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Sharpmaker and Benchmade Knives (Questions/Tips/Advice Thread)

oakengroves

August 30, 2012 00:53

Hello everyone!

I recently purchased a Sharpmaker, including the ultra-fine and diamond rods, and have practiced on some cheap kitchen knives enough to feel mildly proficient. I'm not an expert with the Sharpmaker, but I was able to put a hair-shaving sharp edge on a 950 that had gone almost completely dull after several weeks of hard use. I have yet to try the Sharpmaker on M4, SV30, or M390 (I've heard D2 is a huge pain).

Here are a few tips I've found out the hard way:

Benchmade knives have exceeding thick bevels; I've had to turn the blades at a slight angle to make sure the edge was getting sharpened (I've yet to try the sharpie and bevel method; the whole process confuses me... I can usually tell if the edge is getting sharpened by feel and sound).

The ultra-fine rods make a WORLD of difference and brought the 950 back to very sharp.

The 40 degree setting seemed to work better on BM knives than the 30 degree setting. I'm not sure what angle BM produces knives at, but the 30 degree setting just didn't seem to work on the 950 for some reason.

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Well that's all I got so far (very basic, sadly). I would really appreciate any tips or tricks any of you have that help use the sharpmaker generally, or that you've found especially helpful for sharpening BM knives.

Thanks everyone,

Comments

14 comments

bigdaddyw20

August 30, 2012 01:05
I've heard that the angle on benchmades varies since they are all done by hand. I also have a sharpmaker and have the most success at the 40 degree angle. Haven't tried D2, M4 or M390 yet so I can't help you there. Have some knives with all 3 but haven't had to sharpen them yet.
BD
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stainz

August 30, 2012 12:13
The best advice for using a Sharpmaker is to keep the ceramic files clean. I use Bon Ami and a damp paper towel. I clean the white files every twenty swipes at the most, depending on the metal sharpened. D2 can be a new career. S30V is close behind - as is m390 - S35VN is better. The key is knowing when to 'stop'... ie, don't go for a hair-splitting edge on everything - stripping receipt paper is good enough for most applications and will keep it's edge longer - usually.

The most straight forward to get back to hair-splitting sharp with my stock Sharpmaker? Buck's standard Bos heat treated 420HC. The long bevel, significant hollow grind, and razor sharpness right out of the box or clamshell pack combine with the decent edge retention to make the US-made Buck 110, as little as $30 at wallyworld, one heck of a slicer bargain.

Stainz
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geocyclist

August 30, 2012 23:59
Why do you use Bon Ami? I have never heard of it and googeled it. Would any other cleaner work or is there somthing special about Bon Ami?
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crazyhorse

August 31, 2012 04:26
I use soft scrub and a tooth brush.
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joekarp

August 31, 2012 04:28
Bon Ami is very useful for cleaning the Sharpmaker stones when they're loaded with fine metal bits from the sharpening process.
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darrenmh

August 31, 2012 05:22
Can I add some things also? Use a marker and mark the edge of the blade so that you can tell if you are holding it at the right angle. When sharpening don't let the tip of the knife slide off the stone because it will make it dull.
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oakengroves

August 31, 2012 15:59
Great tips.

What do you do to remove excess sharpie (ie - sharpie slid up a little too high on the bevel; how high should you mark anyway)?

And for a sharpening newbie, what does a burr usually feel like? I've heard it described as roughness in the steel, but I'm always confused if I'm actually feeling one.
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joekarp

August 31, 2012 16:11
All of the Sharpie ink comes off with a little gentle buffing. And when you have a burr on the bevel you run your thumbnail across (not along) the edge and you'll feel it. After I use my stones for the main body of the task I lighten up with the last few strokes, all done gently. Then the trick is to use a leather strop, again cross the grain and with a little bit of jeweller's rouge, or in my case, stropping paste. With a little practice, that will produce an edge that cuts well and stays sharp longer.
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po

August 31, 2012 16:58
quote:

Originally posted by oakengroves:
...What do you do to remove excess sharpie (ie - sharpie slid up a little too high on the bevel; how high should you mark anyway)?

