Sooo. I just got a Sharpmaker the other day and I've been doing my best on my knives to mixed results.
Delica ZDP - Wasn't the sharpest Spydie when I got it new, still isn't. I didn't really seem to make much of an impact on it.
Waved Endura - Yeah, this is better. I've been EDCing this knife again lately (really like it) and it sharpened up quite nice. It's given me hope on my sharpening skills.
Atlantic Salt - I was a bit disappointed with this knife... Up to now!!! This is definitely a utility knife, but it felt a bit cheap to me. But I'm beginning to really like H1. It did a good job of food prep, really easy to clean, and man oh man did this sharpen up easily!
Even with my limited and developing sharpening skills, the Atlantic Salt got to hair popping in no time and all. I think this is a knife that's going to grow on me.
Roger
Sharp?!
Practice makes SHaRP!!
Here's the key to getting good at using the 204 Sharpmaker. Watch the DVD/video at least twice and when you do pay very close attention to how Sal draws the blades across the stones. You can pick up a lot of tips that way. Also if you got a brand new 204 unit it came with a booklet and pretty much tells you how to sharpen a myriad of edged tools.
It's like any other new tool you would use>>> it just takes some practice. Also I would highly urge you to get the diamond stones and the Ultra-fine stones that you can buy extra for the Sharpmaker.
Also be sure to follow the sequences that the book and video tell you to use. There are no shortcuts; you must do the work to get the blade sharp. A really beat up blade takes a lot of work to bring it back around. But if you have any of those ZDP-189 Spyders you will be amazed at what you can turn out. :cool:
It's like any other new tool you would use>>> it just takes some practice. Also I would highly urge you to get the diamond stones and the Ultra-fine stones that you can buy extra for the Sharpmaker.
Also be sure to follow the sequences that the book and video tell you to use. There are no shortcuts; you must do the work to get the blade sharp. A really beat up blade takes a lot of work to bring it back around. But if you have any of those ZDP-189 Spyders you will be amazed at what you can turn out. :cool:
Long Live the SPYDEREDGE Spyderco Hawkbills RULE!!
-
vampyrewolf
- Member
- Posts: 7486
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
- Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
a few tips...
1: rub the stones together... open the surfaces up so they bite better.
2: watch the movie again and again. Mine lived in the vcr for a couple months.
3: take your time. Nothing will ruin an edge faster than missing a few strokes. It is better to take 5min for that 20 strokes than the 30seconds that it CAN be done in. It's not uncommon for me to spent 5min touching up an edge freehand, when I can get it done quickly in a minute(with more chance of either messing up the edge or hitting my fingers). I love watching people ruin thier edge slapping it around on a steel and wondering why it isn't sharper :rolleyes:
4: the brass rods are there for a reason. use em.
5: keep it sharp. the 204 would be better called a "sharp keeper" than a sharpmaker. To reprofile an edge with the standard stones will take all day. To touch it up takes minutes. If you have to reprofile, clip sandpaper on to the rods.
6: about 3-5lbs is more than enough pressure on it. 2-3 is more likely what you'll be using. if the stones aren't biting, clean em. pressing harder on the knife will only deform the edge.
7: do one side till you form a burr, THEN switch sides. Repeat 2-3 times on each step. The first burr takes the longest to form, the final steps will take a few strokes.
8: lighter pressure at the end of the session will help ensure you don't leave a burr. If you go from the 30deg setting with the white corners to the 40deg setting with the grey corners... a few LIGHT strokes will kill the burr and leave a little bite on the edge without roughing it up.
1: rub the stones together... open the surfaces up so they bite better.
2: watch the movie again and again. Mine lived in the vcr for a couple months.
3: take your time. Nothing will ruin an edge faster than missing a few strokes. It is better to take 5min for that 20 strokes than the 30seconds that it CAN be done in. It's not uncommon for me to spent 5min touching up an edge freehand, when I can get it done quickly in a minute(with more chance of either messing up the edge or hitting my fingers). I love watching people ruin thier edge slapping it around on a steel and wondering why it isn't sharper :rolleyes:
4: the brass rods are there for a reason. use em.
