Finally got a Sharp Maker

[Doc Dan]

The serrated technique is available on this forum somewhere. Was it @vivi who made that video?

Yes, Vivi indeed (viewtopic.php?p=1349519#p1349519). Actually definitively opened my eyes to how convenient and easy it really is to sharpen SE.

Thanks, Gernot. I was too lazy to go looking for it.

[Doc Dan]

As David said, Magnifying loupe 10X - 12X.

sal

SEF, I started a thread once asking for advice concerning which loupe to get (I have two now, you really don't have to spend a ton of money)
Perhaps it helps
viewtopic.php?p=1298821#p1298821

I only spent a few dollars for my loop. Mine is like 60x. It is good enough to check the edges of my straight razors. Maybe it has too much power, I don't know, but it gets the job done.

[Actinolite]

As David said, Magnifying loupe 10X - 12X.

sal

SEF, I started a thread once asking for advice concerning which loupe to get (I have two now, you really don't have to spend a ton of money)
Perhaps it helps
viewtopic.php?p=1298821#p1298821

I only spent a few dollars for my loop. Mine is like 60x. It is good enough to check the edges of my straight razors. Maybe it has too much power, I don't know, but it gets the job done.

As a geologist, I've spent a lot of time peering through handlenses (nearly the same as loupes) looking at rocks to identify mineral grains. In my experience, 30x works fine, but when you get to 60x, the depth of field is so narrow I found them actually more difficult to effectively use. Just my $0.02 worth.

[StuntZombie]

Hold the phone, you've been around here 14 years and have never sharpened or even touched up a knife before?? Call me bamboozled.

Apparently this is why he wants to talk about light sabers because he wasn't able to sharpen reality based blades.

That's just crazy to me. A sharpening stone was basically my second purchase after buying a knife.

[JARHEAD]

What is it you are looking for specifically with a loupe?

So you can see the edge/apex. To show you how much material is being removed. Also to show you if your angles are good.

[BeggarSo]

It would be great if someone could show a picture of this through a loop, I know what magnifying microscopes show but not really a loop, when I look through mine I always wonder just what is it I am looking for anyway.

[u.w.]

Yer looking for that oh-so-thin white line of a burr.
So, first to see the smallest of burr (depending on the person/hand can feel it too) as an indication you're apexed
along the entire edge;
and then once apexing both sides,
to check & see that the entirety of the burr has been removed. You for sure want to make sure the whole burr
has been removed after apexing.
A loupe & a light come in very handy.
u.w.

[BeggarSo]

Thanks for the Loup explanations it is helpful.

[Coastal]

For those without a loupe, smartphone cameras work pretty well. Of course you're limited to the power of your phone's lens. I believe mine is 12X, and that's easily enough to check for burrs and remaining Sharpie.

[Doc Dan]

As David said, Magnifying loupe 10X - 12X.

sal

SEF, I started a thread once asking for advice concerning which loupe to get (I have two now, you really don't have to spend a ton of money)
Perhaps it helps
viewtopic.php?p=1298821#p1298821

I only spent a few dollars for my loop. Mine is like 60x. It is good enough to check the edges of my straight razors. Maybe it has too much power, I don't know, but it gets the job done.

As a geologist, I've spent a lot of time peering through handlenses (nearly the same as loupes) looking at rocks to identify mineral grains. In my experience, 30x works fine, but when you get to 60x, the depth of field is so narrow I found them actually more difficult to effectively use. Just my $0.02 worth.

It really does narrow the field, for sure. A lot of guys use as much as 100x for their straight razors, but to me it is too difficult to see, though it does give amazing detail of a small section of the ultra thin edge.

[CDEP]

I want to be clear that I do not hold myself out as an expert on sharpening. I don't enjoy sharpening but I must have sharp knives at all times, so the following represents what works for me. Better edges are possible, I know, but this gets me to where I need to be in a reasonable amount of time.

I reprofile all of my harder powder steel Spydies to 15dps. Softer ingot steels like VG10 and BD1N get 20dps. I don't do micro bevels. I'll add my plus 1 to the suggestion to get a set of diamond or CBN rods if you intend to reprofile, or if you find the need to frequently repair edge damage from hard use. They will save you a lot of time. Once I've reprofiled I seldom need to go back to the diamond rods, and just touch up with the brown and white ceramics. A strop with diamond paste also gets a lot of use on touch ups. And yes, keep the rods clean. It's easy, and Sal covers it in the video.

