Does Anyone Use Cratex Sticks to Sharpen?

[skmo]

I just learned about Cratex Sticks. I don't know how I managed to go over 57 years being so involved with outdoor living and knives without hearing about Cratex Sticks, but there it is. Do any of you use Cratex Sticks for sharpening knives? If so, what are the risks involved with them, or are they similar to ordinary stones?

 

[Bill Siegle]

The ones i have used, I’d consider too soft to use for sharpening. They might have more durable versions I’m unaware of though. I’d think if you used one as a strop it might have some benefit.

 

[Spey]

To answer

I just learned about Cratex Sticks. I don't know how I managed to go over 57 years being so involved with outdoor living and knives without hearing about Cratex Sticks, but there it is. Do any of you use Cratex Sticks for sharpening knives? If so, what are the risks involved with them, or are they similar to ordinary stones?

To answer the question, it would seem prudent to understand the why ... would you want to use a rubberized abrasive for sharpening knives ?

I would think ..., they would be ok (limited to) in an edge-trailing application, but would be susceptible to gouging in an edge-leading application in similar condition that a strop can be easily damaged in edge-leading use (Bill Siegle comments in post #2 above). I suppose, if you drop your stones frequently and they chip or break as a result and/or your sharpening processes results in abrasive chatter during sharpening, that a rubberized abrasive might help those issues (like when producing a rotary-metal-turned-finish like in the photo below).

When it comes to sharpening tools (knives, etc.), I would be more interested in the specifics of what the actual abrasive is (example: silicon carbide (SiC) vs. aluminum oxide (Al2O3) vs. the binder used to suspend the abrasives as it relates to the metal composition of the steel being sharpened.