-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Cleaning sharpening stone?
- Thread starter VCB
- Start date
Bar Keepers Friend is absolutely the best possible option for both Spyderco style ceramics and diamond plates. I don't wear rubber gloves when using it, it really isn't that strong and it's not in contact with skin for very long. I make a wet paste out of it with a green kitchen scouring pad then smear it on and leave it for a few minutes, then a quick scrub with the scouring pad and rinse.
Would dish soap and a toothbrush be sufficient to clean this stone?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015...=PK4BJH2REY9467XCTKF3&dpPl=1&dpID=91eh7RRfFeL
I'm very new to all of this. I'm not even sure if that stone would be the best for what I'm wanting to do (maintain a sharp edge on a carbon steel pocket knife).
Also, if I were to use mineral oil, do I soak it or put oil on top? Both? Then do I clean the oil off or will it all soak in?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015...=PK4BJH2REY9467XCTKF3&dpPl=1&dpID=91eh7RRfFeL
I'm very new to all of this. I'm not even sure if that stone would be the best for what I'm wanting to do (maintain a sharp edge on a carbon steel pocket knife).
Also, if I were to use mineral oil, do I soak it or put oil on top? Both? Then do I clean the oil off or will it all soak in?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2009
- Messages
- 13,433
For the most part, it should do OK. If you use the stone with oil (mineral oil), make sure to use a little bit of the oil to lift and wipe away the heaviest part of accumulated swarf after each use, before giving it the dish soap & water bath. That'll be more effective. A toothbrush works well for scrubbing it with the dish soap & water, BTW. If the accumulation of oil & swarf is allowed to get too heavy on the stone, dish soap & water will have a tougher time cleaning it up; it'll need more scrubbing and perhaps repeated washings to do so.
For maintaining the edge on a simple carbon steel knife, that stone should be OK. If eventually needing to rebevel or doing some heavier grinding, an AlOx or SiC hardware store stone works very well on such blades.
Applying the oil to the stone, you don't necessarily need to soak it, but you can if you want to (it won't harm it at all). While the stone is relatively new, it'll drink up the oil a bit quicker until it starts to saturate with it. Just apply what's needed to keep the surface of the stone somewhat 'wet' and shiny with the oil.
David
For maintaining the edge on a simple carbon steel knife, that stone should be OK. If eventually needing to rebevel or doing some heavier grinding, an AlOx or SiC hardware store stone works very well on such blades.
Applying the oil to the stone, you don't necessarily need to soak it, but you can if you want to (it won't harm it at all). While the stone is relatively new, it'll drink up the oil a bit quicker until it starts to saturate with it. Just apply what's needed to keep the surface of the stone somewhat 'wet' and shiny with the oil.
David
Last edited:
David Martin
Moderator
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2008
- Messages
- 19,520
Go Jo works on my SiC stones too. DM
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,760
I used to have a great book, called "Skills for Taming the Wild," written sometime in the 60's I believe. Can't remember the author. Wish I'd a kept it.
Anyway, it said to clean a "carborundum" stone, through it in the campfire to burn off all the gunk. Tho not mentioned, I would think a hot oil soak and a brush scrub would be needed next.
I'm not necessarily recommending this, but it is an interesting idea.
I wonder how well it worked, and if it would still work on today's stones. I'm guessing the method was more of a bush trick for long woods excursions, vs a standard go-to. Who knows tho.
If anyone tries it, let me know how it worked! My oil stone isn't dirty enough to risk it!
Anyway, it said to clean a "carborundum" stone, through it in the campfire to burn off all the gunk. Tho not mentioned, I would think a hot oil soak and a brush scrub would be needed next.
I'm not necessarily recommending this, but it is an interesting idea.
I wonder how well it worked, and if it would still work on today's stones. I'm guessing the method was more of a bush trick for long woods excursions, vs a standard go-to. Who knows tho.
If anyone tries it, let me know how it worked! My oil stone isn't dirty enough to risk it!
I have several ceramic benchstones and most of them are Spyderco. I do the main cleaning with Comet but I do the finish work with "Bar Keeper's Friend" which is a cleanser you can find at most grocery stores, hardware stores, Dollar discount stores and I've even found it in big box stores like TARGET, Wally World and K-Mart. I've had excellent luck using the powdered BKF cleanser but they do have a liquid BKF that works pretty good too.
I've also had decent luck soaking them overnight in that new "Platinum Dawn" dishwashing soap. That overnight formula of Dawn dish soap has also been a good help for me as well.
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2016
- Messages
- 103
For oil stones a simple pencil eraser gives very good results.
A greeting
A greeting
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2014
- Messages
- 522
I worry that acid could attack some natural stones. Not eat them away but maybe soften the surface.
I use ceramic with lots of water and use an eraser after each use. After every third use I use ultrasonic cleaner and reflatten/resurface. I simply hold them with the surface slightly submerged in water (no additives) 3o to 40 seconds and their like new.
So... Put oil on top, sharpen and add oil as necessary, wipe off stone (will paper towel work for this?), wash stone. Correct?
