I have 5 kits available with more in process.
Still only $48 shipping included lower 48 - shipping elsewhere at cost.
They come with:
One Washboard sharpening plate on wooden base - approx 2"x 8" x 1"
4 color illustrated user's guide - 8 pages
Your choice of custom formulated Aluminum Oxide (Good for carbon steel and common grades of stainless) or Silicon Carbide (better for steels with high alloy and/or carbide content) honing compound - approx 4k JIS - Additional slugs of compound available for $8 ea
One sheet of 320 grit wet/dry silicon carbide sandpaper
One sheet of 600 grit wet/dry silicon carbide sandpaper
The videos below show how to use it start to finish. Experienced sharpeners might choose to grind their edges some other way, and only use it for a final stropping base. I believe it is still worth every penny even if used only to finish and maintain an edge. Initially that's all I intended to use it for, but realized it didn't just work well with paper, but with all flexible substrates that aren't too thick. I seldom resort to any other method now.
The Washboard is made by hand, there may be small imperfections - will not effect performance.
Send an email through my profile page if interested, first come first serve. I will be making more of these, but as I understand the rules I am only allowed to list for sale what I have on hand? Will update this listing as I go.
Thanks for looking!
CLEAN UP YOUR EDGE WITH THE WASHBOARD SHARPENING SYSTEM!
WHAT IT IS:
The Washboard is a heavily textured 2"x8(6)"x1/4" acrylic plate bonded to a wood base (custom sizes available). It sharpens and polishes using any abrasive that can be applied to a thin substrate.
HOW IT WORKS:
An array of narrow ridges interrupted by thin relief cuts, dramatically increase the abrasive action of grease and wax based compounds to grind and polish. It manages a large improvement in plain paper for finish stropping/cleaning/tarnish removal as well. Spot pressure generated can be high enough that the steel experiences a burnishing effect similar to the use of a smooth steel, but without the need for high levels of precision, or dangers of work-hardening the cutting edge. Used with sandpaper or lapping film, it provides greater tactile feedback than a flat plate.
WHY USE IT:
Its versatile and easy.
The ridges and relief cuts work to increase the pressure exerted by abrasive particles without an increase in overall pressure, they also compress the paper and make it much more dense - the edge doesn't sink in, rounding the cutting edge as it might with a more compliant surface. Even with relatively heavy pressure the surface remains unyielding, yet burr formation is still mild compared to grinding on a fixed abrasive. Edges stay crisp and "catchy", even when stropped many times.
The ridges and relief cuts also provide much greater tactile and auditory feedback - one can tell if they are on the bevel, the shoulder, or if they are just beginning to ride the cutting edge (if one isn't at the proper angle it will feel like they're moving the cutting tool over a washboard. The amount of feedback increases as one gets further from the ideal or target angle.). This makes it a much nicer tool than many other choices when one is trying to quickly touch up an edge, or is doing a moderate amount of work restoring a worn edge. This characteristic is extremely useful for maintaining angle control when working with sandpaper or lapping films. End result is greater consistency for beginners and casual users, and greater versatility for more experienced users.
It can be used to polish larger areas and to maintain overall blade geometry during maintenance sharpening, touch up battered edges, do crisp work on V bevel, convex, Scandi etc, all with a minimum of steel loss, burr formation, and fuss. Best of all perhaps, its characteristics only change when you want them to - it is unaffected by loading, glazing, contamination, nicks in the surface.
Due to its light weight and flexibility, one can carry a complete sharpening setup that weighs only ounces yet has the feel and convenience of an 8 or 6" bench stone.
BEST PRACTICES:
It was designed to work with 20# Bond, 50# text, 75GSM copy paper - these are all different designations of the same basic copy paper. Lined writing paper found in most spiral notebooks is very effective as well. Using it with other papers or materials is possible and can yield good results, but care should be taken.
If the paper is of a lighter weight such as newsprint, the possibility of damage will increase. Either riding the outside corner of the Washboard or the teeth wearing through the paper become more likely to harm the edge or the board itself, so extra attention is important. In the interest of obtaining consistent results, avoid using coated (glossy) papers that have been printed on. While good results can be had, most end-user gloss paper might be treated with a wide variety of varnishes that could adversely effect results with no obvious cause.
If the paper is somewhat thicker than spec'd, it can be pre-compressed by wrapping it around the Washboard, and rubbing it vigorously with a clean dry rag or paper towel using pressure. Additional sheets of paper can be used if an even softer surface is desired, such as for Scandi grinds and full convex edges, or for general polishing.
Do not store or use the board with the working surface in direct contact with a stone or other hard surface - if the teeth become damaged or smoothed out, the Washboard will still work, but not as efficiently, and there is no way to repair it.
The Washboard can be used with a wide variety of abrasive compounds, simply make certain the compound is rated for steel or stainless steel, and understand if it is for heavy cleaning or final polishing. Abrasives intended for polishing plastics or precious metals will not work well if at all. Also, the abrasive must not be water-based or the paper will disintegrate with very little use if not allowed to dry.
The Washboard excels when used with wet/dry sandpaper and lapping films, simply secure around the board the appropriate grit paper and it becomes a full-service sharpening system. Remove debris from the sandpaper with a large eraser or crepe rubber. Water can be used with this sandpaper as well if desired. For maintaining edges, paper with compound is all that should be required.
First video:
[video=youtube;aAL2zpYNhbg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAL2zpYNhbg[/video]
Second:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaBW1jCDOJY
Third:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVV5aiv3V3g
Fourth video in the series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO8LtpSdPYA
The fifth "how to" video, this one showing how pressure relates to use of the Washboard for tailored results. Also a few general tips for convex sharpening on a hard surface.
