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coltc11

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Feb 1, 2018
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I'm pretty excited. I picked up a used KME off the Exchange here.

It's just the basic kit with the 4 diamond stones.

What else do I need?

I have a couple of recurves, do I need the jewelstik?

Do I at least need a strop? Maybe the other two lower grit Diamond Stones?

Thanks
 
Other than the basic kit, the only real requirement is the base. Not sure how you'd use it otherwise.

The lower stones are needed only if you're doing heavier re-profiling, especially of harder steels. If you're just touching up, or rarely re-profiling, you don't need them.

I used the lapping pads for a while. They work well, but I found the difference is cosmetic - it didn't increase sharpness beyond the 1500 stone, that I could tell. Same with the KME translucent Arkansas stone. Moreover, if you are going to a mirror edge, and end up with a random, but very visible, scratch in the edge finish, it's just about the worst feeling in the world, and takes forever to fix :p

I did try off-brand strops and CBN compounds (from Gritomatic), which I think worked better than the lapping pads, but it's hard to say. Plus, with anything off-brand (not to mention the KME Arkansas stones) you need to deal with the difference in stone thickness. It sounds like it'd be easy to adjust, but getting the angle exactly right is challenging.

I just recently picked up a KME brand kangaroo strop, but haven't tried it yet. I'm planning on trying it with green stropping compound, just for a touch-up after the 1500 grit stone, mainly just to make the edge a hair less toothy. I've given up on mirror edges. Frankly, for the cost of all the compounds, lapping pads, etc. you need to use, it's probably cheaper just to send the knife in to an expert to get to a mirror edge.
 
tyyreaun said:
Other than the basic kit, the only real requirement is the base. Not sure how you'd use it otherwise.

The lower stones are needed only if you're doing heavier re-profiling, especially of harder steels. If you're just touching up, or rarely re-profiling, you don't need them.

I used the lapping pads for a while. They work well, but I found the difference is cosmetic - it didn't increase sharpness beyond the 1500 stone, that I could tell. Same with the KME translucent Arkansas stone. Moreover, if you are going to a mirror edge, and end up with a random, but very visible, scratch in the edge finish, it's just about the worst feeling in the world, and takes forever to fix :p

I did try off-brand strops and CBN compounds (from Gritomatic), which I think worked better than the lapping pads, but it's hard to say. Plus, with anything off-brand (not to mention the KME Arkansas stones) you need to deal with the difference in stone thickness. It sounds like it'd be easy to adjust, but getting the angle exactly right is challenging.

I just recently picked up a KME brand kangaroo strop, but haven't tried it yet. I'm planning on trying it with green stropping compound, just for a touch-up after the 1500 grit stone, mainly just to make the edge a hair less toothy. I've given up on mirror edges. Frankly, for the cost of all the compounds, lapping pads, etc. you need to use, it's probably cheaper just to send the knife in to an expert to get to a mirror edge.
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Awesome post.

I totally forgot about the base. I'll need to grab one. I think I'll hold off on trying for mirror edges at first. I will probably grab a strop though.

So far, I'll order a base and a strop, and maybe the other diamond stones.

I'd still like to hear some feedback on the jewelstik thing from someone who used one.
 
I did try the JewelStik, but only once, on a cheap 8Cr knife. It got the job done but it’s awkward to use on extreme recurves. On light recurves it should be better.

With the JewelStik, it did feel like it was raining diamond dust while using it. It’s definitely not nearly as well bonded as the KME stones. I think you’d need to replace it fairly often if used regularly.

Ultimately I decided I didn’t really like recurved knives all that much anyway, so it’s easier to just not use them and not need to worry about sharpening them. I do have a Lansky kit similar to the Sharpmaker in case a need ever comes up, but otherwise I chose to avoid recurved blades. Frankly, with as many awesome knives out there as there are, any new criteria by which to avoid certain blades is good for me.

Edit: by extreme recurve I mean the CRKT Keramin - sharpening that was super awkward even with the JewelStik. Light recurves, like the Emerson Commander, should be much easier.
 
tyyreaun said:
I did try the JewelStik, but only once, on a cheap 8Cr knife. It got the job done but it’s awkward to use on extreme recurves. On light recurves it should be better.

With the JewelStik, it did feel like it was raining diamond dust while using it. It’s definitely not nearly as well bonded as the KME stones. I think you’d need to replace it fairly often if used regularly.

Ultimately I decided I didn’t really like recurved knives all that much anyway, so it’s easier to just not use them and not need to worry about sharpening them. I do have a Lansky kit similar to the Sharpmaker in case a need ever comes up, but otherwise I chose to avoid recurved blades. Frankly, with as many awesome knives out there as there are, any new criteria by which to avoid certain blades is good for me.

