Factory Sharpening

[kwak]

I was just wondering how sharpening at the Spyderco factory is done.
Do they use special machines for this or is also some elbow-grease involved ?
Can this machinery, if used,be bought commercially?
:) Also i have noticed that the edge-angle on the Paramillie has changed,the first one i saw was about 25-30 degrees (estimate,not measured)but the latest version ( one of my EDC's) looks to be 15-20 degrees.
With this i can actually fillet free-standing hair on my arm.
Also the lock has been changed,the new versions have more metal in the liner around the stop pin on 1 side only.
Was the earlier version not strong enough?
Greetings from Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.

[The Deacon]

I was just wondering how sharpening at the Spyderco factory is done.
Do they use special machines for this or is also some elbow-grease involved ?
Can this machinery, if used,be bought commercially?

No one could answer that better than Sal, so here's his reply to a question about it a while back...

Regarding the sharpening, we use a fairly coarse belt and we do it by hand. Angle is about 30 degrees.

We have two guys in Golden that are really good and about a dozen in Seki that are also good. It is a skill that takes a while. We also have a Goniometer and a CATRA for constant testing.

Will only emphasise that, as with many things in life, it is not the tool but the craftsman weilding it that determines the quality of the finished product.

As for the Para, have never owned one, so have none to compare, but Spyderco has a reputation for constantly striving to improve its products. Some will say that means the original run was "inferior" or even
"defective", others will just look at it as meaning the improvements made an excellent product even better. It's all a matter of perspective.