Not sure this should have happened (broken sharpmaker rod)

[Psychopomp]

So there I was getting some kitchen knives ready for Thanksgiving on the Sharpmaker when something hit the back of my hand. Fortunately I stopped what I was doing fast enough to avoid cutting my hand, but when I looked down, there were two pieces of medium Sharpmaker rod on the floor.

The break in the middle was from pressure from the knife (I was sharpening on the corners of the rod) and the other break was from hitting the floor. I wasn't using excessive pressure on the rods, or at least no more than usual and I've been using this thing for about three years now.

I've never heard of this happening before and I didn't notice a crack in the rod before using it (in fact I'd just cleaned the rods before sharpening so I think I would have noticed a crack). After three years, I figured I'd wear a hollow in the center of the stone before breaking one in half.

Looks like some new Sharpmaker rods are in my future... maybe I'll break down and get myself some extra fine rods while I'm at it.

 

[IUKE12]

Hope you had the brass rods in place, also sounds like you are using waaaay too much pressure on the stones.

 

[Psychopomp]

The rods were in place. I don't think I was using excessive force, like I said, at least no more than normal. I think using too much force would be more likely to lift the end of the base off the table than to break the stone.

I don't think it was a defect in the rod, it would have broken long before now if it was, I've just never seen another broken rod.

 

[bladefan]

I broke mine a while back by dropping it... just epoxied it back together, its working fine...

 

[STR]

Take a ceramic belt to the end of the large piece and use it as a convenient and handy dandy back pack, tool box, tackle box or travel sharpener. I've bought the singles of just the rods for years in both the mediums and fine and broken them on purpose for the same things. :thumbup:

STR

 

[Psychopomp]

Take a ceramic belt to the end of the large piece and use it as a convenient and handy dandy back pack, tool box, tackle box or travel sharpener. I've bought the singles of just the rods for years in both the mediums and fine and broken them on purpose for the same things. :thumbup:

STR

That's not a bad idea. Might as well get some use out of it. Thanks.