I just picked up the Spyderco Sharpmaker because I am a complete knife sharpening novice beyond using a steel on my kitchen knives.
I made the purchase knowing fully that it may be a 90 % solution 90% of the time relative to other, particularly motorized systems.
My initial impressions are quite positive. I do concur that is does its best work at touching up/ maintaining and a knife that was 1/2 way sharp in the first place. I have be practicing on a cheapy Kershaw (Model 1445 with 8CR13MOV steel). It has gone from dull to barely cut typing paper sharp with a lot of work at both the 40 and 30 Degree settings.
I have made a Spyderco VG10 Endura Wave, a Spyderco CPMS30V Native, a Spyderco BD1 Cat-10, a 1st Run Chinese 12C27 Clinch Pick and a Maurice Lacroix Victornox (2 inch cutting blade/ 1 inch watch back removal "blade") to a hair of the forearm shaving sharp level. I have also "stropped"with the jeans I was wearing after cutting some paper and it seemed to put a finishing touch right on the blade.
I will chalk up the barely cutting paper sharp Kershaw to the learning curve and drive on as it was found on a campout and never claimed by any of our Scouts such that I have 0 in the knife in the first instance.
I feel confident enough to re sharpen all of the knives above with the Sharpmaker and similar blade designs in the future.
I have custom Benchmade partially serrated S30V Mini Barrage that was a gift such that I might default to sending that one in to Benchmade when the time comes to sharpen it given the serrations and black colored/engraved blade.
The Sharpmaker may have been my best piece of retail therapy since 1 Jan 2020.
FWIW
I made the purchase knowing fully that it may be a 90 % solution 90% of the time relative to other, particularly motorized systems.
My initial impressions are quite positive. I do concur that is does its best work at touching up/ maintaining and a knife that was 1/2 way sharp in the first place. I have be practicing on a cheapy Kershaw (Model 1445 with 8CR13MOV steel). It has gone from dull to barely cut typing paper sharp with a lot of work at both the 40 and 30 Degree settings.
I have made a Spyderco VG10 Endura Wave, a Spyderco CPMS30V Native, a Spyderco BD1 Cat-10, a 1st Run Chinese 12C27 Clinch Pick and a Maurice Lacroix Victornox (2 inch cutting blade/ 1 inch watch back removal "blade") to a hair of the forearm shaving sharp level. I have also "stropped"with the jeans I was wearing after cutting some paper and it seemed to put a finishing touch right on the blade.
I will chalk up the barely cutting paper sharp Kershaw to the learning curve and drive on as it was found on a campout and never claimed by any of our Scouts such that I have 0 in the knife in the first instance.
I feel confident enough to re sharpen all of the knives above with the Sharpmaker and similar blade designs in the future.
I have custom Benchmade partially serrated S30V Mini Barrage that was a gift such that I might default to sending that one in to Benchmade when the time comes to sharpen it given the serrations and black colored/engraved blade.
The Sharpmaker may have been my best piece of retail therapy since 1 Jan 2020.
FWIW
