Silicon Carbide Stones?

Q

Quak0r

Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
24
I bought the new TsProf 360 Blitz as the carbide stones set. Thought they were probably plenty enough for my needs. Now I found out that vanadium (wolfram probably too) carbides are way harder than sic carbid. Yea you can sharpen a Manix Maxamet with them but it simply doesn`t take a good edge (probably of all the carbid outbreaking instead of sharpening/cuting). My first Maxamet edge with sic carbid stones was meh to say at least. I even saw some pictures somewhere where you could see how packed maxamet is with carbides and how easily they break and pop out (even near/on the edge).

And yes since I`m a steel nerd and tend to buy knives with exotic (hightech/pm) steels I guess I need to buy myself some diamond stones now.

I`m thinking bout buying either the poltiva metallic bonded cbn stones or poltiva resin bonded cbn stones and last but not least venev (orion?) resin bonded diamond stones. Do you guys have experiences with them and which one would you advice me to buy?

Thx in advance fellow knife nuts :)
 
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Maxamet is a very interesting steel to sharpen. I have taken big chunks out of the apex with a leather strop. The problem was I used a cream which created more drag on the steel causing the point loading on the apex, which like ceramic it doesn't like. Now I use water as the carrier to load my leather strops.

maxamet-strop-chips.jpg


Here is the same blade but after sharpening with a 160 micron diamond stone. As you can see the apex just crumbles away, it will only get so keen with such a coarse stone. The bevel width on both photos is around .05" for scale.

160m-maxamet.jpg


As you can see from the photos it isn't the carbides tearing out causing the problems, it's the funky steel. Still, it's my favorite steel for knife blades.

Yes you need diamonds, or maybe CBN, but since I have a horse in this race I can't answer your question. But whatever you get use light pressure on the stones and be aware of point loading with this steel when sharpening.
 
I like DMT. They start at the prices of the two you are looking at and continue well above. Not sure what others here think but I am very happy with them. I have from 50 grit to 12,000. After that I strop and then felt buff with Flitz. I would rather go with S125V so that very instance does not occur. Just a suggestion.
 
As a note, silicon carbide does work fine on high-vanadium steels up to about ANSI 400 grit (~700 JIS) and it's only above that level that it starts becoming a losing battle. At 400 and coarser the grit is so much larger than the vanadium carbides that they just get scooped out along with the steel substrate.
 
Definitely not SiC for premium steels like that. I'd try out those Gritomatic cbn if I were you. In fact I'm planning to eventually. I have a set of the Venev diamonds, they work great as well. But I'm interested in the metallic cbn as they don't dish and you run them dry.
 
Ya already ordered a some metallic bonded cbn stones right up to 30k (half a micron) grit. They seem to have many advantages, can handle ANY steel and last a lifetime. And you can also dress them to your liking with something like ferric chloride.

Btw I found and bought the stones on eBay and they are the same Poltava stones made in ukrania. They were cheaper there and had all the grits I want. (Don`t get me wrong, Gritomatic is a great place to buy stuff.. Done that and will continue to do so. Actually I`m thinking about to buy a Venev Phoenix/Dragon Set right now from Gritomatic cuz I also want to get into freehand sharpening)
 
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I actually ordered 4 different Venev Stones and a Gunny Polydia Emulsion from Gritomatic before. Fuck me.. I`m addicted I guess..

Thx for all the replies btw :)
 
had few things already incoming, still this many big orders to go.. ya I gota confess.. I´m addicted af... :(
llsdnkj
Wv0RL90


Edit: OK fuck me it seems I`m to stupid to show/upload pictures here.. wanted to show my tracking list xD
 
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