water stones

[knifeman1995]

Do anything of you have experience sharpening high carbide steels on water stones? Does it take a long time too?

 

[Jason B.]

Do anything of you have experience sharpening high carbide steels on water stones? Does it take a long time too?

It's not really possible unless you have the right stones and very few waterstones are formulated with those steels in mind. Shapton Glass, select Nubatama stones, and some new Kohetsu stones are all that I know of that will work to some extent with high Vanadium carbide steels. In most cases its best to just use a diamond plate.

 

[Mikey's Deli]

It's not really possible unless you have the right stones and very few waterstones are formulated with those steels in mind. Shapton Glass, select Nubatama stones, and some new Kohetsu stones are all that I know of that will work to some extent with high Vanadium carbide steels. In most cases its best to just use a diamond plate.

Ditto

 

[Spey]

Jason B covered it nicely.

It is my understanding that to cut the carbides cleanly your sharpening stone must be of higher hardness, otherwise you may be removing the softer material around the high hardness carbides and dislodging the carbides as you "sharpen" vs. cutting them cleanly. Effectively not realizing the intended benifit of the high carbide steel.

 

[yepimonfire]

It works up to about 3-4 microns, (4000-5000 chosera) them you have to switch over to diamond strops. I've had no issues sharpening them on a water stone as long as I finish with fine diamond, I get a screaming sharp edge. If I leave it alone right off the stones it feels toothy, probably because the carbides aren't being polished.

 

[Spey]

It works up to about 3-4 microns, (4000-5000 chosera) them you have to switch over to diamond strops. I've had no issues sharpening them on a water stone as long as I finish with fine diamond, I get a screaming sharp edge. If I leave it alone right off the stones it feels toothy, probably because the carbides aren't being polished.

or perhaps that those carbides are not being cut cleanly, and are being left proud of the surrounding surface that has been worn away by the stones ... up until they see the diamonds on your strop ...

 

[Jason B.]

It works up to about 3-4 microns, (4000-5000 chosera) them you have to switch over to diamond strops. I've had no issues sharpening them on a water stone as long as I finish with fine diamond, I get a screaming sharp edge. If I leave it alone right off the stones it feels toothy, probably because the carbides aren't being polished.

I thought this was cleared this up in your other thread?

Your just not getting much past 800 grit with a waterstone and a steel with more than 4% Vanadium. It simply does not work and especially at 5000 grit.

 

[yepimonfire]

I thought this was cleared this up in your other thread?

Your just not getting much past 800 grit with a waterstone and a steel with more than 4% Vanadium. It simply does not work and especially at 5000 grit.

I'm getting that figure from my other thread. I was told it didn't matter until you went down to 2-4 microns. That's 4000-5000 grit depending on the waterstone. Perhaps I misunderstood.

 

[Jason B.]

Forget about the micron size, pay attention to the Vanadium % in the steel. Rule of thumb, anything over 4% will absolutely need a diamond or CBN abrasive.

 

[yepimonfire]

Forget about the micron size, pay attention to the Vanadium % in the steel. Rule of thumb, anything over 4% will absolutely need a diamond or CBN abrasive.

Out of curiosity, why does a higher percentage change that?

 

[Jason B.]

Out of curiosity, why does a higher percentage change that?

Higher the % higher the volume of carbides in the steel.