Q: My knife is not sharp and I’ve gone through the whole
knife sharpening process. What am I doing wrong?
A: Although unusual, there are times when you have to
repeat both sharpening stages more than once or make
more passes through the electric sharpening slots. This
may occur during the first sharpening of a knife or if a
knife was sharpened incorrectly by another process.
It may also occur when sharpening blades made of
tempered steel, which are extremely hard.
You can use the Smith’s electric knife sharpener to
sharpen these type of knives, but you may have to
repeat the process several times or make numerous
passes through the electrical sharpening slots (in excess
of 10 times or more for extreme cases). This extended
process will only be necessary the first time you use
the sharpener for this type of blade. Thereafter, you
will be able to sharpen the blade following the normal
sharpening procedures.
Q: Sometimes the sharpening wheel stalls when I am
drawing the knife through the blade guides. What
causes this?
A: The knife sharpener is designed so that very
little effort is needed to draw the blade through the
sharpening slots. If excessive downward pressure is
applied to the knife as it is being pulled through the
sharpening slots, the sharpening wheel will stall.
Q: Occasionally I see sparks when sharpening my
knives. What causes this?
A: At a professional knife sharpening service, certain
blades with high carbon content (usually higher quality
knives) sometimes will spark or produce a stream of
sparks when they come in contact with the sharpening
wheel. Your Smith’s electric knife sharpener uses the
same type of sharpening wheel that the professionals
use. Therefore, you can expect to see similar sparking
when you sharpen blades with high carbon content.
This is normal.
Q: Can I sharpen serrated blades, scissors, or other
blades with my Smith’s electric knife sharpener?
A: Your Smith’s electric knife sharpener will sharpen
straight edge blades of alloy, carbon, or stainless steel.
It is designed to sharpen kitchen and most sporting
knives. Do not attempt to sharpen scissors, serrated
blades, or any blade that does not fit freely in the blade
guides.
Q: My sharpener produces a loud vibrating sound. Why
is this?
A: Your Smith’s electric knife sharpener uses a rapidly
rotating synthetic sharpening wheel to sharpen knives.
Because of the speed of rotation, a vibrating sound may
be heard. This is normal and to be expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
