I've been advised several times to have my kitchen knives professionally sharpened every 6 months or so to restore the bevel. One knowledgeable dealer (who carries the Sharpmaker and recommends it highly) says that the Sharpmaker won't do this (but a Lansky or Edge Pro will).
I have been using a Sharpmaker for a while, and it's pretty good, but maybe I do need something that it just won't do. What do the experts say?
Thanks
Restoring the Bevel with Sharpmaker
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Louis Cohen
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vampyrewolf
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the only thing I can think of, is thinning the edge back out. Just like sharpening a pocket carry with the 204, it will thicken out with sharpening. If you don't backbevel to 30 once in a while(depends on steel and use), your edge will get thick and not sharpen all the way.
Unless you are in a professional kitchen using your kitchen knives 8hrs a day, 365days a yr, I dont see it being a problem.
I only sharpen the kitchen knives here about 2-3times a year, and steel them the other times. I have done the butcher knife far to many times to count(4 with the 204, and about 5yrs with benchstones), and steeling every week or so(weak compared ot new steels).
As long as you maintain your edges, you MAY have to get it done professionally every 5 yrs or so.
I know Cutting Edge(here in Saskatoon) have a guy that comes in every couple weeks with his Henkels and has them do it. They rebevel every 6 months for him. His knives are wearing away quickly b/c they use a set of motorized ceramic wheels... and they are being over sharpened.
My advice? Sharpen when they won't cut tomatoes, steel if they cut rough, and they should outlive you, with minimal rebeveling.
Toss a 30degree on it using the 204, and leave it. In 5-6yrs, redo the 30 again.
*Our greatest triumph comes not from NOT falling down, but from getting back up every time.*
Unless you are in a professional kitchen using your kitchen knives 8hrs a day, 365days a yr, I dont see it being a problem.
I only sharpen the kitchen knives here about 2-3times a year, and steel them the other times. I have done the butcher knife far to many times to count(4 with the 204, and about 5yrs with benchstones), and steeling every week or so(weak compared ot new steels).
As long as you maintain your edges, you MAY have to get it done professionally every 5 yrs or so.
I know Cutting Edge(here in Saskatoon) have a guy that comes in every couple weeks with his Henkels and has them do it. They rebevel every 6 months for him. His knives are wearing away quickly b/c they use a set of motorized ceramic wheels... and they are being over sharpened.
My advice? Sharpen when they won't cut tomatoes, steel if they cut rough, and they should outlive you, with minimal rebeveling.
Toss a 30degree on it using the 204, and leave it. In 5-6yrs, redo the 30 again.
*Our greatest triumph comes not from NOT falling down, but from getting back up every time.*
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vampyrewolf
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it's usually used to describe the edge angle, with spyderco coming at about 30-35degrees from factory.
I put a 30degree inclusive(15 on each side) on most of my knives, now owning 2 with otherwise.
My Calpyso jr lt has a 20 inclusive(10 each side), and 30 main edge... vg-10, super thin... cuts like there's no stopping...
My Dragonfly, ats-55, has taken me a lot of work. I have managed to put a convex grind on my main edge. It has a back bevel of 30ish, done back in March... the rest of it's work has been freehand slowly with the doublestuff... had to sharpen my edge when I got back this summer, but normally just steel or strop my edge. This sucker will still shave after a weeks use, and 3 passes on the leather sheath from the stone. Ask the multiple bald spots on my legs about that.
*Our greatest triumph comes not from NOT falling down, but from getting back up every time.*
I put a 30degree inclusive(15 on each side) on most of my knives, now owning 2 with otherwise.
My Calpyso jr lt has a 20 inclusive(10 each side), and 30 main edge... vg-10, super thin... cuts like there's no stopping...
My Dragonfly, ats-55, has taken me a lot of work. I have managed to put a convex grind on my main edge. It has a back bevel of 30ish, done back in March... the rest of it's work has been freehand slowly with the doublestuff... had to sharpen my edge when I got back this summer, but normally just steel or strop my edge. This sucker will still shave after a weeks use, and 3 passes on the leather sheath from the stone. Ask the multiple bald spots on my legs about that.
*Our greatest triumph comes not from NOT falling down, but from getting back up every time.*
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Sword and Shield
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A convex grind is a rounded edge, also called a "clamshell" grind. Looking at the knife point-on, a flat grind is a simple wedge. A hollow grind dips toward the inside of the blade, a convex grind swings out.
It's hard to explain without pictures, but I hope this helps. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
Never underestimate the impossible.
It's hard to explain without pictures, but I hope this helps. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>
Never underestimate the impossible.
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Joe Talmadge
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I'd say it's absolute nonsense that anyone who has even a little bit of sharpening skill & knowledge ever has to go to a professional sharpener. And frankly, the better the knives I own, the more that I worry that any particular professional sharpener's power tools will hose my knife.
