The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Belt tracking is covered in the manual.
The Ken onion work sharp with the blade grinding attachment is an awesome set up. I absolutely love mine, and recommend it to anyone. The work sharp itself is good, but has limitations which are eliminated with the blade grinding attachment. It also yields far better results.
Also for even better results save a well worn 12k grit belt, and go to local hardware store and pick up a block of Emory compound (or stropping compound). Start the machine and rub it on the belt. Works great after using the normal belts for fine polishing and honing.
I don't have the packaging anymore, but I got it from tru-value. It's found over by the sanding belts and discs...It's Emory buffing compound, it'll look like a grayish black block about 1"W x 4"L. It'll likely be the only kind like it, the other ones are different colors like white brown, and red.
Np it works great on a worn 12k belt... it literally took an edge that could barely cut phone book paper cleanly and made an edge that could whittle hair. All in about 10 passes per side.
Is it a soft flexible belt? If so you will benefit from decreasing your angle before stropping...The belts that lack the stiff backing will wrap over your edge fairly easy and dull it like you've experienced...The slightly lower angle will help prevent it.
Where'd you get em? They're not listed on their website...
If it's the same green compound they used on the leather belt and their upgrade kit for the guided sharper then it is suppose to be .5 micron thou it appears a lil coarse compared to other .5 micron green compound I've had...
They don't specify in their website but as you can see, they specify Chromium Oxide and Ferric Oxide. Elsewhere, I found that Chromium Oxide is .5 micron and Ferric Oxide is .1 micron. I'm thinking this is a universal standard in that you can pressing down on them, they end up to be those sized particles?
As an aside, I take it that Ferric Oxide is simply rust that is pulverized.
As far as my experience goes, I like the uniformity of the surface pattern from the belt. I can't appreciate the mirror bevel as it's a small bevel for my sight. I am impressed at how much sharper the blade was after the two stroppings.
Here are two pics I just took now with my iphone. It's been about a week after carrying it and light use of opening food packages and amazon boxes. I hope the reflection shows well enough.
White is usually a medium grit (cut and polish) green is usually a fine compound (lil cut more polish) red is usually finer ( no cut primarily for polishing)