Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF
|
List Price: Our Price: $46.58 You Save: $43.37 (48%) Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Buy Used: from $46.19 (click here) Category: Sports See more product details |
|---|
Description of Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF
The 204MF includes one pair medium-grit (brown) triangle stones for aggressive sharpening and one pair of fine-grit (white) triangle stones for professional-grade finishing. Their patented triangular shape sharpens plain edges on the flat sides and spyderedges (serrations) on the corners. A groove running the stone's length sharpens pointed items such as fishhooks, darts, awls, and punches. Keyed slots/holes in the abs plastic base precisely preset the stone's sharpening angle to a 30° (15° each side) or 40° (20° each side) for thick and thin profiled knife blades. On the end of the base is a 12.5° scissor setting. When turned over, the base's underside accommodates two side-by-side stones (flat side up) for benchstone sharpening. Plastic lid snaps halfway over the base creates a stable hand-hold and a pair of brass safety rods protect the user's hands during sharpening. All of the components fit into the base and the lid snaps on as a cover for portability, or the base can be bolted to a table or counter-top for permanent use. Instructional 204MF DVD and booklet is included.The Tri-Angle Sharpmaker (204MF) includes two sets of high alumina ceramic stones, a pair of medium-grit 7 by .5 inch stones for aggressive sharpening and a set of fine white 7 by .5 inch stones for professional grade finishing. The stones are triangular for sharpening plainedges on the flat sides and SpyderEdges (serrations) on the corners. A furrow running the length of each stone lets you sharpen pointed items like fishhooks, darts, and awls.
Included is a set of brass safety rods to protecting your hands while sharpening. All components snap into the self-contained ABS plastic base and lid and are ready to travel with you. Die-cut into the base are keyed slots and holes fitted for the stones, which accurately set the stone's sharpening angle at for knives and a scissor setting.
Turn the base over, a channel lets you lay two stones side-by-side (flat-side up) for use as a benchstone. The lid snaps halfway over the base creating a handhold for stability while you're sharpening. Included is a set of brass safety rods to protect the users hands while sharpening. Ceramic stones, like glass, will break if dropped, so Spyderco advises you to handle carefully. Use them dry, without oil, water or lubricants. To clean, scrub stones with a plastic scouring pad and powered abrasive cleaner, let air-dry. The sharpening system comes with instruction book and DVD and is autoclave safe.
Chances are you've heard it said, "a sharp knife is safer than a dull one." Spyderco believes this quote originated from first hand experience and find it to be true. The Sharpmaker was Spyderco's first product, which the company made and sold before getting into the knife business.
Sports reviews of Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF
Customer Review: This is a must have!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
If you own knives, this is a must have. Very easy to use, will bring even old, abused knives quickly into sharper than new condition.
It uses a very logical four-step process using two different positions on two different types of sharpening stones (medium and fine) to methodically bring your blade to a razor edge. No mess, no water, no oil. Requires no special skill. Nothing else is needed. The stones in the kit will last nearly forever.
The kit has a convenient, almost pocket-sized, carrying case that also serves as a set up stand for the sharpening stones. The set up stand puts the stones at the correct angles for sharpening and also has some safety bars to protect your hand from any unfortunate incidents with a very sharp knife.
All you have to do is draw the knife straight down while pulling back. That's all there is to it! I've never sharpened knives before. I set up this kit in a few minutes and within another few minutes sharpened up an old buck knife that I had for many years to a razor edge.
Without a kit like this, it requires a great deal of skill, acquired over many years, to sharpen knives using sharpening stones. The angle in sharpening is everything. This kit removes the necessity for any special skill by using a very smart and simple setup stand that positions everything exactly how it needs to be.
And, it comes with a DVD that gives you some history on the skill/craft of knife sharpening and then very clearly walks you through the set up and use of the Sharpmaker kit and shows you how to sharpen knives, scissors, and virtually anything else that has a cutting edge to it.
A great, simple, knife sharpening tool for any knife, not just the Spyderco knives.
Customer Review: Fantastic Sharpening System
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
This is hands down the most convenient and fool proof sharpening system I own. The preset angles make it extremely easy to sharpen almost any type of knife, from folding to kitchen cutlery. I got this product this morning and I was able to get the blades on my Leatherman Wave, Spyderco Endura, Victorinox Champion Plus, and Victorinox 8" Chef knife shaving sharp in under an hour. There is slight learning curve, and it mainly consists of keeping the blade flat against against the stones and not rolling the tip off as you finish a pass. But it's fairly easy to overcome after 5-10 minutes of careful practice. I highly suggest you watch the DVD or read the colored instruction manual, as following the proper steps is essential to giving you a razor sharp edge on your blade.
