School Me On Guided Sharpeners

[Chumango]

One I left out - the Sharpmaker with diamond or CBN. If its primary purpose is to reprofile at a consistent angle this might also work.

[Nate]

What you desire comes with a price tag. Sorry no way of getting around that point...

Feels like you called me a liar. Thanks...

[TkoK83Spy]

One I left out - the Sharpmaker with diamond or CBN. If its primary purpose is to reprofile at a consistent angle this might also work.

I just worked at my Para 3 M390 for over an hour on the Sharpmaker and it's still a butter knife. I'm about to throw that thing in the trash. Stones are clean, sharpie applied, knife is held straight to the stones. I give up. Used to work for me a few months ago, same method I've always used, just doesn't seem to work anymore. The last 4 knives I've tried to sharpen don't even grab my thumb skin. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Tims]

One I left out - the Sharpmaker with diamond or CBN. If its primary purpose is to reprofile at a consistent angle this might also work.

I just worked at my Para 3 M390 for over an hour on the Sharpmaker and it's still a butter knife. I'm about to throw that thing in the trash. Stones are clean, sharpie applied, knife is held straight to the stones. I give up. Used to work for me a few months ago, same method I've always used, just doesn't seem to work anymore. The last 4 knives I've tried to sharpen don't even grab my thumb skin. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Mate I feel your pain. We’ve all been there and I’m sure many of us still have days where we just can’t get an edge to do what we want. I know I do.

You’re using a sharpie, are you hitting the apex yet? How much pressure are you using? I know for me on a bad day, the biggest factor against producing a quality edge is how much pressure I’m applying and thats directly related to how much time i’ve spent working on it. The longer I work on an edge the more impatient I become and the more pressure I’ll apply. Effectively undoing good work as I progress. One step forward, two steps back.

On those days I put the knife down and go do something else.

Just a thought

[TkoK83Spy]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Tims. I ended up walking away for the night. Decided to take the dog for a walk and watch some playoff football. Cant let knife edges get the best of me!

[The Meat man]

One I left out - the Sharpmaker with diamond or CBN. If its primary purpose is to reprofile at a consistent angle this might also work.

I just worked at my Para 3 M390 for over an hour on the Sharpmaker and it's still a butter knife. I'm about to throw that thing in the trash. Stones are clean, sharpie applied, knife is held straight to the stones. I give up. Used to work for me a few months ago, same method I've always used, just doesn't seem to work anymore. The last 4 knives I've tried to sharpen don't even grab my thumb skin. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

I know how frustrating that is. Sometimes it is best to just walk away and try it again tomorrow.


What kind of angles are you sharpening at? Are you using a microbevel? The more you sharpen a microbevel, the larger it gets, and as the microbevel gets larger it takes longer, and is more difficult, to get it super sharp, until you reprofile it again. (My experience anyway)

[Bloke]

I just worked at my Para 3 M390 for over an hour on the Sharpmaker and it's still a butter knife. I'm about to throw that thing in the trash. Stones are clean, sharpie applied, knife is held straight to the stones. I give up. Used to work for me a few months ago, same method I've always used, just doesn't seem to work anymore. The last 4 knives I've tried to sharpen don't even grab my thumb skin. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

One thing I'm finding out is that even a guided system takes a lot of patience, practice, and skill to get the best results.

Hey Rick,

Don’t give up mate!

I quoted Connor because I believe it’s a pertinent statement. I feel it’s erroneous to assume buying a you beauty sharpening system will automatically escalate you to Sharp Master.

The principals of sharpening don’t change irrespective of the fact you sharpen on the bottom of a ceramic cup or a $2000 bling sharpener. I have an uncoordinated mate who owns an Edge Pro and if you were to see the mess he makes of knives you’d either laugh or cry. At best some scrape shave badly and he’s convinced now the Edge Pro is no good and wants to buy a Hapstone because my knives are sharper.

Anyhow, Rick, If I were you I’d just pack everything up and walk away for a bit. Reflect on what you did that gave you good results previously and what may be happening now. Let it go for a few days. Then set up again with a positive attitude and try again. Just don’t give up! Like sobriety.

Keep us posted and I’m sure together we’ll get you back up and whittling baby hair like a champion. :)

[Tims]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Tims. I ended up walking away for the night. Decided to take the dog for a walk and watch some playoff football. Cant let knife edges get the best of me!

Thats the go mate.

Now when you go back to it, have a full plan in your head of what you want to achieve and what you have to do, to achieve it.

Identify the steps you need to take and don’t move onto the next step until you’re happy with the first. Have a clear plan of attack before you lay stone to steel.

[TkoK83Spy]

One I left out - the Sharpmaker with diamond or CBN. If its primary purpose is to reprofile at a consistent angle this might also work.

I just worked at my Para 3 M390 for over an hour on the Sharpmaker and it's still a butter knife. I'm about to throw that thing in the trash. Stones are clean, sharpie applied, knife is held straight to the stones. I give up. Used to work for me a few months ago, same method I've always used, just doesn't seem to work anymore. The last 4 knives I've tried to sharpen don't even grab my thumb skin. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

I know how frustrating that is. Sometimes it is best to just walk away and try it again tomorrow.


