zdp-189

Yea, but ceramic or SiC would leave a better edge. IMHO
 
It should. The aluminum oxide of the India is sufficiently hard enough to handle the chromium carbides in ZDP-189. There are a WHOLE LOT of chromium carbides there, so it might still be slower than more typical steels, but it should still handle it.

Be careful with pressure on ZDP-189, in sharpening it. It can be brittle and prone to chipping at the hardness usually seen in blades made with it.


David
 
Simple aluminum oxide stones will sharpen ZDP but it's going to be slow. It's a high Chromium steels which means lots of Chromium carbides. Chromium carbides are about as hard as ZDP at full hardness which any Mand Made stone should be able to handle.

For folders, I think diamond followed closely by waterstones work best on ZDP. I like both a coarse DMT edge and a medium finish waterstone edge (2000 grit),
 
I'd be inclined toward diamond too, with ZDP. And a bench-sized diamond hone is more ideal for it, for shaping the edge. Very small diamond hones can even be slow with ZDP; I found that out the hard way, in trying to rebevel a ZDP-189 blade (Kershaw Leek) with a Lansky diamond set. It was very slow; I regrouped and switched over to an 8" Duo-Sharp bench hone instead, and working speed was cut about 4X.

I've used a zirconia-alumina 3" x 21" belt, cut and affixed flat to a hard surface, to reshape a broken tip on the same knife (again be cautioned, beware it's brittleness), and that worked very well and fast, taking only ~20 minutes or so. The belt's length made long, sweeping strokes easy on the abrasive, which I'm sure was a big factor in working speed. Zirconia-alumina is a somewhat toughened version of aluminum oxide, touted to work longer before the grit loses it's cutting power. That project was a bit of an eye-opener for me, which is why I think aluminum oxide can sometimes work OK with ZDP, depending on the specific job at hand.


David
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
I'd be inclined toward diamond too, with ZDP. And a bench-sized diamond hone is more ideal for it, for shaping the edge. Very small diamond hones can even be slow with ZDP; I found that out the hard way, in trying to rebevel a ZDP-189 blade (Kershaw Leek) with a Lansky diamond set. It was very slow; I regrouped and switched over to an 8" Duo-Sharp bench hone instead, and working speed was cut about 4X.

I've used a zirconia-alumina 3" x 21" belt, cut and affixed flat to a hard surface, to reshape a broken tip on the same knife (again be cautioned, beware it's brittleness), and that worked very well and fast, taking only ~20 minutes or so. The belt's length made long, sweeping strokes easy on the abrasive, which I'm sure was a big factor in working speed. Zirconia-alumina is a somewhat toughened version of aluminum oxide, touted to work longer before the grit loses it's cutting power. That project was a bit of an eye-opener for me, which is why I think aluminum oxide can sometimes work OK with ZDP, depending on the specific job at hand.


David
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Luong (bluntcut) turned me on to this method with a blaze 200 grit belt affixed to a granite rectangle. The belts are 4" by 32" I think and I cut them in half. I thinned a huge ontario bowie with it and the sweeping surface are was awesome for the job. I also used it on a zdp stretch and it worked quickly. Another good call David...
Russ
 
David and Russ, other than a longer abrasive surface, any other advantage of a belt over a coarse waterstone?
 
awestib said:
David and Russ, other than a longer abrasive surface, any other advantage of a belt over a coarse waterstone?
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The only down side I noticed was the belts wear out unlike the stone. But I must give it to the belts for being cheap and very fast, I would say faster than most stones but I have not compared directly. Hmm, might have to do some experimenting :)

FYI, Lowes has ceramic belts for hand held belt sanders...
 
Cost and size. A blaze lasts quite awhile. Pretty cost effective in my mind, thinned a bunch of chef knives with one.


Russ
 
awestib said:
David and Russ, other than a longer abrasive surface, any other advantage of a belt over a coarse waterstone?
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I haven't used waterstones, so I couldn't compare the two directly. I started trying them mainly for a quick & inexpensive solution to heavier grinding jobs, like regrinding the broken tip on my Leek. The length of the grinding stroke makes a HUGE difference in working speed and uniformity of the scratch pattern left, which I think is the most obvious advantage in using the belt. It's also an easy way to put a whole lot of abrasive surface area under the blade for minimal expense, which is mainly what I was aiming for. Secondarily, I also wanted to get a feel for how the specific abrasives would do, as utilized on the belts. That was a small part of my motivation in trying the ZDP blade on it, as it also taught me a little more about the character of the steel itself. I'd put off repairing the broken tip on it for long time, as I'd been a little intimidated about the hardness of the steel and it's tendency toward brittleness at that high hardness. After regrinding the tip on the belt, I had a much clearer perspective on what can work with the steel, and I'm also now less intimidated by it.

BTW, the specific belt I used was a 120-grit, purchased as a pair at Sears (Craftsman branded). I don't think I paid more than maybe ~ $8-$9 or so for the pair. I've since picked up a pair of 80-grit belts in the same size & grit type (3" x 21" zirconia-alumina), but haven't tried them out yet.


David
 
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The "zirconia" variant belts like Norton Blaze are fast because the grit particles fracture away when they dull, producing a nice new sharp edge again. They are pretty good stuff.
 
My two cents - not all Zirconia belts are equal. Norton Blaze are the Gold standard from the ones I have used. Some barely perform better than a regular AlumOx.
 
Good point - and valid for more than just abrasive belts! Invest in quality tools you will be disappointed rarely. I have had good experiences with the Norton Blaze abrasives also.
 
mycough said:
Luong (bluntcut) turned me on to this method with a blaze 200 grit belt affixed to a granite rectangle. The belts are 4" by 32" I think and I cut them in half. I thinned a huge ontario bowie with it and the sweeping surface are was awesome for the job. I also used it on a zdp stretch and it worked quickly. Another good call David...
Russ
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When using the belt on granite, do you use edge trailing strokes, or is the belt tough enough to do edge leading with scrubbing motion like on a stone?
 
cigardoghd said:
When using the belt on granite, do you use edge trailing strokes, or is the belt tough enough to do edge leading with scrubbing motion like on a stone?
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I know this is directed at mycough. But just throwing in my 2 cents, in using belts for such tasks:

The belts I've used are plenty tough for edge-leading or scrubbing; much more so than sandpaper, as the backing is a lot more durable (fabric/canvas), and the bond of the abrasive to the belt is extremely strong as compared to sandpaper. I've used mine for thinning blades, and even flattening some stones, and they just keep working.


David
 
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