The stones that came with my sharpener are high quality and show no sign of chips or deformations. They fit snugly into the slots and exhibit very little play if any. The dark medium stones worked very well for my semi-dull knives, and the white stones worked perfectly on my knives that were already fairly sharp. However, if you have an extremely dull knife, I suspect that these dark medium stones maybe too fine for bringing an edge back efficiently.
Over all, I am extremely satisfied with this product. Sharpening with this product is extremely easy, and the process of sharpening is almost fool proof. All the parts fit snugly in its stored and assembled configurations, and the stones are good-to-high quality. If you run your blades through the white stones after the first sign of dulling, I feel there is very little reason to use the medium grit stones. However, if your blade is already extremely dull, you may need to purchase a set of diamond stones from Spyderco.
Customer Review: Easy to use, and works as advertised!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker
I purchased this product after researching some off the shelf products for sharpening steel knives. The consensus seemed to be that the Spyderco Sharpmaker was the most effective and easy to use solution. After sharpening some of my dull knives, I can attest to the efficacy of the Sharpmaker.
The entire system is extremely easy to use, and the booklet and DVD offers more than enough instructional guidance on how to properly use the stones. The video is easier to follow because Sal guides you through the process for different types of blades and edges, and explains the history of knife sharpening.
The kit includes a compact case, 2 medium grit stones, 2 fine grit stones, 2 brass safety rods, the DVD, and a booklet. The case keeps everything tightly packed to prevent damage to the stones. The brown medium grit stone will wear down eventually after 3-5 years of regular use, according to Sal and the instruction booklet. The fine stone is supposed to last a long time. Extra replacement stones are available, and there's even an ultra fine stone set for an extra refined polished edge.
The 40 degree setting is recommended for sharpening the majority of knives, although a 30 degree setting is available if you desire to reprofile a blade.
The biggest complaint I have is the packaging is difficult to open without tearing it apart completely. The easiest way to get through the blister pack is with, coincidentally, a sharp knife like a box cutter.
I'm not surprised that the Sharpmaker is so good, considering Spyderco makes excellent knives.
Overall: 5/5 stars, works as advertised, best and easiest way to get a razor edge on almost any steel knife.
Customer Review: Best bet for truly sharp knives!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I've used benchstones. I've used clamp systems. Both will get the job done. However... I've sharpened every knife I own now with this little puppy and I'm here to tell you, this is money well spent! Yes, you have to work a little if the knife you're sharpening is quite dull. Guess what? You have to do the same with benchstones and clamp systems. SHOCK!!
I don't think it's possible to get a truly sharp (that is, literally sharper than a razor) edtge on a dull knife without working a bit. Let's face it, you're removing steel to shapen anything, and if you've got a lot of steel to remove it's going to take a bit of work to do it.
That said, this has got to be the easiest sharpening system to work with I've ever tried, and I think I've tried them all. Absolutely foolproof IF you follow the instructions AND watch what you're doing. As long as you attend to those two things, the results will amaze you. The feature of having two angles available is great, and I've yet to encounter a blade that couldn't be finely sharpened with one or the other of them. I've since ordered the "ultrafine" stones for the Sharpmaker, and WOW, are they worth the money! Puts that last bit of truly "scary sharp" on your blade.
All-in-all, I don't see myself using any of my other systems any more. This thing is just that good. Admittedly, it's not too great for really, really LOOOONG blades, but turn it over and use the bench feature on the bottom and it works fine there, too. Whaddaya want for your fifty bucks, perfection? Well, that's just about what you get!
Customer Review: Wow! That was fairly easy and my Buck 501 is really sharp again!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
My Sharpmaker arrived today. I had high expectations based on numerous reviews I had read. This product delivered!
My Dad gave me a Buck 501 about years ago. It's been used moderately since then without sharpening. I never really cared about sharpness as it had always done what I needed to do with it. That said, it was a little dull and wasn't slicing through things like it had when it was new.
I used the corner of the gray stones for 20 strokes each side followed by another 20 strokes each side on the flat surface of the gray stones. The knife wasn't as sharp as I would have liked at that point so I repeated the steps.
After that I did 20 strokes on each side with the corner of the white stones and then with the flat surface.
Afterward, I performed the silly sharpness test of shaving arm hair with very slight pressure. Before I knew it there was a big wad of hair and I have a huge bald spot on my left arm.
I had to exert a little more energy than I expected. However, the knife was fairly dull. For the results achieved it was well worth the effort.
Clear instructions. No rocket science required. Very simple process. Be careful opening the package as the instructions are packed in a stupid manner and I cut them up a bit trying to get into the package. I haven't watched the DVD yet. As easy as it was tonight I may not even bother with it.
Very impressive! I highly recommend it.
Tomorrow I start on the kitchen knives.