Sharpmaker Practice

[marshmallow]

Got the sharpmarker, tested it on my kitchen knife first. I noticed since I am right-handed, the left stroke of the stone is more cleaner than my right stroke of the stone. The right comes more at an angle. I also noticed that I rounded the tip really badly on my kitchen knife since i went too far. I watched videos before attempting, but my first test run I didn't come out with a positive attitude. How much force do you guys place on the stroking? My kitchen knife did get much sharper, but it isn't even on both sides.

[TkoK83Spy]

There are many many MANY threads about using the Sharpmaker. Light pressure. Search around a bit, there are all sorts of tips and tricks people have found that are very helpful.

[James Y]

I use very light pressure when using the SM. Especially with kitchen knives, it pays to use a light touch. Also, don’t run the tip off the edge of the rod; I always end a stroke with the tip in the middle of the flat of the rod. Running the tip off the edge of the rod will round off the tip.

As far as maintaining an even angle on both sides, practice keeping the knife blade held at the same up-and-down angle as on the presentation (left) side.

Jim

[soc_monki]

Weight of the knife is all you need.

[Albatross]

One trick that works to stop rounding tips, is to start at the tip, and work toward the heel of the blade with each stroke. This will force you to go slower and develop good technique, which might also help even out your bevels.

Try moving the Sharpmaker slightly to the left, to get your angle straightened out, because it sounds like you have your arm at the wrong angle. A right-handed person, who favors the right side of the bevel, would be able to create even bevels, if the Sharpmaker is moved a small amount to the left. Mindful strokes will help, but moving the Sharpmaker will give much faster results. Take any flat object, hold it vertically, as straight as possible, then move your arm to the right and then left. You can see the angle change a bit. Find your angle, then begin sharpening. Uneven bevels can still be crazy sharp, so don't worry about it too much, unless the sharpness isn't where you would like it.

As others have said, you need light pressure when sharpening. In fact, you should decrease pressure as you go. I end each stone using less than the weight of the knife. Final touches are extremely light, with the slightest hint of contact on the stone. You can get a knife sharp with a less delicate touch, but will be leaving a lot on the table.

[The Meat man]

Got the sharpmarker, tested it on my kitchen knife first. I noticed since I am right-handed, the left stroke of the stone is more cleaner than my right stroke of the stone. The right comes more at an angle. I also noticed that I rounded the tip really badly on my kitchen knife since i went too far. I watched videos before attempting, but my first test run I didn't come out with a positive attitude. How much force do you guys place on the stroking? My kitchen knife did get much sharper, but it isn't even on both sides.

Could be that the grind of the knife is off. I find that's a common problem even on most Spyderco knives I sharpen.

[samdasnake]

One trick that works to stop rounding tips, is to start at the tip, and work toward the heel of the blade with each stroke. This will force you to go slower and develop good technique, which might also help even out your bevels.

Try moving the Sharpmaker slightly to the left, to get your angle straightened out, because it sounds like you have your arm at the wrong angle. A right-handed person, who favors the right side of the bevel, would be able to create even bevels, if the Sharpmaker is moved a small amount to the left. Mindful strokes will help, but moving the Sharpmaker will give much faster results. Take any flat object, hold it vertically, as straight as possible, then move your arm to the right and then left. You can see the angle change a bit. Find your angle, then begin sharpening. Uneven bevels can still be crazy sharp, so don't worry about it too much, unless the sharpness isn't where you would like it.

As others have said, you need light pressure when sharpening. In fact, you should decrease pressure as you go. I end each stone using less than the weight of the knife. Final touches are extremely light, with the slightest hint of contact on the stone. You can get a knife sharp with a less delicate touch, but will be leaving a lot on the table.

Good idea about starting at the tip. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks!

[Albatross]

One trick that works to stop rounding tips, is to start at the tip, and work toward the heel of the blade with each stroke. This will force you to go slower and develop good technique, which might also help even out your bevels.

Try moving the Sharpmaker slightly to the left, to get your angle straightened out, because it sounds like you have your arm at the wrong angle. A right-handed person, who favors the right side of the bevel, would be able to create even bevels, if the Sharpmaker is moved a small amount to the left. Mindful strokes will help, but moving the Sharpmaker will give much faster results. Take any flat object, hold it vertically, as straight as possible, then move your arm to the right and then left. You can see the angle change a bit. Find your angle, then begin sharpening. Uneven bevels can still be crazy sharp, so don't worry about it too much, unless the sharpness isn't where you would like it.

As others have said, you need light pressure when sharpening. In fact, you should decrease pressure as you go. I end each stone using less than the weight of the knife. Final touches are extremely light, with the slightest hint of contact on the stone. You can get a knife sharp with a less delicate touch, but will be leaving a lot on the table.

Good idea about starting at the tip. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks!

No problem. Hopefully it helps you.

[Sharp Guy]

Are you switching hands?

[samdasnake]

Are you switching hands?

