Spyderco Forums

Just got done using my Sharp Maker and I absolutely love it! :D I sharpened a Chinese knife and the outcome was a nice shaving edge that was polished on one side and the other was still kind of scratchy due to the knives edge angle being uneven on that side. I was wondering, Do I need to get the diamond rods to re-profile edges that are uneven? I used the course stones, about twice as much as they recommend.(40 instead of 20) And that still wasn't enough Any tips on what to do guys?? And I was wondering, If I used the fine stones for even longer would it give a nice mirror polish? Or would I have to use the ultra fine stones? Thanks in advance guys! I LOVE this product, It's amazing! The best sharpener I've used so far! :D Just need a few tweaks and this thing will be perfect for every blade I have besides stropping after :)

If you can tell the edge angle is uneven beforehand you can work one side more than the other to even it out on the brown stones first. That's "reprofiling". I use a different system for reprofiling, and only use the SM to put on the final edge, but everyone will find their own way :) No method is better or worse if it gets the job done well :)

Have to add (broken record :o ) Magnification such as a 10 or 15X loupe helps you see much better what the edge is like and what you are doing to it :)

dbcad wrote:If you can tell the edge angle is uneven beforehand you can work one side more than the other to even it out on the brown stones first. That's "reprofiling". I use a different system for reprofiling, and only use the SM to put on the final edge, but everyone will find their own way :) No method is better or worse if it gets the job done well :)

Have to add (broken record :o ) Magnification such as a 10 or 15X loupe helps you see much better what the edge is like and what you are doing to it :)

Thanks for your input :) I want to buy a loupe, It's on the list of things I want to get. I tried to reprofile the edge on the brown stone and I guess it started to work, but it was taking a long long time. That's why I wanted to know if anyone has experience with the diamond stones. If they'd help out or not.

They do help for sure. It still can take a while if you need to remove a lot of metal though.

I use my wicked edge to reprofile and sharpen now which is much quicker but more expensive. The Sharpmaker diamond rods are definitely a good investment of you are going to stick with that unit.

I recently bought a sharpmaker and I was recommended to pick up the diamond stones as well as the ultra fine stones. that would give you a wide range of options depending on what you need to sharpen. i have only sharpened spydies with blades that were in good shape on the SM..........

G10KnifeNut wrote:Thanks for your input :) I want to buy a loupe, It's on the list of things I want to get. I tried to reprofile the edge on the brown stone and I guess it started to work, but it was taking a long long time. That's why I wanted to know if anyone has experience with the diamond stones. If they'd help out or not.

The brown stones will take a long time to reprofile. SM stones are pretty fine. Look around at options if you like. I use a DMT Aligner system to get my profiles close to correct. Before that I purchased I got a loupe, think Lee Valley tools :) $35 for a 15x lighted. Works well :)

For edges that are already close, the SM is a good way to go :) Everybody's way is the best that works for them :)

Just learning about edges here has been very enjoyable for me. Many if not most folks here are far more skilled than I. If you take the time to learn you'll get it :)

The SM diamond rods help you get the most out of your SM. The Edge-Pro and/or Wicked Edge are kind of the 'gold standard' for sharpening systems, but they come at a hefty price. I use an Edge-Pro and love it. Best money I've ever spent on sharpening. However, 'bang for the buck,' nothing competes with the SM, , assuming you have the diamond and UF rods. I would go so far as to argue that the SM is more versatile than the EP or WE systems.

With the diamond rods you can re-profile an edge, no problem at all. It may take longer than the aforementioned systems, but it can be done, , and done very effectively. Frankly, a knife with a nice symmetrical edge is a healthy and happy knife. Assuming you use the diamond rods (and then work through the different rods to UF) you will have no problem (1) getting all your edges symmetrical and way sharp. And (2) easily keeping them in this high state of sharpness. But, like others have suggested, do yourself a favor and get a magnification device so you can truly get to know what's happening to your edge as you progress. You will not regret it.

G10KnifeNut wrote:Do I need to get the diamond rods to re-profile edges that are uneven? I used the course stones, about twice as much as they recommend.(40 instead of 20) And that still wasn't enough Any tips on what to do guys??

I've reprofiled some of mine with just the medium rods and it took well over 150 strokes to get it there (I stopped counting after that). Lots of work. I need to get a pair of the diamond rods to make my job much easier.

jabba359 wrote:I've reprofiled some of mine with just the medium rods and it took well over 150 strokes to get it there (I stopped counting after that). Lots of work. I need to get a pair of the diamond rods to make my job much easier.

Exactly lol we need to invest in those diamond rods

oh yeah i had another question I forgot to ask you guys. If spyderco sharpens around 30 degrees, shouldn't I use the 30 instead of the 40 on my manix? I just used the 40 but it just sharpens the very bottom of the edge. It's ridiculously sharp but I just want to polish up the entire edge on the fine stones from them being parallel to the entire edge, not just the bottom. :) Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Spyderco aims for 30 degrees, which you can continue to sharpen at. Using the 40 degree setting adds a micro-bevel that is a bit tougher than the 30 degree and, since you are sharpening just that very small bottom edge, makes sharpening faster and easier. Lots of people go with the 40 degree micro-bevel and only use the 30 degree back bevel after enough sharpenings have gone by that the back bevel is disappearing and needs to be re-established.

jabba359 wrote:Spyderco aims for 30 degrees, which you can continue to sharpen at. Using the 40 degree setting adds a micro-bevel that is a bit tougher than the 30 degree and, since you are sharpening just that very small bottom edge, makes sharpening faster and easier. Lots of people go with the 40 degree micro-bevel and only use the 30 degree back bevel after enough sharpenings have gone by that the back bevel is disappearing and needs to be re-established.

Ohhh I get it now, That's why the drawing has 30 deg as showing the lines at the top part of the edge :D duhh :o Thanks sooo much man. Great reply :) I guess I'll post back what happens tomorrow