YES believe it or not, I have more questions!

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zach2556

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So I've posted about 39283 threads asking questions about knives and sharpening stones. Well, you know how sharpening stones become smooth after time? Thats what happened to mine, and I don't know how to fix that. I thought cleaning it that it would be rough again, I tried so many ways of cleaning it, honing oil, warm soapy water, lighter fluid, soaking them, bar keepers friend. They are clean and everything but its not rough? Is it supposed to be like this or what? Please help me out so I know how to make it rough again. Thanks so much! You guys have given me great advise so far I'm sure you will help me with this too. Thanks


-Zach
 
The set I got was the Lansky 3 stone sharpening set. I have 1 course stone, 1 280 medium stone, and 1 100 fine stone. I hope this answers your question.
 
If its new then I would say no your stones just broke-in. If its years old then yes the stones could have become smoother, you could use a cheap diamond stone or those grey double sided stones at Home depot to re-flatten and refresh the surface of the stone.
 
I have read of, but not tried, rubbing them on the side of a cinder block sprinkled with sand to resurface glazed bench stones.
Don't know if that's your situation or if it work for you.
 
knifenut1013 said:
If its new then I would say no your stones just broke-in. If its years old then yes the stones could have become smoother, you could use a cheap diamond stone or those grey double sided stones at Home depot to re-flatten and refresh the surface of the stone.
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So will they roughen up more as I use them, its only a few days old its smooth like really smooth. And it doesnt seem like its doing stuff as smooth as it is.
 
zach2556 said:
So will they roughen up more as I use them, its only a few days old its smooth like really smooth. And it doesnt seem like its doing stuff as smooth as it is.
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No, usually when a stone breaks-in it gets smoother. Your problem may be more related to the type of steel you are trying to sharpen. Higher wear resistant steels tend to feel smooth even when on a coarse stone and if your trying to sharpen something like S30V your probably eating away at the stone itself.
 
knifenut1013 said:
No, usually when a stone breaks-in it gets smoother. Your problem may be more related to the type of steel you are trying to sharpen. Higher wear resistant steels tend to feel smooth even when on a coarse stone and if your trying to sharpen something like S30V your probably eating away at the stone itself.
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See I don't know what I'm sharpening, will it keep working even though it smooth? Or did I basically waste money on it. And if I have to buy new stones, do you have any tips to prevent this from happeneing?
 
Diamond's are a sharpeners best friend :D
 
It's a normal part of a stone, when it breaks in it becomes more smooth, the fine stones which are already very smooth become extremely smooth. You could try lightly lapping the stones on a coarser grit stone to expose the fresh abrasives. If it can still scratch the steel, then it can still sharpen your knives.
 
Roger999 said:
It's a normal part of a stone, when it breaks in it becomes more smooth, the fine stones which are already very smooth become extremely smooth. You could try lightly lapping the stones on a coarser grit stone to expose the fresh abrasives. If it can still scratch the steel, then it can still sharpen your knives.
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Thats the thing, all of my stones are smooth and its really making me mad! The coarse, the medium, and the fine. Should I try rubbing it on sandpaper or somthing to bring the roughness back? It doesnt seem like its doing anything to my knives.
 
The people who respond to your questions on this forum REALLY know their stuff. Sometimes the answers we need depend on asking just the right questions. Keep trying, eventually they will help you figure it out. They sure have helped me. Concerning your smooth stones that don't seem to cut, here are a couple ideas. You said your stones were only a few days old. As you've learned, the roughness of the stone disappears quickly, but as the guys at this forum are saying, that is normal. Maybe it would help if you tell them how big the stones are, how much you've actually used them, and what kind of knife you're working with Then, consider this: even dull stones still sharpen. My question: can you see exactly how much actual sharpening is taking place? My suggestion, based on information I've learned from this same forum, get a magnifying glass or loupe as they are called. Ben over at Edge Pro can tell you exactly where and how much if ya can't find what ya want, by the way, he recommends about a 4x magnification. I've found 5x loupes cheap at "Enco" online, but maybe someone else knows of a cheaper source. Put some black permanent marker on the edge before you begin. Now you can see exactly where the stone is making contact and how much is coming off as you work. This should help you. One last thing, sharpening knives can take a lot of time with a Lansky if you have to take a lot of meat off the edge. Your Lasky has a limited range of angles you can use and is not adjustable like an Edge Pro, therefore I'm guessing that your problem is not that the stones aren't cutting, but they're not cutting as fast as you'd like... OR that you have to hog through too much steel before actually reaching the "edge," because the existing angles on the blade are too obtuse (angle is wide rather than narrow). And once again, thanks to all those on this forum who have taught me a few things. I still have much to learn, but hope some of my comments help.
 
