Starter Sharpening Kit(Sharpmaker, 306UF, and strop)

I'm a noob when it comes to knives and knife sharpening. I only have 2 knives, a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 which I've had for a few months and is still razor sharp, and a Gerber CFB that my dad gave me. The CFB plain edge part is getting dull and I wanted to sharpen it myself so I've been doing a lot of reading on the forum. From what I've read, the sharpmaker seems to be the best place to start. However I'm having absolutely no luck with it. My knife actually got duller! I watched the DVD several times and followed the instructions perfectly. The CFB was brand new when I got it so this was its first sharpening ever. Ive tried several times and my knife edge is less than satisfactory. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but so far my sharpmaker hasn't worked out for me. If anyone can shed some light on this it would be greatly appreciated. Or perhaps recommend another system or method of sharpening?
 
Surfingringo said:
Just wanted to add something to this thread. I think I am about to order a sharpmaker. Not because I am unhappy with the dmt stones, but because I want more versatility and options. I want to get some serrated and hawkbill knives, and I think that the sm is probably a good way to work with those blades. Also, I think i am getting great results with the dmt stones, but am curious to see how they compare to the sm.

Anyway, just wanted to share that on this thread. OP, I doubt it really matters which you start with. You'll likely end up with both.
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Let me know what you think now that you have both. I've been wavering and because of that I still haven't purchased anything. Right now I'm leaning toward a course and extra fine 2x6 DMT stone and a spyderco ultra fine stone 2x8.
 
I will, but as I said, I am having great success with the diamond stones (I only have the small folding ones) and my results are only getting better. My knives are ridiculously sharp now. I shaved half my face the other day just for grins. So at this point my desire to get them even sharper (and I DO desire that) is mainly recreational. My point is, I ordered the sharpmaker because I wanted an easier way to sharpen serrated edges and fish hooks, not because I had any problem with the diamond stones. Anyway, it will be a couple of weeks before I get my sharpmaker, but if you still haven't bout anything, ill let you know my opinion. What I can say for now is I highly recommend the dmt stones, sharpmaker or no!

p.s. I wouldn't skip the "fine" stone. I would get coarse/fine/ef. I think you will get better results. That ef stone puts a pretty good polish on an edge. The "fine" stone is probably the most useful grit in maintaining a good edge IMHO.
 
The sticky by Magnaminous_G said that you NEED the course stone though to do things like set the bevel? Is this not contrary advice to the sticky? I'm a newbie sharpener myself and am trying to refine my technique as well and am also interested in the sharpmaker.

Paul Dragosljvich said:
minimalist,

first off, the Knives Plus strop block is a must have.
Secondly, I would suggest going on Amazon and ordering the DMT credit card sharpeners. It comes includes three 3" x 2" stones (coarse, fine, and extra fine) for $25. They are small, but probably the best value you can find. I learned how to sharpen on these stones, and I still use them over my other stones.
If you want a bigger set, I'd recommend the 6" fine and extra fine; you honestly don't need coarse unless you need to do some major sharpening/reprofiling. The 6" stones are about $25 each, while the 8" are almost $50 a piece...So you decide if that extra 2 inches is worth another 25 bucks per stone.




As David stated, that would be another great purchase. However, you should invest in an extra fine stone as well.
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Surfingringo said:
I will, but as I said, I am having great success with the diamond stones (I only have the small folding ones) and my results are only getting better. My knives are ridiculously sharp now. I shaved half my face the other day just for grins. So at this point my desire to get them even sharper (and I DO desire that) is mainly recreational. My point is, I ordered the sharpmaker because I wanted an easier way to sharpen serrated edges and fish hooks, not because I had any problem with the diamond stones. Anyway, it will be a couple of weeks before I get my sharpmaker, but if you still haven't bout anything, ill let you know my opinion. What I can say for now is I highly recommend the dmt stones, sharpmaker or no!

p.s. I wouldn't skip the "fine" stone. I would get coarse/fine/ef. I think you will get better results. That ef stone puts a pretty good polish on an edge. The "fine" stone is probably the most useful grit in maintaining a good edge IMHO.
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Have you seen any jdavis videos on youtube? The setup I'm currently considering is something he advocates. He actually mentioned in his video about this specific setup that you can skip the fine stone. He even sharpened a knife without that was damn sharp. That's pretty much what I'm going off of lol
 
Fair enough. i think ive seen him, and i'm sure he knows way more than I do. And hey, it's not like you can't go back and get the fine later if you find you need it.

You should go ahead and get SOMETHING though! It's a nice skill to learn and there's something gratifying about putting a screaming edge on your knife. It really doesn't take that much study either. It's obvious you have already taken the time and energy to start educating yourself, so you are going to be successful with whatever method. It's a piece of metal filed at an angle, not a rocket ship. :-). That's what I kept telling myself, and it's mindset that eventually made me go with the dmt. Now I want the sharpmaker TOO! You're going to do the exact same thing bro, so start with whichever one you want. Enjoy the trip. ;-).
 
Surfingringo said:
Fair enough. i think ive seen him, and i'm sure he knows way more than I do. And hey, it's not like you can't go back and get the fine later if you find you need it.

You should go ahead and get SOMETHING though! It's a nice skill to learn and there's something gratifying about putting a screaming edge on your knife. It really doesn't take that much study either. It's obvious you have already taken the time and energy to start educating yourself, so you are going to be successful with whatever method. It's a piece of metal filed at an angle, not a rocket ship. :-). That's what I kept telling myself, and it's mindset that eventually made me go with the dmt. Now I want the sharpmaker TOO! You're going to do the exact same thing bro, so start with whichever one you want. Enjoy the trip. ;-).
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Yeah a lot of things aren't that hard they just take time and practice. I already figured out how to put a decent edge back on a knife using a ceramic mug. You're right though. I do need something lol. This weekend I think I'm going to jump in.
 
testosterone325 said:
I'm a noob when it comes to knives and knife sharpening. I only have 2 knives, a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 which I've had for a few months and is still razor sharp, and a Gerber CFB that my dad gave me. The CFB plain edge part is getting dull and I wanted to sharpen it myself so I've been doing a lot of reading on the forum. From what I've read, the sharpmaker seems to be the best place to start. However I'm having absolutely no luck with it. My knife actually got duller! I watched the DVD several times and followed the instructions perfectly. The CFB was brand new when I got it so this was its first sharpening ever. Ive tried several times and my knife edge is less than satisfactory. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but so far my sharpmaker hasn't worked out for me. If anyone can shed some light on this it would be greatly appreciated. Or perhaps recommend another system or method of sharpening?
Click to expand...

When I have witnessed this in the past, it was the issue where the person sharpening was not staying on the first step of the Sharpmaker system long enough to set the bevel. Other than that, some steels produce a burr that is challenging to get rid of even if you did not mean to create it. One additional bit of kit that can greatly change your perspective is a loupe (think Jeweler's eye piece) of at least 10x magnification. I like the one from Lee Valley with the light built into the housing. It works really well.
 
Ive got the Sharpmaker, with all 4 sets of stones. I can put all kinds of edges on my knives, and have experimented a good bit. I am very happy with it. However...I am also about to get a set of diamond stones as well. I am decent with freehand, as that was most of what I did, back in the day. I see the value with them, for things like really high end steels, reprofiling, and just general use. Good luck on your choice.
 
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