Spyderco Sharpmaker here as well. 30 degree back bevel followed by 40 degree edge gets my knives a razor sharp edge that holds up really well. With a stone I'd eat through steel on my knives and basically get lucky if I ended up being able to shave hair with my knife. With the sharpmaker, I can slice the hair off my arms without effort every time. The only downside is profiling a new knife to match the 30 degree back bevel. Once that's done, sharpening is quick and easy.