5: keep it sharp. the 204 would be better called a "sharp keeper" than a sharpmaker. To reprofile an edge with the standard stones will take all day. To touch it up takes minutes. If you have to reprofile, clip sandpaper on to the rods.
6: about 3-5lbs is more than enough pressure on it. 2-3 is more likely what you'll be using. if the stones aren't biting, clean em. pressing harder on the knife will only deform the edge.
7: do one side till you form a burr, THEN switch sides. Repeat 2-3 times on each step. The first burr takes the longest to form, the final steps will take a few strokes.
8: lighter pressure at the end of the session will help ensure you don't leave a burr. If you go from the 30deg setting with the white corners to the 40deg setting with the grey corners... a few LIGHT strokes will kill the burr and leave a little bite on the edge without roughing it up.
Coffee before Conciousness
Why do people worry more if you argue with your voices than if you just talk with them? What about if you lose those arguements?
Slowly going crazy at work... they found a way to make the voices work too.
Why do people worry more if you argue with your voices than if you just talk with them? What about if you lose those arguements?
Slowly going crazy at work... they found a way to make the voices work too.
Thanks for the tips! I've only watched the DVD once, so it's going to rewatched again soon (maybe tonight?) The ultra fine and diamond rods are on my "to get" list. Unfortunately they're behind the Caly 3 (a lot of things are behind the caly 3).
I'll keep practicing and I'll follow your tips. Hopefully I can get everything as sharp as the H1!!
Roger
I'll keep practicing and I'll follow your tips. Hopefully I can get everything as sharp as the H1!!
Roger
You will Roger, as stated, it just takes practice.Rogcohen wrote:I'll keep practicing and I'll follow your tips. Hopefully I can get everything as sharp as the H1!!
Roger
All the advice you got was, IMO, right on.
One missing point is to sharpen each blade steel correctly for that steel. In the case of your ZDP, one of the implications is to sharpen it at a lower angle. Several here have commented that if you sharpen all blades to the same angle you are not taking advantage of your superior steel. ZDP can be 10+ degrees less than most other good steels resulting in an insanely sharp knife. Try it, you'll like it. (note - to do this you have to manually control the angle as the Sharpmaker doesn't (yet?) support thinner edges with it's preset angles.)
Ken
玉鋼
-
vampyrewolf
- Member
- Posts: 7486
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
- Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Ron: just because I don't always use my 204, doesn't mean I don't know how :p
When the 204 comes with the angle and grit choice that freehand does, then I might put my benchstones away.
You don't want to see my tips for freehand sharpening unless you want a 1 page post
****, I could even post tips for sharpening on a grinder if someone asks for em... can get a cleaver to cut room temp mushrooms by weight alone, and you don't want to see what that edge does to tomatoes (or finger tips :o )
When the 204 comes with the angle and grit choice that freehand does, then I might put my benchstones away.
You don't want to see my tips for freehand sharpening unless you want a 1 page post
****, I could even post tips for sharpening on a grinder if someone asks for em... can get a cleaver to cut room temp mushrooms by weight alone, and you don't want to see what that edge does to tomatoes (or finger tips :o )
Coffee before Conciousness
Why do people worry more if you argue with your voices than if you just talk with them? What about if you lose those arguements?
Slowly going crazy at work... they found a way to make the voices work too.
Why do people worry more if you argue with your voices than if you just talk with them? What about if you lose those arguements?
Slowly going crazy at work... they found a way to make the voices work too.
Rogcohen -
Forget the number of strokes count as shown on the video.
I am betting that the puppy Sal was sharpening in the video was already very sharp before Sal even began sharpening it (this makes for better sales promo).
Use the grey rod edge until you get a really good sharp edge using the 40 degree rod setting. Just this one step will give a very sharp knife edge that is good enough for EDC.
This first step might take 10 strokes or 510 strokes. Just take your time and think about all the good exercise you are getting while sharpening. Only when the edge is very sharp should you move to the next step (the side of the grey). Only when the knife is very sharp at that step should you move onto the white rods. Get the idea? Don't move to the next step to quickly.
The better the steel in the knife the longer it will take to sharpen it but it is worth it.
