When was the Sharpmaker born?

[Lord Bear]

Don't recall how long I've been using this but it seems like decades.
How long has it been around really?

[JD Spydo]

I believe I got my very first one in late 1999. Actually they ran ads in the major knife magazines even before that time.

The knife dealer I was buying a lot of items from here in Kansas City MO had a very hard time getting that one too. She had tried to order it for me on several occasions before she snagged one from an Oklahoma distributor she told me.

I do believe it was in 1999 around March or so when I first seen ads for it. I'll try to look it up sometime tonight if I get time.

The reason I do remember that is because 1999 was a year that marked many events in my knife hobby. It was also the year I got my first JD Smith Spyder.

[The Deacon]

Sal is probably the only one who could answer that question accurately. Earliest catalog that a Sharpmaker appears in is the 1986 one, but the Sharpmaker may go back even earlier than that.

[phillipsted]

I bought my first Sharpmaker from Sal at a knife show back in the late 1980s. It was quite a revelation at the time. This was back before a lot of the guided systems hit the market (e.g., Lansky) and it "demystified" the hand sharpening process for lots of folks.

I still have my original unit - but the grey stones are starting to wear out and cup a bit... I have to say I really liked the cordura pouch it came in. Maybe Spyderco could offer this as an option on future SharpMakers?

TedP

[JD Spydo]

I guess I got my wires crossed :o :D I was referring to the newer 204 Sharpmaker which I did get in 1999. I would bet that 1986 is right on the older 203 model.

To me the 203 is a moote point because the 204 outshines the 203 by a large margin.

And I would bet that we are going to have the 204 for quite some time in the future.

[sal]

Hi Bear,

Gail and i introduced the first Sharpmaker (201) at the Texas State Fair in October of 1978.

sal

[Donut]

Wow, it's older than I am!

[Lord Bear]

1978! :eek: Wow. (I'd been guessing 80's myself.) Thanks for the info Sal.

[SpyderNut]

Wow, it's older than I am!

Lol. Ditto. :)

[Spyderbro]

[CENTER]The Sharpmaker was Spyderco's first product, 1978,
which was made and sold before getting into the knife business.
"First we made things sharp, then we made sharp things."
Original Worker~1981

[/CENTER]

[sal]

Wow bro,

Thass some nice old "Workers".

sal

[JD Spydo]

So am I correct about the 204 Sharpmaker being introduced around 1999?

Also when was the inception of the Galley V Sharpener?