Spyderco Forums

Hi folks,

Figure I'd introduce myself and ask a few questions while I'm at it.

Several years ago, my grandmother, (now 96), bought me a folder knife for Xmas. She liked the idea as "all men carried a pocket knife back in my day." I liked it and used it here and there. I liked to have it when I walked in our Cougar'd woods and would take it camping etc. I kept it in my glove compartment of my truck. Then it was broken into a few weeks ago and the knife was amongst the items stolen. Punks!

I had no idea what it was, but after deciding I needed a replacement, I took to the "interwebs" and have since realized it was a CRKT knife and most similar to a Summit Series Mt. Whitney. I'd figured it was a 3.5" blade so that's what I was in the market for. After reading some and learning lots, I decided on a Spyderco Tenacious. Received it last week and have been carrying it every day since. Got back from a camping trip and while I didn't use it a ton, (I'm learning to remember I have it), I feel I've been bitten with the knife bug. After several hours browsing the various brands and models, I decided that I couldn't stop at just one. I bought a Byrd Crow 2 this evening as well. This may turn into a real problem. :)

Anyway, I have seen various articles on sharpening, oiling, and general care including washing the knife etc, but also lots of polar opposite statements leaving me a bit confused in how to best care for my 2 new knives.

So my questions are:

1.) What should I be looking to purchase to sharpen these knives? specific recommendations greatly appreciated.

2.) As far as lubricating, I have Tri-Flow, would this suffice? What about if I want to use the knife to slice an apple?

3.) Can I get the entire knife wet when I clean it? I worry about getting water in the opening mechanism.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome aboard,

For sharpening the sharpmaker of course.

I use nano oil

Warm soapy water works, just make sure to dry well, I also use compressed air.

Hi and welcome to the forums! If you stick around for awhile, chances are your budding knife collection will grow exponentially! :D

As for you questions:

1. Many people here will recommend the Sharpmaker and I agree that it's a great sharpening system. It's very easy to get into, especially if you're a beginner and the results are great without you having to go into the more finer points of edge geometry. It simply works!

Another alternative is to get into freehand sharpening on various stones and abrasives. It's not all that hard really, but the initial learning curve can be quite steep. On the other hand I find this to be the most satisfying way to sharpen my knives because of the time I've put into learning the techniques behind it. I've been freehand sharpening for over 20 years and to me it's a great and somewhat therapeutic compliment to my knife addiction!

2. Use a non-toxic, mineral oil if you intend to use the knife for food prep. Otherwise pretty much any lubricant goes. Remeber the time honored saying "less is more" and you'll be fine. There's seldom any reason to drench your knife in the stuff! :)

3. Yes, you can (and should) clean out the whole knife. Just make sur you let it dry off properly and the apply a drop of oil if needed. Carbon steel blades require a little more care than stainless but that's a different topic all together.

Hope this helps and feel free to add any other questions you might have! Cheers!

We welcome you to what I feel is the best knife forum on the entire web. I got my first Spyderco knife back in the spring of 1995 and never looked back. Spyderco has such a great selection of high quality blades and I do urge to try one of their fixed blades>> they are also great to work with.

Like "Farnorthdan" said I would also recommend getting Spyderco's 204 Sharpmaker sharpening kit. There are dozens of knife dealers and retail outlets that sell the 204 Sharpmaker and it's a great kit for beginners especially. Do watch the video that comes with it at least 2 to 3 times before attempting to use it one a high dollar Spyderco folder or fixed blade. Actually I would practice with some old kitchen knives or any other old knife you have around the house before trying to do one of your high quality Spyders with it.

But it's fairly easy to learn but again I can't stress enough to watch the video at least 2 to 3 times and read the manual a couple of times too. They are both well done and easy to understand. Also I would get the Ultra-Fine stones and the diamond rods that you can buy extra for the kit. Because to me the 204 Sharpmaker isn't complete without them in my humble opinion.

Again we welcome you to the Forum and look forward to getting to know you.

Welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy your time here. Here are my answers to your questions:

1. Another vote for the Sharpmaker. Simple to use, works great on my pocket knives as well as kitchen knives, and will keep our knives sharp.

2. Tri-flow would probably work okay. Just make sure you apply very sparingly and only in the pivot area. Personally, I went many years without ever lubricating my knives. Then I tried it and didn't really see much of a difference. I rarely ever apply stuff anymore since I don't feel it makes much of a difference (high carbon steels that need corrosion protection are a different topic).