There is a little trick that helps. Mark the edge with a black or blue magic marker. Make a couple of passes. See where the mark is removed. It must be at the very apex of the edge; the tiny part at the very bottom. If blade steel is being removed higher up on the edge (the shoulder) then you are profiling (or reprofiling, same thing). You should switch to the 30 degree setting, pour a cold one and sharpen until you have a very sharp edge using the 30 degree setting. You are setting the secondary or back bevel. Then switch to 40 degrees and put the very small micro-bevel on the edge. You end up with what is called a double beveled edge. It is one of the easiest to keep sharp and holds a long time.
When I first got my Sharpmaker I practiced on the dragon lady's kitchen knives and she loved me for it (it helps greatly with the approval of your knife hobby activities if the boss's knives are kept nice and sharp).
Here's a link with some good pictures of edge bevels.
http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showtopic=26036
The frosting on the cake is once you have a very sharp edge using the Sharpmaker, make a couple of finishing strokes on a strope/hone. The knife edge comes out really wicked sharp with any burr being removed. The Sharpmaker should come with one of these, IMHO.
http://www.drsharpening.com/leatherhone.html
I have a hunch you will be an awesome knife sharpener in very little time.
Here is what a great knifemaker says about knife steels and sharpening that may also be of interest.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... p?t=368828
Forget the number of strokes count as shown on the video.
I am betting that the puppy Sal was sharpening in the video was already very sharp before Sal even began sharpening it (this makes for better sales promo).
Use the grey rod edge until you get a really good sharp edge using the 40 degree rod setting. Just this one step will give a very sharp knife edge that is good enough for EDC.
This first step might take 10 strokes or 510 strokes. Just take your time and think about all the good exercise you are getting while sharpening. Only when the edge is very sharp should you move to the next step (the side of the grey). Only when the knife is very sharp at that step should you move onto the white rods. Get the idea? Don't move to the next step to quickly.
The better the steel in the knife the longer it will take to sharpen it but it is worth it.
There is a little trick that helps. Mark the edge with a black or blue magic marker. Make a couple of passes. See where the mark is removed. It must be at the very apex of the edge; the tiny part at the very bottom. If blade steel is being removed higher up on the edge (the shoulder) then you are profiling (or reprofiling, same thing). You should switch to the 30 degree setting, pour a cold one and sharpen until you have a very sharp edge using the 30 degree setting. You are setting the secondary or back bevel. Then switch to 40 degrees and put the very small micro-bevel on the edge. You end up with what is called a double beveled edge. It is one of the easiest to keep sharp and holds a long time.
When I first got my Sharpmaker I practiced on the dragon lady's kitchen knives and she loved me for it (it helps greatly with the approval of your knife hobby activities if the boss's knives are kept nice and sharp).
Here's a link with some good pictures of edge bevels.
http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showtopic=26036
The frosting on the cake is once you have a very sharp edge using the Sharpmaker, make a couple of finishing strokes on a strope/hone. The knife edge comes out really wicked sharp with any burr being removed. The Sharpmaker should come with one of these, IMHO.
http://www.drsharpening.com/leatherhone.html
I have a hunch you will be an awesome knife sharpener in very little time.
Here is what a great knifemaker says about knife steels and sharpening that may also be of interest.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... p?t=368828
Wow, great post DGG!!
I'll keep practicing away. I find it makes watching TV more enjoyable (probably because i put of my attention in to the sharpening.)
So quick question: Is it better to sharpen the knives at 30 degrees, 40 degrees or first then 30 with a few strokes on 40 to create a primary edge bevel? I'm guessing it depends on the steel. I've got H1 (Atlantic Salt), VG10 (Endura) and ZDP (delica). Also any tips on how to get angles more acute than the 30 for ZDP?
Thanks again guys
Roger
I'll keep practicing away. I find it makes watching TV more enjoyable (probably because i put of my attention in to the sharpening.)
So quick question: Is it better to sharpen the knives at 30 degrees, 40 degrees or first then 30 with a few strokes on 40 to create a primary edge bevel? I'm guessing it depends on the steel. I've got H1 (Atlantic Salt), VG10 (Endura) and ZDP (delica). Also any tips on how to get angles more acute than the 30 for ZDP?
Thanks again guys
Roger
-
severedthumbs
- Member
- Posts: 1545
- Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:28 pm
- Location: USA Earth