Do You Reprofile a New Spydie?

[AJF]

If I'm remembering correctly, I've read that Spydies are sharpened by hand at the factory, and that they normally come out at around 17/34 degrees, more or less.

So, if you, the buyer, are a SM user (like me), and like to maintain your knives at the 15/30 SM setting, you won't be hitting the edge when it's time to touch up that nice factory edge. So, do you regularly plan on a pretty vigorous reprofiling at 15/30 on your new knife?

This was my experience recently with a new Spydie, and it wasn't too difficult since the difference in angles wasn't so great. I was able to do it with simply a few hundred passes on the gray stones, and then sharpen as usual.

I'm interested in what others do with their new Spydies, so please do tell.

Thanks,

Andrew

[jackknifeh]

If I'm remembering correctly, I've read that Spydies are sharpened by hand at the factory, and that they normally come out at around 17/34 degrees, more or less.

So, if you, the buyer, are a SM user (like me), and like to maintain your knives at the 15/30 SM setting, you won't be hitting the edge when it's time to touch up that nice factory edge. So, do you regularly plan on a pretty vigorous reprofiling at 15/30 on your new knife?

This was my experience recently with a new Spydie, and it wasn't too difficult since the difference in angles wasn't so great. I was able to do it with simply a few hundred passes on the gray stones, and then sharpen as usual.

I'm interested in what others do with their new Spydies, so please do tell.

Thanks,

Andrew

Is the sharpmaker limited to one or two angle settings? If so there must be some way to put different angles on a knife if you want to. Also I don't think a sharpening system should limit your options on how to sharpen your knife. I wouldn't think you should need to reprofile a blade so it matches your sharpener. What if a friend asks you to sharpen their knife and the angle is about 19 degrees per side. Would you be forced to reprofile just to get the edge sharp? The sharpener should put the edge angle on the knife that you want or duplicate the angle that is already on a knife. I may be off base because I don't know anything about the SM.

Jack

[CanisMajor]

Is the sharpmaker limited to one or two angle settings? If so there must be some way to put different angles on a knife if you want to. Also I don't think a sharpening system should limit your options on how to sharpen your knife. I wouldn't think you should need to reprofile a blade so it matches your sharpener. What if a friend asks you to sharpen their knife and the angle is about 19 degrees per side. Would you be forced to reprofile just to get the edge sharp? The sharpener should put the edge angle on the knife that you want or duplicate the angle that is already on a knife. I may be off base because I don't know anything about the SM.

Jack

Sharpmaker has 30 and 40 degree settings.

Canis

[unit]

It depends on the knife and my intended use/purpose for it.

Generally, I use my new Spyderco until it is dull-ish. Then I reprofile them....but not always to 15/30. The angle I select is based on the performance of the blade and the angle that is on it...which BTW can vary more than a few degrees from the 15/30 target.

I find that I learn a lot about the steel, and the edge by reprofiling it and making it truly mine. Plus, I then have more opportunity to learn how it will perform at a wider or narrower angle. Constant learning is constant improvement...Spyderco does this, I think I should too, once in a while I share my findings and I think they listen.

I want to make clear that Spyderco puts some great edges on, and they consistently turn out sharp knives, but their target of 15/30 is based on their average buyer's needs. It is not unreasonable to think that many of us are not perfectly average....heck, my needs change throughout the years, why shouldn't my tools?

[ChapmanPreferred]

I do not reprofile immediately upon receiving a new Spyderco. I would wait to decide until the knife needed to be sharpened if it needed a full reprofile or just a common sharpening. I try not to remove more steel than is required for the performance I require from a knife.

[gull wing]

Yes I do!
Anyone who uses a knife will have to reprofile, the Sharpmaker is great at keeping it sharp for a long while, but reprofileing is a must.

I reprofile the easy way with an Edge Pro. On EDC's I use the GREEN angle
(18), on big knives the YELLOW (20).

