I was thinking about getting the diamond rods for my Sharpmaker to complete the set. I already have the UF rods and I would like to know what the diamond rods could be used for. I have ZDP blades so if I get my knife dull I was thinking the diamond rods would quickly bring it back to sharpness. Does anyone know what else they could be used for?
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
What exactly could the diamond rods for the Sharpmaker be used for?
- Thread starter Mtty22
- Start date
Razorsharp-Travis
BANNED
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2011
- Messages
- 612
The diamond rods are just a bit coarser and more aggressive than the Medium rods, so you can apex faster, or do a coarse edge finish .
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2003
- Messages
- 1,710
I wouldn't say anything happens quickly with ZDP, even with the diamond rods.
I've had 2 sets of the diamond rods going back to when they first came out back around 2003 or thereabout. I find them to be extremely handy for sharpening blades that have taken quite a few dings and dents. However I would like to see Spyderco also come out with some kind of very coarse and very aggressive stone that could cut significantly faster than what they currently offer.
The lack of a very coarse or aggressive stone is something I've been barking about for quite some time which I think would make the 204 Sharpmaker a much more complete unit. It wouldn't have to be another diamond stone necessarily but it could be a very coarse aluminum oxide stone.
But all in all I do recommend to any serious knife user who has the Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker unit to get a set of the 204 diamond rods.
The lack of a very coarse or aggressive stone is something I've been barking about for quite some time which I think would make the 204 Sharpmaker a much more complete unit. It wouldn't have to be another diamond stone necessarily but it could be a very coarse aluminum oxide stone.
But all in all I do recommend to any serious knife user who has the Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker unit to get a set of the 204 diamond rods.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 4,271
This is how I use mine as well. I don't do any serious metal removal with them, but they are handy for repairing some edge damage. For anything heavier I use a DMT stone that I hold up against the rods to keep the angle I want... or just try free handing a back bevel and then do the final edge bevel with the SM rods.
I highly recommend the diamond rods. There were a few knives I have that were quite a ways off from having the bevel I wanted, and it would have taken forever to reprofile them with the coarse stones. The diamond rods make it so quick to reprofile.
Also, JD Spydo, you might want to buy the rods again. Mine seem very coarse. I don't need to apply any pressure at all and it works fast. There's a chance that you've worn your stones out if you applied too much pressure or haven't cleaned them out recently. Try cleaning your stones with Ajax or something and see if it helps. I had non-spyderco knives that had a very shallow bevel that needed to be thinned down, the diamond rods had the bevel down where I wanted it in about half an hour of light passes. I removed quite a bit of steel in that time.
Also, JD Spydo, you might want to buy the rods again. Mine seem very coarse. I don't need to apply any pressure at all and it works fast. There's a chance that you've worn your stones out if you applied too much pressure or haven't cleaned them out recently. Try cleaning your stones with Ajax or something and see if it helps. I had non-spyderco knives that had a very shallow bevel that needed to be thinned down, the diamond rods had the bevel down where I wanted it in about half an hour of light passes. I removed quite a bit of steel in that time.
Congress Tools, Inc sells 1/2" width triangular polishing stones in rough grits that can fit in the Sharpmaker slots if you want an alternative to the diamond stones. The Congress stones aren't precision ground so some might be a bit wider or a bit thinner. If wider you can just whittle away bits of one end until it fits into the slot. If thinner you can just wrap one end with plumber's teflon tape till it fits.
I recommend their Ruby stones because it seems like they're the fastest cutting designed for ferrous and other hard metals.
The Ruby selection is here: http://www.congresstools.com/catalog/categories/get-subcategory/?id=24
I bought several of the Ruby 1/2" x 6" at 60 grit and a couple at 100 grit. The 60 grit cuts very quickly.
If you want to try their other stones, the main page for their stones are here: http://www.congresstools.com/catalog/categories/get-category/id/72 .
I recommend their Ruby stones because it seems like they're the fastest cutting designed for ferrous and other hard metals.
The Ruby selection is here: http://www.congresstools.com/catalog/categories/get-subcategory/?id=24
I bought several of the Ruby 1/2" x 6" at 60 grit and a couple at 100 grit. The 60 grit cuts very quickly.
