Help choosing a compound for stropping Elmax

[ChrisLee]

I have never used a strop before but after reading many threads and posts it seems like a good way to maintain a good sharp edge. However, after searching and reading many threads and post about stropping. I'm no closer to choosing a compound for my Elmax 0562. Can someone with some experience please make a suggestion? I was beginning to lean towards Knives Ship for Free Kit with Bark River compounds and Otter box because it seems to have everything I would need but I'm not sure if the compounds in the kit are what I need for Elmax.

 

[Jason B.]

You will want 1 micron diamond, anything else will smooth out the edge too much. I would not recommend polishing elmax too much, it does not like it.

 

[ChrisLee]

So would it be better to use something like the DMT diamond sharpeners like in the aligner kit or strop Elmax?

 

[gomipile]

400 grit silicon carbide lapping compound works well for maintaining a good working edge on high alloy steels, also.

 

[ksskss]

Water based CBN emulsions going from 80 microns to 0.1 microns are especially designed for abrasion resistant steels like Elmax, CPM 3v, CPM4v etc etc. Using these compounds will allow you to put as sharp and refined of an edge as you feel is appropriate for the task at hand. The black Bark river compound is the edge that is used as a final finish on Bark River Knives and that factory edge is exceeded by the 4 micron CBN. Coarser grits (8 16 30 45 80 micron) will restore the edge and finer grits (2 1 0.5 0.25 0.1 will further refine it). Be sure to use formulations that are water soluble, free of contaminants, precisely specified and of high concentration.

---
Ken

 

[dalefuller]

You will want 1 micron diamond, anything else will smooth out the edge too much. I would not recommend polishing elmax too much, it does not like it.

This is exactly what I use on my Spyderco & ZT Elmax blades. 3 and 1 micron diamond paste compound from DMT on a balsa wood strop does all the edge maintenance I need to do on these folders.

 

[Rey HRH]

So would it be better to use something like the DMT diamond sharpeners like in the aligner kit or strop Elmax?

He's saying that you will want 1 micron diamond strop compound. I agree with his statement about not polishing elmax too much. I use 0.5 micron diamond spray on basswood and the sharpness goes away pretty fast the more I strop it.