I totally agree with virtually everything you just stated. I've yet to find a blade steel that couldn't be sharpened with Spyderco's 204 Sharpmaker. Now I've told everyone who ever did a thread on the Sharpmaker that you should buy all the extra stones they have available for that kit i.e. the Ultra-Fine, CBN, diamond ect. Because for it to be a complete kit the old adage "The More The Merrier" certainly applies in this case.

The key to sharpening any cutting tool is removing the steel at the edge while maintaining a consistent angle between the blade and the stone. Spyderco’s Tri-Angle Sharpmaker takes the mystery out of this process and enables anyone to sharpen a knife effectively with just a few minutes practice. Its durable ABS plastic base contains keyed holes that accurately set the stones’ sharpening angles at a 30° (15° each side) or 40° (20° each side) for sharpening knives. Simply keep the plane of your knife’s blade vertical and draw the edge along each stone to sharpen. It’s that simple. For serrated blades, use the rounded edges of the stones and a slightly looser grip to allow the stone to flow into the recesses of each serration. The Sharpmaker system includes two sets of high alumina ceramic stones: a pair of medium-grit (brown) stones for aggressive sharpening and a set of fine (white) stones for professional-grade finishing. A set of aluminum safety rods protects your hands while sharpening and all components snap into the self-contained ABS plastic base and lid for easy storage. Every Sharpmaker comes complete with a detailed instruction book and DVD that guides you step by step through the process of sharpening knives, scissors, awls, and many other tools. The FIRST thing you should do is to fit the guard rods (for whichever angle you are working to). Notice how the lid fits over the base at a halfway point to act as a handle.This means we have three different working surfaces on the stones, the flat side, a pointed corner, and the groove. Here we have the stone fitted into the base so that we use the flat surface. Also included in the design are two bench-stone options. Using the top channels in the base gives you a wide stone surface for large blades. Good lighting and 10x-15x loop will easily show the small burr which is very difficult to see unaided. Hello folks. I have a vast knowledge deficit when it comes to sharpening. In particular, from various readings, I'm getting the (perhaps wrong-headed) idea that there are steels that are ceramic "friendly" and steels that are not, that should rather be sharpened with diamond or CBN instead.

You're probably right about the deburring strokes. The "edge" is so narrow I doubt the angle used on that side makes much of a difference. Edge leading strokes use a motion like you are trying to slice slivers off your stones with your knife.As we know, some knife steel is easier to sharpen than others. Specifically, the harder (and generally more premium) steels like D2, 154CM, VG-10 and S30V are notably more difficult to sharpen. This is where the Sharpmaker really comes into its own. Also get a clamping system you like to hold the unit solid on a table or workbench. I found that makes all the difference in the world if you have both hands free while working with the Sharpmaker. OK, that's about as best as I can explain it and I hope I haven't confused you. Maybe one of the other members will further clarify things for you. Either way ask all the questions you need. The only stupid question is the one not asked. :) I'm personally not a fan of reprofiling very wear resistant steels on the sharpmakers diamond or CBN rods, but there are many folks here who have done it and it works for them. Its a very slow process and your angle selection is limited but it can be done.

These also make great gifts, and are not just for hardcore knife enthusiasts. They are handy in the kitchen and are designed to be used by almost anyone. In our fast-paced single serve world maintaining what we have sometimes falls to the wayside – especially when we can just buy new cheap stuff. Learning how to keep your edged tools sharp is fun and empowering, and for that reason I think the Sharpmaker can be a very thoughtful gift.Many things Sal says about sharpening serrations match exactly what you state, but one can also watch his method which differs a little from yours as discussed already (I personally, as far as I can say by now, clearly prefer your method tbh). Also, I'd like to learn how to sharpen my own knives, a goal made harder by the fact that I am a big fan of the combo edge and serration in general (to me I don't understand why they even make so many plain edge blades). Anything else I need to get started? I have some good lubes already from firearms, I suppose they're ok for knives? Maybe because Sal wants to leave the decision to the customer, if he or she wants to keep the more acute factory angle, or mirobevel / reprofile the knife to 20 inclusive... That's a shame, but I can kind of relate because I didn't like beer the first time I tried it. :rolleyes: Practice being consistent. Take your time it’s not a race. Understand what a burr is. With a little bit of practice honestly just a few knives your edge will look like it was done on a guided system.