How To Using a Pocket Stone

FortyTwoBlades

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri
Dealer / Materials Provider
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
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A lot of folks express difficulty in using small stones so I did up this little video today using one of my Arctic Fox pocket stones. You can do a lot with small stones if you use the right technique. There are other tricks you can use with them as well, but this is the most fundamental. :)

 
Nice video- a little four inch pocket stone works great for touch ups. What is the grit combo on the stone?
 
ANSI 240 on the grey side and 400 on the pale blue, though it leaves a finish more akin to a 1000 grit and cuts faster than you'd expect.
 
Sweet video.
You guys make some quality stones.
I actually haven't used mine on my knives yet. Recently I've been putting them (the puck, bench stone, and pocket stone) work sharpening garden tools, some chisels, and some block plane irons. They work excellent on my tools!
 
I just received my pocket fox a day or two ago. So I decided to try it out this morning on a new Mora. In no time at all it was shaving hair. Since Moras tend to sharpen easy anyway, next I tried a Delica in VG10 that was pretty bad dull. Obviously this one took a little longer, but I'm still very pleased. I was forming a burr very quickly and I like the feel of it better than my dmt diafolds. Don't be afraid to try one of these out due to its size. Matter of fact, I may get a few to use as stocking stuffers!
 
The Pocket Fox is a nice little stone.
I have used it a lot the past couple months and the blue side gives an excellent edge

I've hand sharpened knives for over 30 years and the bulk of my sharpening has been with small pocket stones.

I keep a corundum, an India medium, and a translucent slipstone in a pouch in my toolbox and that takes care of any damage my knives take at work.

I love my bench stones but most time I can get a better and quicker edge on the small ones just cause I'm more familiar with them.
Plus by being in my hand I can see, feel, and hear what's going on a bit better.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
ANSI 240 on the grey side and 400 on the pale blue, though it leaves a finish more akin to a 1000 grit and cuts faster than you'd expect.
Click to expand...

Those stones look very sweet!
My abrasive needs are all met bit the sheer awesomeness of your products is making my money smolder lol.

I really appreciate the thought you put into your stones while also keeping them accessible.

Most other niches out there are in Japanese waterstones, or diamonds, but it seems like you went the "out Norton-ing Norton" route!

I can't wait to order an entire box of cool new stones to try!
 
Hahaha--thanks! Most other companies in the sharpening stone market have taken the approach of treating stones like they're sandpaper: they make one formulation and then just change the grit rating throughout without changing anything else. Sharpening is more complex than simple surface finishing, and different stages and contexts of sharpening have different combinations of factors that are considered as desirable. We're just actually identifying those sorts of circumstances and then adapting the formulation of the stones to those contexts so we're going after targeted uses. As a result, our stones aren't quite your traditional Norton-style stones, nor are they Japanese waterstones, but more like a hybrid that draws inspiration from historical natural stones as well as both Western and Eastern synthetics. :)
 
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