using the spyderco sharpmaker with esee

T

Tin.Man

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Sep 5, 2010
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so just received the sharpmaker as an early xmas present and I'm excited, but I'm a total beginner.

I noticed in the dvd he said knives with more belly are going to be more difficult, all I have is an ixxy 2 and hest both with quite a belly any words of wisdom or tips ad tricks to using a sharpmaker on esee knives?

already practiced on a few kitchen knives and my results haven't been promising :confused:

actually rounded the tip on one knife haha. I know it's totally user error just looking for help from the pros
 
I've no problems with my ESEE5 and the sharpmaker :confused:
40 degree setting on the sharpmaker, following the steps on each side.. and I don't let the edge roll off at the end of each stroke.
 
I use my Sharpmaker to sharpen my Izula. I use the 40º setting and works great for me. While sharpening, make sure you are just pulling straight back and when the belly comes toward you, pull the handle up a little and be sure to stop when the tip is midway through the stone, this way you do not round the tip. I can get my Izula very sharp with my sharpmaker so good luck to you.
 
That's what I use and had no issues with the Izula, 3, 4 and 5 but the 6 and Junglas wasn't as easy. But it works great on everything else.
 
just tried my brand new sharpmaker on my 6. got the flat part of the blade razor sharp, but the belly is still a little dull.
 
Dunno, I use a Sharpmaker for all my knives at home and never have too much trouble putting a razor edge on them...

I did find at first that it helps to put a little extra pressure when slicing through (against) the stones, and consistency when drawing the knife back is key.

If the belly of the blade is staying dull, try shorter strokes on each side of the middle of the knife only until it feels sharp enough.

FWIW/YMMV
 
i found that starting at the tip of the blade and slightly rotating while keeping the same edge angle, is easier to keep the tip and belly sharp. i practiced on about 4 other knives of different blade types before i moved to my izula or 4. if i remember correctly there are a few threads floating around on that topic.
 
I just got one too and practiced on all my kitchen knives...After the first couple it seems to have fallen into place...I just received a new Mini-Grip in M390 and the blade was fairly sharp...After a few swipes on the white fine stones and this thing is crazy sharp...I can't imgine how sharp it will be after I receive the UF stones...

For me the key was to slow way down, take my time and make sure the stones are clean so that they grind well...And keep the blade straight as possible...Stop the tip on the stone...It works...

Great sharpener, take your time and it will get better...
 
ditto what everyone said. i've been using my sharpmaker with the 40º inclusive setting as well and i can easily get all my esee knives shaving sharp. pressure is hard to describe but think about slicing through 4 layers of printer paper - that's how much pressure i put on the rods. if you're holding the knife pretty close to vertical then i'm guessing it's either too little or too much pressure that's preventing you from getting good results with the sharpmaker.


ajbuckelew said:
I use my Sharpmaker to sharpen my Izula. I use the 40º setting and works great for me.
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i noticed your use of the º instead of spelling degrees instead. props for that level of attention to detail! :thumbup: sorry, i tend to notice such things...it's part of my ocd (including typing in all lowercase) :o


tlavas said:
After a few swipes on the white fine stones and this thing is crazy sharp...I can't imgine how sharp it will be after I receive the UF stones...
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you're going to love the ultra-fine stones! most times i don't even bother using a strop anymore since i don't notice the difference in shaving sharpness after using the ultra-fine stones.


Nothing55 said:
The trick for me was ust use the corner of the fine stones...
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i use the corner then the flat side of the stone through all the grits.
 
Make sure you stop the knife before you get to the very end....I learned the hard way with my izula that you can lose a tip that way. Otherwise, if you follow the instructions you'll have a very sharp knife by the end of it, though it may take some practice to perfect your method.
 
don't whack the rod with the blade. i remember hearing, somewhere, that the edge tends to roll when you do :D
 
I too received a Sharpmaker for Christmas ans am fairly happy with it. It put a scary sharp edge on my ESSE 6 (sharpest knife I've ever owned) but can't seem to get the same results on my Tenacious. Maybe it's the lesser quality steel, I'll keep practicing.
 
It should sharpen the tenacious just fine. I've had a sharpmaker for a couple of years.

Some folks find it easier if they raise a burr when using the brown rods. Stroke multiple times on one side (say 10 or 20), and then feel for a burr (wire edge) on the opposite side. There are different ways of feeling the burr, from using your fingers to catching your fingernail to taking a cotton ball and running it up and down the edge.

After you raise the burr on the lowest grit rod, repeat for the rest of the steps. It can take a little time, but not bad.

If you want a tool to re-profile, the native sharpmaker rods won't usually do. You need either the diamond rods or some from a 3rd party website that will fit the sharpmaker. Lots of folks will buy a DMT coarse stone or diafold with extra-coarse, coarse or coarse/fine and then go to the sharpmaker.
 
locknload said:
I too received a Sharpmaker for Christmas ans am fairly happy with it. It put a scary sharp edge on my ESSE 6 (sharpest knife I've ever owned) but can't seem to get the same results on my Tenacious. Maybe it's the lesser quality steel, I'll keep practicing.
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I have generaly found the opposite to be true for me buddy. The so called lesser steels like that in my ka-bar mule and buck 110 were easy and fast. Just follow the manual. If it isn't sharp after one round, do a second or third. After you get it to were you like it, it's easy to touch up. I even do tomahawks with mine. Just practice and have clean rods.
 
I have my sharpmaker coming from Amazon in a couple days. Any chance one of you has a flip video or something like it and can post a video of your sharpening techniques with ESEE blades specifically?
 
The Sharpmaker comes with an informative DVD. I would watch that first and apply it to your ESEE.
 
upnorth said:
Just practice and have clean rods.
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Great advice! Those rods 'dirty' up quick. You can easily see it on the white rods; the grey ones are a little bit harder to see when they need a good scrubbing. I use an old toothbrush, some toothpaste, and warm water. Scrubba dub dub and you're good to go!!
 
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bar keepers friend (BKF) to clean the rods. Trust me, the light acid helps. Way better then comet and quicker to clean with better results.
 
locknload said:
but can't seem to get the same results on my Tenacious. Maybe it's the lesser quality steel, I'll keep practicing.
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My Tenacious is shaving sharp. Just keep practicing, and use the tips from all the posts in this thread. Also invest in a set of ultra fine stones to really get a polished edge. They were worth every penny IMO. I love my sharpmaker.
 
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