Coarser grit Ceramic Benchstones?

PeteyTwoPointOne

PeteyTwoPointOne

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Spyderco ceramic benchstones are my favorite because they work and are low maintenance compared to the alternatives.

Is it possible, practical, or cost effective to produce CERAMIC stones/rods in grits coarser than Spyderco Medium?

I'm guessing no...

Plus considering Sal's been making sharpeners as long <longer> than blades and he hasn't done it already....but I don't make em I just buy em and use em :oops:...so I thought I'd ask o_O

Right now I'm using 3M wet/dry sandpaper wetted down on a granite slab in my basement, not bad, just not as easy and cheap <and portable> as ceramic Spyderco benchstones.
 
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From my reading and research, it doesn't seem that a ceramic solution in the coarser grits is practical or forthcoming.

The closest thing that comes to mind would be the Shapton Glass bench stones in various grits.

They will struggle with high Vanadium carbide blades (for sharpening) once the percentage equals 4% or so, per those with extensive experience using these stones.

They are splash and go and mimic ceramic in use according to many reviews.

Alternatively, a resin based bonded diamond hone, such as the Venev, also has been compared to using ceramics and is capable of cutting Vanadium carbides as well.

Just a couple of thoughts.
 
Blues said:
The closest thing that comes to mind would be the Shapton Glass bench stones in various grits.

They will struggle with high Vanadium carbide blades (for sharpening) once the percentage equals 4% or so, per those with extensive experience using these stones.

They are splash and go and mimic ceramic in use according to many reviews.

Alternatively, a resin based bonded diamond hone, such as the Venev, also has been compared to using ceramics and is capable of cutting Vanadium carbides as well.

Just a couple of thoughts.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info...at this point in my life, splash & go sounds great!
 
PeteyTwoPointOne said:
Thanks for the info...at this point in my life, splash & go sounds great!
Click to expand...

You're very welcome.

Both products mentioned are splash and go. I actually invested in some of each myself a while back but just haven't had a need to break them out as yet. I'm obviously not working my knives hard enough.

Shawn (@DeadboxHero ) and Michael Christy (as well as others) have some great posts and videos on the topic.
(Shawn also posts extensively on the spyderco.com forum as well. Great source of information, imho.)
 
Hi Guys,

Just wanted to echo Blues' suggestion about the Shaptons - I love mine. I got them earlier this year, and although I haven't used them a ton, I have had really good results. I've primarily used mine on my thinly ground kitchen knives, but they've cut really well - even on steels like AS that are near 65 Rockwell. They're quite easy to use - quick flattening, splash of water, and you're ready to roll.

In addition to the glass stones (the ones that I have) which are ceramic mounted on a piece of glass, they make a Pro line which are all ceramic. The lowest grit that I have is 500, but they go all the way down to 120. I imagine it hogs away steel pretty quickly.
 
I’m over the sharpening fetish myself. I sharpen them up when dull and use them. The idea of using water or flattening the stone or digging out all the accoutrements just seems like a whole lot of a hassle to me these days.

I prefer fast and easy and that’s DMTs diafold. Not a good choice for a reprofile job but to keep them sharp they’re pretty good. I use the red on my edc’s and it takes just a minute or two to make them sharp again.
 
That's been one of my biggest complaints over the years in regards to Spyderco's great sharpening tools. I've said for a long time if they would make either a coarse or extra-coarse stone for the 204 Sharpmaker for rapid stock removal for a really beat up blade. But first off we've got to look at this through Spyderco's porthole. There are already so many coarse stones on the market already that it wouldn't profit Spyderco enough to even recoup their investment in launching a new product. For years I've been using some diamond stones I've bought for the reprofiling and removing damage from the edges.

I've even wondered why they didn't at least offer another diamond stone for the 204 Sharpmaker that is considerably more coarse than the one they currently offer. I am however looking forward to this new, upcoming GAUNTLET Sharpening system that Spyderco is about to launch in their main product line up. I'm hoping that the GAUNTLET might have something to fill that void,. Or maybe another abrasive company can make some aftermarket stones that would work in the 204 Sharpmaker.

Also the 204 Sharpmaker should be called the "Sharp Maintainer" because it's really not ideal for reprofiling and restoring edges on really badly beat up blades. Yeah for the life of me I have never understood why Spyderco doesn't address that problem.
 
For non high vanadium alloys I would recommend the Shapton Pro 120. I mean you asked for coarse; why fool around ?

For high vanadium and for reprofiling said blades the DMT 10 inch Coarse / Extra Coarse diamond plate. Mine is super flat and has lasted for more than ten years of fairly heavy use and some abuse.

For flattening the backs of hand tool woodworking plane blades and the backs of chisels I still go with the method you mentioned, sand paper glued on a flat surface, but I use Zirconia Alumina Norton power belt sander belts (blue in color) in 36 or 46 grit cut and glued down :thumbsup: ;)
 
I have pretty much given up on benchstones anymore. I use them occasional for an edge touch up, otherwise I use a Worksharp belt system. I like It very much.
 
Spyderco sell both diamond and Cubic Boron Nitride coated rods for the Sharpmaker. Are they not coarser than the brown ceramic? The literature I have seen suggests they are, and that that is their purpose, but I haven't ever handled any.

The current ceramic used in the Fallkniven DC4 and CC4 is coarser than the ceramic used in the Sharpmaker. The white in the CC4 is perhaps a little smoother than the Spyderco Medium, but not as smooth as the Spyderco white fine rods.

The best sharpening job I have done on my Spyderco S90V blade has been done with a Sigma Select II 1000g water stone. It is billed as being designed to cut such steels, it being a vitreous ceramic stone (no binders), but it does form slurry, so not like the dense ceramics sold by Spyderco. Cuts much faster though.

ATB

Chris
 
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