# spyderco sharpmaker: thoughts



## thesurefire (Jun 20, 2007)

I've got quite a few knifes, in a variety of steels. As many of you know, each steel has unique properties, as does the heat treatment of that particular blade. 

I'm moderately skilled with sharpening stones, and can achieve a razor edge with most steels, but it takes me a long time to do so, thus its very frustrating with higher performance steels. It just doesn’t seem 'click' for me. 

Instead of spending more time and money on stones I bought a sharpmaker. Now that I've sharpened a few knifes from start to finish I thought I'd share a little review.

This thing is pretty handy. I really like that you can select either a 30 or 40 degree edge angle. From unpacking it, it’s slightly confusing to set up and use, but the included DVD and instructions are more then adequate. The system comes standard with fine and medium grit stones which is perfect if your knifes are in good shape with the right edge angle. Its possible to re-profile an edge with the medium grit, but it will take a significant amount of time.

A few of my knifes are far from ‘decent’ sharp, so a course grit or even a diamond stone would have been very nice, but useless if you didn’t have major re-profiling to do. 

The motion of sharpening is at first awkward and takes some getting used to, but is much, much easier then using a whetstone. Watching the video really helps. After taking a few knifes through spyderco’s 1-4 step process (1 and 2 on medium grit 3 and 4 on fine) I feel confident that I could easily sharpen any of my blades to have a scary sharp edge.

Pros:
- Short learning curve
- Very easy once you master the motion
- Simple and efficient design
- Good storage system
- Easy to transport

Cons
- No course/diamond stone included for major edge re-profiling
- Can be a bit shaky, the stones do have slight give, about 1-2 degree from the set angles so you have to control how much pressure you apply. 
- Stones can break (they’re super hard but will shatter if dropped)

It should be noted that this system is about 50 dollars. I feel it’s well worth double that amount, especially if you can’t or don’t wish to learn to use stones. This is a great system for hard to sharpen steels such as S30V, VG-10, or M-2, because they take longer to sharpen, and its much easier to hold a knife straight up and down then at a constant angle for a long time. 

I recommend this system for anyone that has a need to sharpen knifes regularly. If you only use one knife on a rare occasion this may not be the best investment for you, but if you’re out using your blades this will save you a lot of time and money in the long run.


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## eyeeatingfish (Jun 20, 2007)

vg-10 is known to be an easier steel to sharpen.
Spyderco does make daimond stones, but they are a little pricey. I have a belt sander so if i need to regrind something I do it with tha. Much faster.

I have the older sharpmaker with only one angle and I like it. Its good for starters or experts. Though I am looking into a good set of ceramic or maybe even whetstones.


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## thesurefire (Jun 20, 2007)

eyeeatingfish said:


> vg-10 is known to be an easier steel to sharpen.



Maybe it depends on the heat treatment? I've only sharpened one VG-10 blade so I'm not very qualified, but I found it nearing as hard to sharpen as S30V. The knife in question is a spyderco Adventura. This was with a whetstone so maybe it’s all my imagination :shrug:

Once it was sharp however, it was scary sharp.


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## Dynacolt (Jun 21, 2007)

I've been using the same sharpmaker set for approx 15 years and it's second nature now for me to sharpen any edge - I love it!!
The stones have held up well (the coarse ones are wearing a little, but the ceramic are come up as new with a wash). I've dropped them a couple of times with no damage sustained.

Once my knives are sharp, I generally don't need to use the coarse sticks.

It's a great kit, but I would consider a pelican case or similar if I was to lug it around often.

Dave.


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## Sharpdogs (Jun 21, 2007)

I have had one for years. Great tool, but I only use it on knives/tools that I have trouble sharpening. I sharpen most of my knives by hand. I started with the sharpmaker but graduated to just using the stones to sharpen by hand.


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## cutlerylover (Jun 21, 2007)

I have one, and I love it, I use it all the time! I usually resharpen or touch up the edges on my knives that I use way before they really need it, this also makes it really easy to resharpen, just a few strokes on the fine stones/rods and Im good to go!


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## nethiker (Jun 21, 2007)

Thanks for the great review. I bought a Sharpmaker with my last knife purchase after checking out various systems on the net. The only problem I'm having with it is that it's still unopened in the package. It seems with two kids now, many low priority chores never seem to get done. Your post has inspired me and I will see if I can set some time aside this weekend to watch the dvd. 