[video=youtube;SalomUAvMHI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SalomUAvMHI[/video]
And here's #6, touching up a 14" Marbles jungle machete:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uidso_8KJ38
Micrographs showing some of the results in action...
Have been carrying the Jarvenpaa puukko from the WB videos since I made them, without any further maintenance - about a month and a half now. Have done an overnight backpacking trip as well as daily use since then, much of the wear on the blade is likely from cutting my daily apple and not wiping the blade completely dry, so tarnished as well as worn. many boxes, small pieces of wood, I can't remember all of it...Still, some of the edge wear is fairly nasty. The blade couldn't cut paper cleanly, wasn't three finger sticky, and could only shave arm hair when it snagged some. Due to the Scandi grind at about 24 degrees, it was still cutting reasonably well for a dull knife. One thing that I thought was exceptionally interesting is the second wear image at 1000x. To the unaided eye it just looked like it was throwing back a small glint of light - up close you can see what looks like the edge fractured or flaked off and the grind pattern just sort of stops at a worn ledge. This knife holds an edge very well, better than my other carbon steel knives for the most part, so I don't believe there's any issues with the steel and it wasn't exemplary of the edge as a whole - must've hit something that didn't agree with it. An awful lot happens over a month and a half.
In the only 400x pic, the red blob out of focus upper right is a spec of red toner - 5u average size, a bit smaller than a single red blood cell. Gives an additional feel for how short the depth of field is at this magnification.
Anyway, about 40 passes on the WB, stopping half way in to apply a second hit of compound, and another 10 or so on two sheets of plain paper - back to scary sharp. Wait for it..."CLEAN UP YOUR EDGE!"
First two pics at 1000x before reconditioning.
First one looking rough:
And looking real rough:
Now at 400x after getting worked on:
And at 1000x - totally unrecognizable, thank goodness! That knife was in embarrassing shape but made for a good experiment/QC - back to three finger sticky tree-topping in about one tenth the time it took to catch the pics.
HH
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And some of the owner feedback to date:
I purchased the washboard system and have been very impressed with it so far. It is a great tool to teach you consistency with your strokes, and I wish I had one for when I was first learning to freehand. The unique feedback really lets you know if you're holding the knife at the right angle. It's kind of like a guided system, but without the super high price
For reference, I have some very expensive Naniwa Chosera waterstones. I use the washboard more frequently than the Choseras.
I picked one of these up from Martin about a week and a half or two weeks ago. All though I have not had a chance/need to do any re-profiling with the WB,I have stropped a few blades with plain copy paper and a little compound with very good results. Martin does a great job on making these. He also does a fantastic job of assembling the over all package that he sends to his customer. I was very impressed with the instructions that are included,probably the best instructions I have seen ever! You can really tell he developed this product out of the passion he has for making things sharp and he wants his customers to be able to get the most out of it as possible.
I'm really liking the washboard and the feedback it provides; it's helped me identify certain inconsistency, and to understand better some of my (non)results up to this point.
I've also been meaning to commend you on the included manual. You definitely need to provide illustration and text credits (even just "by Martin Miller" somewhere if they're yours alone, or other attribution if you had assistance).
I've started signing them as they get boxed up...
I have finished sharpening another scandi knife today, just good old O1 steel and it was quite dull. Anyway, I scrubbed away on 1000 JWS, then 3000, then onto your WB with 2 sheets 24lb/90g/m2 printer paper with white compound. Then plain paper, again 2 sheets. The last two strokes very light with a bit more pressure towards the apex on purpose so I could feel being "off" from the feedback (the rough sound). But the endresult is outstanding. Not sure what the plain paper can do other than burnishing the apex but it sure made a difference (a microbit of a burr that it removed?). Maintenance on white or black compound is a breeze!
Also, I used 2000 grit sandpaper the first time on the WB to remove a burr from a new scandi. I did not want to go on JWS, thought that was too cruel. Worked very well and very good feedback.
... the more I use the WB, the more I like it and the more I think it's a jackpot for a lot of frustrated stroppers. Like me.
I guess it suits my needs, rather than forcing me to adapt to its peculiarities. I think perhaps that is what I like best about it. Thank you for being thoughtful and persistent enough to develop the idea and bring it to life.
After playing with this a little I am now getting it Just been using the copy paper and some compound to strop some blades and really getting some great results. Cuts the burr off after putting a bevel on with an wicked edge, cant wait to use some sand paper. Thanks so much for marketing these, your instruction booklet makes it easy!
I don't mind you quoting me, you can keep my name in there too, I like supporting a great product like yours. I have been using some compound I had around since yours is in a drawer somewhere. The paper with some compound sure cuts nice and polishes the edge well. My EDC has a 52100 warnie blade that gets used often. I just use a sharpmaker then the block to finish it off. The edge pops hair easily and stays at a working edge after a treatment. Great product and easy to use to maintain my blades. Martin
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Video added - number 7. This one shows how to use it with a few variations. First is an abbreviated progression, second is in conjunction with a combination silicon carbide stone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6Y2EMOQRLiA
And here's number 8, showing a bit more versatility but the same basic principles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YxdzCV-JkMc
And number 9 detailing some aspects of the silicon carbide compound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls0WJp08iVY&feature=youtu.be
Do not hesitate to contact me with questions or comments, am always glad to respond.
Martin (HH)
Can't wait to get more time on the washboard
