Can The Average Joe Use A Sharpmaker??

pablo7 · #1

I'm going on my second :spyder: co and I am looking to buy one....last time I took my crkt to the local advance cut. mall knife store they sharpened it for a 5$ fee don't get me wrong it was sharp but it seemed like they took alot of metal off the blade, i'm no expert but it did'nt look right, I might be wrong.....I don't want to risk taking my s90v milli and have them do more damage than good....I've seen a couple of how to vids. on the net. on how to use the sharpmaker seems simple enough,any tips? can a newbie use it?

:spyder: thanks :spyder:

BuffaloBill · #2

i think so. i just got one. i think it just takes practice to get it down, though

yablanowitz · #3

Yes, a newbie can use it. You can get a knife razor sharp with it.

Tip#1 Watch the instructional video/DVD even before you assemble the unit

Tip#2 Watch the video again after assembly and before starting to sharpen.

Tip#3 Be very careful to end each stroke with the tip of the blade still in contact with the rod. Dragging the tip off the stone, especially when using the corners of the rods, will round off a tip in a hurry.

Tip#4 Don't get too hung up on counting strokes. Some steels (and S90V is one of them) are very abrasion resistant, and will require a lot more strokes than the video shows.

Tip#5 The Sharpie trick. Color the entire edge bevel with a Sharpie marker, then take a couple of passes on the SharpMaker to see where you are removing steel. If the marker is removed from the very edge only, you are working a microbevel, which is usually a good thing. If the marker is removed from the entire bevel, your blade is matched to the SharpMaker, and you will have to take the entire edge bevel down to create a new edge, which is good but time-consuming. If the marker is removed from the top of the bevel next to the main grind, you are trying to create an entire new edge bevel, which will take a LONG time, especially on something like S90V.

Tip#6 The rods are much harder than steel, so you don't need a lot of pressure to abrade the blade. Keep your strokes light.

Tip#7 You may want to prop a mirror up behind the unit so you can see the reflection of the knife as it moves. You may find it helps you to see if you are really holding the knife straight.

cobrajoe · #4

Yeah, I'm sure I could :p

From what I hear, it's rather simple and very effective, but I grew up sharpening freehand, so that's how I continued.

I can definately say that the spyderco ceramic rods put an awesome edge on a spyderco :D

krazichinaman · #5

pablo7 wrote:I'm going on my second :spyder: co and I am looking to buy one....last time I took my crkt to the local advance cut. mall knife store they sharpened it for a 5$ fee don't get me wrong it was sharp but it seemed like they took alot of metal off the blade, i'm no expert but it did'nt look right, I might be wrong.....I don't want to risk taking my s90v milli and have them do more damage than good....I've seen a couple of how to vids. on the net. on how to use the sharpmaker seems simple enough,any tips? can a newbie use it?

:spyder: thanks :spyder:

Get it and dont look back. My advice on top of what is already said in this thread is to also do the sharpie trick. You take a marker and mark the edge of the blade and you will see where you are sharpening. You want to make sure to remove the mark from the very edge. If you do a quick search of it, you will see what I mean.

Regards,
Brian
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*** vid
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Web shows

whkento · #6

Yes, I can. :p Seriously, I can do much better with it than I can freehand (but, of course, I'm just an amateur).

I'm gonna try the sharpie trick! Thanks, guys!

ozspyder · #7

Yep.... go get one :D

If I can do it anybody can. I'm impatient so it took me a while to get some decent results.

I actually complement by Sharpmaker with a Byrd Ducksfoot diamond sharpener and find that if I need to use the Ducksfoot the Sharpmaker finishes the job off nicely :p

pablo7 · #8

Thanks fellas, post #3 tip #7 the sharpie trick especially...........

OuchThatsSharp · #9

Yessiree Bob!

Water Bug · #10

Although I wish I could, I can't freehand sharpen a knife on standard stones. If it weren't for the Sharpmaker, I'd have a hard time keeping my knives sharp.

