/r/KME_Sharpeners
We are now more active on r/precisionsharpening which is just this subreddit but focused on all types of precision sharpening systems.
Welcome current and future KME users! This subreddit exists for the sharing of pictures, videos, and knowledge related to the KME Sharpener and related products. FAQs and other helpful information and videos are available in the "Community Info" section (top right three dots on mobile and sidebar on desktop). All levels of experience are accepted here.
FAQs:
Q: What's the best clamp/jaws position on a knife?
A: That can vary significantly by blade type, length, whether you are reprofiling to a specific angle, just trying to match the factory bevel as close as possible, etc. Clamping on the tip to heel line is not always the best choice, as many seem to believe. It can create a wider tip bevel on thicker knives and/or increase profiling time since most factory edges get steeper going into the tip, thanks to factory belt sharpening. When in doubt, clamp with the jaws centered on the edge and parallel to the main straight section of the bevel, check with the sharpie, and adjust as necessary. The following two videos on the topic are helpful: Tips of Blade Placement In the Jaws How to Clamp Different Blade Styles and Types
Q: I'm only removing the sharpie from the heel, tip, shoulder, or apex. What do I do?
A: Please reference this diagram.
Q: Is there a break-in period for the Gold Series Diamond Stones and how long do they last?
A: The break-in period is generally 5+ knives, during which time the stones will cut extra aggressively, leave deeper scratches, and may shed diamonds that scratch your blade. It's highly recommended to practice on beater blades or kitchen knives during this time and to not try for a mirror.
The diamond stones will last for hundreds of sharpenings, if used correctly (little to no downward pressure, weight of the stone holder only, and let the diamonds do the work). If you are ever able to actually wear one out, it will likely happen to the finer grits first.
Q: What's the best way to clean my diamond stones?
A: If you use them dry or with water: a big pink eraser and scrubbing with a nylon brush and Barkeeper's Friend powder (or dish soap) are the most effective methods.
If you use them with an oil based product like honing oil, mineral oil, or lapping fluid: add a drop of the product, rub it around the stone, then wipe clean with a cloth or paper towel. Barkeeper's Friend is also very effective.
Q: What's the best lubrication to use on the KME Gold Series Diamond Stones and Diamond Lapping Films?
A: While each user will have a different preference, the general consensus for best options are water w/ a drop of dish soap, honing oil, mineral oil, diamond lapping fluid, or dry. Each method has its pros and cons.
Q: How do I achieve a mirror polished edge?
A: While there are various paths to a mirror, the quickest, cheapest progression is to follow the 1500 diamond stone with the 9 and 6μm diamond lapping films, then the 4μm CBN emulsion kangaroo strop. Continuing on with finer emulsions on strops will further refine and polish your edge, resulting in a shinier more reflective mirror. Brian from KME, demonstrates the process in this YT video, along with many other helpful best practices.
Q: What's a stop collar, and how do I use it?
A: It's a little adjustable metal collar, placed on the guide rod, that stops your stone holder from riding up onto the face of your blade and scratching it. Here's a short YT video demonstrating how to set it up.
Q: Should I tape my blade?
A: That's a personal preference, but if you do, it's recommended to not have tape on the section of the knife inside the jaws. It will usually only decrease grip. KME tested dozens of rubber to decide on the best one for the jaws. Many users will use painter's tape on the blade surface, minus the clamp area, for extra protection. Using a stop collar will also greatly reduce inadvertent scratching, as will first breaking in your diamond stones on beaters.
Q: I'm getting scratches on my blade from sharpening on the KME. How do I avoid that?
A: See above Q&As on blade taping, stop collar usage, and diamond stone break-in.
Q: How do I load the kangaroo strop with CBN emulsion, and how often do I need to clean it and reapply?
A: 4-5 drops to initially load it, spread around evenly with a CLEAN finger, and an hour to dry before use. Add an additional drop every 7-10 knives, with 30 min to dry before use. Using a big white polymer eraser is the best way to clean it but is only necessary when the strop gets a bit sticky and you notice it not stropping very smoothly or not polishing as effectively. Be sure to use a different dedicated and labeled eraser for each strop of a different micron, to avoid cross-contamination.
Q: How do I fix the unsharpened heel of my knife?
A: How To Fix the Unsharpened Heel of A Blade On the KME
Q: Why does my bevel get wider towards the tip?
A: This can be caused from clamping too far away from the tip and/or especially on a knife blade that stays thick behind the edge at the tip. The solution is to position the tip closer to the jaws. This short YT video is very informative as well.
