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Has anyone used the Selectool master sharpener?
- Thread starter Scurvy092
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Pull through sharpeners are bad on an edge.
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I'd look at the edge under a magnifying glass before using more expensive knives on them. The ceramic is fine, but the carbide ones will tear your edge apart.
I'm extremely embarrassed to admit, I have one of these that I too got at a gun show. Talking with the guy that sells them, should have set off alarm bells for me, but for whatever reason it didn't. He was essentially a professional salesman, having sold this and that for 20+ years. No wonder his pitch about this horrible sharpener was so good!
I tried to use it a few times and it wasn't all that effective on real steel. In his demo, with super soft steels like butter knives, he was able to make them, seemingly, quite sharp. But it's not "real" sharp; more like a wire edge that won't last. Plus the carbide parts just destroy your edge and really gouge out the metal.
Mine is in a box somewhere. I'd never use a pull through sharpener one any "real" blade. Well.. I wouldn't now that I know better!
Brian.
I tried to use it a few times and it wasn't all that effective on real steel. In his demo, with super soft steels like butter knives, he was able to make them, seemingly, quite sharp. But it's not "real" sharp; more like a wire edge that won't last. Plus the carbide parts just destroy your edge and really gouge out the metal.
Mine is in a box somewhere. I'd never use a pull through sharpener one any "real" blade. Well.. I wouldn't now that I know better!
Brian.
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- Jan 31, 2012
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That is what I was afraid of. My buddy was no help as he kept telling me that the proof was in the pudding and I tried to explain that fear to him.
Oh well.
since your buddy likes it so much sell it to him or give it to someone you dont like 
.
i loaned my brother in law my uncle henry steelhead fillet knife to cut up deer steaks one year. when i got it back the edge looked like he scraped it on some rocks and put all these lines along the edge. i asked him wtf he did to my knife. he said he used a carbide sharpener on it. that was the last time i loaned him anything of mine. i think there are still some lines left from the carbide scraper on the blade.
. i loaned my brother in law my uncle henry steelhead fillet knife to cut up deer steaks one year. when i got it back the edge looked like he scraped it on some rocks and put all these lines along the edge. i asked him wtf he did to my knife. he said he used a carbide sharpener on it. that was the last time i loaned him anything of mine. i think there are still some lines left from the carbide scraper on the blade.
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Those things are HELL on an edge. When someone hands me a knife they've done with one of those, it's automatically to the 120-grit ceramic belt to clean up the torn steel and put an actual smooth bevel back on. I'd use a rock off the ground before I put one of those anywhere near my knives.
Now I feel like a fool for having fallen for this gadget and from seeing all the feedback here, which tells me the Selectool isn't that great. I was browsing on the net for some thing to sharpen my pruning sheers and my hedge clippers and I ran across a video of J.R. Neumiller's website and his gadget. He made the sharpening tool look so good, that I went ahead and placed an order for it. Now, I'm sorry that I did. When I asked Mr. Neumiller to give me an idea as to how long it was going to be before I received the sharpener, he told me that there was a delay with their supply, but that they had them back in stock. He never really answered my question. When I wrote to him again, he completely ignored me. Though their was a delay in their supply, the charge was immediately put on my credit card. When will I ever learn?!! :distrust:
Ok. Just got the sharpening gadget in the mail (July 21, 2012) -WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP this tool is and what a WASTE of $25.00 this was!!!! Starting from the package it came in. Everybody! Please save yourself the trouble of buying this piece of crap. My hedge clippers don't even fit in the slot to be able to sharpen them!!! Save yourself aggravation and your money! This guy's video is very misleading! -Kd
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Hey, you're not the only one that's been taken by that kind of thing, for sure. Look at all of 'em on the shelves at stores, people will buy 'em without knowing, and they've done a GREAT job with some of the sales pitches for them, that's for sure.
For hedge shears and things like that, I would be very tempted to go with a DMT DiaFold, probably a Coarse/Extra Coarse, depending on how dinged up they are. With some small amount of care, a hedge clipper's edge can be easily freehanded to quite a good edge in short order, and the DiaFold can be stuffed in your pocket very easily for on-the-go use should it be required.
