Gauntlet vs Sharpmaker differences?

[Doc Dan]

What are the differences and advantages and disadvantages of these two sharpeners?

[JacksonKnives]

I prefer the option to just use the "back bevel" 15° slot on the Sharpmaker for a kitchen knife or a knife I'm just cutting cardboard with. I wish it were 10 and 15 instead of 15 and 20. The gauntlet only gives you 20.

As far as I've read, the gauntlet doesn't have a slot for scissor sharpening. The Sharpmaker (204, not sure about the older model) can hold one rod sticking out the end at a slight angle so you can just swipe across with the scissor edge down.

The gauntlet's guard seems more convenient. (I sometimes skip the brass guard rods on the Sharpmaker, and I know that's dumb.)

I like the idea of a lentil-shaped cross section on the new rods. (For recurves and serrations.) You can also rotate them to different angles of attack for better contact in your particular stance/with tricky blade shapes.

Buying just the fine and CBN rods also seems like a more useful combo for most cases than the medium/fine Sharpmaker.

[Evil D]

The Gauntlet seems to have potential but it needs more angles. Everything needs more angles.

[JuPaul]

The Gauntlet seems to have potential but it needs more angles. Everything needs more angles.

That's been my frustration with the sharpmaker, and I imagine it would be the same with the gauntlet as well. It's great when sharpening a knife with known 15° or 20° angles, but when I first sharpen a new knife, it's hard to tell if the bevel is set at something other than those angles or if I'm just not hitting the edge. I ended up getting a KME to do all my initial sharpening, then I use the sharpmaker for future touchups on anything I set at 20 or 15dps. Always wondered why neither the sm or the new gauntlet had at least 17 or 18dps slots (or even a 10 or 12 dps slot for you crazy edge junkies). :p

[Evil D]

The Gauntlet seems to have potential but it needs more angles. Everything needs more angles.

That's been my frustration with the sharpmaker, and I imagine it would be the same with the gauntlet as well. It's great when sharpening a knife with known 15° or 20° angles, but when I first sharpen a new knife, it's hard to tell if the bevel is set at something other than those angles or if I'm just not hitting the edge. I ended up getting a KME to do all my initial sharpening, then I use the sharpmaker for future touchups on anything I set at 20 or 15dps. Always wondered why neither the sm or the new gauntlet had at least 17 or 18dps slots (or even a 10 or 12 dps slot for you crazy edge junkies). :p

There has been all kinds of talk about an adjustable base for the Sharpmaker but Sal says it'll be expensive. There are some guys doing 3D printing that have made them with different angles. I'm sure the 30/40 has a lot to do with giving the not so experienced end user an edge that isn't too fragile.

[kwselke]

Does anyone know the length of the Gauntlet's rods? I figured they were longer than the 7" Sharpmaker rods, in order to handle long kitchen knives. I've looked around and can find no details on the Gauntlet's rods. Any comparison I could make would be pure speculation.

[GarageBoy]

I'm worried about the cateye rods and pointy tips

[JD Spydo]

The Gauntlet seems to have potential but it needs more angles. Everything needs more angles.

I am extremely let down and disappointed in the GAUNTLET. It's not what I was told it was going to be. Not only the lack of angle selection but from what I've seen it's mainly just a kit to do an average homeowner's kitchen knives and not much more IMO. The 204 Sharpmaker is truly twenty times better than the GAUNTLET in my humble opinion. To me it would have made more sense to modify the 204 Sharpmaker rather than introduce this unit.
But maybe it was just intended to be a simple unit that the average housewife could use for kitchen knives.

[Doc Dan]

I have been using another brand and it works very well. I thought if giving the SM a try just for giggles.

[kwselke]

I have been using another brand and it works very well. I thought if giving the SM a try just for giggles.

I've been using a Sharpmaker for general maintenance for about three years now and love it. From the descriptions of the Gauntlet I've seen, I do not think a Gauntlet would bring additional capabilities to my sharpening arsenal.

[JD Spydo]

I have been using another brand and it works very well. I thought if giving the SM a try just for giggles.

I've been using a Sharpmaker for general maintenance for about three years now and love it. From the descriptions of the Gauntlet I've seen, I do not think a Gauntlet would bring additional capabilities to my sharpening arsenal.

No it would not I can assure you. Just make sure you get all the extra stones you can get for the 204 Sharpmaker. That's what really makes it a very versatile sharpening tool IMO. Get the diamond, CBN, ULtra-Fine ect. The only gripe I've got against the 204 Sharpmaker is that they never made a really coarse/aggressive stone for blades that are really banged up. But I'm sure they'll get around to it at some point. For all the basic sharpening kits that are out there on the market the 204 Sharpmaker is by far the best IMO.

[5-by-5]

I didn't read much about the gauntlet. I was actually going to wait till the gauntlet was out so I could get one. Now I see that I'm glad I didn't wait for the gauntlet. I caught a sharpmaker with CBN rods and ultra fine for a really good price. I'm happy with it

[defenestrate]

Looks to me like the Gauntlet is designed to do what probably a sizable majority of likely users want - sharpen a knife easily. I find the sharpmaker easy, but the Gauntlet is simpler, has no way to set wrongly (many knives will not readily sharpen at 30 degrees inclusive, but most decent knives will sharpen up at 40), the base looks comfortable and natural, and most people aren't trying to do scissors, needles, fishhooks, etc. So it is easier and quicker for the average user. The Sharpmaker offers more options and more capability overall. Those gauntlet rods remind me of the profile rods - I don't know how they compare, but I'd guess they were similarly versatile and felt good in the hand for guided sharpening.

I'm about to get CBN stones for the sharpmaker (so I will soon have all 5 rod types I know of), so I should be able to fix nicks better. I'd like to try a gauntlet - I would guess that a good portion of people I'd know looking for a sharpener would prefer the simplified option.

I'm probably missing something, but I didn't see a good post on this after a very brief search so I thought I'd chime in

[ChrisinHove]

... - I would guess that a good portion of people I'd know looking for a sharpener would prefer the simplified option.

I agree. I think that is the whole point of the Gauntlet system: ease of set-up and use, with built in safety. It looks brilliant but I don’t have one because I have the SM (just got the CBN to supplement my aging and abused diamond rods) as I guess do many of us.

It’s remarkable the number of people I know who have moderately expensive / good kitchen knives and no idea how to maintain them, just rubbing them over fluted butchers steels. You look at the retailers and all they usually stock is scrape-o-matics and these burnishing steels, so that’s all people buy.

Global sells diamond and ceramic “steels” but together these are considerably more expensive than the full gauntlet set, so I think it is good value.

Spyderco needs to sell these in kitchen shops, not through knife retailers. Perhaps send them out to food writers?

I just noted that there are just 2 you-tube videos on the Gauntlet. Spyderco’s own and Knifecenter’s. They need to make a “How to Easily Sharpen Your Kitchen Knives” tutorial YT video.