Thanks,

Greg


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## vic2367 (Jun 21, 2007)

have mine now for about 6 months ,,,great product,,very easy too use,,,and great results,,thanks for the great review,,


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## Valolammas (Jun 21, 2007)

Yes, it's an excellent tool and every knife-owner should have one. For reprofiling, a coarse regular stone (or better yet, a diamond one) is better, but you don't really need to do that very often. For regular maintenance sharpening and touch-ups the Sharpmaker is ideal. I've actually sharpened a full-size scythe with it once, but that was a bit of an ordeal.

I have a minor quibble with it, though. I actually have two of them, both the older (with just 20 degree setting) and the new model (with 15 & 20 deg settings). So that makes 8 rods total, and every single one of them has bumps or holes on a couple of surfaces/corners. But that still leaves plenty of good smooth surfaces to use, so no it's not a big deal.


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## beautifully-stupid (Jun 21, 2007)

+1
On really dull knives I've been using a either a carbide or 400-800 grit wet/dry sandpaper to reprofile the edge and get it close to the factory edge, then use the SM to finish the job. 

I just noticed Spyderco makes optional Diamond Rods but the price is steep.

1 of my fine Ceramic rods has bumps or cavities on the corners. :shakehead 
But I'm not sure if it's covered under warranty, anyone with experience?











Valolammas said:


> Yes, it's an excellent tool and every knife-owner should have one. For reprofiling, a coarse regular stone (or better yet, a diamond one) is better, but you don't really need to do that very often. For regular maintenance sharpening and touch-ups the Sharpmaker is ideal. I've actually sharpened a full-size scythe with it once, but that was a bit of an ordeal.
> 
> I have a minor quibble with it, though. I actually have two of them, both the older (with just 20 degree setting) and the new model (with 15 & 20 deg settings). So that makes 8 rods total, and every single one of them has bumps or holes on a couple of surfaces/corners. But that still leaves plenty of good smooth surfaces to use, so no it's not a big deal.


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## cutlerylover (Jun 21, 2007)

Hmm, if its a factory messup I am sure they will send you a new one to replace it, but im sure they woudl want you to send in yours so they can see its deformed from the factory, and not from use...


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## Hans (Jun 23, 2007)

eyeeatingfish said:


> I have a belt sander so if i need to regrind something I do it with tha. Much faster.



It is for sure, It's also the fastest and most reliable way of destroying the heat treatment of the blade, unless you know eactly what you're doing. Any temperatures over about 200 to 250C will result in a weakened edge, and with a belt sander you'll get much, much higher tempratures at the edge.

The safest solution for reprofiling is a coarse stone used with plenty of water.

Hans


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## guyg (Jun 23, 2007)

The diamond rods are worth the money. Especially if you really dull up your EDC. a few swipes on the diamond and then sharpen it, much faster. I wasnt aware S30V was hard to sharpen ??? Ive always heard it was designed to be easier to sharpen. The only two we have left in S30V are the Spyderco Native and my 15 year olds Small Sebenza. Easy to tune up. BG 42 is a bit more work. ( it only needs sharpening 3-4 times a year)


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## thesurefire (Jun 23, 2007)

All steels I’ve had experience with sharpen pretty quickly on diamond based abrasives, I was talking about it taking a long time to re-profile s30v with the medium stone that comes with the sharpmaker. 

Ill probably cut up some wood into about a 35 degree angle and glue on some of the walmart diamond stones (super course) to make easy work of really bad edges in the future. It is a good 10 dollar solution to the 60 dollar sharpmaker diamond rods.


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## Dirty Bob (Jun 27, 2007)

The Sharpmaker is a great tool. I especially like it because almost anyone can sharpen a knife with it. I recommend it to beginners with no doubt that it will work for them. I have one of the older ones, and it has held up great and has been in three different countries.

It was also featured several years ago in a photo in an article I wrote for *American Survival Guide* magazine. It was an article on stocking up on books and information as well as other stuff, and the photo was pic of necessary tools and implements, including books (and a prominently displayed Sharpmaker). Much to my surprise, I received a thank you letter from the company!

Regards,
Dirty Bob


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## js (Jun 30, 2007)

Here's a link to a combined sharpening thread that includes my thread that I posted regarding whether I should get the SM 204 or the EdgePro. You'll need to go towards the end of this bad boy to find my posts and experiences.

I bought the Spyderco, and boy do I regret it. Seriously regret spending that $50. I will eventually buy the EdgePro for sure, but for now, I can't due to money issues.

The 204 is great for touch-ups--maybe. If all the knives you are going to sharpen on it are at the angle of the SM, and you touch up OFTEN, then fine.

