Yea spyderco usually has some decent edges. Cant account for even bevels but that sort of thing happens to all manufacturers. Sometimes it is a bad sharpening, but im finding more and more often, its the main grinds.

@@Jef 6:19 I like how you sharpen it towards yourself; that’s how I normally do it for both sides, I did just sharpen my PM2 30 minutes ago using FB your technique, first side away, second side towards. You were just mentioning on focusing on the tip; I was focusing on the belly and the rest and got it good, neglected the tip a little, noticed it doing the nail test, still works, though 😅

As bad as it is…i love it! The light weight is a 100% seller for me. You dont even feel it in pocket. My lock is unsprung, so there is up and down play, in the blade. I could prob fix it by bending the lock bar, but after stripping the screws, i dont think i can disassemble it any more. Doesnt bother me. Funny how awful some of these knives can come, yet we still like them.

The sink bridge? I got it from chefknivestogo.com

Thanks for the kind words 👊

4 parts water, 1 part dish soap, 1 part baby oil.

Any tape would be better than raw steel 😁

Depends on the knife, stone height, and prob other factors im not thinking of. As far as low, you can set it dead flat parrellel to the stones. Again, depending on height. Obtuse angles, pretty much the same. I dont think you can get a true 90° on it but you could prob get close

Right on. No instructions 🤷‍♂️ 😁 i should have watched a video or two but i didn’t wanna spoil my first impression

Thanks for dropping by!

I’ve never found any guided system good for Scandinavian grind. I suppose you could angle the knife in such a way that you could make it work, but i don’t think it will without some tinkering.

@@Jef Thank you

🤘

Thanks bro. 👊

There's a lot of confusion surrounding "ceramic water stones" out there. Some think it's referring to the binder, some to the abrasive, some think it means ceramic like a Spyderco bench stone. The whole term bothers me because it's so unclear and general. I think the way you're using it; meaning a vitrified stone; is what it SHOULD mean. But in the industry and internet jargon it's not...at least not always 🤦‍♂️

Yes, I have used the Naniwa Habiki 1k. I didn't find it to be a hard stone, like Shapton. More in line with the King 1200. I know, two totally different beasts, but I am just talking about tactile feel. As for Naniwa, after my debacle with the professional series, I will never spend money on that company.

@@AnarchAngel1 well. here's the thing. both can be correct because ceramic can be an abrasive as well as binding. when its used as a binding method it's called vitrified.. or ceramic.. when it's used as an abrasive it's called ceramic. so..

@@jeffhicks8428 I may have misspoke..the Naniwa I have maybe the traditional 1k line..it is just a piece that was cut off the whole stone, that a buddy sent me. I have no marking on it to tell

imo Arks are obsolete stones in terms of functionality but they're still cool and a lot of folks feel sentimental about them. India oil stones are fine but I'd take a more modern water stone over india stones. I still like the Crystolon oil stones for certain things tho and the silicon carbide had more abrasive firepower. Idk what you mean by diamonds. But it could mean a lot of things. Diamond powders or slurries. Coated abrasives diamond plates or films. Bonded abrasives diamond whetstones in the form of resin, vitrified or even metallic binding on a scale of softer to harder. All of those things have their uses. For edges I mostly use the films and resin bound diamond because the films cut just as fast and last just as long as the plates however they have vastly lower tolerance and higher quality scratch patterns and just overall more versatile tool for doing edges. Anything from 120 um down to 0.1 um with grit distribution that's narrower than even high end whetstones. Resin bonded because I like the additional feedback over other bindings, the cost is much lower, the wear rate is still quite slow, and resin has it's own range from very soft more like what you get with Nanohone to very hard resin that wears very slowly like you get on some other products. The one drawback to diamond is that because it cuts everything just about the same in term of steel it is not capable of producing contrasting finishes on the primary bevel of laminated or pattern wilded knives like you see in Japanese kitchen knives. Diamond can do a lot of things, but it can't do that.

