Sharpening a Spirit

Dunc · **on:** May 31, 2008, 09:19:54 PM

Just suppose you have bought a Victorinox Spirit and your wondering how your going to sharpen that funny butter knife blade .Well I think any vic fan who isnt a wizard at free hand sharpening should have a Spyderco Sharpmaker .I'm not saying you have to have one but if you want to keep it very sharp and the factory angle then this is a very good way to go about it .
I've recently got a new Spirit and I thought I would show you what happens when you sharpen the std Vic factory edge . The spirit came sharp out of the box and it hasnt cut anything yet . First thing to do is cover the edge in marker pen ink . This is to show you where the sharpening stones are touching the metel when you start sharpening . I used the fine white stones as I new the angle would be spot on and I wasnt going to be removing lots of metal , just sharpening what I already had .

So this is what the blade looked like with the marker pen on the edge and before I started to sharpen

Sharpening under way

This is what the edge looks like after a couple of minutes

A couple of minutes more

as you can see the angle is spot on and you can still see the factory grinds which shows I havnt taken off very much metal at all .

The outcome .. Even the serrated section shaves hair

This blade is very sharp and it took a couple of minutes and it will only take 1 minute to keep it that way every once in a while . With this method victorinox serrations are so easy to sharpen and the best thing about it is it doesnt deform them either .

Dunc

Roadie · **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2008, 09:23:18 PM

Great post dunc

Leatherman123 · **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2008, 09:28:35 PM

I agree!

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2008, 10:12:49 PM

Great mini tutorial mate

Anthony · **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2008, 11:45:38 PM

I need to get a Sharpmaker...my Spyderco is dull so I never carry it anymore

How much of using the Shaprmaker is freehand? It looks like you could easily tilt the blade the wrong way and mess it up.

ringzero · **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2008, 11:53:23 PM

Quote from: dunc5 on May 31, 2008, 09:19:54 PM

Well I think any vic fan who isnt a wizard at free hand sharpening should have a Spyderco Sharpmaker .I'm not saying you have to have one but if you want to keep it very sharp and the factory angle then this is a very good way to go about it .

Dunc

Thanks for the 'how to' article, Dunc - excellent illustrative photos.

What sharpening angles does the Sharpmaker offer? IIRC it has two angles available?

What angle matches the Vic factory edge?

Thanks.

.

prime77 · **Reply #6 on:** June 01, 2008, 12:05:03 AM

Awesome post Dunc. Very helpful. Thanks

Dunc · **Reply #7 on:** June 01, 2008, 12:52:20 AM

Quote from: Corrugated on May 31, 2008, 11:45:38 PM

I need to get a Sharpmaker...my Spyderco is dull so I never carry it anymore

How much of using the Shaprmaker is freehand? It looks like you could easily tilt the blade the wrong way and mess it up.

Its all free hand

Its so natural to hold the blade straight at that angle. Sounds hard until you try it .

Dunc

J-sews · **Reply #8 on:** June 01, 2008, 02:02:47 AM

Great info in that post Dunc, thanks!

Mike D · **Reply #9 on:** June 01, 2008, 03:01:55 AM

Great post man, thanks!

Dunc · **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2008, 03:17:09 PM

Quote from: ringzero on May 31, 2008, 11:53:23 PM

Quote from: dunc5 on May 31, 2008, 09:19:54 PM
Well I think any vic fan who isnt a wizard at free hand sharpening should have a Spyderco Sharpmaker .I'm not saying you have to have one but if you want to keep it very sharp and the factory angle then this is a very good way to go about it .

Dunc

Thanks for the 'how to' article, Dunc - excellent illustrative photos.

What sharpening angles does the Sharpmaker offer? IIRC it has two angles available?

What angle matches the Vic factory edge?

Thanks.

.

Yes your quite right there are two choices of angles . 30 degree for back bevils and 40 degrees for edge . Its the 40 thats spot on for Vic .

Dunc

raptor · **Reply #11 on:** June 06, 2008, 09:36:59 AM

i use 40" and sharpen both sides,just like sharpen plain edge.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #12 on:** June 06, 2008, 10:03:48 AM

Quote from: raptor on June 06, 2008, 09:36:59 AM

i use 40" and shapen both sides,just like shapen plain edge.

At least eventually you'll get a nice plain edged sheeps foot

And Welcome to the forum mate

ducktapehero · **Reply #13 on:** June 06, 2008, 01:17:21 PM

Good post. I need to get a Sharpmaker one of these days. Although right now I don't even use the serrated blade since I have a Spirit S with the plain blade too. That way it's always razor sharp for emergencies. I'm used to plain edge anyway so I don't feel like I'm missing anything. It's just nice to have that one always sharp "just in case".

Abstraction · **Reply #14 on:** June 11, 2008, 04:34:39 PM

I bought a sharpmaker a few weeks ago and now everything in my house is like a razor

My Spirit S is something else though, cheers for the guide. I have a nice selection of kitchen knives which have all polished up to a lethal degree but the Spirit S is now possibly the sharpest thing i've used, a quality quality blade!