But to re-profile or sharpen seriously dull knives, the SM is a frigging *nightmare*. I sharpened and sharpened and sharpened and sharpened and cleaned and sharpened and cleaned and . . . well, you get the point. The ceramic rods just don't remove much metal. Period. And if you add in the diamond rods, you're already into the EdgePro price point. So, I say, as a general piece of advice: get the EdgePro Apex instead. There are definitely reasons why you might want the SM instead, or why you might want BOTH the EdgePro and SM, but on the whole, having had plenty of painful experience with the SM (but none yet with the EdgePro), I am sorely wishing I hadn't purchased it.


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## Dirty Bob (Jul 2, 2007)

js:
I'm sorry to hear that you're unhappy with the Sharpmaker. No tool is perfect, but a lot of us find it to be a useful sharpener. You did get both the fine (white) and the medium (gray) sticks with it, right? I've found the mediums useful when a knife has gotten pretty darned dull. In the kitchen, I don't use the fine sticks anywhere near as much as the mediums. I've used my old Boy Scout carborundum stone on a few very, very dull knives before switching to the Sharpmaker.

That said, you could probably sell the Sharpmaker here or on eBay and make most of your money back, especially if it's barely been used.

Some of the other members here (or in Bladeforums or the other knife discussion groups) may be able to offer some suggestions to help you re-profile knives, and they may even suggest tools that you hadn't considered. I don't know much about re-profiling.

All my best,
Dirty Bob


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## EVAN_TAD (Jul 2, 2007)

js said:


> Here's a link to a combined sharpening thread that includes my thread that I posted regarding whether I should get the SM 204 or the EdgePro. You'll need to go towards the end of this bad boy to find my posts and experiences.
> 
> I bought the Spyderco, and boy do I regret it. Seriously regret spending that $50. I will eventually buy the EdgePro for sure, but for now, I can't due to money issues.
> 
> ...



I use the Apex to sharpen(pain to set up) and the spyderco for touchup.


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## NA8 (Jul 10, 2007)

They may not work great on all knives, but they sure do on the spyderco blades. After laboring awhile on a 8" kitchen knife, I touched up my spyderco folder. I was surprised at how much easier the shorter blade was to sharpen. Just felt much better sliding down the stones.


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## spoonrobot (Jul 13, 2007)

I didn't realize this until a few days ago after studying the edge of my Tasman Salt at 40X magnification but the sharpmaker reproduces the factory edge _exactly_. Using the medium and then fine rods at 30 and then 40 degrees gives the exact same profile and visible characteristics as the finishing techniques used at the factory. 

It's quite neat.


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## pedalinbob (Jul 13, 2007)

I have a Sharpmaker, and it does work very well...but, sometimes requires a lot of patience, as the stones aren't agressive.

This will make the true knife-nuts cringe, but I sometimes use a different shapening system just to create a fast, serviceable edge.

I use an Accusharp (got it for $10), and finish on the ceramic rods of a Smith's 2 in 1 or Rapala two stage filet knife sharpener ($2.50).
Though not as razor-sharp as the Sharpmaker, the result is a toothy edge that is plenty sharp enough for about anything.

I can take even a very dull knife, and have it good in about 1 minute.


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## Coop57 (Aug 14, 2007)

I've had a Sharp Maker for about 5 years now. I find that I only use the medium brown rods. A slightly rougher finish on the VG10 and S30V blades seems to make for a better cutting edge that holds for a longer time.


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## ColtFan (Aug 20, 2007)

I recently got a sharpmaker and am a little confused at which angle I need to use. 

I've seen recent posts by Sal Glesser that states he uses the 30 degree angle for Spyderco knives and not mentioning the 40 degree angle in his more recent posts, but in the video he suggests that the best angle is 40 degrees. Has something changed since he made this DVD several years ago ?

I have both Spyderco and Kershaw knives and can never get a sharp edge on a wetstone, so this is why I am trying the Sharpmaker.

I read about the back bevel at 30 degrees as the instructions explain, but am still confused as to what angle I should be using, especially on my Spyderco knives. 40 or 30 degrees as the final angle.

The Kershaw knives I believe need to be sharpened at the 40 degree angle.

Thanks for any help.


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## LowTEC (Aug 20, 2007)

ColtFan said:


> I read about the back bevel at 30 degrees as the instructions explain, but am still confused as to what angle I should be using, especially on my Spyderco knives. 40 or 30 degrees as the final angle.



It's easy, it all depends on the type of steel and the blade geometry. Try everything as low degree as possible, if it rolls or chip easily with mild normal use, work your way up and give it a little more degree. For your info, my Para uses 30 just fine, my mini grip 154 needs 40 to stop chipping, my Caly Jr, uses 20 and actually has the longest lasting edge out of all my knives and would easily cut your eye balls if you stare at the edge straight on :devil:


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## s002cjs (Aug 20, 2007)

Looked, but didn't see it. One trick to use for a more coarse stone is to simply lay a rough stone along the angle of an inserted ceramic stick. You can match the angle until you get a burr, then switch sides to where the other stick goes.