I think jeffhicks8428 pretty much answered everything well. I would say I have used those lapping films, and they do a fine job, but they are delicate. You can ruin them easily, if you are not on your game. I've slit them with my knife, just doing edge trailaing strokes, when I dug the tip in. I've sliced more than a few, doing edge leading. They really work best, in s stropping motion, which in itself, is a can of worms. That technique, has a tendency to create burrs, even at really high grits. Micro burrs are a real pain in the butt to deal with. The India stone, coarse, can be one of the absolute fastest stones, on the market. *IF* you can apply the appropriate amount of pressure. That is the biggest draw back. It will cut just about any steel, with the right force. Using oil, can make this precarious, so I would just advise using something a bit more friable. The fine side is quite capable of handling simple steels. Think 1095, 440c, and such. Once you start introducing high carbides, it too, requires more pressure, than I feel is safe. Arks are in that same boat, of simple steel sharpening. They can cut carbides, as Cliff Stamp illustrated in video, when he microbevels 10v? I can't recall what steel it was, but that video is still on youtube should you care to watch. For me, doing a full bevel sharpening, they are just too slow. I have used them, more so in past, than I care to admit. Even sharpening s30v on them. The amount of time spent on those, along with the fact freehand always creates some rocking motion, all my bevels off them, are extremely convexed. Do I have any advise on them? Keep the surface textures conditioned well. Use loose SIC powder on glass, to create a coarse texture on them, and reapply it, as they glaze. Since the stones are not friable, all the cutting is going to come from the surface texture, and pressure. I had someone tell me once, that convexing the Ark stones, made them cut faster. I can't say if this is true, as I never tried it. Those stones are pretty hard, and I would hate to round them out, discover it isn't for me, and then have to re-flatten. I don't use them enough to bother.

Thanks 🙏

I do. On every video. Check the “description” under the video. All the information is there

Without a doubt, free hand is always more convenient ;)

I always suspected coarse edges gave better results in cut testing, just never bothered to confirm it. Sadly, just about any edge loses bite, if you use diamond or cbn. At least, in my experience. Cbn seems to work a tad better, but everytime i have tried them, they just do. It’s yet another reason why i prefer plain ole white compound 🤷‍♂️ You’ve given me something new to experiment with however. I’ll have to fiddle with a few and test my results.

@@Jef nice

lol sorry about that. The 220 is indeed coarse. So much so, I fig’d i would have apexed quicker. Water just flows right through the thing. Ive debated adding a seal of cashew laquer, but the last porous stone i did that to, absorbed so much, it is almost ruined.

Yea i thought tape might work 👍 Works well, but I must have edited out the clip showing how wavy the bevel came out. These guides always have some issue or another, but they get ya sharp.

@@Jef I think you can only count on those guides as an initial bevel setter. Switch to free hand after the bevel is set and finish out. Dragging that clunky piece of metal along in the final stages ruins the initial work. You need to feel the stone in the finishing stages.

Well….bc i know how to freehand i would agree, that is an option. Someone who doesn’t, it wouldn’t be an ideal situation. Maybe, stick to one stone, and done. Regardless, the cut test at the end, says it worked, through the entire progression. Clunky, sure. I think, something simpler, would be a better option. Such as, the Naniwa guide, i showed at the beginning.

@@Jef Small knives (short) are not clunky because the guide stays stable on the stone. Long blades are better done in sections and then blended in. I feel that once you have a flat straight edge ( no convex) you can maintain the angle free hand by watching the swarf. When I started out, I was working with a lot of jacked up blades, and needed to reprofile to a basic edge. I resorted to sharpening some edges on bricks and sidewalks to get by on the jobsite. Now I carry a pocket diamond plate to get me by until I get home and break out the good stones.

What’s wrong with convex? Just easier for you to sharpen flats, or there something else there you prefer? I’ve done the same on sidewalks and bricks, just to get an edge going. I now carry sand paper, and several different stones with me, on my work truck. The pocket sized venev stones are almost always in my back pack.

Yea that seems to be the most common way people deal with this type of bolster. Honestly, we got rid of all these knives. I now mainly use customs, and a few Henckels we purchased.