3. I usually try to avoid it if I can, but you can get the knife completely wet. As others have mentioned, you want to make sure you dry it out really well (moisture has all sorts of places to get trapped in a knife - between scales and liners, in screw/pivot holes, underneath locks, etc). I usually dry them off thoroughly with a towel and then: use compressed air; place it in a sunny window so it gets nice and warm to evaporate any moisture; or toss it in the microwave for a couple minutes on high. Wait! :eek: Just kidding on that last one! Don't put your knife in the microwave! :D Definitely use the toaster instead. Stop! Don't listen to me! :p Toasting your knife is highly not recommended!

What?! And here I thought "toasted titanium" was gonna be the new black in the knife world! :D

Welcome to the forum. Great place with knowledgeable, and caring knife nuts. I share the thoughts about the Sharpmaker and getting the diamond rods as well. They are needed to reset the profile and correct knives you already have. I have the extra fine rods but don't find the need to use those. Just about any light oil will work, mostly needed on the pivot area. If storing knives (especially non-stainless blades) I usually put a nice coating of Slip 2000 on the entire blade and pivot.

You've found a great company that takes pride making high quality cutting tools. Their customer service is also excellent. Just got my Caly 3.5 back from being re-sharpened. I had dropped it, and the tip of the knife had been damaged. Normally I would have fixed this myself but returned it to Spyderco to get the tip perfect. No charge for sharpening, only pay shipping. My Mantra 2 and Sage 1 are glad it took a couple of weeks to get the Caly back as they got more carry time. There are a bunch-o enablers around here :D and the Spyderco family has a way of growing. Take care :spyder:

Welcome to the Forum. Now you need to buy an Endura and a Delica.

farnorthdan wrote:Welcome aboard,

For sharpening the sharpmaker of course.

I use nano oil

Warm soapy water works, just make sure to dry well, I also use compressed air.

+1 on all of the above

farnorthdan wrote:Welcome aboard,

For sharpening the sharpmaker of course.

I use nano oil

Warm soapy water works, just make sure to dry well, I also use compressed air.

Everything he said ^

Welcome!
Another Sharpmaker vote
Another nano-oil vote
You definitely want to get some compressed air(see the electronics section of any big box) to dry it off.

I have been sharpening for years ans have purchased a lot of sharpening systems. Sharpmaker is a good starting system, you may eventually move on to something like edge pro. But your sharpmaker will still get some use. Don't be tempted by electric systems until you get good at it by hand. Also use a sharpie to mark the edge so you can see what is going on as you work. A magnifying glass helps too. You will find factory edges are pretty uneven, so the first time may take alot of work.

If I remember right Tri-flo has Teflon, so use something else on your knife. Slip 2000 is what I use. You will probably like it better than tri-flow for guns also. I commonly clean the pivot with soapy water. the inside of knives are stainless steel just like the outside,(a few knife models are not stainless) so I smack the knife against my hand a few times and lube it and put it back in my pocket.

Welcome to the forum!

Sharpnaker is great as starter, if you get it, I recommend the diamond or CBN rod instead of UF rod if budget is limited.

If you decide to learn free hand, try getting the washboard (http://www.washboardsharpening.com). It gives great feedback, never dishes and the maker writes & shoots one of the best instructional manual on free handing! I'm definitely biased as i hav learned much from him.

On washing the knife, I like to do so, and drying completely is important, you can use hair dryer to blow hot air through.I use baby oil on my pivot (couldn't find lighter mineral oil. It works too. Sometimes WD40 can help penetrating tighter spots and it displaces water. It smells though :eek:

We're bunch of enablers, so you need Endura ... And Stretch .... and ... more :spyder:

Time for a delica and a sharp maker.

Whoa! Lots of response! Much appreciated fellas.

Had a look at the Sharpmaker 204 kit and Diamond rods from the least expensive Canadian online Vendor, (http://www.warriorsandwonders.com) and the kit is $86CAD and diamond rods are $66. I'll likely be able to get the kit soon enough, and eventually work towards the diamond rods.

Tell me, how often do most of you sharpen your blades? Are there any tests that you do to determine the degree of sharpness your blade currently has that prompts you to say "time for sharpening!" ??

I will definitely make sure I dry my knife better next time I was it. I had dried it with a paper towel and flicked it vigorously many times trying to coax the water out, but I likely didn't get it all as I can hear a subtle squeak from the pivot when I slowly deploy the blade. Is it worth getting some torx bits to be able to disassemble the entire knife for cleaning, or is q-tip cleaning of internal areas enough?

I'll look into finding nano-oil or Slip 2000 in Canada.

As for getting a Delica or Endure, the Delica was on my shortlist last night before I made the online purchase of the Crow. I was back and forth, all over the place trying to decide what my second purchase should be. In the running was the Dragonfly, Delica, Endura, Meadowlark and Cara Cara. Was thinking that before I get too crazy, I should stick with the Byrd lineup as it was less expensive and I could learn a bit more about steel pros and cons and sharpening before graduating to a the Delica and Endura, hence the Meadowlark and Cara Cara consideration. Then, outta the blue, I saw a review on Youtube on the Crow, and I was sold. Likely Delica is next. Who knows... Lol. :)

Good idea to get the diamond rods first. You are probably going to need to reprofile or un-dull a knife before you need UF sharpening.
I sharpen when it's below my own personal preference, which is able to push cut copy paper. It's really up to you.

