I know it gets mentioned here fairly regularly, but I just got another very pointed reminder of why we should use fresh belts as much as possible. I figured I'd post a reminder for everyone, and maybe some of the folks even newer than me will notice it for the first time.
I was cleaning up a blade after HT and it was going very slowly because I basically got one quick or one slower but partial pull before dunking and wondering if I'd just singed my fingertips. I was getting worried about messing up the temper, it was getting hot so fast.
The belt was "ok" just not fresh, but certainly still cutting decently. It just generated a LOT more heat than the fresh belt I switched to. I'll keep that other belt for certain tasks, get a little more use out of it, but it was a very good reminder of why I shouldn't try to stretch the life of a belt, it's just not worthwhile.
In theory you might save a few dollars but if you screw up a knife or injure yourself due to a dull belt it suddenly isn't such a great deal. Just like a sharp knife makes a task easier and less likely to result in injury, a fresh belt makes it easier to get a nice clean grind and reduces the chances of messing something up.
Just for the curious, this was a 120grit ceramic from Klingspor, just a regular medium backing belt. I should know better than to overuse one, they're so cheap.
I was cleaning up a blade after HT and it was going very slowly because I basically got one quick or one slower but partial pull before dunking and wondering if I'd just singed my fingertips. I was getting worried about messing up the temper, it was getting hot so fast.
The belt was "ok" just not fresh, but certainly still cutting decently. It just generated a LOT more heat than the fresh belt I switched to. I'll keep that other belt for certain tasks, get a little more use out of it, but it was a very good reminder of why I shouldn't try to stretch the life of a belt, it's just not worthwhile.
In theory you might save a few dollars but if you screw up a knife or injure yourself due to a dull belt it suddenly isn't such a great deal. Just like a sharp knife makes a task easier and less likely to result in injury, a fresh belt makes it easier to get a nice clean grind and reduces the chances of messing something up.
Just for the curious, this was a 120grit ceramic from Klingspor, just a regular medium backing belt. I should know better than to overuse one, they're so cheap.