For hedge shears and things like that, I would be very tempted to go with a DMT DiaFold, probably a Coarse/Extra Coarse, depending on how dinged up they are. With some small amount of care, a hedge clipper's edge can be easily freehanded to quite a good edge in short order, and the DiaFold can be stuffed in your pocket very easily for on-the-go use should it be required.
Hey, you're not the only one that's been taken by that kind of thing, for sure. Look at all of 'em on the shelves at stores, people will buy 'em without knowing, and they've done a GREAT job with some of the sales pitches for them, that's for sure.
For hedge shears and things like that, I would be very tempted to go with a DMT DiaFold, probably a Coarse/Extra Coarse, depending on how dinged up they are. With some small amount of care, a hedge clipper's edge can be easily freehanded to quite a good edge in short order, and the DiaFold can be stuffed in your pocket very easily for on-the-go use should it be required.
Hi . . . thanx for the post and feedback. I Youtubed it and found the DMT. Looks like it does a pretty good job and thanx, but tonight I went out to Lowe's and bought me a bench grinder. My hedge clippers are pretty big. So, I figure the BG will be most effective.
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Go really easy on that, the grinding wheels can take off metal really, REALLY fast. Should do a good job, but practice on a junk pair first.
Should do a good job, but practice on a junk pair first.^ Yeah, you really don't need a grinder to sharpen hedge clippers. I've worked on some SERIOUSLY neglected pruners, both the hand kind, and the ones with the 3 foot long handles and bigger blades. I made somewhat short work of both using a file and a medium SiC stone. Both that I worked on were chisel grinds (like shears of all types that I have personally seen). So you only need to flatten the flat side, getting out the big dents and rolls. Then work up a burr by sharpening the beveled side (burr will appear on the flat side), and finally wipe the burr off of the flat side. Maybe a tiny bit of back and forth after that if you want.
The ones I worked on went from super dinged up and dull to pretty darned sharp in about 3 to 5 minutes. Taking them apart can help you get that last little bit on some. On others it's not even necessary as long as you can fit the file and/or stone along the entire edge.
Good luck!
Brian
The ones I worked on went from super dinged up and dull to pretty darned sharp in about 3 to 5 minutes. Taking them apart can help you get that last little bit on some. On others it's not even necessary as long as you can fit the file and/or stone along the entire edge.
Good luck!
Brian
Thank you both. Will take your advice. Have a great day!:tennis:
P.S. (And take my advice, don't buy this piece of crap Selectool gadget, EVER!)
I picked one up at the gun show today for $20.
I saw him demoing them and after I picked up a cheap used Skyline that was quite dull I watched him put a very sharp edge on it in a matter of minutes. I was sold.
I saw, I got it, but it didn't conquer. In other words, this wonderful tool didn't work for me. The thing is is that this company wants good reviews for this useless gadget. Then if you write to them and tell them what you think of the product, they get defensive, telling that you don't know how to use it!
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- 9
Saw this thread today and thought I'd respond. Seems to be some misinformation here that needs clearing up.
First off, I am J.R. Neumiller - current owner of the Selectool - Master Sharpener. The tool has been around for more than 50 years, and is without question the most impressive and effective hand-held sharpener I have ever seen. (Remember the old commercial? "I liked the product so much, I BOUGHT the company!" Same story with the Selectool - I bought the company!)
It requires a demonstration for full appreciation. I can describe its process and how it achieves its results, but the bottom line is, you have to see it to believe it. (And for the last few years, I've been demonstrating this tool at live shows across the country.)
Also, I'm aware that many users in this forum have exceptionally high standards for sharpening knives, and while I respect and even admire knife sharpening abilities, it's not a requirement for getting a great edge, every time. With the Selectool, it's literally a shortcut to a sharp knife.
First misconception - while the Selectool uses hardened inserts to remove blade steel, it differs from most "pull-through" carbide sharpeners which sharpen both sides at once using a "V" groove. This design is inherently unstable, supplying nothing to help maintain the proper knife angle. And when (not if,) the knife edge wanders around in that "V," your accuracy is shot, prompting you to PRESS DOWN REAL HARD in order to overcome this variancy, (and thereby producing your gouged, ruined edge.) It's very sad when this happens, and I've ruined my fair share of knives with these sharpeners.
