Just got my Spyderco Sharpmaker

[19cohiba75]

What angle does Spyderco use on it's knives ? I am new to sharpening and thought this would make life easier. Any preferences on angles ? And why ? Tips and tricks are more than welcome :D :spyder:

[DrChimRichalds]

I use the 40 degree angle slots on the Sharpmaker...I've had no problems except for a stubborn, very dull saber-grind Endura 4 I was sharpening for a friend. For that I started with a 30 degree, and finished with the 40.

Enjoy the Sharpmaker. It's a great, great tool.

[dbcad]

Welcome cohiba :)

:spyder: edge angles vary a bit, but they shoot for around 30 degrees inclusive. The SM is really vertical freehand sharpening with a jig to keep the angles consistent. All you have to do is keep the blade vertical. I find that standing up while using it helps a lot. Also, watch the video a few times.

Because you're new to sharpening I'd encourage you to enlighten yourself more about what you're trying to do and the blade materials you're working with.

I started on the ground floor too, clueless about sharpening. It feels really nice to have a very sharp edge of your own. Keep in mind what you're trying to do, make 2 angles meet in the middle with precision :)

[jossta]

Watch the DVD. Then Watch it again :) .

[SQSAR]

Watch the DVD. Then Watch it again :) .

+1. I would also add that practice , practice, and more practice will help a lot. Building this muscle memory will pay big dividends when trying to get your knives sharper and sharper every time you break out the SM. I would also suggest going for the diamond rods too since they really help with re-profiling a blade. Good luck!

[ChapmanPreferred]

Use a sharpie marker on your edge bevel then take a few strokes on the thirty degree setting and see where you on contacting the metal. If you are removing marker at the very edge, then you are good to go with thirty degrees. If you are removing marker at the transition from the edge bevel to the primary blade bevel, then you will want to switch to the 40 degree setting and try again. If you are still hitting the "shoulder" (transition from the edge bevel to the primary blade grind/bevel (hollow, flat, or convex) you will need to sharpen long enough for your newly created sharpening bevel to reach all the way to the actual edge. This will take some time, but after you set up your bevel, you will not take too much time if you maintain your edges before they are too damaged or dull. Keeping a knife sharp is much easier than sharpening a dead dull butter knife edge on a wear resistant steel.

If you can swing the optional rods (204D diamond rods and 204uf (x2) Ultra fine rods) it will greatly improve both your sharpening time and how refined an edge you can create on the Sharpmaker system.

One more optional, but strongly recommended accessory is a loupe for closely examining your edged creation process. The one I have found to be most usefull to me is found here:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 3351,51092

I would suggest starting to sharpen with a 3" paring knife from the kitchen. They are usually very thin steel, not very wear resistant, and desparately in need of a good sharpening. :)

[docwatson]

The video is your greatest asset, I still watch mine from time to time, just to stay "sharp" :D on the basics. And everyone is correct in that if you will keep your knife touched up, it will be easier then if you wait until it is dull. I used to dread sharpening a knife, until I got the sharpmaker, it is quick easy and fun.

[jackknifeh]

The plan or idea of the angles on the sharpmaker is to have your knife sharpened at the 30 degree slots. Some people will call that a 15 degree (per side) angle so be aware of the fact that there are lots of people here and sometimes the vocabulary changes. That's just an FYI.

Then when you re-sharpen your knife you can set the Sharpmaker to the 40 degree (20 per side) angle and you are guaranteed the stones will be hitting the very edge of your knife. That's the basic theory. New knives from Spyderco usually come with between 30 and 40 degree settings. They are sharpened on a grinding wheel or belt or something really fast during production. They just don't have the time to use really precise tools like the Sharpmaker. That's ok because if they had to pay someone to hand sharpen every knife that expense would need to be transferred to the price of the knives. They get them very sharp at an average angle as far as what is needed for every day use. Then people who own a knife may sharpen it to meet the needs of the cutting that knife will do if it is specialized cutting.

Two great ideas already mentioned are using a marker when sharpening and a loop to get a real good idea of what is going on at the edge. Sharpening a knife can be anywhere between getting it sharp enough to cut and really tailoring the edge for better slicing performance or more durability, very shiny pretty bevels, etc. etc. Then you will have a standard of how sharp do you want the knives? Do you want to just barely be able to shave your arm? Do you want the hairs on your arm to POP of your arm and put out your dog's eyes? I have two dogs and they are both blind now. :)

Good luck with your learning, it will be fun. If you have any question just ask. There are lots of people here willing to help.

Jack

[dbcad]

Echo all of the suggestions above :) This is a terrific place to ask questions if you run into trouble, I know I have :) Another piece of advice cohica: If you ever start getting frustrated when sharpening a blade, stop, leave it alone, and come back to it later when you're calm. Sharpening is an art and your feelings get translated into the edge at some level.

Report back and let us know how you're doing. I learned to sharpen from the good folks here :)

[mally]

get a loupe and look at your edge when you sharpen
when grind lines disapear
turn knife over and repeat
your sharpmaker works on either angle

[liltemp1]

\,,/ Everyone needs a Sharpmaker \,,/ :spyder:

[JD Spydo]

Watch the DVD. Then Watch it again :) .

Jossta is absolutely right!! That is one of the keys to picking up on some great tips for learning the Sharpmaker is to watch that video at least 2 to 3 times even before doing your first blade with it.

Also pay heed to the cliche "PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT" because that is so true when learning the methods of the Sharpmaker. Before you sharpen any of your highly treasured Spyders or other great knives I highly urge you to get an old folder you've had for years or even an old kitchen knife to learn on.

I learned on mine by using one of my old Buck folders and a couple of food prep kitchen knives I had for many years. And I'm darn glad I did.

Also there are many great YOUTUBE videos out there that show some interesting tips on using the 204 Sharpmaker. You've made a great purchase.

[Bluntrauma]

I love my sharpmaker but left to my own devices I can mess up a knife. I mainly use it to keep a sharp working edge on an already sharp knife. Just recently purchased a work sharp sharpener and really like it. Makes me wonder why I spent so much time working on stones. This thing will knock out a hair popping edge in 5 minutes.

[Resist]

:spyder: edge angles vary a bit, but they shoot for around 30 degrees inclusive.

Spyderco told me it was 18-20 degrees per side, at least for the Tenacious.

[-F1]

^ Unless it's a SpyderEdge/combo edge.

[Uncle J]

I will mark the the edge with a sharpie, then start sharpening with the 30 degree angle until the marker is removed from the edge. If one edge is shiny and the other is not, I will work on the side that still has marker on it until it is shiny. Then I will set the rods at the 40 degree angle and start sharpening with the dark rods first. I like to have a 30 degree back bevel with a 40 degree edge bevel.