Smith & Wesson sharpener

I just got this Smith & Wesson diamond dust sharpener. When sharpening a wavy or a serrated edge then this is a very nice tool to have. I tested it right away on a Victorinox Sentinel to see and I managed very easy to get a razor sharp edge. It is maybe a little too coarse but usually when a diamond type sharpener is brand new it is extra coarse.  I will use this sharpener on my knives.

It is very easy to use and with such a tool it is much easier to keep the waves intact by just sliding up and down with it and this shape will make sure that the complete wave will be sharpened. I have used diamond type sharpeners from China and they last a long time.

When you use such a tool on the waves then there will be some burr on the other side. I just usually give one or two gentle sweeps on the complete back side of the blade. Then I finish up with a less pressure again on the waves. I feel that a wavy edge can be coarser and there is no need for any polished edge here.

I like this Smith & Wesson tool!

There is also a groove for sharpening fishing hooks with. It works fine too.

Here is a sharpener that i really have used much. The one on the right is used up! They got two sides with one coarse and one fine surface. On SAKs the fine surface is used. It can be used on a plain edge with very good result. It can also be used on the backside of a serrated edge to remove the burr from the sharpening rod. One may also finish up with a steep angle for a razor sharp result. To uphold the serrations and edge for a long time it is best to use the rod like I have shown and remove the burr afterwards on the backside and then again use the rod one more time with more gentle pressure. Some burr may be left.

After sharpening the serrations there are some burr on the oposite side. By doing some gentle sweeps on the backside of the blade i mean the total edge. There is no point of sharpening above the edge. The burr you can see or feel with the fingers after using the rod on the waves or serrations. On the picture you can see the Victorinox Sentinel. I have used this knife very much with a very good result!

Below you can see a fun picture i made for the steps. It is no need to worry about different edges and knives, if it is a combination edge, serrated or plain edge. It is fun! Take a look at my sharp Ranger page as well.

If you are looking to maintain the lifetime and design with cutting abilities then it can be smart not to use the fast sharpeners. These are basically a handle with a fixture in a set angle made in carbide materials. I do like some of them because you can sharpen the knives very quickly. In time and with practice such fast sharpeners are not needed. If you train and practice by hand with rods and stones you can achieve far greater results. To continue to have the design of the waves on the SAKs then you must use rods for them. I recommend learning to use systems made for these edges because it will give further knowledge and skills. I have mentioned several places over the years that such edges are not a modern phenomenon. Not by a long shot to say it easy.

If you learn to use rods then you will continue the shape and designs of the patterns. This will preserve the cutting abilities and performance. It is very fun!

In time when you have sharpened much then because the blade get thicker moving up towards the spine then you can adjust the angle to uphold the correct angle.

Remember that when you remove burr from the oposite side that you only use very light pressure. Good Luck!

I have just used the Veff Sharp on the Fireman belt-cutter and it has never been this sharp before. Diamond coated stones are a blessing for SAKs. Mr Tom Veff mentions the use of a marker to be used on the waves to better see you are sharpening the correct angle. This I have used before on plain edge knives as well to be able to see that I use the correct angle. It is very smart to use in the beginning. With practice you no longer need a marker pen. The small section of the large rod fit perfect for the Fireman waves!

after this i will polish the edge on a Aloxite carborundum stone to get super sharpness.

Small precision blades are very useful. I have used them on wood, leather and other materials. To sharpen the little blade you can use the 600 grit Veff Sharp flat section. On the little blade you do not need to use anything but very light pressure. It will be razor sharp and after this you can polish the edge with a finer surface as well. Then you will for sure have a little razor blade.

Remember that the best performance on diamond coated stones comes after some use. The surface will get the best performance in time. The Veff sharpener got a 600 grit surface that worked momentarily. This will become even better in time. There is no point of using anything coarser than 600 grit on the little SAK blade. It can be in my opinion considered the best starter for sharpening. You can use some finer surface after this as I said to polish the edge. Ceramic stones can also be used.

I have used flat diamond coated stones on SAKs for many years with a fine surface. Diamond coated stones remove metal very easy.  I have mentioned many places that fine surface works best on most SAKs. The 600 grit can be used to maintain the edge for a very long time. If you touch it up slightly regularly the edge will stay very sharp and you will get less trouble when you must do some more work on the edge in the future. The traditional SAKs got delicate edges with precision blades. If you use something finer than 600 grit regularly the edge will stay in form and require much less work when you sharpen it fully in the future. You do not save time by not doing maintenance from time to time. It is completely opposite.

It can be smart to use a magnifier glass to see what is going on and how the sharpening develops. I use a pocket microscope and it is very useful. It is fully possible to get the edge on the small blades to become razor sharp. If you follow the edge angle from the factory and polish it then it will become very sharp in deed. You can use many things to polish with. At 1000 grit then you achieve the absolute top edge in my opinion. It is a limit for how sharp a delicate edge on small precision blade should be to be able to have some durability on the edge. A sharper edge angle and with some polishing could give an extra sharp blade but it will be less durable. That is why I recommend fine surface stones at 600 grit up to max 1000 grit and following the factory edge angle. It is fully possible to micro convex the edge for better durability.

Try to continue the edge angle set on the SAKs. The larger Swiss army Knives are sturdier knives and the edges are more durable. Find the angle with the stone. Use a marker to see that you are on track.