Lifespan of the sharpmake rods?

W

williscondiff

Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
45
i bought one and it has been fantastic...but lately i'm wondering about the lifespan of the original rods.

does not seem to work as well, which is understandable since it is nearly 5 yrs. old.
 
It always depends on the amount of use you put them through, but have you tried to clean the ceramic rods first?

Give them a good scrubbing with a brass bristle brush and some soapy water -or- oil, to unclog metal shavings from the ceramic pores. That should add plenty more life to them.
 
I don't see them wearing out at all. Like CWL said, gotta keep 'm clean though, they tend to clog up, like all ceramics.
 
I use Soft Scrub with a Scotchbrite pad and it works very well. I clean them after every use and that way they are fresh when I use them again. You can really tell the difference.

Some folks have reported that they can be cleaned in the dishwasher. And, some people recommend using an eraser or one of those rust erasers.
 
I still have my original set which I have had for about 16 to 18 years. The Sharpmaker was my first guided sharpening system and I used it to sharpen everything. I still use it for touch ups every now and then and for some of my old knives that have serrations. The only thing you need to be careful with is not dropping the rods on any hard surface. They will crack in half or chip easily.
 
.....and yes, keep em' clean. You can use a green scotch bright or 3M pad with Comet or Ajax abrasive cleaner. Just don't use a steel wool brillo. What I've been doing lately is using an eraser from Footlocker for suede shoes to clean the rods. There are also erasers specifically for that purpose.
 
For cleaning,I use Scotch-Brite pads with powdered cleanser, usually Bon Ami. Never a chlorinated cleanser. Bar-Keeps friend works well, also.

I replaced one set of coarse rods, having used them to re-profile several Queen D2 butter knife edges. (I got over-anxious and used too much pressure, causing the rods to hollow out. I have since switched to diamond DMT stones for re-profiling work.) I've had the replacement rods for several years now and they are none-the-worse for wear.

I think if you don't press hard, and just let the ceramic do its thing, the rods should last a long time.
 
White rods should last forever but the brown ones last about 5 years with normal use...at least that is what I have heard.
 
Agree on non-abrasive cleansers! :thumbup:

knarfeng said:
For cleaning,I use Scotch-Brite pads with powdered cleanser, usually Bon Ami. Never a chlorinated cleanser. Bar-Keeps friend works well, also.

I replaced one set of coarse rods, having used them to re-profile several Queen D2 butter knife edges. (I got over-anxious and used too much pressure, causing the rods to hollow out. I have since switched to diamond DMT stones for re-profiling work.) I've had the replacement rods for several years now and they are none-the-worse for wear.

I think if you don't press hard, and just let the ceramic do its thing, the rods should last a long time.
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