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Sharpening your multitool

Dunc · 13 · 3529

england Offline Dunc

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Sharpening your multitool
on: April 21, 2007, 10:52:39 AM
Over in the "The great multitool video thread " jaroslav asked about sharpening and the best sharpener to use . Although I dont claim to be an expert on sharpening I will show you guys whats works best for me .I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=77
  Now its not the cheapest on the market but it is very easy to use , I mean really easy  ;) If you buy a new one you will get along with it a detailed instruction book and a DVD on how to use it , in which Sal Glasser ( Spyderco's owner ) actually demonstrates how to use it  :D The sharpmaker angles are obviously set to bring out the best in Spyderco knives but they are aslo spot on for Victorinox knives  ( along with many other makers ) and re profiling isnt needed .I'm sure that other members who own a sharpmaker will join in and say how good they are . Of course its still a good idea to practice free hand sharpening on a flat stone and that is quite a good skill to learn .
  Serrated blades .The Sharpmaker works very well on the serrated blades on the Spirit and Swisstool but I have found a problem with Gerber and Leatherman serrated blades ( plain edge are fine ) , the angle on the Gerbers and LMs are just too shallow and the Sharpmaker only touches the shoulder and not the edge   :(
 This is how I got round it , but its not ideal and is another reason why I dont carry either of those two brands .By putting a book underneath one end to change the angle


    Tips
          This is a great tip that will help you loads , before you start to sharpen a blade mark the edge with a marker pen



So that when you start to sharpen the pen will be worn off at the point where the part of the blade touches the stone so you can see where the metal is being taken off .You have to keep going until there is no black line along the edge  ( on both sides for a plain edge ) .

An alternative to the sharpmaker for the Gerber and Leatherman is one of these  , there are many other products for serrated blades but this is the only one I could get on with , you need a steady hand to get the angle just right and the marker pen method will help you here too so you can see where you are sharpening .


To finnish off heres a bigger picture of the Spyderco Sharpmaker


Hope I havnt confused you too much , its so much easier to show someone then it is to explain .

Dunc




england Offline Dunc

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #1 on: April 22, 2007, 07:41:00 PM
Dont tell me I'm the only one who has a sharpmaker  :o

Dunc


Offline joebw

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #2 on: April 22, 2007, 09:55:11 PM
Hi Dunc,

I have a Sharpmaker that I bought at least 10 years ago - best sharpening tool I've ever had.

Cheers - Joe


Offline Anthony

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #3 on: April 22, 2007, 10:55:13 PM
How much do those cost roughly?

I've never had a knife that's 'hair shaving sharp'... :cry:
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us Offline parnass

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #4 on: April 23, 2007, 06:43:20 AM
I use ceramic crock sticks which I bought many years ago.  They make knife sharpening very easy.

The crock sticks work on the same principle as the Spyderco Sharpmaker, but they are rods with a circular cross section instead of triangular so they are not quite as good as the Sharpmaker would be when sharpening some serrated blades.

They came with both coarse and fine rods.  The base is wood and there is a plastic hand shield for protection instead of a pair of metal rods.   The rods are longer than the Spyderco sticks and the entire setup cost quite a bit less than the Sharpmaker.   I bought a second, identical set at a garage sale for $5.

* crock-stick.jpg (Filesize: 16.41 KB)
Retired engineer, author.

A man with one multitool always knows exactly which to use. A man with many multitools is never quite sure. - parnass


Offline znapschatz

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #5 on: April 23, 2007, 05:39:24 PM
Dont tell me I'm the only one who has a sharpmaker  :o

Dunc

By no means.  After years of fooling around with other methods, I was guided to the Sharpmaker, with which I have found true happiness.  The instructional Video/DVD packed with it is almost as valuable as the tool itself, a great introduction, tutorial and demistyfication of the art of sharpening.  I find it fun to use, all my knives are amazingly sharp, and just wait until you try out  a potato peeler sharpened according instructions.   :cheers: 

Everyone who uses knives should have a Sharpmaker (does that sound too biased?)


england Offline Dunc

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Offline plowboy

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #7 on: April 23, 2007, 11:08:29 PM
I use the Sharpmaker too.

 :)


Offline knife-man

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #8 on: April 23, 2007, 11:19:30 PM
I'm a lansky man I'm afraid  ::).

Never actually tried a sharpmaker ... will do one day.
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england Offline Dunc

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #9 on: April 24, 2007, 07:19:29 PM
I'm a lansky man I'm afraid  ::).

Never actually tried a sharpmaker ... will do one day.

I had a Lansky but found that multitools tended to be a bit too heavey and wouldnt clamp still . Did get good results and they are better then a Sharpmaker for re-profiling

dunc


Offline Tom Munch

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #10 on: April 24, 2007, 07:54:50 PM
I bought a Lansky-type sharpening system from Smiths at WalMart for $15 that includes a triangular stone for SE knives.

Tom


Offline knife-man

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #11 on: April 24, 2007, 08:13:26 PM
I'm a lansky man I'm afraid  ::).

Never actually tried a sharpmaker ... will do one day.

I had a Lansky but found that multitools tended to be a bit too heavey and wouldnt clamp still . Did get good results and they are better then a Sharpmaker for re-profiling

dunc

Without trying a sharpmaker I couldn't compare them. It is hard to clamp a leatherman with there "unique" blade shape but possible and I tend to hold the multitool / knife when I'm using a lansky rather then holding the guide which means the weight isnt a issue.
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spam Offline glorn

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Re: Sharpening your multitool
Reply #12 on: December 11, 2008, 07:02:09 PM
G


 

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