[Ankerson]

Yes I do as soon as I get them.

I usually put a 30 degree inclusive edge on them.

They do put good factory edges on but I get rid of the factory edge as soon as I get them because once I reprofile them they last longer etc.

That's any factory edge.

[jzmtl]

Always. On most knives I put a 20° inclusive with 30° microbevel, if it's one of the softer steels I put 30° inclusive with 40° microbevel.

Wish they'd come from factory with 20° angle, would save me a lot of pain.

[LowTEC]

Always. On most knives I put a 20° inclusive with 30° microbevel, if it's one of the softer steels I put 30° inclusive with 40° microbevel.

Wish they'd come from factory with 20° angle, would save me a lot of pain.

Exactly what I have been doing to all my knives

[AJF]

Very interesting variety of opinions/philosophies on this. Thanks, gents!

Andrew

[Joe Internet]

Wish they'd come from factory with 20° angle, would save me a lot of pain.

This explains why I was having difficulty sharpening my E4 on the 40 deg. setting. I finally just sharpened it freehand on the medium rods, and it was shaving in a couple of minutes.

[HotSoup]

No, because I have a SM and it really is not made to move that kind of metal.

REALLY bothers me that the angle most Spydies come from the factory with can't be sharpened easily on the 30 or 40 degree setttings....Seems really counter-intuitive to sell me an accessory that is not even compatible with your brand new, stock product...

Looks like I need diamond rods, but I heard even those aren't that great at.

Had I known, I would have invested my $100 on an Edge-Pro, instead of the SM and UF stones.

[dsmegst]

No, because I have a SM and it really is not made to move that kind of metal.

REALLY bothers me that the angle most Spydies come from the factory with can't be sharpened easily on the 30 or 40 degree setttings....Seems really counter-intuitive to sell me an accessory that is not even compatible with your brand new, stock product...

Looks like I need diamond rods, but I heard even those aren't that great at.

Had I known, I would have invested my $100 on an Edge-Pro, instead of the SM and UF stones.

Wrap the rods with sandpaper and you have an instant extra-coarse rod.

[chuck_roxas45]

No, because I have a SM and it really is not made to move that kind of metal.

REALLY bothers me that the angle most Spydies come from the factory with can't be sharpened easily on the 30 or 40 degree setttings....Seems really counter-intuitive to sell me an accessory that is not even compatible with your brand new, stock product...

Looks like I need diamond rods, but I heard even those aren't that great at.

Had I known, I would have invested my $100 on an Edge-Pro, instead of the SM and UF stones.

The edge pro has recently had issues with it's 120 and 220 grit stones. The system is really excellent for consistent angles but you do need a stone that cuts fast for reprofiling or it gets tiring and frustrating.

[dalefuller]

I do not. I use a strop for touchups and I find that this is all I need to do with my Spydercos when I get them. If I keep up the level of factory sharpness (which is fine for my needs in most cases), then I don't have to actually sharpen for a long time. When I do I use a Sharpmaker, and so far I've not had any problem using the 30 deg setting on my Spydercos and getting good results.

I used to have an Edge Pro and a Sharpmaker. Now I have two Sharpmakers and some strops and DMT benchstones. I prefer the current setup.

[jackknifeh]

The edge pro has recently had issues with it's 120 and 220 grit stones. The system is really excellent for consistent angles but you do need a stone that cuts fast for reprofiling or it gets tiring and frustrating.

The stones that came with my Edge Pro work really well but when it comes time to replace them I’ll consider getting DMT stones with a metal plate glued to them so they will fit in the Edge Pro. See this site:

http://www.jendeindustries.com/mm5/merc ... de=SHARPEQ

Or I may buy the DMT stones for about $22 each and make my own “blanks” and glue them to the stone myself. I could just cut some blanks out of wood.

I really like the 4” DMT stones that I have now and have rigged them to fit in the Edge Pro but I do want the 6” stones.

