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Reviews > Knives > Sharpeners > Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker > Coy Starnes > Initial ReportSpyderco
Triangle Sharpmaker (set204MF)
Initial Report March 3, 2005  Some blades to sharpen with the Sharpemaker (not all at once)
Tester Bio I live outside a small town in northeast Alabama. I enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing and most other outdoor activities. Backpacking is my favorite pastime. I enjoy hiking with my friends and family or solo. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However, I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3 season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3 or 4 days in length. Product Information
Product Description Most sharpeners are basically tools that use a material harder than the steel in the blade being sharpened. Generally, sharpness is achieved by removing any steel that does not smoothly end at the blade edge in a sharp manner. The Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker (set204MF) consists of two sets of high alumina ceramic rods and a plastic base which is also the storage container when the top is put on. The two brown rods are a medium grit while the two white stones are a fine grit. The base is made of high impact ABS plastic and has holes in it to accept the sharpening rods and the provided safety rods (brass rods to keep the blade away from the hand holding the base steady). As the name of the product suggest, the rods are triangular in shape. Two of these surfaces are completely flat but one side, while flat, has a grove in the center for sharpening pointy objects like fishhooks or darts. However, each rod utilizes six sharpening surfaces, the three flat surfaces and the three corners. The sharpening rods are placed in the base in either the 40 degree side or the 30 degree side. By keeping the knife blade in a vertical position as I pull the knife down and toward me, the sharpener does its job. I must first choose which surface (flat sides or corners) I will use depending on how far into the sharpening process I have gone or in the case of a serrated blade, use the corners which will sharpen them. This is called a stage. The directions give the recommended blade angle to choose, depending on the desired sharpness and/or the abuse the blade may encounter and how many strokes are needed in each stage of sharpening. Most plain (none serrated) blades will be sharpened using the corners of the brown rods first for approximately 20 strokes (40 actually as I must do this on each side of the blade). Each stage uses approximately the same number of strokes, so next the flat sides of the brown stones will be used in the same manner. According to the video, this produces an edge similar to a factory sharpened edge. The white stones are used to produce an even sharper edge and again, the corners are used first, followed by the flat sides. The 20 strokes per stage are only intended as a general guide and more or less may be needed. The 40 degree side will produce a blade angle generally referred to as a 20 degree edge and the 30 degree side will produce an even finer edge usually referred to as a 15 degree edge. The instructions suggest that for most blades intended for outdoor use, a 20 degree angle will result in an edge plenty sharp enough and will usually last much longer than the sharper 15 degree edge. This makes perfect sense to me. Initial Impression The online description and pictures depict the sharpener very well but I was in for one big (good) surprise. The instructions, both the printed and the VHS/DVD were entertaining and thorough. I especially liked the VHS/DVD instructions. They are identical as far as content and give a look back into the history of knife and tool sharpening all the way back to flint tools. However, the demonstration on how to use this modern day sharpener on nearly any cutting tool imaginable is what really counts. This was very detailed, but presented in an easy to understand manner. In my product description I gave a brief overview on how the Sharpmaker works but did not try to go into great detail because if you buy one you will have much better instructions than I can give. Test Plan I will use the Sharpmaker to sharpen my knives, throwing hatchet and any other item the Sharpmaker seems suited to use on. My wife will no doubt have me sharpen her scissors and a few kitchen knives. I will first and foremost look to see how sharp I am able to get my blades. I will also record how much effort is involved in the sharpening process. I know it sounds silly but I have seen individuals using my sharpeners take a few strokes on the sharpener and expect the knife to be razor sharp. I will also describe the blade I am sharpening. This will include initial sharpness, style of blade (straight or serrated) and the profile and the steel of the blade. I may carry one of the rods as I venture into the woods for more than a few days just to see how it works. Regardless, I will use a rod free handed just to see how that works and will report my findings. I will report on care of the Sharpmaker following the cleaning instructions provided. This is important because the rods become clogged with very fine steel as they do their job and an occasional cleaning is needed to keep them performing at their best. Expected Test Locations and Conditions The weather usually has a very big impact on how my gear performs. However, I don't think it will matter much with the Sharpmaker as I hope to use it in the comfort of my climate controlled home. If I happen to carry an individual stone to touch up a blade in the field I will record what if any effect the location and weather conditions have on the process. I am really looking forward to testing the Sharpmaker. I just hope I can survive the entire test without shaving all the hair from my arms. Read more reviews of Spyderco gear Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes Reviews > Knives > Sharpeners > Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker > Coy Starnes > Initial Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||