What kind of angles are you sharpening at? Are you using a microbevel? The more you sharpen a microbevel, the larger it gets, and as the microbevel gets larger it takes longer, and is more difficult, to get it super sharp, until you reprofile it again. (My experience anyway)

Im wondering if that's what's starting to become an issue for me. The 4 knives I'm struggling with are my 4 most heavily used and touched up.

That's why I chimed in on this thread earlier today. I think I'm ready to make the next step, whether out of haste or actually time to step it up :)

[TkoK83Spy]

You guys are the best. Honestly. Even taking note of my own personal battles, I really appreciate that Bloke. That, that is something that has stood out to you. Because for me, every day has been a win! Cant let this get me down.

I'm just a bit hot at the moment. Again, thank you guys...tomorrow is another day to work at that edge!

[Bloke]

You guys are the best. Honestly. Even taking note of my own personal battles, I really appreciate that Bloke. That, that is something that has stood out to you. Because for me, every day has been a win! Cant let this get me down.

I'm just a bit hot at the moment. Again, thank you guys...tomorrow is another day to work at that edge!

You’re most welcome Rick! :)

I’m on the opposite end of the genius scale but if I can help you rest assured I will.

[TkoK83Spy]

I'm sorry to have hijacked your thread a bit Chumango!

Let's hear more about these guided systems please!

[Chumango]

I'm sorry to have hijacked your thread a bit Chumango!

Let's hear more about these guided systems please!

No worries.

Are you using the ceramic rods or the diamond or CBN rods? That may be the difference.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

What you desire comes with a price tag. Sorry no way of getting around that point...

Feels like you called me a liar. Thanks...

Hi please accept my apologies I would never call anyone a liar until proven otherwise. When I saw the wood blocks on my cell phone I did not even read your post. Just went back and read it looks like a neat solution.

When I read a post it is often the OP I refer to with my own experience and opinion. Sorry if this has caused problems.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

You guys are the best. Honestly. Even taking note of my own personal battles, I really appreciate that Bloke. That, that is something that has stood out to you. Because for me, every day has been a win! Cant let this get me down.

I'm just a bit hot at the moment. Again, thank you guys...tomorrow is another day to work at that edge!

Yep Blokes the best! He encourages my adventures also.

Something I am thinking I would like to share. If you have been sharpening these knives for months depending on how often etc.. it might be possible you have gotten into a thickening situation where you really need to hog off some steel to reset the bevels.

I know the Wicked Edge Pro3 is terribly expensive (Man do I know) but it is very simple and accurate and will get you where you want to be with those steels no doubt at all.

I love my Sharpmaker but it really is not good for heavy profile jobs, it shines at preserving a nice honed blade but over time it will put you into the meat of the knife and you will have to reproduce and thin those bevels. Then it really is not the appropriate tool.

[TkoK83Spy]

^^I'm beginning to think that could be the issue I'm running into. Going to test my patience again tomorrow.

My knives get a fair amount of use and have never been reprofiled. Always touched up at 20° I cut a lot of cardboard, packaging tape, plastic strapping, shrink wrap, food, some rope at times and a bit of work while camping when not using an axe or machete.

[Nate]

Hi please accept my apologies I would never call anyone a liar until proven otherwise. When I saw the wood blocks on my cell phone I did not even read your post. Just went back and read it looks like a neat solution.

When I read a post it is often the OP I refer to with my own experience and opinion. Sorry if this has caused problems.

No worries man. Was just giving you a hard time, should have added a " :p " after the " " if you know what I mean. :)

I do think it's a neat solution, and it has worked well for me. Think I first heard of it from "me2" who is a member here. Same principal as the Sharpmaker. I like that the angles remain constant from knife to knife and session to session, and that they don't change as you move out toward the tip. (Provided you have some skill in holding the blade correctly of course, but I had that down already from the SM.)

[Joey]

Rick, are you using cbn or brown medium rods? When I’m having I trouble I slap a 140 grit cbn stone up to a medium rod (for angle guidance of course). Since I don’t have the cbn rods, I have to use my coarse KME stone if I want a quick (and new) bevel. It’s 4 inches long, and i can still get a razor edge in 20-30 minutes after bumping up to the 300-600 grit. I haven’t lost yet, and have tried this method maybe 6-7 times (I am relatively new to sharpening). Definitely get some good practice in with some softer steel before you throw the sharpmaker in the trash thanks to the M390.
To the OP: This above method is what I do when I don’t want to use the whole KME set up. I’m more interested in a free hand(for setting up a new bevel)/sharpmaker(for touch ups) route since it’s more hands on, and you get a better sense of accomplishment when it all comes together. The KME is there for when I give up, or want a perfect edge on a blade. Definitely invest in some stropping tools regardless of the route you chose. It’s so fun to make a mirrored edge, and it really makes a knife pop.

[TkoK83Spy]

Back at it on the Sharpmaker for me today. I believe patience and light strokes is starting to work. Lack of patience probably led to more pressure than required last night. Funny, I feel like I've always used the same pressure as last night and always achieved great results. I'll keep at it this way though.

For those of you that use a Sharpmaker, for your last few passes on the flats with the brown stones, do you typically increase the angle ever so slightly and make a few light passes or keep the same angle that got you there?

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

I keep it the same and feel how the steel is being bitten by the rod. When it is smooth feeling very little drag I know the stone has done all of it's work. The temptation to increase the angle is always there to feel the bite but I do my best to not do that as that is changing the angle of the sharpening.