I've watched employees at large sporting goods stores sharpening people's knives on the grinding wheels they have set up at their knife section. I, too, would be concerned about too much metal being ground off the knife, as well as whether the employee might get the blade too hot while grinding.

At $5.00 a sharpening at that store, you could invest that money towards a Sharpmaker and do the job yourself anywhere at any time. The Sharpmaker gives you the flexibility to sharpen the blade to your desired sharpness, as well as allow you to take pride in the fact that it was YOU who put that scary sharp edge on your :spyder: , not someone else who might not take that extra tender loving care to do the job right.

As Yablanowitz noted, the Sharpmaker comes with an instructional DVD that is excellent, especially since Sal is your instructor. :) There is also an instruction manual that comes with the Sharpmaker for your reading pleasure.

The Sharpmaker can be used to take care of your serrated blades. You can also sharpen a wide variety of tools to include scissors, chisels, and electric knives.

And, you have the option of adding stones to your Sharpmaker kit to include Diamond and Ultra Fine Triangle stones. The Sharpmaker is definitely worth the investment.

RIOT · #11

sorry i gotta throw this in, ive never sharpened a spyder, the serrated edge always keeps its sharpness deep down, it might not be new in box but it always does the job, i just cant take away from the original edge it comes with. :spyder:

quattrokid73 · #12

Riot, you would be surprised just how sharp SE blades get on the sharpmaker. the edges of my Cricket are the most devilishly sharp of all my knives. Even more so than my Para or Caly 3. Just graising your finger over the peaks of the serrations you can feel it grab at every part of your fingerprint.

honestly, getting a shaving sharp edge is easy with the sharpmaker even without going through all "4" steps.

if you don't let your knives get too dull, the corners of the white stones will bring it to box sharpness in a few minutes. the trick is in the light, even pressure.

mrappraisit · #13

It's taken me a while to get better at the sharpmaker, but I would recommend sticking to the tips that yablanowitz put in his post, they all make good sense and mirror the things I had to search for and also discover myself.
The sharpmaker is a great product that works on a variety of knives, definitely worth the money.

PaloArt · #14

And what about Duckfoot??? I think byrd sharpmaker... Is that good choice for newbie??? I want to buy one but don´t know if it´s enough or spyderco sharpmaker is better choice. Duckfoot is for better price you know.... :rolleyes: so could you help me please???

yablanowitz · #15

I use the Duckfoot for repairing damaged serrations. It will remove steel much faster than the brown SharpMaker rods, but it leaves a relatively coarse edge. Most folks around here seem to like a more polished edge. I consider the Duckfoot a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, the SharpMaker.

Henry1960 · #16

I think the sharpmaker is very simple and gets great results. I never sharpenend free handed but with the sharpmaker who needs too. A+++++ on the sharpmaker :cool:

araneae · #17

Short answer, yes.

ozspyder · #18

datan wrote:Yep.... go get one :D

If I can do it anybody can. I'm impatient so it took me a while to get some decent results.

I actually complement by Sharpmaker with a Byrd Ducksfoot diamond sharpener and find that if I need to use the Ducksfoot the Sharpmaker finishes the job off nicely :p

I got mine as a prize in a competition. It took me some time to crack it open and use as I already had the Sharpmaker. I use it mainly on abused knives (others) and kitchen and garden equipment. With my Spydies I use the Ducksfoot lightly to bring a bit more life back to duller edges, then hone it to a more polished finish. Some blades I use I prefer to have a more 'toothier' edge, and after lightly stroking with the Ducksfoot I leave it at that....think of microserrations :D

kimjune01 · #19

I recommend the diamond duckfoot for S90V.

Ben4735 · #20

My sharpmaker came in yesterday. I sharpened my native, which is EDC'd, and my Tenacious. I got the Tenacious sharper than how it came, but i couldnt get as sharp as the native was out of the box. More practice I guess.