edge-pro replacement stone advice requested, please

S

sharpandsafe

Joined
Feb 25, 2011
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275
Ready to get replacement stones, and don't want to have to shell out for Shapton or Chosera. I have only sharpened Kershaw's 14c26n and plain carbon steel so far. Will new Edge-Pro brand stones and polishing strips be suitable to sharpen and polish the new super-hard PM super steels that I am beginning to collect (s30v, etc.) or will I need to shell out for Shapton or Chosera stones for these harder steels?

I don't care about what is "best"; I just want what will get the job done at a reasonable price.

Thanks!
 
You should check out http://www.congresstools.com/ They make a bunch of different stones in all sorts of different sizes. You will have to use the blanks that your original stones were attached to though unless you want to buy some new mounting blanks. Just find the right size for the EP (1'' wide, 6'' long 1/8th''thick) I got the Moldmasters and have been extremely happy with the 120 (only one I've used so far). They cut very fast.
 
Why are you ready to replace the stones? In my experience, the stones from Edge Pro can do fine with harder steels. I have a set of Chosera stones that I haven't used in over a year; I just use the factory stones. It's a huge jump (price-wise) to Chosera and Shapton stones. You said you want it at a reasonable price. Why not use Edge Pro stones?

Good sharpening,
Dave
 
Google for Edge Pro diamond stones by Ken Schwartz. You can pick them up for $20-30ish per stone, and they go from 165 micron to sub-micron sizes.
 
seelow123 said:
You should check out http://www.congresstools.com/ They make a bunch of different stones in all sorts of different sizes. You will have to use the blanks that your original stones were attached to though unless you want to buy some new mounting blanks. Just find the right size for the EP (1'' wide, 6'' long 1/8th''thick) I got the Moldmasters and have been extremely happy with the 120 (only one I've used so far). They cut very fast.
Click to expand...

Thanks, seelow - these look like a good deal.

wvdavidr said:
Why are you ready to replace the stones?
Dave
Click to expand...

Dave, my stones are getting worn and I am concerned that they won't be effective on the super-hard and wear-resistant steels like s30v, with it's high content of super-hard vanadium carbide. Look at a section of a table I found online at http://www.tedpella.com/material_html/charts.htm

MATERIAL/KNOOP HARDNESS
Alumina/2100
Zirconium Carbide /2100
Beryllium Carbide/2410
Titanium Carbide/2470
Silicon Carbide /2480
Aluminum Boride /2500
Vanadium Carbide /2660
Boron Carbide /2750
Titanium Diboride/4400
Diamond /7000

As you can see, vanadium carbide is harder than either alumina(aluminum oxide) and silicon carbde, the two common materials used in synthetic sharpening stones. What are the Edge Pro stones made out of?

Cynic2701 said:
Google for Edge Pro diamond stones by Ken Schwartz. You can pick them up for $20-30ish per stone, and they go from 165 micron to sub-micron sizes.
Click to expand...

at $25-$35 plus shipping, these don't seem to offer much savings, but thanks.
 
THe Stock EP stones are fine for harder steels. I did countless CPM-S30V knives, a couple M390 knives, M4, Elmax, CTS-XHP and countless other steels like VG-10 etc. and the stone was still usable. It was dished out, but usable. I could have just flattened it and it would have worked perfectly but I didn't want to mess with it so I got the Moldmasters.
 
seelow123 said:
THe Stock EP stones are fine for harder steels. I did countless CPM-S30V knives, a couple M390 knives, M4, Elmax, CTS-XHP and countless other steels like VG-10 etc. and the stone was still usable. It was dished out, but usable. I could have just flattened it and it would have worked perfectly but I didn't want to mess with it so I got the Moldmasters.
Click to expand...

Thanks seelow, I think that's what I needed to hear.
 
I've sharpened s30v, s35vn, d2 and a bunch of other steels on the Edge Pro, and I think the stock stones worked great. Slightly dished after a bunch of knives, but easy to flatten. I used a coarse diamond plate (diamond film on aluminium). I might get other stones down the line, but not before the original stones wear out, I think.
 
I'll go with new Edge Pro stones to replace the couple that are wearing or broken (oops!), and add some of the polishing strips. I am also playing with some designs for "strops" for the edge pro using various materials and sandpaper that may help with convexing and sharpening recurves.
 
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