Stones For A Toothy Edge

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KrabbyKakes

Joined
Jun 22, 2013
Messages
261
Im just getting in to sharpening and it is about time to get some quality stones. So far I have a King 1000 grit waterstone, a Spyderco Double Stuff, a strop, and an old oil stone. Edge repair on a dull edge takes for ever and I can't get a good mirror polish with out stropping for hours and even then the edge is cloudy. So my question for you today is if a DMT coarse/fine stone and a Spyderco Ultrafine a good combination for a toothy edge or do I need a coarser stone than the ultra fine. Also, should I get the Ultrafine ceramic or a high grit waterstone for the last step. It seems to be about the same price as a quality waterstone except I like the fact that the spyderco requires no prep (such as soaking) and that (I think) it is made in the US. I have seen the Splash-and-Go stones but those seem pricey, over a hundred bucks for one stone. If you have any recommendations post them but stones only please, can't afford an edge pro or wicked edge and I like the satisfaction or getting a sharp free handed edge. So just to paraphrase, are the mentioned stones a good set for free handing and is the spyderco Ultrafine better than waterstones.
 
Sorry I dont understand, do you want a toothy edge or do you have one but want smooth polished edge?

For toothy edge that 1000 should be fine, will take time but itll do. A rougher stone would speed up the process.
 
Diamonds are great for a toothy edge.

I am also confused by the search for a toothy, mirror edge...
 
A toothy edge. Sorry about the mix up. I just meant that my current set up isn't up to par for either types of edge. As for the king, anytime I use it, the edge never bites into a material very well. It just kind of slides off.
 
What steel? This is important to know, before any reliable recommendations can be made. I don't use waterstones, but there are several members here that could make some more useful suggestions in that direction, if they know what steel you're working with, and what you want to do with it.

As suggested earlier, diamond works for most steels, in producing a quick toothy edge. But it may not be necessary, and might even be overkill, depending on the steel type.


David
 
Right now just 154Cm, 420HC, and Case stainless steel. However, my next purchase will be an auto. Not sure wich one yet (I'm waiting for a good deal to show up in the exchange) but the models I'm looking at are D2, S30V, and S35VN.
 
Nubatama bamboo series 1k gold stone or the Ume series 1k, both will cut wear resistant steels like a diamond stone and leave a very nice yet toothy edge.
 
KrabbyKakes said:
Right now just 154Cm, 420HC, and Case stainless steel. However, my next purchase will be an auto. Not sure wich one yet (I'm waiting for a good deal to show up in the exchange) but the models I'm looking at are D2, S30V, and S35VN.
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The Case stainless (Tru-Sharp) is simply 420HC by another name. This is what I sharpen most often (lots of Case knives, and a few Bucks), and I like to use silicon carbide for it (either stones or wet/dry sandpaper). 220 - 400 grit sandpaper can put a really nice & toothy edge on it. Afterwards, stropping on green compound on leather does a nice job cleaning up the edge.

154CM is more wear-resistant than 420HC, and should respond well to silicon carbide also (like Norton's Crystolon, in addition to the sandpaper), as well as some coarser aluminum oxide stones (Norton's India, for example) and diamond. The higher wear-resistance of this steel means abrasives won't dig quite as deep for a given grit, and therefore will leave a somewhat less-toothy finish at the same grit, as compared to using the same abrasive on 420HC, which is much softer/less wear-resistant, so the abrasive will leave deeper grind marks in it.


David
 
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Thanks for the advice Obsessed With Edges. Now it makes since that my Buck Vantage always cut better than my Griptillian. Do you have a personal recommendation for a stone? And to Knifenut, would the 1k grit be good for a reprofile? My brothers Griptillian had a nasty chip in it and a friend of his tried to sharpen it. Now it has an extremely high angle and doesn't cut very well and the King cuts way to slow for a complete reprofile.
 
KrabbyKakes said:
Thanks for the advice Obsessed With Edges. Now it makes since that my Buck Vantage always cut better than my Griptillian. Do you have a personal recommendation for a stone? And to Knifenut, would the 1k grit be good for a reprofile? My brothers Griptillian had a nasty chip in it and a friend of his tried to sharpen it. Now it has an extremely high angle and doesn't cut very well and the King cuts way to slow for a complete reprofile.
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More often than not, I rely on the wet/dry sandpaper (silicon carbide; either/both of 3M and Norton brands) for 420HC. I use it on glass, with edge-trailing strokes (like stropping). I do have a couple of inexpensive silicon carbide stones; one is a Norton 6" 'Economy' stone found at Home Depot, the other is a smaller 4" stone of what appears to be identical manufacture, though I found it at Ace Hardware (it's branded with the Ace name). These are less-expensive alternatives to Norton's Crystolon stones (same abrasive, though the 'Crystolon' is likely of higher quality manufacture). Either of them works very fast for re-bevelling blades of this steel and others, though I always refine & tune-up those new bevels on the sandpaper. Of all the methods I've tried with 420HC, I like the sandpaper sharpening the best. This steel really responds well to it, especially in the 320-600 grit range. Very easy to maintain these edges by stropping with green compound (I use it on sueded leather, such as the backside of my leather belt).

The above sandpaper & green compound sharpening/stropping scheme is also my favorite for simple carbon steels, like 1095 and Case's CV.


David
 
Depends on the size of the chip, its possible but a coarse stone would be preferable. 1000 grit is the middle of the road in waterstone sharpening and the philosophy is to sharpen with this stone after the edge has been ground then finish with a finer stone if needed. As a "sharpening" stone it technically shouldn't be used for grinding though with its cutting power could be in some cases.

I have a king 1k in my collection too but its not even close to the Nubatama, they are truly on a whole new level.
 
Thanks Knifenut and Obsessed with Edges. I'll probably end up getting the Nubatama and a 220 grit stone. I just prefer having a stone instead of buying sandpaper anytime I need to sharpen.
 
KrabbyKakes said:
Thanks Knifenut and Obsessed with Edges. I'll probably end up getting the Nubatama and a 220 grit stone. I just prefer having a stone instead of buying sandpaper anytime I need to sharpen.
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I understand and respect that. :thumbup:

For what it's worth, the sandpaper supply I've been relying on was purchased probably ~3 years or more ago. Bought a full range of grits, all the way from 220 up through 2000, at five 9" X 11" sheets per grit (about $1 per sheet). I still haven't gone through more than 3 sheets in any one grit selection (think I've used 400 the most), and most other grits I haven't yet expended more than one full sheet. The coarser grits get minimal wear for the quick re-bevelling jobs on pocketknife-sized blades with simpler steels, so they've lasted a very long while. And the finer grits above ~800 or so get finer with use, so a small section can have a very long useful life as a polishing/tune-up tool that produces even more mirror with some wear. Those grits have really lasted a long while.

And obviously, the sandpaper has also come in useful for other tasks as well. :)


David
 
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