Recommendations on finishing stones: Freehand sharpening question

[halden.doerge]

I am just curious if anyone had some recommendations on benchstones for finishing/polishing the edge. My current system is all freehand, using DMT diamond stones (Coarse and Extra Fine), then moving to the Spyderco Ultrafine bench stone, and finishing on the strop.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with the results, but the mirror polish I get is still just a little cloudy on a number of steels and I would like to find a finer grit finishing stone to take it to the next level.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[awestib]

Do you stay long enough on the DMT extra fine to remove all the scratches before going to the Spyderco UF
?
We recently had that topic pretty much here on BF and even though I have not tried it yet, consider replacing the Spyderco UF bench stone with a Shapton Glass 4000 and/or adding the Shapton glass 6000 etc. to it.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I am just curious if anyone had some recommendations on benchstones for finishing/polishing the edge. My current system is all freehand, using DMT diamond stones (Coarse and Extra Fine), then moving to the Spyderco Ultrafine bench stone, and finishing on the strop.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with the results, but the mirror polish I get is still just a little cloudy on a number of steels and I would like to find a finer grit finishing stone to take it to the next level.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Coarse to EF is a BIG jump in grit (45µ to 9µ), on the diamond hones. You'd likely do well to add the Fine (25µ) to the sequence, if pursuing a mirror polish is your goal. Otherwise, it's likely the EF hasn't fully cleaned up the deep scratches from the Coarse DMT. Following the rest of your sequence with Dia-Paste in 3/1µ grit, used on a wood strop like balsa, will really make the mirror pop, assuming everything prior was done to full completion. In particular, the 3µ Dia-Paste works very impressively in bringing up the mirror after the EF and/or EEF hones.

Depending on what steels you're sharpening, and what you're using to strop them, it's also possible the stropping compound may not be working well on the carbides in the steel, if they're abundant (vanadium carbide in particular, in steels like S30V/90V/110V, etc). This is why I suggest using the diamond compound, as it'll polish vanadium carbides almost effortlessly, as compared to lesser compounds (green, AlOx, SiC) which won't be hard enough to do it. They'll leave that cloudy 'haze' as well, if so.


David

 

[Jason B.]

I wouldn't say it's a big jump, DMT Coarse to DMT Extra Fine is very doable even on highly wear resistant steels. The jump to the UF ceramic might cause some issues depending on the steel though.

Going to a finer stone would be difficult, the UF ceramic is very fine itself and to pair it with another polishing stone sounds much easier than it is. Adding diamond stropping compound as recommended by David would probably be your best route.

 

[halden.doerge]

Thanks all, that's very helpful!

As far as finer grit stones I've been looking at some of the higher grit Shaptons. Would I be right in thinking thinking that that wouldn't necessarily help polish a ton, but would still take the edge further, keener, etc yes?

Thanks!!

 

[fsatsil]

I don't think you need anything finer then the Spyderco UF but I would try a stone in between the extra fine DMT and the ultra fine Spyderco, something like the DMT medium extra fine would be my choice. You might also want to pick up some 1micron diamond compound for your strop.

 

[Jason B.]

Thanks all, that's very helpful!

As far as finer grit stones I've been looking at some of the higher grit Shaptons. Would I be right in thinking thinking that that wouldn't necessarily help polish a ton, but would still take the edge further, keener, etc yes?

Thanks!!

No, it would only make things more confusing. If you added waterstones you would need to start around 1000 grit and work up, it would also mean most of your other stones would be useless. The Spyderco UF is probably comparable to the SG 6k or 8k so you would need a progression to at least that point. You would also need to upgrade your diamond plate because you cannot lap waterstones with a coarse DMT. The Atoma 140 or DMT XXC would be needed unless you wanted to fork out the nearly $400 for the Shapton lapping plate.

For what you have now I would recommend the Spyderco Fine. It will fit better into your progression and likely help the polish on some of your edges.

 

[halden.doerge]

That's very helpful, guys, thanks. Diamond compound and the Spyderco fine stone are on their way.