I do recommend watching Sal's video, because even if you modify your technique on knives you will also learn how to use the Sharpmaker for everything else in your house that is dull - from those nasty old scissors in your kitchen drawer to all your kitchen knives, and even some of your tools. I recently used mine to sharpen an old awl my grandfather gave me that is older than I am and had clearly never been sharpened. Haven't figured out how to use the Sharpmaker on my dull personality yet...

I'd also emphasize how important a loupe is, as Sal has mentioned many times. The Sharpie trick is good for knowing by eye when you are close to having a clean new bevel, but the loupe lets you see when the new scratch pattern is complete along the entire edge. I use one that is 30x and has an LED light built in.

On a reprofile I mark with a Sharpie and use diamond rods on the flats with alternating strokes to take off a lot of material quickly - usually about 20 strokes on hard steels, and about half as many for softer steels. Then I move to the corner of the rod and stay on the left rod and do about 20 more strokes. I check with the loupe to see how far I have to go, and always find that the last half inch at the tip is gonna need more attention. Then I go about 10 strokes at a time and check each time with the loupe.

When the new scratch pattern is clean from apex to shoulder and even all along the entire edge I check with my fingers to see if I can feel a burr. Maybe 10 strokes more a couple of times and I have raised a burr on the left side - depends on how hard the steel is. Watch Lance's video above for a good tip on getting the last half inch or so to properly contact the rods. I do it the same way he does.

Repeat on the right side, then give it five or ten alternating strokes back on the flats of the diamond rods. Then I move to the ceramics as Sal instructs in the video. You can proceed from there with more or fewer strokes depending on how fine you want the edge to be.

Good luck, and have fun!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Hold the phone, you've been around here 14 years and have never sharpened or even touched up a knife before?? Call me bamboozled.

Apparently this is why he wants to talk about light sabers because he wasn't able to sharpen reality based blades.

That's just crazy to me. A sharpening stone was basically my second purchase after buying a knife.

I have had sharpening stones for years but I never had an objective way to know I was honing it right. I think I ruined some edges with scratches.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Hold the phone, you've been around here 14 years and have never sharpened or even touched up a knife before?? Call me bamboozled.

Look at it like this. There are people who live in urban Chicago that are 50, 60, 70 years old as well as 20, 30, who are so used to taking trains, busses, and cabs if they need to get around, that they never had a need or pressure to learn to drive a vehicle and get a driving license. If they left the city there were friends or family who gave them a ride in a car.

There are some of us who have used knives for decades and never had to seriously sharpen one because the factory edges held up and we used another knife if that one went dull. That is how it is for me. Along with that was my fear of damaging the blade with scratches or breaking an edge.

I bought a used G2 Endura with a serrated edge that is super dull. Yet I have an Endura 4 VG10 from 2015 that still has a razor sharp factory edge after cutting down probably dozens of cardboard boxes, opening letters, cutting bread for sandwiches, tomatoes, sausage, etc.

Does this help your understanding?

[sal]

Hi SEF,

Get a loupe, 10X - 12X. Can be had for a few dollars from Amazon. I do not recommend a higher strength until you are proficient with the 10X-12X. Watch the video that comes with the Sharpmaker. Get an cheap dull blade under 5" in blade length. A kitchen knife is fine.

Sharpen the knife as instructed on the video. Probably best to use the 20 degree (40 inclusive). Look at the edge every 20 or so strokes with the loupe and watch the edge grow. You will see from the scratch pattern on the edge how an edge is "grown".

After you have done that, come back and share your experience.

sal

[TkoK83Spy]

Hold the phone, you've been around here 14 years and have never sharpened or even touched up a knife before?? Call me bamboozled.

Look at it like this. There are people who live in urban Chicago that are 50, 60, 70 years old as well as 20, 30, who are so used to taking trains, busses, and cabs if they need to get around, that they never had a need or pressure to learn to drive a vehicle and get a driving license. If they left the city there were friends or family who gave them a ride in a car.

