Yes!!!

[SarcoBlaster]

I just came home from the knife store with a new sharpening "system" and had to try it out. My BM 905 wasn't shaving sharp anymore after using it for misc. tasks and I attempted to get it to it's original state. I got a sharpener that has a wood base and 4 ceramic rods inserted into it. The coarser rods are set at 15 degrees and the finer rods for honing are set at 22 degrees. After a few passes on the fine rods, the main part of the blade was shaving sharp again. However, since the 905 has a tanto tip, I had to do that part separately. What a pain in the ass! You have to hold the knife differently just for the tip. Anyway, after screwing around with the sharpener for a few minutes, I finally got it back to shaving sharp. Forgive me if I'm rambling, but I'm pretty stoked that my first attempt at sharpening came out so well.

 

[Josh Feltman]

Congrats! What kind of sharpener did you get?
--Josh

 

[SarcoBlaster]

I don't think it's made by a very big company. On the box, it has a sticker that says "Idahone, Inc." and the address of the company. Basically, it's a wood base with 4 round, ceramic rods. 2 of them are coarse and 2 are really fine. When set up, it looks like 2 "V's" next to each other, but one is at a greater angle than the other. It also has a hole on the side of the base for sharpening scissors. It's nothing fancy, but it works well!

 

[TheBadGuy]

I need to follow in your foot steps. Using stones has killed my blades and I am waiting to payday to get a SharpMaker, Never used the bunny ears yet though, Glad to hear of your success.

 

[metaxasm]

I just recieved my sharpmaker, tuff glide, and tuff cloth from 1SKS. My 5 year old endura which had not been sharpend since I bought it is now very sharp. Not quite scary sharp, I might need a bit of practice to get there. And the tough glide makes it feel like new again. A very nice feeling indeed.

 

[AlphalphaPB]

Definitely do get a nice sharpening system. Sharpening is 50% of the fun of being a knife knut. I'd say another 30% comes from looking for new knives, and the last 20% is that feeling you get when your new knife is delivered!

I didn't have very much fun with a set of Arkansas stones either. I'm just terrible at holding that angle That's why the Sharpmaker is a godsend.

 

[Mark J]

I've got one of the Idahone sharpeners too. It works really well, and is basically the same deal as a Sharpmaker. I like the wooden base -- it makes the whole assembly seem sturdy. Not unlike other ceramic rod setups, it's great for fine tuning an edge, but for reprofiling I still resort to stones or a Lansky system. Reprofiling on the ceramic rods could mean I'd be working on it for years.

- Mark

 

[ThorTso]

"AlphalphaPB: Definitely do get a nice sharpening system. Sharpening is 50% of the fun of being a knife knut. I'd say another 30% comes from looking for new knives, and the last 20% is that feeling you get when your new knife is delivered!"

You forgot the last 40% of the fun is cutting your fingertips periodically. It kinda reminds one that you actually have a knife that's sharp!!!!...hehehehehehehe

BTW I use the Arkansas Stone in two grades with Smith's honing oil and it works just fine for me. I have been using this for a number of years now and it is simple yet effective.