And for a sharpening newbie, what does a burr usually feel like? I've heard it described as roughness in the steel, but I'm always confused if I'm actually feeling one.

The ink will come right off with soapy water if you clean it up right away. Otherwise, WD-40 has always done the job.

You only need to mark the very edge, so keep it as low as possible, but I often mark the entire edge bevel, particularly on a new knife, to get the feel of the angle.

Drawing your blade, spine first of course, across the skin of palm or finger should feel perfectly smooth if the edge is sharp and clean. If you feel any coarseness at all, its a burr. They are often quite small. ANY roughness at all is a burr. You can usually confirm that by turning the knife over and drawing it backward across your palm. The side opposite the burr will feel smooth.

Once you've got a burr on one side, the old advice was to sharpen the other side until you got a burr on the opposite side. But if you have a burr, especially a very small burr, you have already sharpened down to the edge. Light strokes on a fine stone or a piece of cardboard will take the burr off, and at that point, the edge should be quite sharp.
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geocyclist

August 31, 2012 20:00
My personal experience. The DVD that came with it is pretty good.

Don't ever let the edge go off the stone. It will start wearing the tip down.

I don't use the edge of the stone (like the video says too) unless I need to remove a lot a material. The flat side of the stones are good for maintenance.
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bdleopard

September 01, 2012 00:40
quote:

Benchmade knives have exceeding thick bevels; I've had to turn the blades at a slight angle to make sure the edge was getting sharpened

It is helpful at the beginning to put a bit of Sharpie on there to see where your stone is hitting. This will give you a quick idea of what the existing bevel is and whether you need to reprofile the blade or just tilt it a bit.
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jeffphansen77

September 01, 2012 07:56
I've reprofiled most of my Benchmades using the 30 degree slots & the diamond rods. It can take some time but you'll only have to do it once in a great while unless you constantly dull your knife. I usually go ahead & polish the bevel a bit with the medium stones at 30 before microbeveling with the 40 degree slots. Make sure it shaves cleanly at 30 degrees along the entire edge before doing the microbevel. Avoid letting the tip leave the flat side of the stones on the down strokes. Don't do more than 5-10 strokes per side on each grit putting on that microbevel.
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drforthingtonpringles

September 02, 2012 06:51
quote:

Originally posted by Po:
Once you've got a burr on one side, the old advice was to sharpen the other side until you got a burr on the opposite side. But if you have a burr, especially a very small burr, you have already sharpened down to the edge. Light strokes on a fine stone or a piece of cardboard will take the burr off, and at that point, the edge should be quite sharp.

This tip may change my whole sharpening routine.

I have been creating a burr on both sides from “Extra Course” to “Medium” hones. I wish you had shared it with us years ago.
May all the knives I destroyed rest in peace.

My tip is to read this lesson from The eGullet Culinary Institute. Yes it’s long and yes you have to read the whole thing. 858,029 readers and counting.

Knife Maintenance and Sharpening

Good luck oakengroves.

Thank you Po!!!
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oakengroves

September 03, 2012 23:50
quote:

Originally posted by Dr Forthington Pringles:

quote:

Originally posted by Po:
Once you've got a burr on one side, the old advice was to sharpen the other side until you got a burr on the opposite side. But if you have a burr, especially a very small burr, you have already sharpened down to the edge. Light strokes on a fine stone or a piece of cardboard will take the burr off, and at that point, the edge should be quite sharp.

This tip may change my whole sharpening routine.

I have been creating a burr on both sides from “Extra Course” to “Medium” hones. I wish you had shared it with us years ago.
May all the knives I destroyed rest in peace.

My tip is to read this lesson from The eGullet Culinary Institute. Yes it’s long and yes you have to read the whole thing. 858,029 readers and counting.

Knife Maintenance and Sharpening

Good luck oakengroves.

Thank you Po!!!

Thanks Po and Forthington. Great advice (and the linked website is an outstanding resource).

Tried using a sharpie today and following a few tips and got noticeably better results on my 950!

Thanks!
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