What am I doing wrong with the Sharpmaker???

[Applejacks]

I can't get a knife sharp at all!!! I am trying an old kitchen knife at 30 degrees. I did a lot of repetitions and it still isn't working out.

 

[sixstrings101]

depends on how dull that kitchen knife is..the sharpmaker really wont sharpen a dull knife with much ease.. its really for touch ups

 

[Applejacks]

Ahh, interesting. What do I need to get a dull knife sharp?

 

[sixstrings101]

some stones. start coarse and work your edge back to a proper shape. then the sharp maker comes in. You can try the diamond stones for the sharpmaker if it isnt too too bad. but you will have to work at it for a while for reshape the edge

 

[WonderMonkey]

I have the same problem with my new sharpmaker. I'm going to make a separate thread about how much pressure to use.

 

[Applejacks]

some stones. start coarse and work your edge back to a proper shape. then the sharp maker comes in. You can try the diamond stones for the sharpmaker if it isnt too too bad. but you will have to work at it for a while for reshape the edge

Thanks. Can you recommend a good stone and a place to purchase?

 

[nphelps4130]

The Sharpmaker is a fantastic sharpening tool, but it is not meant for removing a lot of metal - which is what you need to do with a very dull knife, or a knife that needs to be reprofiled. I use this DMT benchstone and have been very pleased with the results. It has a coarse grit on one side, and an extra-coarse on the other.

http://www.knivesplus.com/dmtknifesharpener-dmt-d6cx.html

 

[Applejacks]

Awesome. Thank you. My only concern.. how do I maintain a proper angle?

 

[sixstrings101]

Awesome. Thank you. My only concern.. how do I maintain a proper angle?

the sharpie trick doesnt hurt. but it takes some getting used to. once you do it a couple times you get a hold of how to maintain the angle

 

[Applejacks]

"Sharpie trick"?! Please elaborate!

 

[sixstrings101]

"Sharpie trick"?! Please elaborate!

The dvd the sharpmaker comes with explains it. its meant to help get the correct angle and used as a check to see if you are removing material from the right spot on the blade. what you do is take a sharpie felt tip and draw on the edge of the blade and then sharpen the way you would and then check to see if you are removing the black closest to the edge, in the case of using benchstones it would be removing all the black in one stroke.

 

[Applejacks]

Nice. Thanks. I thought there was something else I was missing.

 

[Applejacks]

What do you recommend.. 30 or 40?

 

[knarfeng]

Hi Applejacks,
The DVD recommends 40° for most kitchen steels. If you have exotic Japanese kitchen knives, try the 30°

I have an old set of Henkels 4 star and a Vic Forshner chef's knife. I use the 40° on them with good results.

 

[Applejacks]

Awesome! Thank you!

 

[Bill DeShivs]

And once you learn to use the stone, you won't need the Sharpmaker!

 

[OilMan]

Awesome. Thank you. My only concern.. how do I maintain a proper angle?

Lean it up against your SM Flats like this:

http://www.g3l33m.com/knives/theTable.htm

 

[Applejacks]

And once you learn to use the stone, you won't need the Sharpmaker!

Really? That would be outstanding. I guess the Sharpmaker is more of a easy diy'er?

 

[Applejacks]

Lean it up against your SM Flats like this:

http://www.g3l33m.com/knives/theTable.htm

Ew, very nice. Thank you!