Of course when my other half came round i warned her i'd sharpened up everything in the kitchen, it took her a few hours to shout up to me to come downstairs. She asked me why 'this' knife was so sharp - holding up a medium sized knife. I told her it had taken me ages to sharpen it up, it was dull as hell! Asked her how old it was and if it had ever seen a sharpener before.... Her reply? No of course it hadn't - it was a butter knife

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #15 on:** June 11, 2008, 04:38:27 PM

Quote from: Abstraction on June 11, 2008, 04:34:39 PM

No of course it hadn't - it was a butter knife

That's the problem with Sharpmakers, you just can't walk past a knife wthout putting a scary sharp edge on it

Benner · **Reply #16 on:** June 11, 2008, 07:37:25 PM

I've so got to invest in one. I am hoping Dunc will give us all a demo at the meet.

Dunc · **Reply #17 on:** June 11, 2008, 07:39:10 PM

Quote from: Benner on June 11, 2008, 07:37:25 PM

I've so got to invest in one. I am hoping Dunc will give us all a demo at the meet.

Of course I will

No problem .

Dunc

Abstraction · **Reply #18 on:** June 12, 2008, 01:08:54 AM

Quote from: Benner on June 11, 2008, 07:37:25 PM

I've so got to invest in one. I am hoping Dunc will give us all a demo at the meet.

How have you not bought one already!! It only took a few posts to convince me i needed one, its not like im easy or anything.... Whats that? *Sale* well why didnt you say so!!

Benner · **Reply #19 on:** June 12, 2008, 01:10:37 AM

Quote from: Abstraction on June 12, 2008, 01:08:54 AM

Quote from: Benner on June 11, 2008, 07:37:25 PM
I've so got to invest in one. I am hoping Dunc will give us all a demo at the meet.

How have you not bought one already!! It only took a few posts to convince me i needed one, its not like im easy or anything.... Whats that? *Sale* well why didnt you say so!!

As everyone on here will tell you, I am very strong when it comes to purchases.

Abstraction · **Reply #20 on:** June 12, 2008, 01:18:00 AM

Fair play mate; im really not, i came here for advice as to whether i should get a Spirit or a Legend and within 4 posts had been convinced that i needed a Swisstool X, a Spirit and a swisscard

I love being easily persuaded

Now after lurking for another month i seem to have bought a camper, a sharpmaker and have a swisschamp

Did i mention i love being easily persuaded

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #21 on:** June 12, 2008, 09:14:59 AM

Quote from: Abstraction on June 12, 2008, 01:18:00 AM

Fair play mate; im really not, i came here for advice as to whether i should get a Spirit or a Legend and within 4 posts had been convinced that i needed a Swisstool X, a Spirit and a swisscard I love being easily persuaded Now after lurking for another month i seem to have bought a camper, a sharpmaker and have a swisschamp Did i mention i love being easily persuaded

Flee this foul place, while you and your bank manager are on speaking terms

zepla · **Reply #22 on:** June 12, 2008, 11:29:19 AM

Wel Dunc, perfect explaining!

Whatch that bottle of rum now with those razon sharp knifes laying around

Benner · **Reply #23 on:** June 12, 2008, 12:16:23 PM

Quote from: Abstraction on June 12, 2008, 01:18:00 AM

Fair play mate; im really not, i came here for advice as to whether i should get a Spirit or a Legend and within 4 posts had been convinced that i needed a Swisstool X, a Spirit and a swisscard I love being easily persuaded Now after lurking for another month i seem to have bought a camper, a sharpmaker and have a swisschamp Did i mention i love being easily persuaded

I think I am probably the easiest member to lead astray, so I know what you are going through.

vcxz · **Reply #24 on:** September 05, 2009, 03:03:50 PM

I was wondering if using a Sharpmaker is difficult? Till now I have been using these two devices:

The problem is that my Victorinox knives just seem to become more dull for each sharpening I do. It seems that I never will experience the same sharpness as the knives have out of the box....
Or can someone guide me a little?

Styerman · **Reply #25 on:** September 05, 2009, 03:26:36 PM

Great post , an two thumbs up for the Sharpmaker .

Chris

Gareth · **Reply #26 on:** September 05, 2009, 03:29:52 PM

Hi mate, firstly I'd get rid of the kitchen sharpener they are so abrasive you'll take huge amounts of metal off your knife and still just have a really rough edge, at best.

If you feel confident with the bench stone you have (and no reason you shouldn't) then what you really need to get is a smoother stone. The larger the 'grit' number, the smoother the stone. A smoother stone will often have a orange colour to it.

One good tip is to always push the edge on the stone, don't drag it backwards. All you'll do is make a little burr on the edge that will soon break off and leave the knife blunt again.

Lastly give the edge a 'strop'. I use an old leather belt fixed to a piece of wood, something like 30cm long. This time do drag the edge backwards on the strop and you should be able to feel the edge being polished up. Very often I'll just use a stop and not bother with the stone, sometimes that's all it will take.

lastly you could get a Sharpmaker, they're apparently easy to use and do a very good job.