6”x1” stone for reprofiling

johnnytoxin

johnnytoxin

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May 24, 2010
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I sharpen with a TSPROF Kadet pro. Currently I’m using the stones that came with it and while I am satisfied with the edges I’m getting however, setting the initial bevel (reprofiling) takes forever. I am looking for a good stone to speed up the process. I have read the Atoma 140 grit diamond plate works well for this, I’ve also heard good things about CBN stones. What would you recommend? Thanks.
 
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I use PDT CBN stones on the KO3 - highly recommend them - I got the full set of 7 stones, makes it easy to get to a mirror finish on pretty much any steel. I also use different strops on the KO3 as well, just depends how much time I want to spend.
 
I like the Venev 80 grit resin-bonded diamond stone for this. Diamond plates do work well, but they leave deeper scratches that take longer to get out with the subsequent stones, and don't have the same longevity as resin-bonded stones do. They will gradually lose their speed as the diamond points break off.
 
UncleBoots said:
I like the Venev 80 grit resin-bonded diamond stone for this. Diamond plates do work well, but they leave deeper scratches that take longer to get out with the subsequent stones, and don't have the same longevity as resin-bonded stones do. They will gradually lose their speed as the diamond points break off.
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Thnks for the input. Is there a big difference in speed between the two? Assuming similar stones would the diamond plate cut that much faster than the resin bonded?
 
johnnytoxin said:
Thnks for the input. Is there a big difference in speed between the two? Assuming similar stones would the diamond plate cut that much faster than the resin bonded?
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My comparative experience with the two is not recent enough to give you a solid answer. I will say that taking off a bunch of hardened metal with a stone never feels exactly fast to me.
 
I mostly use Venev Orion stones in 150, 240, and 400 grits on my TSPROF K03. It doesn't take a lot of time to re-profile most of the premium steels with the 150. I bought a Poltava CBN in 120 grit to do re-profiles and it's good, but it leaves scratches that are hard to clean up. The TSPROF Alpha stones are very fast and leave a more polished finish than the Venevs, but I like a duller edge on most knives.
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I caught onto the Atoma 140 a while ago, and it is the fastest way to re-profile I have found short of a 1x30" belt. It will re-profile anything very quickly, but it will leave deep scratches behind so you don't want to use it unless you really need it. Nothing that can't be rubbed out with a simple 400 and/or 600 progression, but be aware that the speed and brutal efficiency comes with a price tag!

The 140 is reasonably priced, and it holds up as well as DMT's or UltraSharp's (The replacement panels are cheaper still.). I always have two in use, a nice clean one for blades, and a worn but still useful one for the first stage of trueing up flattening stones and other destructive tasks. I've used the Spyderco CBN stone, and it also does those big jobs well.

Choosing the right grit for the moment is an important skill to learn as you slide down the rabbit hole. Rubbing with a too-high grit is a waste of time and energy and it wears your finer stone too fast. Extra strokes make for convex bevels when sharpening freehand, for most of us.
 
The Atoma 140 is maybe the best option out there although I haven't tried them all. The 150 Hapstone Start is fairly fast but I haven't used it enough to have a firm opinion. I think they make a coarse one but I'm reluctant to try it as the time saved in reprofiling will probably be given back when you go to get the scratches out. I have 65+ stones in the 1x6 format but most of the time I use a belt grinder anymore.
 
Rob Babcock said:
I have 65+ stones in the 1x6 format but most of the time I use a belt grinder anymore.
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Are you doing all of your sharpening on the belt grinder, or are you profiling on the belt and then switching to fixed angle?

If you are finishing knives on a fixed angle system, are you finding that the stones want to cut the same bevel that you grinded with the belt?

I have just added a Vevor 1x30 alongside my K03, but I haven't used both for one knife yet because I assume the K03 will want to profile the belly and tip it's own way and I won't have saved any time using the belt.
 
I've been using cheap Ruixin diamond plate stones as a profiler on my fixed angle for the last year or two. The Ruixin stone that I have marked as 200 grit has performed very well as a coarse, but not too coarse, profiler, and the stones are quite flat even though they are mounted on plastic.

I tried to replace them with a PD Tools hybrid bond CBN 120 stone, but it is too slow for heavy work: like knocking a 23 degree bevel down to 18.

So I've compromised to using the Ruixin 200 for 90% of the profile, then switching to the PD Tools CBN 120, then starting a progression from the Diamond Matrix 250. It's not an ideal system, but at least the diamond plate stone is cheap and effective, and I have even flatter stones to follow it to get good results.
 
Dutch87 said:
Are you doing all of your sharpening on the belt grinder, or are you profiling on the belt and then switching to fixed angle?

If you are finishing knives on a fixed angle system, are you finding that the stones want to cut the same bevel that you grinded with the belt?

I have just added a Vevor 1x30 alongside my K03, but I haven't used both for one knife yet because I assume the K03 will want to profile the belly and tip it's own way and I won't have saved any time using the belt.
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Most of the time I'm doing all the work on belts, but sometimes I'll cut the bevel with a Cubitron P120 and then switch to a fixed angle. And sometimes I'll do all the work on stones. I should add that I have a sharpening & laser engraving shop so time-wise it's most practical to do everything on belts that can be done that way. Some customers will pay extra to have their knives done on water stones but folks just want it sharp, they don't care how it gets that way.
 
When I started sharpening I thought folks would love an ultra sharp knife. Most ask me not to get it too sharp!?
Go figure, folks do not care.
 
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