Should you switch hands?

[Sharp Guy]

Are you switching hands?

Should you switch hands?

No...at least I don't. After re-reading the OP I think I misinterpreted what they were saying. I thought they might be switching hands. If I was wrong, and I think I was, please disregard lol

[Bdubs808]

The first knife used for practice on my Sharpmaker ended up having its edge ruined by my inexperience. 4 years later and lots of repetitive motion got the right side stroke in control; that was definitely the most awkward part of learning, gaining the muscle memory.

[TomAiello]

The first knife used for practice on my Sharpmaker ended up having its edge ruined by my inexperience.

The most valuable thing you can have when learning to sharpen is a beater knife to practice with. I really chewed up my SuperLeaf when I was learning. At least that's the only one I really messed up.

[Pokey]

When I'm sharpening a knife I haven't done before, I'll make a few light passes using the diamond Tri-Angles and then look for where the rough scratch pattern is showing up on the bevel of the grind. I'll hold the blade vertical and use the 40°edge angles first. If that doesn't show where the Tri-Angle meets the metal, then I'll use a Sharpie on the grind, make a few more passes and see where the Sharpie ink has been removed. This gives me an idea what angle the edge is ground to. Acetone, (nail polish remover,) will remove the Sharpie ink.

I'll avoid flicking the tip of the blade off the edges of the Tri-Angles to keep from rounding it off. I'll use the flat sides of the Tri-Angles to sharpen all the way up to the tip.

When using the flats of the Tri-Angles I'll keep a light on the blade side and watch for any slice of light where the blade edge meets the flat of the Tri-Angle. This means I don't have the edge flat on the Tri-Angle. Rather than turning my arm, I'll step to one side or the other a bit to keep the edge flat on the Tri-Angle. That way my arm will stay in a natural position. I also keep the blade touching in the middle of the flat on the Tri-Angles.

If there's a spot on the blade where the angle of the edge changes, I'll work the edge right there with back and forth strokes. You don't have to make a full pass on the Tri-Angles from top to bottom, or ricasso to tip. Lots of times the angle of the grind changes closer to the ricasso. I will slowly push the blade along the Tri-Angles towards the ricasso, instead of pulling it away towards the tip to work on that one spot.

And a quick way to clean the brown or white Tri-Angles is to use a pink pencil eraser. I only use water to rinse the diamond Tri-Angles, though.

[Hardbawl]

Keep it light to make it right. This is good advice. If you are rounding your tips on the Sharpmaker, you are using way too much force. A member on this forum once recommended placing the Sharpmaker on a bench and not holding it with your weak hand. Hold the knife in your strong hand and stroke the stones. If the pressure you use is great enough to move the Sharpmaker you are using too much. This also makes your pressure very even stroke to stroke. I thought this guy was nuts, but, hey it was worth a try. To my surprise using the Sharpmaker this way gave me a much sharper edge that seemed to last longer. It will not round the tip of the blade. If one side of the blade is getting a different angle of grind from the other remember this. There are two axis that you have to control manually. First, you have to hold the blade vertically. Trouble with this? Put a paper clip on a string thumbtacked to the ceiling and use it as a reference. Second, the Sharpmaker must be perpendicular to your stroke for both stones. Move so you can hold the blade at a right angle to the Sharpmaker base.

[hambone56rx]

The first knife used for practice on my Sharpmaker ended up having its edge ruined by my inexperience. 4 years later and lots of repetitive motion got the right side stroke in control; that was definitely the most awkward part of learning, gaining the muscle memory.

BDubs,

Could you explained how you messed up the knife? I picked up my first SM a couple weeks ago and am having good results! Thanks largely to the support of the Spyderco forum community! So all experience I can glean from you would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Hamilton

[Evil D]

This is something I've been doing lately that I really like, you may give it a try and see if it helps.

I have a little patio side table that I put my Sharpmaker on, it sits a good bit lower than my chair, and I put something under the back edge of the Sharpmaker base so that it tilts towards me and I can look straight down onto the rods.




When you make passes this way it seems easier for me to see that I'm holding the knife at 90 degrees, it's like I'm cutting downward into something. I watch the spine of the blade and angle of the blade to the rod.




You DON'T want to angle the blade like this most of the time because this will actually change the angle that you're sharpening at. I have learned that this can be a useful trick with SE sometimes but generally you should avoid this.

[Mini2white]

I have written the angles on mine as they can be hard to see in the kitchen especially if I don't have my glasses on.

[Evil D]

I have written the angles on mine as they can be hard to see in the kitchen especially if I don't have my glasses on.

I screwed up one time and used the wrong angle and quickly decided to idiot proof it :D

[prndltech]

I personally don’t mind if the bevel on one side is slightly different as long as the knife gets sharp. Rounding the tip is one thing I’d worry about, but having a slightly larger bevel on one side is not a big deal to me. The bevel is now set to your hand... so... it’s “custom” :D