Edit: by extreme recurve I mean the CRKT Keramin - sharpening that was super awkward even with the JewelStik. Light recurves, like the Emerson Commander, should be much easier.
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My recurves are very light. ZT0350 and Real Steel H5 Gerfalcon.
 
I have a few edge pro polish tapes left over.Im using them up by sticking them to the reverse side of a diamond stone for a final polish
 
It all depends on how you want to sharpen your knifes do you want a toothy edge or polished edge or somewhere in between,I find a Kangaroo strop works the best on a guided system and if you want the same emulsion that KME sell's but instead you can buy a 2oz bottle of the CBN for 44 bucks us funds from Ken Schwartz and you only need to use 2 or 3 drops the first time you use the strop and after that use 1 drop every 8 to 10 times you use it.

Go to link in the page and send him a message asking about CBN emulsions if you want to get some and tell him what grits you stop sharpening at and ask him what Micron you should get for the grit or grits you stop sharpening at,Ken has a lot more then what KME sells these are all the grit's in Micron's he has in the CBN line 80 45 30 16 8 6 4 3 2 1.5 1 .75 .50 .25 .125 .1 I do not know how much you understand about sharpening but when you strop you want the Micron size to be just a bit bigger or the same size as the stones grit you stopped sharpening at,there's not much point stopping at 1K with a stone and start stropping at 1.5 Micron

For example off the top of my head I know 16 Micron is 1K and 8 Micron is 2K and 4 Micron is 4K those are the ones I remember I forget the rest,Kens phone number is also on the page I'm linking.

https://www.facebook.com/ken.schwartz.984/about?lst=100003248825433:100001212185481:1520332481
 
I have had the KME for around 2 year and have a lot of extras. I would get the base if you don’t have it, one kangaroo strop with diamond or CBC paste/liquid compound and at LEAST the XXC stone (100grit). That will get you pretty far.

If you value your time and are going to sharpen decent steals the 50 grit “beast” is worth the extra $$ but the XXC will suffice, you will just grind a little longer.
 
chopsaki said:
I have had the KME for around 2 year and have a lot of extras. I would get the base if you don’t have it, one kangaroo strop with diamond or CBC paste/liquid compound and at LEAST the XXC stone (100grit). That will get you pretty far.

If you value your time and are going to sharpen decent steals the 50 grit “beast” is worth the extra $$ but the XXC will suffice, you will just grind a little longer.
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That just about describes my exact order sitting in my cart at KME with the addition of the Jewelstik.

Think I have the 4 micron solution in my cart, should that be sufficient?
 
5659F61A-4A25-4921-8EA4-5EC9740C76BA.jpeg AC029370-BEAD-4AEF-84FC-AB911D35AB9C.jpeg If your going up to 1500 diamond which comes with the basic kit than I believe it is fine. I find some of the best edges I get are with the 1500 grit and a basic strop after. Just stupid sharp, once you get a few knives under your belt you’ll be producing some great edges on a budget.

I did all these on a KME. Basic kit to Choosera 10k with diamond past 1mocron that’s it.
 
Just ordered the base, Jewelstik, 50 Diamond, 100 Diamond, Strop, and 4 Micron Fluid. Hope this works.
 
Have had my KME for some time now. I started out with the Diamond Stones and eventually started to use wet dry sandpaper. I cut the Sandpaper to the size of the stone, and put over the stone in the carrier. The weight of the stone is necessary. I bought the 4 micron Emulsion and use that with the leather strop after going to about 2500 grit wet dry sandpaper. I get a decent mirror finish with that technique.

Cosmo
 
Thanks for the ideas and suggestions everyone!

I placed the order for the parts from KME and had a tracking number in an hour. That's pretty fast!
 
COSMO said:
Have had my KME for some time now. I started out with the Diamond Stones and eventually started to use wet dry sandpaper. I cut the Sandpaper to the size of the stone, and put over the stone in the carrier. The weight of the stone is necessary. I bought the 4 micron Emulsion and use that with the leather strop after going to about 2500 grit wet dry sandpaper. I get a decent mirror finish with that technique.

Cosmo
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So do you now only use sandpaper for the whole job? And when you use the sandpaper do you only do edge trailing strokes?
 
chopsaki said:
So do you now only use sandpaper for the whole job? And when you use the sandpaper do you only do edge trailing strokes?
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On some blades I have used paper exclusively. Other times I use a combination of stones and paper. At the lower grits I use only Edge trailing Strokes, when I get up to the higher grits 800 to 2500 I might at times use a back and forth stroke. Going back and forth is risky cuz you can often cut or nick the paper.

Cosmo
 
Got my KME today. Also got a membership.

Tried the KME on a cheap Walmart knife then went straight to my ZT0770CF and ZT0566. They are both amazingly sharp now. Never had a knife that sharp.

How long before I cut myself? lol
 
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