Is this progression of stones/grits correct?
- This topic has 16 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 05/14/2017 at 3:25 pm by
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Try the 1.0 micron paste and compare the results with the 0.6 micron ceramic. You might try skipping over the ceramics entirely – going from 6 micron film to 1.0 and 0.5 micron paste on your strops. Stick with the 2 dps decrease on the strops.
Otherwise, your progression appears to have you on the direct route down the rabbit hole. Welcome to the club.
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Otherwise, your progression appears to have you on the direct route down the rabbit hole. Welcome to the club.
Yup, it’s a rabbit hole. I would personally at least use the 3 micron diamond film in between. And I would also experiment without the 1.4/0.6 ceramic stones, for example by replacing them by a 1 micron diamond film or strop.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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thanks for the replies. So I am thinking I will order a set of handles with glass platens and 3u and 1u films, and substitute those for the ceramics.
Why do people use those ceramics?
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I believe that the ceramic paddles do have their place. Many people like using them for adding micro bevel that has some tooth or simply as the final grit in their progression. Unlike the lapping films, they aren’t consumable and will last many years without need for replacement. That said, the lapping films are great and you won’t be disappointed if your goal is a mirrored edge.
With regard to skipping the 1 micron leather strop; Clay has shown that diamonds of a given size tend to leave smaller scratches than that size when used on a stropping medium. The theory is that the leather is pliable and does not push the diamonds into the steel with as much force as you would get with the same diamonds embedded in a plate. For that reason, many find it useful to use a larger grit size diamond strop than the grit of their last paddle.
I believe that the ceramic paddles do have their place. Many people like using them for adding micro bevel that has some tooth or simply as the final grit in their progression. Unlike the lapping films, they aren’t consumable and will last many years without need for replacement. That said, the lapping films are great and you won’t be disappointed if your goal is a mirrored edge. With regard to skipping the 1 micron leather strop; Clay has shown that diamonds of a given size tend to leave smaller scratches than that size when used on a stropping medium. The theory is that the leather is pliable and does not push the diamonds into the steel with as much force as you would get with the same diamonds embedded in a plate. For that reason, many find it useful to use a larger grit size diamond strop than the grit of their last paddle.
Thanks, that is good to know. So given that, and assuming I include both (1u and 0.5u) strops as the final two steps, if you were going to add a set of glass platens and the lapping films in-between the 6u lapping film and the 1u strop, which two lapping films would you use (options are 3u, 1.5u, and 1u)?
The progression that I personally use is 6 micron > 3 micron > 1.5 micron. This results in a nicely mirrored edge (to my eye at least). I think that going from 3 micron to 1 micron would also work well, but I don’t have any of the 1 micron films, so I can’t speak from experience.
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I think the above reasons for using the 0.4/1.6 micron ceramic stones are all good ones. In addition, they’re ultimately cheaper than diamond film, since the film should be replaced after x uses, whereas the stone can be used for a very long time.
Another thing is that it is hard to give a “grit size” to a ceramic stone since, unlike most other sharpening stones, it doesn’t consist of grit in a material to hold it. You can actually change the size of the scratches a ceramic stone produces by rubbing it on a diamond stone. I wrote a couple of blog posts on a similar subject of which https://moleculepolishing.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/ceramic-stones-for-the-weps-compared-again/ is the last one.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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Actually, in looking at my micro-fine ceramics, I notice that one of the micro-fine (0.6u) stones is not very level, and in fact is noticeably less thick than the other one. I wonder if that’s why I am not getting great results with them.
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My 1.4/.6 ceramics are the same as you describe, I started re-setting my angle on every stone a few weeks ago to eliminate the slight, and sometimes not so slight, angle differences between the stones. Just make sure the angle is your starting angle on both sides before you start each one and I don’t think you will have any problem with them.
But if the stone’s thickness varies from one end of the stone to the other, that’s not sufficient. Honestly, I think this stone is defective and should not have been shipped by WE. I am going to call them and see if they will swap them out.
What type of results are you seeing when you use the micro-ceramics? Are they not polishing enough? Are they not hitting the entire bevel? How many knives have you used them on? Personally I don’t use the lapping film and the ceramics in the same progression. The ceramic stones take a lot more passes to achieve a some what polished edge. The ceramics give me a very good cutting edge on certain kitchen knives but not the “mirrored” edge that I think you would get from lapping films. I do have to make sometimes as many as 70 to 80 passes with a ceramic stone. They don’t cut metal the same as a diamond medium. I called WE when I received my ceramics, 1200/1600 and the 1.4/.6, because I to noticed that the stones were not even in thickness. After talking with them I decided to use them and have not regretted that decision. The other factor with the ceramics is that they do need to break in, mine still get better every time I use them. I don’t use ceramics on all my knives, all though it is one of my favorite edges, about 25 to 30 %, but I do a lot of hunting and kitchen knives that require a “toothy” edge and I stop at 600 to 1000 diamond stone and strop. Some times with 14/10, some times with 5/3.5, some times with 1/.5, some with 4/2 emulsion, some with 1/.5 emulsion. Some with a full progression of strops. Others I hand strop with very good results. The ceramics are just one medium in the quest to bring an edge to the knife for it’s designed purpose. As to the stones being out of whack and substandard I can’t answer that because I can’t see what you are seeing. I do believe that if the stones are not right that WE will make it right.
For a “true mirrored edge” I think the full progression of lapping films is your best bet. A mirrored edge with strops takes “a lot” of time and practice, technique to achieve and I don’t think you will get a true mirror finish with the ceramic stones.
This is of course just my opinion.
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The problem you get when the stones are not flat is that they create a convex edge. I can get a mirrored edge with them, but they do require more strokes than the diamond lapping film. I should clarify that I’m just talking about the 0.6 ceramic – the other side appears flat to me. I do have the leveling kit that I was using with my edge pro, and while I’m tempted to use it, it will reduce the life of the ceramics significantly (and they are already not very thick). I feel like WE shouldn’t have sent me a stone that was this defective, and that they should replace it.
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