DC3/DC4, Carbon, and the Burr

[NoNameNomad]

I've searched around and found similar threads but not quite found the answer to what I'm about to ask. If such a thing has indeed come up and been answered I apologize, but I didn't see it.

Anyways, I'm looking to buy a DC3 or a DC4, been curious for a while to try one. Used diamonds, Norton India, sandpaper, etc, but I've no experience with ceramics, and it seems there are a wide variety of ceramics, all of them outside my range of experience (with the exception of coffee cup sharpening).

Well, my question is this. I tend to use carbon steel traditional knives almost exclusively. Predominantly 1095, Opinel Carbone, some O1. Now, lets say a do a little sharpening on the diamond side and then switch to the DC4s ceramic side. Will that refine the edge but raise up a burr, even raise up a larger burr than the diamond, on the aforementioned carbon steels? Or would it rather be useful it knocking off or reducing the burr from the diamonds? That's pretty much all I want to know. Yes, I could just buy one and give it a try, but I won't be doing so for a while longer so I thought I'd ask and get some opinions in the meantime.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

The one thing that could make or break your results, with the DC3/4 hones, is how the ceramic side's factory finish comes on yours, if/when you buy one. The DC4 that I have is a unique one, in that the ceramic side is much more aggressive than any others I've used (like Spyderco). It would be great for a really toothy finish on some more high-wear steels, but maybe leave an edge somewhat tattered on less wear-resistant steels (like 1095 or Opinel's 'carbone' XC90 steel).

I've tended to move away from using ceramics as much, because even at very fine grits, the sheer hardness of them can more easily create burring/wire edge issues on ductile steels. My favorite method for simple carbon steels and basic stainless (like 420HC) is the wet/dry sandpaper on a hard backing, followed by stropping with green compound (on wood, paper, cardboard or leather), then followed by stropping on firm, sueded leather with no compound (I use the inside 'rough' face of a couple leather belts).

A Fine/EF diamond hone is very useful for quickly re-bevelling simple carbon steels (use some mineral oil or similar, to keep the hone from loading up too fast). Following that, I still like to refine the edges on sandpaper and strops. I tend to avoid doing the refinement on diamond, because it's very easy to miss or overlook the burr creation. Diamond can create and erase a burr in a single pass on low-wear steels like 1095 and simpler stainless. If it's not noticed when it happens, it's real easy to over-grind the edge and remove more steel than necessary, while 'chasing' the burr. Burrs on 1095 at decent hardness (RC 55+) clean up very easily with low-pressure stropping on either high-grit sandpaper or with some compound on a strop.


David