There are some of us who have used knives for decades and never had to seriously sharpen one because the factory edges held up and we used another knife if that one went dull. That is how it is for me. Along with that was my fear of damaging the blade with scratches or breaking an edge.

I bought a used G2 Endura with a serrated edge that is super dull. Yet I have an Endura 4 VG10 from 2015 that still has a razor sharp factory edge after cutting down probably dozens of cardboard boxes, opening letters, cutting bread for sandwiches, tomatoes, sausage, etc.

Does this help your understanding?

I suppose. I just figured being around here all these years, seeing all these threads and people's sharpening/reprofiling results that you have commented on many times...I thought you would have had some experience yourself by now. Not insulting you, just took me by surprise.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Hold the phone, you've been around here 14 years and have never sharpened or even touched up a knife before?? Call me bamboozled.

Look at it like this. There are people who live in urban Chicago that are 50, 60, 70 years old as well as 20, 30, who are so used to taking trains, busses, and cabs if they need to get around, that they never had a need or pressure to learn to drive a vehicle and get a driving license. If they left the city there were friends or family who gave them a ride in a car.

There are some of us who have used knives for decades and never had to seriously sharpen one because the factory edges held up and we used another knife if that one went dull. That is how it is for me. Along with that was my fear of damaging the blade with scratches or breaking an edge.

I bought a used G2 Endura with a serrated edge that is super dull. Yet I have an Endura 4 VG10 from 2015 that still has a razor sharp factory edge after cutting down probably dozens of cardboard boxes, opening letters, cutting bread for sandwiches, tomatoes, sausage, etc.

Does this help your understanding?

I suppose. I just figured being around here all these years, seeing all these threads and people's sharpening/reprofiling results that you have commented on many times...I thought you would have had some experience yourself by now. Not insulting you, just took me by surprise.

Thank you for this and for the encouraging posts and great advice.

[BeggarSo]

Hi SEF,

Get a loupe, 10X - 12X. Can be had for a few dollars from Amazon. I do not recommend a higher strength until you are proficient with the 10X-12X. Watch the video that comes with the Sharpmaker. Get an cheap dull blade under 5" in blade length. A kitchen knife is fine.

Sharpen the knife as instructed on the video. Probably best to use the 20 degree (40 inclusive). Look at the edge every 20 or so strokes with the loupe and watch the edge grow. You will see from the scratch pattern on the edge how an edge is "grown".

After you have done that, come back and share your experience.

sal

That is so cool of you to give advice thank you.

"with the loupe and watch the edge grow. You will see from the scratch pattern on the edge how an edge is "grown".

[Bill1170]

SEF,
Congratulations on your purchase of the Sharpmaker. It’s an excellent tool. You may want to get either the diamond or CBN triangles for bringing back your dull SE Endura. The medium rods will sharpen a very dull blade, but it is slow work compared to the coarser super abrasive rods.

Definitely employ a loupe and the Sharpie method to learn in real time the progress you are making. I just rewatched the videos from Lance and Vivi, and they are excellent. Best of all is the official video where Sal demonstrates the proper use of his invention.

Pay attention and practice what Sal has shown. It works!

[BeggarSo]

Yes congratulations I get what your saying when you describe your usage and I am pretty impressed you must be one very well grounded practical fellow good on you.

I have spent thousands going down the sharpening rabbit hole and I always find myself returning to the sharpmaker for the finishing touches.

I have read where people say the ceramics only burnish the blade, this may be true but I have not seen this to be the case.

I recently bought a used Endela Serratd knife, it was supposedly unused.

The edge said otherwise.

I gave it 10 licks stopping every 3 to cut the bur on the flat side as Sal instructs with very light pressure it got sharp fast so next came the white rods and good, done, cutting receipt paper.

So get rid of really dull with CBN rods which I prefer to diamond if really dull then go brown white and UF if you want.

The tool just works.

Just using the brown and white rods you would have to try really hard to mess up a Spyderco knife.

I have heard where Benchmade might instantaneously combust on contact though especially the ones copying the Spydie hole.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

BeggarSo, Bill, sal, Doc, and all of you,

Thank you so very much for your kind patient understanding and help on opening this new chapter in my life. I am truly appreciative.

Now I want to start putting your guidance into action and sharing my results with you.