Sharpmaker en route

feeny · #1

Im somewhat excited.

Embarrassingly, the only sharpening stone I have had in the house forever is this cheap chinese blade-blunter that I purchased back when I still had pimples (hint: not recently) ...

I finally got around to ordering a sharpmaker... annoyingly at a shipped cost of $110 AUD odd [$90 US] but that will be quickly forgotten.

Besides owning the worlds bluntest lava, my kitchen knives are no longer able to chop herbs *big blush*.

Im hoping to remedy this soon [like in the next 1-2 days], and I thought I would ask about people's first experiences with a sharpmaker?

Netsquash · #2

I just got my sharpmaker a few days ago and used it the first time Sunday night. I couldn't let myself go another day without testing it out. I have yet to watch the DVD with it but the booklet seemed to provide enough information to get things done.

The results. All my knives are razor sharp now when before they were dull like some of the other unmentionable companies out there ship them. I am afraid to say it but they may even be a tad sharper when I first got them with the fresh Spyderco edge on them, which I thought was almost near impossible.

I did the paper test and they seem to slice into the paper without any downward pressure at all. I can literally split hairs with these blades now. My first impressions are great. One of the best purchases I have made.

Lord vader · #3

Netsquash wrote:I just got my sharpmaker a few days ago and used it the first time Sunday night. I couldn't let myself go another day without testing it out. I have yet to watch the DVD with it but the booklet seemed to provide enough information to get things done.

The results. All my knives are razor sharp now when before they were dull like some of the other unmentionable companies out there ship them. I am afraid to say it but they may even be a tad sharper when I first got them with the fresh Spyderco edge on them, which I thought was almost near impossible.

I did the paper test and they seem to slice into the paper without any downward pressure at all. I can literally split hairs with these blades now. My first impressions are great. One of the best purchases I have made.

When you can split hair it`s definitely sharp. :)

Murdoc · #4

When your blades are really, really blunt, you may have to work quite a bit with the SM to get them back to good sharpness again, because first you will have to restore the bevel; and rebevelling could take some time on the sharpmaker. When I have to sharpen such a beat up blade, I usually use the Lansky first for rebevelling and just finish it up with the SM. That way, I have a consistent angle with a clean and crisp bevel to start with, and the razor sharpness comes after two minutes on the SM.

If you don't have that possibility to go that (or a similar) way and are restricted to the SM as your only sharpening device, you definitely should use the magic marker trick to maker sure when you are actually reaching the very edge, just to avoid problems and potential disappointment due to a lack of sharpening success in the beginning (where you may be actually rebevelling instead of really "sharpening").

Dennis

Seanski · #5

Your really going to like it I suspect. I know I do. It works extremely well.

JT · #6

I might suggest getting :spyder: diamond stones for the SM too, I've had plenty of use for them. The brown and white stones are quite slow method of getting a really dull knife back to bevelled and sharp.

Kuolema · #7

The Sharpmaker is fantastic. I had bought my first Spyderco, a Delica 4, and it came dull out of the box, so I ventured to a local knife sharp to get it sharpened, and found out about the Spydie SM. It's literally as easy as 1-2-3-4. You'll be slicing and dicing with sharp knives before long. It took me about an hour, and four crumby practise knives, to get comfortable with the SM. Spent 7 hours after sharpening every knife in the house :p . I'd say good purchase man, well worth the price. :)

duff72 · #8

love the sharpmaker I use it every couple days just to keep my edc's razor sharp

feeny · #9

Thankyou for the excellent feedback.

The thing hasnt arrived yet, so excitement continues to mount, whilst Im left slicing my onions THICKLY.

Water Bug · #10

I'm very pleased with what the results I've gotten with the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I started out with an older version of the Sharpmaker (this version has only the 40 degree angle positions for the Triangle Stones) and was able to sharpen knives consistently better than with a traditional sharpening stone. I purchased the current model about three years ago and am even more impressed.

As one member noted, investing in the Diamond Triangle Stones is a good idea. I've ran across many a knife where I couldn't get the darn thing anywhere near sharp with the standard Gray and White Triangle Stones. However, after using the Diamond Triangle Stones, I can get the edge to the point where the Gray and White Triangle Stones can do their job.

ChapmanPreferred · #11

I strongly suggest starting on your thinnest kitchen knife. If you have a 3-4" paring knife, that would be a great starting point. If you do not have one of those, but you do have a Swiss Army knife, this would be my second suggestion as a first experience. These suggestions will help you achieve success quickly while helping you learn the movements and begin to create muscle memory. Enjoy the process! It really is the best sharpening system I have ever used. It was/still is my first Spyderco love.