Compressed air is a requirement. You should invest in some Torx bits just in case, but be aware that you void your warranty by disassembling. I'd be careful using paper towels as they can leave cruft behind to gum up the works. I'd get a microfiber cloth instead. Q-tips are probably ok, but definitely before you blow the knife out so as to clear out any leftover bits.

Starting that way with Byrds is a great idea; it'll hook you on the Spyderco designs and aesthetics while you start out. After that, for a proper Spyderco start, Delica/Endura/Dragonfly are all just about bulletproof first knives, although if I wanted a knife bigger than the Delica I'd get a Para Military 2 or a Military instead of the Endura(which has nothing really to do with the Endura; I just like the others better). Between them, I prefer my Dragonflys to my Delica, but YMMV. I would go somewhere and handle them if you can. And if you're willing to jump a little deeper into the waters, I'd get one of the DF or Delica models with better steel, probably ZDP-189. It'll get really sharp, stay that way, and if you maintain with the Sharpmaker you won't have any problems with it. And if it did get dull, by then you'll probably have the diamond rods that can get it back.

Also, good luck on your budget.

ryguy76 wrote:Whoa! Lots of response! Much appreciated fellas.

Had a look at the Sharpmaker 204 kit and Diamond rods from the least expensive Canadian online Vendor, (http://www.warriorsandwonders.com) and the kit is $86CAD and diamond rods are $66. I'll likely be able to get the kit soon enough, and eventually work towards the diamond rods.

Tell me, how often do most of you sharpen your blades? Are there any tests that you do to determine the degree of sharpness your blade currently has that prompts you to say "time for sharpening!" ??

I will definitely make sure I dry my knife better next time I was it. I had dried it with a paper towel and flicked it vigorously many times trying to coax the water out, but I likely didn't get it all as I can hear a subtle squeak from the pivot when I slowly deploy the blade. Is it worth getting some torx bits to be able to disassemble the entire knife for cleaning, or is q-tip cleaning of internal areas enough?

I'll look into finding nano-oil or Slip 2000 in Canada.

As for getting a Delica or Endure, the Delica was on my shortlist last night before I made the online purchase of the Crow. I was back and forth, all over the place trying to decide what my second purchase should be. In the running was the Dragonfly, Delica, Endura, Meadowlark and Cara Cara. Was thinking that before I get too crazy, I should stick with the Byrd lineup as it was less expensive and I could learn a bit more about steel pros and cons and sharpening before graduating to a the Delica and Endura, hence the Meadowlark and Cara Cara consideration. Then, outta the blue, I saw a review on Youtube on the Crow, and I was sold. Likely Delica is next. Who knows... Lol. :)

It really depends on how and how often you use your knife, I usually touch my blades up when they no longer cut phone book paper cleanly/effortlessly. Its not uncommon for me to sharpen my daily carry every few days, when I say sharpen though I really mean touch up, just a half dozen or so lite passes on the SM.

I don't take my knifes apart generally, be aware that dis-assembly voids your warranty with Spyderco.

Welcome to the forum ryguy76, looks like these guys have you well taken care of! Cheers, Radioactive :)

ryguy76 wrote: So my questions are:

1.) What should I be looking to purchase to sharpen these knives? specific recommendations greatly appreciated.

The Sharpmaker is an excellent choice, as many others have mentioned. It's the best $65 you can spend to support your knife habit. I've had my Sharpmaker since '01--'02, and it is still going strong.

2.) As far as lubricating, I have Tri-Flow, would this suffice? What about if I want to use the knife to slice an apple?


Nano oil is good, as is FP-10 for lube to prevent rust/corrosion. Some folks use mineral oil to coat carbon blades that are used for food prep. In general, with steel like S30V or VG-10, you won't need to worry too much about lube as long as you wipe the blade down with each use and make sure it is dry before you store the blade.

3.) Can I get the entire knife wet when I clean it? I worry about getting water in the opening mechanism.

Yes, but be sure to use compressed air to thoroughly dry the pivot area and other components.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome aboard! :)

You're in the right place. I've always carried a pocket knife but never knew quality until I bought my first Delica. Once I discovered Spyderco I was bitten. Before, I didn't know anything about blade material. Now I want one of every steel! I look at other high quality knives but always turn to spyderco in memory of my Delica. Beware! You may become hooked like me! I didn't answer any of your questions but I'm 100% sure these guys and gals will point you in the right direction.