Sharpeners

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rmeron

Joined
Sep 28, 2011
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Why do most of you folks favor the Spyderco knife sharpener over the Lansky sharpener>
 
can't work the tip on the lansky rod system, sharpmaker'esque. The lansky guide system creates an uneven bevel. I did had both, but I gifted the lansky rod kit when I got the sharpmaker.

get a sharpmaker with the diamond rods and you'll be good to go.
 
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probably because of set-up and ease of use i would think!get the sharpmaker,also fits in my backpack on the go.
 
The sharpmaker is a great system for sharpening. I ordered one for my Nephews Birthday present last year and accidentally ordered two. My Sister said should I send back the extra one, I said tell Luke (my younger Nephew) , Happy early Birthday!
Let the stones do the cutting , you only need a little pressure for the best results. :)
 
Should you just get the basic model and add different rods later? What is the basic model and what does it come with, and where is the best place to order one?
 
Get the one with two choices of sharpening angle so you can create a back bevel and then a micro bevel for the actual cutting edge. The included medium and fine rods are great for maintaining an edge that is in decent shape. The coarse diamond rods save a lot of time and work when creating a new bevel. I also got the ultra fine rods and now I almost never use them. Most of of my touch up sharpening these days is with the medium rods.

As for where to buy I would just shop around the internet for a respected seller with the best price. Spyderco prices are pretty fixed so there shouldn't be too much difference anyway.
 
rmeron said:
Should you just get the basic model and add different rods later? What is the basic model and what does it come with, and where is the best place to order one?
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I've been using a 204 Sharpmaker ever since they were first introduced back around the late 90s/early 2000s. It's a great unit and I use both of mine at least twice a week. I highly recommend if you buy one to also buy the two extra sets of rods you can buy which are the 204 Ultra-Fine stones and the 204 Diamond rods. Believe me the money you spend on them will be some of the best money you ever spent if you're really serious about learning the skill of knife sharpening.

I own and use just about every sharpening tool that Spyderco makes or has made in past and they are high quality sharpening tools. Spyderco actually made sharpening tools before they got into making knives. They are one of the very few companies that makes really good equipment to maintain your knives with which is another thing that drew me to Spyderco.

Also watch the instructional video at least 2 to 3 times before trying out the unit. Also try sharpening an older beat up knife before sharpening a top quality Spyderco or other high quality knife. You'll get the hang of it quickly. Keep us posted and let us know how you do with it.
 
Thanks, I might get a Sharpmaker next instead of a new knife. Moneys tight so I go month to month.
 
you really can't get the lansky clamp to hold the knife straight. and the sharp maker dulls tips if you're not careful, so keep an eye out. I had to be done with knives for a while until I can afford a sharpener that's easier to use for someone as dumb as I am, for those two reasons. lol
 
rmeron said:
Thanks, I might get a Sharpmaker next instead of a new knife. Moneys tight so I go month to month.
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You really should. I think the SM should always come early in the collection. It will ended up getting more use than any other Spyderco purchase and it really adds a whole new dimension to this little hobby.
 
You can do a lot with the SM, just today I touched up a pair of scissors for the wife. I really want to get the diamond stones which will let me experiment a bit more with bevels. For the price it is a no brainer, get it.
 
bloody_pawprint said:
you really can't get the lansky clamp to hold the knife straight. and the sharp maker dulls tips if you're not careful, so keep an eye out. I had to be done with knives for a while until I can afford a sharpener that's easier to use for someone as dumb as I am, for those two reasons. lol
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Yeah your point is well taken concerning the "rounding or damaging of knife points" if you're not careful. What I do to remedy that is to pull the blade downward and back to myself and then I stop right when the tip is still on the stone. By doing it that way I'm careful not to come off of the stone. By keeping the very tip on the stone and not letting if slide off will indeed keep it from being rounded off or damaged.

Bottom Line: you want to push you your knife blades slowly downware and carefully watch to see so you can stop while your tip is still about the middle of the flat part of the stone. When working the corners of the stones I don't pull the blade near the tip >> I stop about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch before the tip reaches the corner.

Like I've said before it really pays to give close attention to the video that comes the unit when you buy it new.
 
JD Spydo said:
Yeah your point is well taken concerning the "rounding or damaging of knife points" if you're not careful. What I do to remedy that is to pull the blade downward and back to myself and then I stop right when the tip is still on the stone. By doing it that way I'm careful not to come off of the stone. By keeping the very tip on the stone and not letting if slide off will indeed keep it from being rounded off or damaged.

Bottom Line: you want to push you your knife blades slowly downware and carefully watch to see so you can stop while your tip is still about the middle of the flat part of the stone. When working the corners of the stones I don't pull the blade near the tip >> I stop about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch before the tip reaches the corner.

Like I've said before it really pays to give close attention to the video that comes the unit when you buy it new.
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that is actually exactly what I do. I also go slow enough to be careful enough to never let it slip completely off the edge. I know it HAS to be me. there are too many people that rave about this thing and have success using it. it just drives me crazy, so I figured I would give fair warning. I wasn't warned and made the mistake, and now can't fix it lol (I don't think it would have mattered either way, though, for the record! [emoji6]). advice noted, though. I guess I'm just "that guy."
 
Thanks, I'll keep an eye on the tip. Just how do you keep the tip sharp if you don't keep the edge on the stone?
 
rmeron said:
Thanks, I'll keep an eye on the tip. Just how do you keep the tip sharp if you don't keep the edge on the stone?
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You sharpen the tip just like the rest of the knife. Some folks have an issue rounding off the tip with the SM. This occurs when you drag the tip off the stone at the end of the stroke. The solution is to lighten up the pressure at the very end of the downward stroke or as others have said, stop before the tip ever even comes off of the stone. It will make more sense once you watch the video and actually have and use the device. It should be noted that this effect is much more likely to occur when using the corners of the rods because when the tip leaves the corner, it naturally slides across the flat side of the rod.
 
Thank you all for the help. Maybe I can afford an Endure or Salt serrated and a sharpmaker after the 13th of this month.
 
I use DMT stones and leather strops for all of my sharpening needs!
 
One of the best bits of advice I've poached from this forum was given by Lance to someone having a hard time with his sharpening skills. Buy a Jewelers Loupe 10-12x. Made a huge difference to me as I could now see what was really going on as I sharpened. Instead of going just by feel I could now see and feel. Should be included with every sharpener ;-). Thanks Surfingringo.

Mike
 
Surfingringo said:
You really should. I think the SM should always come early in the collection. It will ended up getting more use than any other Spyderco purchase and it really adds a whole new dimension to this little hobby.
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SURF is 100% correct because you first must consider one important factor if you're getting interested in high end, high quality knives>> Always remember that a dull knife is one of the most useless tools there is. If you're going to be into using knives keep it in mind that a knife is only as good as it is "sharp". The sharper the better.

A knife is simply a tool but it is a tool that needs constant maintenance, and sharpening is at the top of the list. So I urge you to learn the skill of sharpening before you amass a big collection of blades. And the 204 Sharpmaker is a great tool to learn the basics with. Also if you want to learn the raw basics of sharpening I have two books I could recommend to you if you're interested.
 
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