Edge hazy after 1200/1600 ceramic

These 1200/1600 ceramics were discussed and several great experiments were done. All came to conclusion that it is better to use lapping films after 1000 grit diamonds, not 1200/1600 ceramics. Here is one of the latest threads https://knife.wickededgeusa.com/forums/topic/what-to-do-for-mirror-edge/

I wouldn’t expect a highly polished bevel with the 1200/1600 ceramic stones – maybe with the 3 micron, but I haven’t tried one yet.

With the diamond stones, you shouldn’t need any type of oil.  Oil is typically used to prevent filings from clogging up the pores on the face of the stone, but diamond stones don’t have pores and therefor don’t seem to have that tendency.  In any case, oil shouldn’t be your problem but we’ll see what others say.

I don’t think there’s much doubt that diamond film gives you a more uniform finish than the ceramic stones and like you, I have retired my ceramics.  Like the diamond-grit stones, the ceramics can benefit from some break-in time.  When I went to film, I compared it to the finishes of ceramic and felt they were very similar.  The 15 and 9 micron film produces scratch patterns very close to the 1200 and 1600 grit ceramics.  According to my grit chart, 15 and 9 micron are equivalent to 1200 and 1800 grit.

I think the ceramics are offered as part of a kit for those buyers who need or want a complete but simple package to handle all their basic needs.  Film is a pretty big step up for those who have decided to take this serious and are willing to pay for it.  For example, I don’t think an outfitter would take a set including film on an elk hunt.  If his intent is only to sharpen his and his customers’ knives, why would he invest the money, time and effort into producing mirror finishes?

Wicked Edge has been offering film for maybe about two years now and most of the users who have gone down that route have quite a bit of experience.  From their standpoint, changing from ceramic to film was no big deal, as they’d gotten quite a bit of use out of their ceramic stones.  You are the exception in that you’ve taken that step so soon after your initial purchase.

I suggest that you offer your ceramic stones for sale under the “Pass around and Buy / Sell / Trade” forum topic.

Wicked Edge could be a bit more helpful by explaining on their website what the differences are and how a user would decide to go one way or the other.

6 users thanked author for this post.

M1rrorEdge, dulledge, wickededge, Knurling_Turtle, Fubar, Organic

wickededge wrote:

I’ve moved away from using mine most of the time because I have easy access to lots of lapping films, but if I didn’t and the cost of the films was prohibitive, I’d definitely still be using my ceramics.

Clay, have you tried any other lapping films, besides of diamonds? I found that 3M is offering 268X series (Aluminum Oxide) and 468X (Silicon Carbide) PSA-backed films. I wonder how it will perform for sharpening?

Thank you.