Sandpaper works just fine to flatten and refinish the hones. Use a coarse grade sandpaper. Don't worry too much about how smooth the hones feel even a coarse hone will feel kind of smooth compared to something like a file. Even though they feel kind of smooth they still are cutting the steel and are working properly.
 
Greetings: ZACH2556

As a relative new comer to sharpening myself, some personally experienced frustrations may be helpful. Brand new (virginal) stones cut faster and feel more coarse then used stones because they are. Sharpening is controlled abrasion. Both the steel and the sharpening medium are being worn away. I have used guided ceramic rods, bench stones, GATCO DIAMOND hones and most recently Edgepro stones. All become smoother with use. Both the abraded steel particles and the worn away sharpening medium have to go somewhere. The primary location is into the pores of the stone. Frequently cleaning the stones with a stiff tooth brush and a powdered cleanser cleans the clogged pores of the hones and returns the abrasion level to about 70 percent of what it was originally. Barkeepers Friend scouring powder contains Oxalic acid and works best at steel removing for me. Medium pressure steam (espresso machine steam wand) works even better at blasting out the stone surfaces and it also allows you to cook your fingers and turn the kitchen counter a lovely shade of mud gray. Another consideration is how hard you press the blade against the stones. Hard steels requires A LOT more time and repetition to sharpen. My frustration after several hours of sharpening caused me to press harder against the stones which seemed like a good idea at the time but proved to be counterproductive. I was crushing the surface of the stones. The combination of accumulated steel particles and stone dust along with me crushing the stone caused the hones to load up fast and reduce their cutting ability quickly. Apparently, with hand sharpening, there is no substitute for light even pressure, precise angle repetition and frequent cleaning of the stones. Even though you use a rod guided system, if you apply too much pressure, the rods can deform and result in you removing steel from not only the cutting edge but from the primary bevel as well. This will also load up and smooth out your stones faster then would initially seem reasonable. Many, if not most, of the people on this forum have forgotten more than I know about sharpening but to me your stone coarseness problem sounds like a normal course of events. OldDude1
 
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knifenut1013 said:
Diamond's are a sharpeners best friend :D
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:thumbup: Your stones are still working and will continue to do so. Try cleaning the stones, that may help the feel of them. What Knifenut was referring to was diamond sharpening hones. They work much quicker and on any type of steel. They are more expensive but are worth the price in the long run. Just make sure you get good ones that will last. I use a Smiths diamond precision setup. I also have a Lansky but to me the Smiths is more versatile and the hones are the same quality. The Smiths is also cheaper. There are many types available that work well. Check some out here:
http://eknifeworks.com/webapp/eComm...&range=1&order=Default&Submit.x=6&Submit.y=13
Do some comparison shopping to get the best prices.
 
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The biggest and most common mistake made in sharpening is using too much pressure. It is usually due to impatience, as there is no instant gratification in sharpening. Yes, it can ruin stones, but it does take a while. Even stones that feel smooth as glass will still abrade steel, it just takes longer. On the plus side, those smooth stones will produce a much finer edge...eventually.

Personally, I find diamond hones last longer and give more consistent performance than anything else.
 
Rub your fingernail on the surface of the stone. If it leaves behind anything, then it is grinding, and it is doing its job, even if it feels smooth. Or just do the sharpie trick: if the sharpie starts disappearing on you, then the stone is still doing its job.

What kind of stone are you using, by the way?
 
if the stones are only a few days old they probably don't need to be roughed up, or lapped, just try cleaning them. Read through some of the sharpening tips and threads.

Dave
 
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