Q: Why is the bevel wider on one side of my knife?
A: Assuming you are clamped vertically straight and not cockeyed, it's simply due to uneven bevels. The solution is to keep working the narrower side until they are even. Remember to still flip and remove the burr often so it does not build up too big. This diagram is very helpful to visualize the above explanation.
Q: How do I know if I have a full burr on step 1?
A: You can check for it a few ways: 1) feel for it with your finger, 2) catch the end of your nail on it along the entire edge, 3) see it with a magnification device such as a loupe, 4) shine a flashlight at the blade's spine to catch the reflection of the burr, or 5) drag a q-tip along the edge and see if it catches the cotton fibers. Identifying A Burr YT Video.
Q: Do I need an angle cube? How do I get it to magnetize to the stone holder?
A: No it's not necessary to get scary stupid sharp. It's only needed if you want to sharpen to a specific angle or know exactly what angle you are sharpening to. Aside from that, the sharpie is king and should be used religiously to verify your stones are at the proper angle or that you are most closely matching the factory bevel.
Supergluing a small flat piece of metal to the top of the stone holder will allow you to use a magnetic angle cube effectively. I found this one at Home Depot for $0.70.
/r/KME_Sharpeners
389 Subscribers
Up and down motion or sweeping
00:39 UTC
Is a KME a good Lansky replacement?
My Lansky stones are old and worn out and I’d rather upgrade vs replacing the stones. KnifeJoy has the KME with base on sale for $179.
I’m also interested in the Tsprof and Hapstone systems but I hesitate with the cost and the size. I live in a small place and I don’t have a dedicated spot for a big system like some of those.
I’m considering the KME or one of the Work Sharp Precision Adjuster models. What’s your thoughts?
03:17 UTC
Ceramic or Diamond?
I purchased the Gold series stones but also have the 4 ceramic stones that are usually included. The ceramics seem to take far longer to even get a burr going. All around I'd say diamond is the way to go. But does Anyone use the ceramics for any specific purpose?
03:42 UTC
Mounted or no
Question on third party stones for the KME sharpener. Do they have to be mounted on a plate or can you use an unmounted stone. Thanks
00:10 UTC
Could someone feasibly cut down to size pieces of the Spyderco sharp maker to fit in the KME to make sharpening recurves easier?
20:26 UTC
Anybody got a sharpening stones for sale ? 1x4 or 1x6 I need some asap let me know please 🙏
14:37 UTC
?** Most aggressive stones for complete re-profiling of a blade?? Personal favorites?
As the Title says... But knife sharpening (almost always an EDC style folder) has been a major hobby of mine for awhile now & have always used the KME.. I collect usually pretty expensive "high-end" folding knives that are hard to come by.. l've used the KME full diamond stone set.. Venev Resin Bonded Diamond Stones (favorite) along with the lapping film kit..
Basically what I'm trying to get at is what are some stone comparisons to the 50Grit BEAST??? Looking to switch it up a little and what are your suggestions or what's your go to for reprofiling a blade???
I always do a total reprofile of the knives I buy and I'm curious as to what else is out there that I could get into and try different things out??
What's the most aggressively cutting stone out there? Or your personal favorite for when you need to remove more than usual amount of steel???
18:39 UTC
What is the maximum blade length?
I am still awaiting my KME from the US (Amazon "same-day shipping" is some kind of racket that I haven't worked out yet). I have a few 25-30cm blades on machetes and choppers (that I use in the garden). They are not fancy blades, is it worth the effort on the KME or should I just rough those up with a whetstone?
00:46 UTC
My 'Spidey-Sense' is tingling...
Maybe it's just because I'm new in the land of KME, I don't know. I find myself becoming increasingly concerned as I wander the shops and purveyors of all things KME looking for this or that add-on that it appears there are a VERY large number of KME branded supplies that are "Out of Stock" or "Sold Out" with no one able to even give an estimate of when it might be "Back in Stock"... Is anyone else noticing this? Is it just seasonal? Or should I start looking around for another system already...
20:39 UTC
New to the KME world, looking for lower angle capability
Situation; a couple Leeks that were at 15 degrees and my KME can't get down that far. I thought of a blade extender like the WE but haven't found anything except by Leading Edge but they are only at Gritomatic and Gritomatic isn't stocking them. Any ideas or other solutions? Thanks in advance.
06:08 UTC
Socom Elite chisel ground tanto
Is it possible to sharpen this on a Kershaw Ken Onion Worksharp? It seems the belt is hitting the thick part of the blade. It also seems that maybe the edge is rolling since I can only sharpen on one side. What should I do?