The Selectool is fundamentally different in this respect in that it holds the blade in place while it sharpens each side separately. (Not even the vaunted sharpening stones or belt systems can match this out-of-the-box performance.) This feature alone is worth the price of the tool, as a perfect blade shape is formed every time.
You place your edge in one of the two guides at the end of the tool, nestle to let the blade find its existing angle, then press down and apply sufficient pressure to remove only the dull, rough, and misaligned blade-steel. Repeat again and again until you can't make it any smoother, and then switch to the other side and repeat in the exact same way. (You can go back and forth between the guides, but normally is not necessary when you do it the way I describe.)
Now you're ready to hone the blade. A good sharpener produces a burr, (which is evidence of a new edge.) Left by itself, it's misaligned and rough condition won't do much good, so built into the side of the Selectool are two simple rounded inserts that allow proper deburring by smoothing the knife against the right side and then the left insert. This produces what I call a working or utility edge, and is vastly superior over 95% of all hand-sharpened edges riding around in people's pockets. (I know this for a fact because I see them every week when I demonstrate this tool with a free sharpening.)
(As a sidebar, I have recently begun demonstrating how a simple ceramic rod finishes the final edge to factory quality with just a few simple swipes. No special angle is needed as ceramic smooths and thins the edge with no special skill or talent. The Selectool does all the heavy lifting.)
That's all it takes. Exceptionally dull, rounded, or abused knives definitely take longer to shape up, but the Selectool works effectively on virtually every knife it sees, (ceramic and titanium blades are the solid exception. Nothing but a diamond hone will touch those materials.) Benchmade and Buck are the two toughest blade-steels I encounter, and I must weight the sharpening process with extra pressure if those knives have dulled out. Regular sharpening and fine-tuning are no problems with these blades, however.
The Selectool is amazingly adaptive to virtually any knife, blade, or edged-tool. If you can get to it, you can sharpen it with the Selectool, as it brings 5 sharpeners to any sharpening task.
Serrated Knives sharpen in seconds by simply brushing the serrated tips across the side guide used for honing straight blades. This is a tremendous boon to owners of these knives because many don't know whether serrated knives can even be sharpened. Those who can use files and rods to work on every tooth, (which is typically a real time-waster because the scallop sections rarely cut anything. It is the tips that do the slicing work. Therefore, sharpening just them will get the job done in a tiny fraction of the normal time.
Scissors, shears, pruners, clippers, hedgers, and all shearing blades get a quick sharpening with a few simple pulls in the Shear/Scissor sharpener, labeled on the side. (Clippers wider than the sharpening slot can use the part of the front insert that sticks out a bit. Just rest them against the front guide and you'll get the same sharpening performance as the slot provides.)
Tools, chisels, shovel tips, garden hoes, and even lawn mower blades are sharpened and trued in amazingly little time. By tipping the push mower over and reaching under the deck, the Selectool quickly and evenly sharpens a dull edge in about a minute. (A blade with big gouges and significant damage needs a grinder, but bear in mind, the high temps produced by that method tend to de-temper the blade, decreasing its ability to hold an edge. Better to replace the damaged blade than to reshape it with the grinder. FWIW.)
We provide a short training video is available to demonstrate proper operation. I understand if some, having bought the tool and used it incorrectly, would have less-than-stellar things to say about it, but I can also state - UNEQUIVOCALLY - that the Selectool, when used correctly, will produce the finest, most accurate and consistent edge of any hand-held sharpener available.
Period. (And I'm happy to show you how.)
You can read real user reviews on Amazon that support this claim overwhelmingly. (Keep in mind, there are people in this world who a. refuse to use things the right way, b. don't care to receive correction, c. form an opinion upon first sight and touch, and d. generally carry around an attitude that refuses to be swayed no matter what. To those people I simply say, "You can return your tool for a full refund and be out $0."
And yes, I solicit users for a review of the tool in exchange for a free Selectool, (which is completely above-board and allowable by Amazon.) This simply prompts people to let others know whether the tool is any good or not. I give a free tool for ANY review, good or bad, (and have suffered a few people who have gamed me with this policy. So be it.)
