How long do the rods in a sharpmaker lasts with average use?

knowsnoknife said:
How long do the rods in a sharpmaker lasts with average use? Will it last me at least a year? or less?
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The standard rods that come with the kit are ceramic. They should last essentially forever, so long as you don't break 'em. Just keep 'em clean to maintain their effectiveness. Comet, Ajax, Bar Keeper's Friend, mixed with some water, work well to clean ceramics, and more so if used with something like a Scotch-Brite pad.

The optional diamond rods, over time, could wear down. But with light (or even average) use, they should also last a pretty long time (years). As with any diamond sharpener, use light pressure. The diamond will do the work. Pressing too hard can scrub a lot of the diamond off of the rod eventually.
 
tabeeb762 said:
I've heard the brown rods can wear down, but mine still work as new after almost 6 years
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That pretty much says it all. :thumbup:

The brown ceramic, being a bit coarser than the white, can be a little more prone to 'collecting' the metal fines from knives over time. It takes a little more scrubbing to clean it off. It's not really a matter of it 'wearing down' (the ceramic is extremely hard, steel alone can't touch it), so much as it's more about keeping it clean. I suspect if someone's reported them 'wearing down', I'd bet it's because it's just clogged up with metal. All the more reason to clean them frequently. They'll work great for a very long time if they're kept clean.
 
They last a long time if only used for sharpening. They are very short lived if used as drumsticks (*&^% kids). I've had mine for nearly 10 years, and they are still going strong, if you don't count the chips in the corners from accidental rough handling. I actually rebeveled about 6 pocket size knives with the gray rod corners. They are just beginning to show real wear.
 
Maybe I'm misinformed, but I was under the impression the medium (brown) rods are stone, while the fine (white) rods are ceramic.

No?
 
The medium rods are the same ceramic as the white ones, just coarser.
 
my brown stones wore after about 7 years. The corners are flatter than they originally came. It is extremely noticeable. The white stones are about the same as they were when I bought it. I bought a new sharpmaker and put the old one on my lobster boat.
 
I found it necessary to buy a new set of brown rods after a few of years of use because the corners were scooped out.
 
I've been using mine for about 10 years and I haven't had to replace the rods. I've only added the ultrafine and diamond rods.
 
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