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2009
- Messages
- 13,433
Pretty much. If you regularly wipe the stone, after dropping some clean oil on it and rubbing it around to lift the swarf, you can likely avoid having to wash the stone very often; perhaps very infrequently. I'm in the habit of doing this a couple or three times during each sharpening session, as well as immediately after. When the stone gets really dirty & BLACK, you'll notice the abundance of it, and it'll become more obvious it can benefit from a dish soap & water cleaning (Simple Green works well too, with water). Also, if you notice the stone's cutting performance seems to be slowing down, that's an indication it may be getting too clogged, and could use a bath.
You CAN use a paper towel if you want to. But, I've preferred using a microfiber towel, of the type used for waxing/buffing car finishes, for wiping down the stone. It'll leave a lot less lint on the stone, like paper towels can do (they tear up easily on the stone), and cotton towels are pretty linty as well. And the microfiber towel is much, much better at grabbing and lifting away the grime too, even when used dry.
David
Last edited:
David Martin
Moderator
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2008
- Messages
- 19,520
Ok, I just tried a pencil eraser. It works. You'll need several pencils to do a 2X8" stone. But they will clean it. I tried a art gummed eraser and it did not work like the pencil eraser. Not sure why, perhaps of a different material. Val, gracias por es informaci'on. DM
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2009
- Messages
- 13,433
I don't really believe the above-quoted statement (in bold type). On the surface, it sounds logical, i.e., sharpening feels 'slicker' with oils or other fluids on the stone. But it's also what keeps the ground-away swarf from clogging the stone. A clogged stone will work a lot slower than a lubricated one, and it becomes obvious when it happens. It's especially obvious on finer-grit ceramics and diamond hones, if one compares performance using them wet versus dry (dry ceramics clog VERY fast, even in a minute's time or less, if any heavy grinding is attempted on them).
Having said that, I have used my oil stones dry on occasion; they're easy to clean with water & dish soap, especially if they've never been oiled before. But I generally only do this when doing a light touch-up on an edge, which doesn't generate enough swarf to clog it and slow things down. Just a few light passes, in other words, and not the sort of heavy grinding that generates a LOT of swarf in a hurry. If the stone is dry, that swarf has nowhere to go, and will just settle down into the stone and clog the abrasive.
Regarding the loose abrasive & swarf washing back over the edge and dulling it:
I mentioned earlier, that I frequently apply some clean oil to the stone and rub it around to lift the swarf, so it can be wiped off. Part of the reason for doing this, for me, is to prep the stone for the last few final strokes to clean up the edge. If the stone is wiped clean of the sharpening debris, then re-oiled just enough to wet the surface again, the resulting light passes on the stone will produce a very clean & sharp edge. No worries about a bunch of loose grit & muddy swarf messing up the results.
In earlier grinding stages, I'm not really concerned about the fineness of the edge anyway; it's more about shaping the bevels and producing the burr. The muddy swarf on the stone won't impact that much at all. After that, wipe down the stone, reapply some oil and start refining the edge (cleaning up the burr, for example) with lighter passes. The fewer and lighter passes made in this step will generate a lot less swarf, and even less at the final stages, as I mentioned above.
David
Last edited:
David Martin
Moderator
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2008
- Messages
- 19,520
Yes, this. ^
I have John's book and work in meat markets several days a week. I've thought about his comments and came to this conclusion; John made those comments / observations while working in a huge processing plant. In such places, meat cutters never clean their stones. They sharpen their knife (kinda) and leave the stone for the next guy. With all the swarf on it's surface. It's the same no matter where I go, just the nature of the job. Well, to use Their sharpening stone I have to clean it. So, this scenario (which is what David mentioned above) I think is what John observed and his comments were based off that. NOT what we do! How we routinely go about sharpening is different. Oil the coarse side, set the bevel and reduce most of the burr. Wipe it clean. Go to the finer stone, oil it, further refine the edge. ( not working as much toward a burr here) More toward refining and reducing the burr. Once we get it mostly reduced and with a good edge. We'll wipe the stone clean and go to the strop. Further removing the burr. Now, we have a well refined edge that is mostly burr free. This is NOT what I see going on in meat markets. DM
I have John's book and work in meat markets several days a week. I've thought about his comments and came to this conclusion; John made those comments / observations while working in a huge processing plant. In such places, meat cutters never clean their stones. They sharpen their knife (kinda) and leave the stone for the next guy. With all the swarf on it's surface. It's the same no matter where I go, just the nature of the job. Well, to use Their sharpening stone I have to clean it. So, this scenario (which is what David mentioned above) I think is what John observed and his comments were based off that. NOT what we do! How we routinely go about sharpening is different. Oil the coarse side, set the bevel and reduce most of the burr. Wipe it clean. Go to the finer stone, oil it, further refine the edge. ( not working as much toward a burr here) More toward refining and reducing the burr. Once we get it mostly reduced and with a good edge. We'll wipe the stone clean and go to the strop. Further removing the burr. Now, we have a well refined edge that is mostly burr free. This is NOT what I see going on in meat markets. DM
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2016
- Messages
- 103
I would never clean with water a stone that was used with oil. If you do it will surely become unusable
In no way would I use an industrial strength acid or any caustic chemical for that matter on a high quality sharpening stone. Bar Keeper's Friend has an acid in it but it's not nearly the strength of any of those industrial grade acids. As much money as I've got tied up in my benchstones and other sharpening tools there is no way at all that I would risk ruining one of them with dangerous chemicals.
Now I have heard of acid resistant ceramics>> but even at that I wouldn't take a chance on it.