sharpening serrated auger blade

[southerner]

After three years of fairly consistent cutting, my Strikemaster Mag 3000's blade has finally dulled to the point that I need to sharpen it. No problem, right? Well, that's what I thought but it turns out that I don't have the skills and/or equipment to properly sharpen the single 10.25" serrated blade.

Any thoughts or suggestions, experienced anglers? Should I just simply buy a new blade and be done with it?

[Steve Foss]

Two options.

1. Buy a new blade, and be happy that it's cheaper to buy a single Strikemaster chipper blade than it is if you have the Lazer system with two curved blades.

2. Check with local tackle/fishing stores, and the better ones will have exchange programs, where for not much money you turn in your old blade and get a used one(s) sharpened by Strikemater at the factory (where they have that great specialized sharpening machinery). For my Lazer, with two curved blades, the exchange costs about $16, and new blades from $25 to $35 per set. For the Mag, with its single chipper blade, both options would cost less.

I figure $16 a year for lightning quick holes it CHEAP.

And it's amazing how much difference new/exchange blades make. I'd been sharpening my own with a whetstone, and I'd been able to shave the hair on my arms with them, but when I got a new set with their factory sharpening and perfect angle, WOW!

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"I still miss my ex-wives, but my aim is getting better!"
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[mnfishman]

Strikemaster actually has a mail-in program for blade replacement. If you go out on their HSOforum and search around you will find it. I think chipper blades are about $9 or so plus shipping. I used a file to sharpen up my 8" blade and I must have gotten lucky with the angle because it cuts good.

[Surface Tension]

Depending on what Strikemaster you have you have to sharpen the center tip also.

[Guest]

My fishing buddy has 10.25 serrated blades on his Strikemaster, they were dull as heck.

Some guys here on FM.com suggested the tool made for sharpening them, sold by Scheels. I passed it along and he picked one up.

They do work, but you need to be sure to match the angle right with the guide. The serrated areas make it a pain to do, they catch, but it can be done.

If you had the appropriate sized round diamond file to touch up the serrated cutting edge it would be far better.

With the combination of the two tools I think it would be a much better system and cut like a razor again.

[southerner]

Thanks to all for passing on this valuable information. Chances are I'll take advantage of one of the exchange programs. I'm sure it beats gnashing my knuckles and getting frustrated trying to sharpen it myself.

So'ner

[Steve Foss]

I haven't had any luck with the Strikemaster hand sharpener, and I made sure the angle was right. Works good on my Mora, but the serrated blades don't sharpen well enough for me. I got them what I thought was razor sharp, but new blades put the ones I'd sharpened to shame.

As for the exchange program with the factory itself, they told me on the phone exchange would cost me $19.99 per set for my two-blade system, plus shipping. Since new blades cost me $27.99, and I can get exchange blades through local tackle stores (sharpened by Strikemaster) for $16, I couldn't figure out why they wanted more than $20 to deal directly with the factory for exchange blades, so I went with the local option.

As Surface Tension said, there is a center point on Lazers made within the last couple years. Previous to that, no center blade on the XL3000 and some other Lazers. The center point is not curved, however, and is easy to sharpen with the hand sharpener or a whetstone.

Good luck.