If you want to try their other stones, the main page for their stones are here: http://www.congresstools.com/catalog/categories/get-category/id/72 .
How close to fitting are they usually? Are they pretty close? Also, do you use the dry? I see they make a yellow stone that can be used either way as well. It comes in a bunch of different grits.
Last edited:
They come close to fitting. I bought 4 Ruby stones at 60 grit and 2 at 100 grit. Two of the 60 grit stones were slightly looser than the stones from the Sharpmaker. The others actually fit better than the Sharpmaker's own stones, with one being practically a perfect fit tight with no wiggle room into the holes. The Sharpmaker stones themselves have wiggle room when in the holes. But because they lean back, gravity keeps them at the constant angle and your pressure on the stones don't make them wiggle forward. Same thing would happen with the Congress stones that are slightly too lose, because though they'll have more wiggle room they still lean back same as the Sharpmaker stones and won't move when pressure is applied. I can get OCD sometimes though so I ended up wrapping one end of the looser stones with teflon tape so it'd match the fit of the Sharpmaker. I didn't want that slight looser fit to cause them to lean further back than the Sharpmaker stones, even though the difference would probably be by a smaller degree than the natural variances of my hand in doing stroke after stroke.
And I do use them dry, but I only have the Ruby stones.
And I do use them dry, but I only have the Ruby stones.
I ordered the Super in 400, the YL in 800, and the Y2K in 400 and 600, for a tryout. They make the brown Res-cut stones, that I now see, after I put in my order.
I'm exited to see how these work out with the toothy edge that I've been working on getting down.
Hey Grapevine, are these too rough to use on the edge of the triangle? Or how does it work out for you? Thanks guys
I'm exited to see how these work out with the toothy edge that I've been working on getting down.
Hey Grapevine, are these too rough to use on the edge of the triangle? Or how does it work out for you? Thanks guys
Well, I use the point of the 60 grit triangle to reprofile my parent's really blunt and ragged kitchen knives. It does rough up the edge but it cuts quickly. Then I progress up by using the flat of the 60 grit. Then the flat of the 100 grit. That gets the edge fine enough that I can then use the point of the Sharpmaker brown stone, then its flat. I haven't had to use the 60 nor 100 grit stones on my own knives since I haven't let their edges get that bad before touching up, and when I get a chip or something I'll sharpen it out on my water stones instead of the Sharpmaker. But I think if you progress from point to flat and coarse to finer grits you should be fine.
One thing though, if you're wanting stones that will cut quickly but not be as expensive as the Spyderco diamond rods, I think your getting 400 grit and above will be too fine. I have King water stones at 200, 1000, and 4000 grit. I would guess that the Spyderco brown stones fall somewhere in 600-800, while the white rods are finer than 1000 but not as fine as 4000. I would think that when you get your stones in which are 400 grit and above, they're not going to be that much coarser than Spyderco's brown. Buy do let us know how they turn out for you.
One thing though, if you're wanting stones that will cut quickly but not be as expensive as the Spyderco diamond rods, I think your getting 400 grit and above will be too fine. I have King water stones at 200, 1000, and 4000 grit. I would guess that the Spyderco brown stones fall somewhere in 600-800, while the white rods are finer than 1000 but not as fine as 4000. I would think that when you get your stones in which are 400 grit and above, they're not going to be that much coarser than Spyderco's brown. Buy do let us know how they turn out for you.
Eh, I spent 50 bucks. Thanks for telling me about the brown stone grit. I really got just a variety of different stones, just to see which I like best, and how they act. I don't have any knives right now that are messed up bad, so time is on my side. LOL. I have reservations about 60 and 100 grit stones. Maybe stupid ones, but I have em. How agressive would 220's be ya think? I kind of think they would cut pretty good, if needed. I will report back on this thread with results soon. Thanks again!
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2010
- Messages
- 1,315
I'd actually recommend the rectangular 1"x6" Congress stones rather than the triangles. You can clamp them to the existing Sharpmaker rods with a binder clip and use them for reprofiling. Works like a charm. I've had mixed luck getting the Congress triangular stones to fit the Sharpmaker base...
Personally, I like the Moldmasters rather than the Rubys...
TedP