The tool is backed with a Lifetime Warranty, and is produced in the USA. We replace precious few damaged tools every year, so I know personally they last and last. The sharpening insert is both adjustable and refurbishable, so it lasts indefinitely. Simply loosen the holding screw and move the insert up or down and you get a fresh sharpening edge. Flip the insert around and use the other end for even more sharpening. Typically, I'll get between 300-500 sharpenings on one insert, and a quick refurbishment on a whetstone to square up the edges is all it takes to keep it going. I've never had to discard one because I couldn't bring it back.
I'm the biggest booster and fan of this tool there is, as I have personal experience with the endless frustrations and uselessness of my inability to sharpen a knife by hand. I am DELIGHTED to finally find a tool that does exactly what a sharpener is supposed to do, EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Some may not be very impressed by that, but I sure am.
And this is me in the video, showing anyone how to get truly exceptional results with this simple effective tool.
I'm not trying to generate sales with this post, but I couldn't help responding to the misinformation and expressed views on this thread. (I hope the forum master will understand it that way.)
First off, I am J.R. Neumiller - current owner of the Selectool - Master Sharpener. The tool has been around for more than 50 years, and is without question the most impressive and effective hand-held sharpener I have ever seen. (Remember the old commercial? "I liked the product so much, I BOUGHT the company!" Same story with the Selectool - I bought the company!)
It requires a demonstration for full appreciation. I can describe its process and how it achieves its results, but the bottom line is, you have to see it to believe it. (And for the last few years, I've been demonstrating this tool at live shows across the country.)
Also, I'm aware that many users in this forum have exceptionally high standards for sharpening knives, and while I respect and even admire knife sharpening abilities, it's not a requirement for getting a great edge, every time. With the Selectool, it's literally a shortcut to a sharp knife.
First misconception - while the Selectool uses hardened inserts to remove blade steel, it differs from most "pull-through" carbide sharpeners which sharpen both sides at once using a "V" groove. This design is inherently unstable, supplying nothing to help maintain the proper knife angle. And when (not if,) the knife edge wanders around in that "V," your accuracy is shot, prompting you to PRESS DOWN REAL HARD in order to overcome this variancy, (and thereby producing your gouged, ruined edge.) It's very sad when this happens, and I've ruined my fair share of knives with these sharpeners.
The Selectool is fundamentally different in this respect in that it holds the blade in place while it sharpens each side separately. (Not even the vaunted sharpening stones or belt systems can match this out-of-the-box performance.) This feature alone is worth the price of the tool, as a perfect blade shape is formed every time.
You place your edge in one of the two guides at the end of the tool, nestle to let the blade find its existing angle, then press down and apply sufficient pressure to remove only the dull, rough, and misaligned blade-steel. Repeat again and again until you can't make it any smoother, and then switch to the other side and repeat in the exact same way. (You can go back and forth between the guides, but normally is not necessary when you do it the way I describe.)
Now you're ready to hone the blade. A good sharpener produces a burr, (which is evidence of a new edge.) Left by itself, it's misaligned and rough condition won't do much good, so built into the side of the Selectool are two simple rounded inserts that allow proper deburring by smoothing the knife against the right side and then the left insert. This produces what I call a working or utility edge, and is vastly superior over 95% of all hand-sharpened edges riding around in people's pockets. (I know this for a fact because I see them every week when I demonstrate this tool with a free sharpening.)
(As a sidebar, I have recently begun demonstrating how a simple ceramic rod finishes the final edge to factory quality with just a few simple swipes. No special angle is needed as ceramic smooths and thins the edge with no special skill or talent. The Selectool does all the heavy lifting.)
That's all it takes. Exceptionally dull, rounded, or abused knives definitely take longer to shape up, but the Selectool works effectively on virtually every knife it sees, (ceramic and titanium blades are the solid exception. Nothing but a diamond hone will touch those materials.) Benchmade and Buck are the two toughest blade-steels I encounter, and I must weight the sharpening process with extra pressure if those knives have dulled out. Regular sharpening and fine-tuning are no problems with these blades, however.
The Selectool is amazingly adaptive to virtually any knife, blade, or edged-tool. If you can get to it, you can sharpen it with the Selectool, as it brings 5 sharpeners to any sharpening task.
Serrated Knives sharpen in seconds by simply brushing the serrated tips across the side guide used for honing straight blades. This is a tremendous boon to owners of these knives because many don't know whether serrated knives can even be sharpened. Those who can use files and rods to work on every tooth, (which is typically a real time-waster because the scallop sections rarely cut anything. It is the tips that do the slicing work. Therefore, sharpening just them will get the job done in a tiny fraction of the normal time.
