of all, I would say, 90% of my knives are not at the preset 15 and 20 degrees, they're usually somewhere in between. Not an issue for lower end steels, but for super steels you're gonna have to put in a little more work or tilt your knife to match the bevel with the rod.

Also, unless your knife is long and straight, use the corners and not the flats. Much easier to hit the bevel with the corners and gives much better control.

Free handing takes a big of work, especially 20CV or something, but its definitely doable you just gotta go at it for a bit. Also, I wipe the rod constantly with wet paper towel as I'm sharpening, I find its not efficient when steel accumulates on it...I dont oil it.

Good luck buddy.

 

[scottc3]

Except this: Is the Sharpmaker good only for maintaining edges, or can it (as suggested in the video) establish edges?

Certainly your Henkels edge should get established. I only had to buy courser stones to work with high Vanadium steels, greater then 3 to 4+ %.

I have five stones, and I just bought an 8x3 DMT Course and a Fulton holder.

You have the tool to make quick work establishing your edge right here already! As you self choose a quided system, just lay that DMT one of your sharpmaker rods and get er done. I have had boys use appropriatly sized binder clips n rubberbands to secure the bigger stone or Silicon Carbide and wet n dry sandpaper. The Fulton holder should be placed in a prominent spot, so the day may come when you smack your head and think, maybe I could do it freehand or with a knife attached angle guide freehand?

 

[Mister Coffee]

If I have a new Spyderco knife with a factory edge, and I want to touch up the edge with the Sharpmaker, do I set the rods at 30 degrees or 40 degrees? I recall that Sal stated in the video that Spyderco knives are set at 15 degrees at the factory (which I assume is 30 degrees inclusive).

Thanks.