I dont own a Gesshin, nor plan to. They seem way over priced. So i can not make the comparison. The Latte I purchased did come from Cktg. It was under $50 if memory serves. Worth every penny. As far as analogs to the 1 and 2k Nubatama, there are a few choices that are close. None are truly the same, so unless you can get ahold of the real thing, you’re limited. However, the closest i can think of, you already have. The Shapton Pro 1k. The hardness is close, as is the speed and scratchy feel. Not quite there, but its the best option, imo. The Pride abrasive 1k is another, as far as speed is concerned. The hardness/scratchy feel, is difficult to replicate, and it just isn’t quite here. Finally, I want to say the Norton waterstone 1k, is similiar in speed, and maybe, slight scratchy feel. I havent used it in awhile so can’t say with certainty Hardness and scratchy feel, are hard combinations to match. The Latte has both, but it is a 400 grit, not 1k.

On another note, if you want to try purchasing some, i would try on cktg forums. Ken used to frequent there often. I know he had a large following of sharpeners, on that forum. Maybe if money is right, someone will bite.

@@JefGreat info, thanks man

Dude I totally forgot! Bernal Cutlery Takarazukushi combo stone 1/4k. The 1k is damn near spot on, the Nubatama 1k. Not 'extra hard', but close enough. Same coloration, same scratchy feel. The 4k reminds me of the Nubatama Bamboo 5k. Again, not quite as hard, but pretty damn close. edit:: Bernal Cutlery Takarazukushi - #1200 Grit Blue Marble Japanese Whetstone The 1200 blue marble, looks suspiciously like the 2k Nubatama. Are they the same? I don't know. I need to get one and see

Thanks for checking it out 👊 I got a black handled version years ago that i used lightly. I remember it was really nice in edc tasks. Will have to put it through my work routine to see how it holds up. I’m sure I’ll be sharpening it again on video soon enough 😁

They are priced very well 👍

Thanks for checking it out. This one is not everyone’s flavor 😉

Valid point. Both these were really dull, from my sharpening notch. Multiple times, i slipped with the file, and raked across the edge. The angles were also very obtuse. Around 25-27°/side.

@@Jef Did you use a diamond file for the notch? Maybe you could have included filing the notch in the vidio.

I used a diamond file, and I have several videos that demonstrate the process. It is a bit too slow and tedious. For that, I would most likely do a separate video, but I already have several examples.

Right on. Do you know if they are being included with the devices, or, does everyone have to request it?

Ahhh right on. It is such a small thing most wouldn’t even notice it. At the time, MT was making almost perfect knives. Seeing any flaw was very rare.

Glad you understand what i was showing off. Kinda hard to describe to those who just don’t sharpen or realize what they are looking at. I’ve never been ashamed to show off my mistakes as it helps me learn. Wish more sharpeners would do the same. It takes quite a bit of effort to do a video like this. Not so much the recording but the editing. Now a days, i just dont think i would have it in me to go this far. It’s nice to know someone is still out there checking it out. Thanks for the comment and watching! 🙏

Thank you for the kind words 🙏 I wish you and yours joyous fortune

T1 is a little more simple. Plus, it isn’t a giant apparatus. I think the t1 is much easier. However, this device is no slouch. It does what it does, well. Honestly, they are so different, its hard to compare. If i had to choose one…i would prob go with the sharpworx. Just bc it doesnt have jaws that clamp. I’ve always had issues with the stones rubbing the tip of the clamps, and a few other annoyances.

@@Jef Does the Sharpworx get in the way at all for freehand motion/positioning? That's one of my worries since the goal would to just eventually not use it at all. The setup definitely looks more involved which makes the T1 more appealing. I do sharpen smaller pocket and paring knives but they don't get used/wear as often as my bigger kitchen knives. I'm assuming it'd be less of a worry with the stones rubbing on clamps with taller blades?

Actually, smaller blades rub more. The apex is right smack against the clamp mouth often times. This device can get in the way of your natural motion, if your motion doesn’t follow along, with its trajectory. I didnt find it to be a major issue, but definitely something i noticed. Someone else mentioned, it completely changed how they did things. As long as you allow the system to do its thing, it shouldn’t be a problem. Look through here for comments from others, who mentioned this. You may gain some insight, or even ask them, some follow ups as to how they dealt with it.

lol this video is so awful. I wish it wasn’t as popular as it’s become, bc i would delete and redo it. Too long, too much talking, and i just didn’t end, when i should have. Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment 🙏

Yes. The system rotates with the belly very well.

😂 yea the single edge isn’t exactly pretty. Still, dagger style makes a poor edc, imo.