Every time you use your kitchen knives, you should do a very light steeling. This keeps the edge aligned.
Eventually, a steel won't bring the edge back, and you'll need to actually sharpen. Every time you sharpen, you should start by thinning out the edge -- the 30-degree stones for the Sharpmaker work fine for this. Then, you put the actual edge on -- the 40-degree stones for the Sharpmaker work fine for this. As long as you spend some time grinding in the thinning bevels ("backbevels" in Spyderco parlance), you'll <i>never </i> need to do a major reprofiling job. Advising you that you'll need to go to a pro every six months is <b>absolute nonsense </b> , although "nonsense" isn't the word I'd actually like to use. I am making the assumption here that you have at least rudimentary sharpening skills.
Now, what happens if you don't want your final edge at 40 degrees, you want it at 30 degrees? In that case, grind the thinning bevels in at less than 30 degrees. The way you do that on the sharpmaker is to put the stones in the 30-degree slots, the tilt the spine of the knife ever so slightly towards the stones (that is, don't hold the knife up and down) and grind that way. Don't worry that you're not grinding perfectly accurately, the thinning bevels don't need to be accurate. Once you've thinned enough, you're ready for your regular edge -- keeping the stones in the 30-degree slots, use the regular procedure of holding the spine straight up and down.
Joe
PS the easiest way to sharpen a convex edge that I've found is to use abrasive papers (Si wet/dry sandpaper) on top of a piece of leather, and sharpen by leading with the spine of the knife instead of the edge (ie., as if you're stropping, not sharpening). The leather buckles, allowing the paper to curve around the edge. Works great.
Every time you use your kitchen knives, you should do a very light steeling. This keeps the edge aligned.
Eventually, a steel won't bring the edge back, and you'll need to actually sharpen. Every time you sharpen, you should start by thinning out the edge -- the 30-degree stones for the Sharpmaker work fine for this. Then, you put the actual edge on -- the 40-degree stones for the Sharpmaker work fine for this. As long as you spend some time grinding in the thinning bevels ("backbevels" in Spyderco parlance), you'll <i>never </i> need to do a major reprofiling job. Advising you that you'll need to go to a pro every six months is <b>absolute nonsense </b> , although "nonsense" isn't the word I'd actually like to use. I am making the assumption here that you have at least rudimentary sharpening skills.
Now, what happens if you don't want your final edge at 40 degrees, you want it at 30 degrees? In that case, grind the thinning bevels in at less than 30 degrees. The way you do that on the sharpmaker is to put the stones in the 30-degree slots, the tilt the spine of the knife ever so slightly towards the stones (that is, don't hold the knife up and down) and grind that way. Don't worry that you're not grinding perfectly accurately, the thinning bevels don't need to be accurate. Once you've thinned enough, you're ready for your regular edge -- keeping the stones in the 30-degree slots, use the regular procedure of holding the spine straight up and down.
Joe
PS the easiest way to sharpen a convex edge that I've found is to use abrasive papers (Si wet/dry sandpaper) on top of a piece of leather, and sharpen by leading with the spine of the knife instead of the edge (ie., as if you're stropping, not sharpening). The leather buckles, allowing the paper to curve around the edge. Works great.
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vampyrewolf
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FT> The main edge is the actual cutting edge. You can have a back bevel, thinning out the steel prior to the cutting edge. Or you can have a pure degree(no thinnning), as I do on my 30degree knives(all but the 2 described).
a convex grind is probably best seen in the Lum Tanto... hamugari or appleseed grind there...
*flat grind thins from the spine doen to the edge creating a wedge....
*hollow grind is done by a pair of wheels on each side, creating a concave arc into the steel
*convex grind starts thick, and rounds outwards to create the cutting edge. It's what you normaly see on an axe or hatchet when they are properly sharpened.
Joe: I've found the best touch up on the BFC forum, when they were discussing the Moran edge.
Snadpaper and a mouse pad.... and again movement is in the spine to edge, as you do for stropping.
*Our greatest triumph comes not from NOT falling down, but from getting back up every time.*
a convex grind is probably best seen in the Lum Tanto... hamugari or appleseed grind there...
*flat grind thins from the spine doen to the edge creating a wedge....
*hollow grind is done by a pair of wheels on each side, creating a concave arc into the steel
*convex grind starts thick, and rounds outwards to create the cutting edge. It's what you normaly see on an axe or hatchet when they are properly sharpened.
Joe: I've found the best touch up on the BFC forum, when they were discussing the Moran edge.
Snadpaper and a mouse pad.... and again movement is in the spine to edge, as you do for stropping.
*Our greatest triumph comes not from NOT falling down, but from getting back up every time.*