Of course, this circumvents many of the safety features since you need to hold the stone. Might be worth devising a holder for the stone that can actually fit the Sharpmaker holes.


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## cutlerylover (Aug 20, 2007)

EVAN_TAD said:


> I use the Apex to sharpen(pain to set up) and the spyderco for touchup.


 
Ditto!!! Just got an apex and man do I love it!!!! but I still break out the sharpmaker to touch up my knives about once a week...:thumbsup:


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## EVAN_TAD (Aug 21, 2007)

ColtFan said:


> I recently got a sharpmaker and am a little confused at which angle I need to use.
> 
> I've seen recent posts by Sal Glesser that states he uses the 30 degree angle for Spyderco knives and not mentioning the 40 degree angle in his more recent posts, but in the video he suggests that the best angle is 40 degrees. Has something changed since he made this DVD several years ago ?
> 
> ...



Each knife has a different blade angle. Get a black magic marker and draw it along the cutting edge on both sides. As you sharpen the knife on the stone you will see where the steel is coming off and you can adjust the tilt of the blade accordingly to get the proper angle.


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## ColtFan (Aug 21, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies. I guess what has me confused in the video and instructions is the 30 degree back bevel, and then using the 40 degree angle afterwards.

I had read several posts that only refer to sharpening at the 30 degree angle and not using the 40 degree angle. I am primarily interested in sharpening only my Spyderco knives.

I see now that Sal is talking about setting the back bevel first at 30 degrees and then putting a 40 degree micro bevel on the blade. If I understand correctly he is talking about all knives in general.

From reading some more, I now see that my Spyderco Natives and Delica 4's, with the premium steels, can easily handle just the 30 degree angle,skipping the 40 degree setting, without chipping issues as long as I'm just using them for light duties.........Do I understand this correctly ?


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## jtice (Aug 21, 2007)

I have had a Sharpmaker for a few years now, and absolutely love it.
I have a Lanskey, and a couple others, but I can get my knives the sharpest on the Sharpmaker.

I do agree though, that it is hell to reprofile a blade on it, 
I need to get a new one anyway, and want to get the new diamond stone one.
That should help out alot I think for reprofiling.

~John


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## Valolammas (Aug 21, 2007)

ColtFan said:


> From reading some more, I now see that my Spyderco Natives and Delica 4's, with the premium steels, can easily handle just the 30 degree angle,skipping the 40 degree setting, without chipping issues as long as I'm just using them for light duties.........Do I understand this correctly ?



It's been quite a while since I watched the Sharpmaker's instruction video, but I think Sal mentions at some point, that you can use the 30 degree setting for everything if you want to, but some steels won't hold it. But since Spyderco blades are made of good steels, they can handle it just fine.

I think the point about doing the so called microbevel is to remove the burr caused by sharpening. All it takes is a couple of light passes. But yes, I think you can generally skip that and just use the 30 degree setting if all you are doing is a touch up or minor sharpening. If you do some heavier sharpening or reprofiling, it may be more of an issue.


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## Dr_Lumen (Aug 22, 2007)

Hmm, a sharpening thread... one of my favourite subjects :wave:

It's pretty clear from reading some of these messages that sharpening is very much a matter of personal taste. I have a sharpmaker and personally, I hate it. Too fine, too slow, not flexible enough. It IS good for sharpening serations, but so is a small round diamond file.

I personally use a belt grinder (which I realise is a big outlay just for sharpening - I've sharpened knives semi-professionally) and I think you have to get pretty careless to damage a blade - letting fine belts get too worn is the main time you're likely to burn steel - or trying to use a fine belt to remove large amounts of steel without a rest. I then buff them to final sharpness and get them "scary" sharp (be careful with a buff - they can rip a knife out of your hands).

On a more practical note... One of the things I dislike about ceramics in general is that they tend to be too fine/slow. This is the beauty of Diamond stones - because of their crystalline structure, even fine diamond stones cut quite quickly and don't clog up with steel. This means your muscles don't get so tired and you are able to hold the correct angle. It also means you're likely to actually sharpen your knives because it's quick and you're not dreading the job. And they give a fine enough edge that you probably won't need to go any further - buy and learn how to use a good steel to finish them after the diamond and you'll never need another ceramic! By all means, finish with a ceramic if that's your preference, but I can just shave hair off my arms straight from a P600 diamond stone - then I use a steel and it's beautiful :thumbsup: - and it's quick!

Anyway - just a few more thoughts to stir the pot :nana:


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