I bought the DMT sharpening aligner set before I heard about the Edge Pro. Even if I had heard about the Edge Pro I still think I would have bought the aligner set because it was a lot cheaper. Only now since I’ve used both do I know the pros and cons of each system. The Edge Pro is the better system for maintaining a consistent angle on the edge of a knife. DMT’s claim to fame is the diamond stones and that claim is a good one. I believe if you combine the diamond stones with an Edge Pro you can’t do much better for a home sharpening system or maybe in a sharpening shop. There are several professional sharpeners who use the Edge Pro. Re-profiling is not a problem. Maintaining an edge with quick touch ups is not a problem. ALSO, you can put any edge angle on the blade you want between 10 degrees per side to around 30 degrees per side. If you use a small piece of wood or cardboard you can raise the spine of the blade to get even lower than 10 degrees.

Now that I know what I know I should have saved my money till I could afford an Edge Pro from a financial aspect. However, using both systems did increase my understanding of sharpening. I have spent a lot of money in my life on selection A when I really wanted selection B but B cost more and A was still pretty good. Sooner or later I get selection B and A sits unused. Financially I’d have been better off waiting to get sel. A but now I have both and am happy with that also. Plus buying the less expensive item first gave me ownership of a product sooner even if it wasn’t the exact one I wanted. Example: I really wanted knife A for $200 but only had $75. I bought the $75 knife and was able to use it right away while I saved for the other one. Now I’ve gotten the $200 knife and have both and both are good knives. Or should I have just waited until I had $200 and gotten it first? There are arguments on both choices. Since I’m not a collector I’m glad I have both knives now because they are different enough to be used for two different types of cutting based on blade geometry and how I sharpen them. Better variety. Knives are one thing but sharpening tools are something else. Does anyone “collect” sharpening systems like people collect knives? Maybe so but I think most people only have one or maybe two good sharpening systems. In that case I feel the financial choice for sharpeners is to save until you can get the one you NEED. You will be happier. From what I’ve read about the SM it is a great system for what it is designed for but is not the best ALL AROUND system. Even though I have an Edge Pro I’d like to have a SM also.

I didn’t mean to turn this thread around from “do you re-profile” to sharpeners but I think sharpening systems owned will influence how often you want to reprofile. I can reprofile any knife I’ve ever tried in about 30 minutes or so. I’m not talking about the knife with big chunks in the edge, just edges that I want to change the angle.

If you took time to read all of this I hope it was helpful. If not I apologize.

Sincerely,
Jack

PS
This was not intended to sell any product at all.

[unit]

Does anyone “collect” sharpening systems like people collect knives?

Yes, but this is probably not the place to discuss it. I think most people that are very serious about sharpening end up collecting equipment to a degree. If you do not collect and try various things you really can not objectively discuss preferences. There are many good choices, and not everyone shares the same favorite.

[jackknifeh]

Yes, but this is probably not the place to discuss it. I think most people that are very serious about sharpening end up collecting equipment to a degree. If you do not collect and try various things you really can not objectively discuss preferences. There are many good choices, and not everyone shares the same favorite.

Truer words never spoken. Not only many choices of tools but many techniques as well. Saying one is the "best" is like saying one knife is the "best". Not possible. What works for one may not be the "best" choice for someone else. And like you said unit, no one including myself should comment on something I've never used.

Jack

[bh49]

I reprofile my knives only when I cannot achieve comfortable for me sharpness.
All my EDCs have VG10 or S30V blades. Lately I started to reprofile to 22-24 degrees and when I need I place microbevel at 30.

[chuck_roxas45]

See this site:

http://www.jendeindustries.com/mm5/merc ... de=SHARPEQ

I did email them already. I haven't got a reply yet if they ship to the Philippines.

If you took time to read all of this I hope it was helpful. If not I apologize.

Your posts are always welcome and quite informative Jack.


Apologies to the OP for the direction shift of the thread.