Re: Sharpening system for novice.

ABC wrote:
On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:34:13 +0700, Steve Kramer
<steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrotd:

My own preference among them is GATCO, followed by DMT, followed by Lansky. RazorEdge is nice, but not quite as easily

Would you still put them in that order if I tell you I have about 8
pocket knives (The biggest WILL be a 710D2) and 2 fixed blades? I do
not use the fixed blades. The future purchases will likely be also
pocket knives only.

I gave this some thought before replying....
Yes, I would still keep the same order. I'm a GATCO man, although it did cause me some problems at first with a 710 Axis lock because of the reverse curve. Lansky stones would have worked better. But I changed the blade shape, removing the reverse, and now the GATCO is fine for it. I don't USE the GATCO on it. I much prefer the EdgePro for its control, but if I WERE to use a clamp with guide rods, I'd use the GATCO.

I was looking at the Lansky but hesitated because there is no info
about what kind of diamond they use, when I know DMT uses
monocrystalline diamond.

Please remember this; when using diamond stones, do NOT use a lot of pressure. I'm sure I destroyed more bench stones by really pressing down trying to cut more steel quickly. Point of fact, this actually breaks off more and more of the diamonds. While normal use WILL also break chips off of the diamond, this enhances the cutting ability. Heavy pressure will completely break OFF the diamond. Not a good thing. :o(

Also DMT's diamond stone has the round holes in the surface which, I
understand, helps with keeping the particles away from the surface.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the holes do more for saving the company money than for clearing away particles.

I am not sure I know how to clean the continuous surface diamond stones.

Not difficult at all. Just be sure to wash behind their ears...
(Question: do diamond stones wear little 'people chips' in their ears?)
I like to use a lot of water when I'm sharpening with diamond stones, and this washes away most of the particulate matter during the process. When finished, I just rinse them under running water. If I've sharpened without water for some reason, and the stone is getting to look 'smoother,' I'll use some pots and pans powdered cleanser and a sponge to clean the stones. This is the same for ceramic rods and stones too. Cleans them right up in just a few seconds. No big deal.
I have several different diamond bench stones, both with and without the holes, and several different diamond coated rods that have no holes at all. The Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker sells diamond coated triangular rods for their product, with no holes in them either. The biggest fault you can make is to use a lot of pressure. But this is true when using any stones...

Edgepro, Edgepro. resist resist....

Come over to the Dark Side, Luke....

(While the EdgePro IS nice, you really don't 'need' it. But since when was 'need' a criterion for toys?)

Steve Kramer
"PhotoEnvisions" Photography
Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://www.photoenvisions.com
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