Scissors, shears, pruners, clippers, hedgers, and all shearing blades get a quick sharpening with a few simple pulls in the Shear/Scissor sharpener, labeled on the side. (Clippers wider than the sharpening slot can use the part of the front insert that sticks out a bit. Just rest them against the front guide and you'll get the same sharpening performance as the slot provides.)
Tools, chisels, shovel tips, garden hoes, and even lawn mower blades are sharpened and trued in amazingly little time. By tipping the push mower over and reaching under the deck, the Selectool quickly and evenly sharpens a dull edge in about a minute. (A blade with big gouges and significant damage needs a grinder, but bear in mind, the high temps produced by that method tend to de-temper the blade, decreasing its ability to hold an edge. Better to replace the damaged blade than to reshape it with the grinder. FWIW.)
We provide a short training video is available to demonstrate proper operation. I understand if some, having bought the tool and used it incorrectly, would have less-than-stellar things to say about it, but I can also state - UNEQUIVOCALLY - that the Selectool, when used correctly, will produce the finest, most accurate and consistent edge of any hand-held sharpener available.
Period. (And I'm happy to show you how.)
You can read real user reviews on Amazon that support this claim overwhelmingly. (Keep in mind, there are people in this world who a. refuse to use things the right way, b. don't care to receive correction, c. form an opinion upon first sight and touch, and d. generally carry around an attitude that refuses to be swayed no matter what. To those people I simply say, "You can return your tool for a full refund and be out $0."
And yes, I solicit users for a review of the tool in exchange for a free Selectool, (which is completely above-board and allowable by Amazon.) This simply prompts people to let others know whether the tool is any good or not. I give a free tool for ANY review, good or bad, (and have suffered a few people who have gamed me with this policy. So be it.)
The tool is backed with a Lifetime Warranty, and is produced in the USA. We replace precious few damaged tools every year, so I know personally they last and last. The sharpening insert is both adjustable and refurbishable, so it lasts indefinitely. Simply loosen the holding screw and move the insert up or down and you get a fresh sharpening edge. Flip the insert around and use the other end for even more sharpening. Typically, I'll get between 300-500 sharpenings on one insert, and a quick refurbishment on a whetstone to square up the edges is all it takes to keep it going. I've never had to discard one because I couldn't bring it back.
I'm the biggest booster and fan of this tool there is, as I have personal experience with the endless frustrations and uselessness of my inability to sharpen a knife by hand. I am DELIGHTED to finally find a tool that does exactly what a sharpener is supposed to do, EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Some may not be very impressed by that, but I sure am.
[video=youtube;nU00jjQvhY4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU00jjQvhY4[/video]
And this is me in the video, showing anyone how to get truly exceptional results with this simple effective tool.
I'm not trying to generate sales with this post, but I couldn't help responding to the misinformation and expressed views on this thread. (I hope the forum master will understand it that way.)
Last edited:
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It'd be nice to see magnified photos of the edges produced.
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No matter how you say it this is still a carbide scraper and will chew up an edge leaving it in a sad state of disrepair. You can see in your very own video the large shaving of metal being stripped from the blade.
As professional sharpener I have seen dozens of gun show draw through sharpeners that are "the best sharpener ever made". Not much different here except the tool in now being defended by its owner.
I'm sure it works, most pull through sharpeners do. It's what they do over time that is really sad.
As professional sharpener I have seen dozens of gun show draw through sharpeners that are "the best sharpener ever made". Not much different here except the tool in now being defended by its owner.
I'm sure it works, most pull through sharpeners do. It's what they do over time that is really sad.
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- Jun 4, 2010
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If it can be disassembled and the carbide cutters trued from time to time (and to start), one can get OK results with these, especially on lower RC steel. If they haven't had any TLC from the factory, you can count on the edge being undercut or otherwise chewed up. Is also very difficult to cleanly remove the burr, but maybe with practice...
For the unskilled, it would be a big improvement over a grooved butcher's steel.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ographs)?highlight=dollar+carbide+scraper+you
For the unskilled, it would be a big improvement over a grooved butcher's steel.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ographs)?highlight=dollar+carbide+scraper+you
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