09:24 UTC
Is lapping film necessary to get a mirror finish?
I’m shopping for a KME sharpening system and I’m going to buy a black Arkansas to go along with it. I already have a freehand strop with stropping compound up to .5 microns. I’m planning on buying .1 micron compound in hopes to get a perfect mirror finish but I want to know if I also need lapping film.
17:43 UTC
Kme vs Worksharp
So I just got my KME in the mail today and I'm debating whether I'm going to keep it. I started in the guided sharpening world with the first precision adjust and decided the KME would be the next jump to better quality. With the worksharp i upgraded the stone holder to the gritomatic one, 3 dmt stones, and an angle cube and I was pretty happy. The KME feels a bit sturdier but idk if the price difference justifies it. Does anyone have any experience in both or extensive experience in either and can offer some advice as to why one is better than the other.
04:34 UTC
Gunny juice is voodoo space magic
I just got three kangaroo leather strops and gunny juice 1um, 0.5 um and 0.25 um. I loaded the strops and just used the 1um and i have never seen a compound cut that fast. I did 4 passes per side and I could see the polish showing up within the first 2 passes. Best sharpening purchase since my kme. 10/10.
23:31 UTC
Glass blanks?
I don’t have one. I do have lapping film. I was thinking about putting lapping film over my 1500 stone.
15:15 UTC
Anyone got experience with double edged knives? I got a fairbairn sykes pattern 3 and figured why not give it a half decent edge. Its n690 and pretty thick compared to most of my knives
23:55 UTC
Upgrades to the clamp knob?
I love the KME system, but I absolutely dread tightening and untightening the clamp. To get it properly tight, it's literally painful. And then to get it loose again afterward can be the most frustrating thing ever.
There must be a good aftermarket mod which makes this process easier.
17:57 UTC
Time for a new edge on the 31.
Going to take this one to 600 then strop for a nice working edge.
23:17 UTC
Need some Edgy opinions!
I've been practicing with the KME and feel like I can consistently get a very good edge with a lot of my knife steel varieties. It's really tedious having a few dozen brands and trying to find the proper angle on every one.
My initial thought was to just keep a spreadsheet with each model's specs and use that for my sharpening guide, but then I wondered what you guys do.
Have any of you decided to just reprofile a large quantity of your knives to have them all at the same angle and do less adjusting between knives? Is this just a foolish man's way of being lazy? Are there a lot of pros, a lot of cons? Any advice or input would be helpful!
20:02 UTC
Sharpen or reprofile?
So like the dummy that I am, I didn’t have a precision screwdriver today and decided to try the tip of my Spyderco instead, resulting in two small chips as shown here. To grind these out, do I need to start on a super low grit/reprofile it or should I be able to start at 300 working up and get it out? Any advice before I dive in would be much appreciated!
04:22 UTC
Strange occurrence
I just had the strangest thing happen while sharpening my s45vn pm2 for the first time. I was able to match the factory bevel exactly so I thought I would be apexing almost immediately but I didn’t feel a burr forming. I sharpened for a while on each side and I think I felt the very very beginning of a burr so I kept going but it never extended. I got frustrated and just ran through the rest of my stones because I was over it and when I was done it was laser sharp. Has anyone else experienced this? I think the burr was breaking off as I was sharpening it. On a side note, Spydercos s45vn seemed rock hard compared to my s45vn Sebenza so not sure if this played a role.
04:27 UTC
How long do the diamond stones last?
I’m just wondering how long the gold series stones will last before they need to be replaced? I don’t sharpen super often so I would imagine they’ll be good for quite a while. How can you tell that it’s time to replace?
07:23 UTC
Dumb question about the stones
Is the abrasive just surface level or throughout? How do you know if it’s too worn down and needs replacement? Thanks in advance!
22:19 UTC
Skinny blades
What’s the best way to sharpen a skinny blade on the kme? On the mini case knives the blade doesn’t seem like there’s enough for the clamps to grab on to without the stone hitting the clamp.
02:10 UTC
To do or not to do?
Ok so I’ve sharpened a couple knives on my kme, a Crkt Pilar and a Gerber Paraframe, and both came out a lot better than I though they would for my first couple sharpenings. I have a few more budget blades that I could practice on first but my CRK Sebenza is starting to get kind of dull. I’m tempted to sharpen my sebenza next but what do you guys think? Should I practice more before I start on my higher end knives?
21:49 UTC