​@@JefIn the end, I transformed my predator into one similar to yours, it didn't turn out as good because the sharpener doesn't have much experience sharpening and I lost about half a centimeter of blade but it turned out sharper than the factory.

Thanks for checking it out 👊

and a good dry lube would be great too...(for the rods) dont skimp on the stones is my guess...for my cnc i always buy quality bits

Scratching the main grind? If so then you are likely holding the angle to acutely, or the main grind has some issues. Take a photo of your angle, or even a short video; email it to me. Jefjewell @ gmail . Com Sharpal, btw, are some shady ass people. They had me do an “honest” review, and threatened to sue me, if i didn’t pull it down. I showed how the stones go bald, and how poorly they are made. Just a lil fyi for ya.

Awesome 👏 Just use the sharpie trick, or neevesknives solution of allowing your finger to indent against the spine and mark it with a sharpie. If your unfamiliar check his channel for the tutorial. Its pretty clever.

If you cant locate it let me know and i will shoot a quick video showing the process

@@Jef oh shoot, thanks for the tip. ill go check it out, my stone just got here.

The water is just room temp/cold water, from the tap. The bottle is the same. Just plain, room temp, tap water.

I used them in order of micron level. It sounds like i misspoke. 1 micron - 0.5 micron - finishing on 0.25 micron.

The lowest setting is 10°. You might be able to fiddle with the arm to get even lower, but i don’t think it would be ideal, for that process (thinning). Thinning requires alot of grinding, on a fairly large surface. I found diamond plates work extremely well on v bevels, but large surfaces, they are slow. For this process, i find friable stones, to be the best option. With a stone that sheds grit readily, you don’t have to apply a ton of pressure. There are many options to choose, but if speed is what you are after, look to the criteria i spoke of. The shapton pro 120, and the norton crystolon, are among my two favorites. Yes, the norton is considered an oil stone, but you can use it with water. I soaked mine in oil for 24 hrs, and let it air dry after. Since that time, I’ve mainly used a water/oil/soap mixture as my main lubricant. You could just use water, or even soapy water, if you wanted. Either way, it’s a fast, coarse stone, that’s friable. On another note, if you are just set on diamond, consider a very coarse resin bonded stone, like venev. The coarsest available is suitable, although it would not be my first choice. Or, if you just want a plate, try something like chef knives to go, store branded diamond plate, at 80 grit. There maybe coarser out there, but it’s the only one i know of, off the top of my head.

@@Jef 10dps is really dissapointing, i sometimes want 8 or even 6 for transition bevel, before 15dps mircobeveling. (RIP Cliff Stamp.) Also scienceofsharp showed that DMT cut literally 10 times slower than atoma on larger surfaces, likely due to the pattern on the atoma having more pressure. So i wouldnt generalize it, but keep your experience in mind. I would try to get the deep scratches out with a 325grit diamond plate.

That is interesting, that they have such a big difference in cutting speed, on large surface areas. I can’t say i have tried to compare them side by side, but i do like, atoma, over dmt. My dmt have shown many issues in qc, from abrasive particles on a fine stone, leaving deeper scratches than my ex coarse, to plates having actual dents, that caught my edges, as i did fwd strokes. Atoma, on the two plates i have tried, were just better, in all ways. Speed, qc, and scratch patterns. The few times i have used diamonds to thin a knife, i felt like pressure was required. It is probably just a trick of the mind, from using water stones. It’s just something i recall, and couldn’t say one way or another, if it helps. Just throwing it out there. 👍

@@Jef Yeah, QC with DMT is suprisingly terrible, and there is grit contamination. In his tests its abrasion rate (on larger surface) was as efficient as a 16k stone... 😂 And regarding diamonds, usually people say very light pressure with diamond, but thats for sharpening, which is way less contact area, i think for thinning one can and data shows should use much more force.

You do not have to flatten then after every single use. Shapton are hard and maintain shape extraordinarily well. You Should be able to sharpen a good 6+ knives on em, before you need to consider this. Hell I’ve done a dozen and still had decent flatteness. On that note, if you are going to use a diamond plate to flatten, get the atoma 140. It’s coarser and Will do a faster job. They sell cheap diamond plates at chef knives to go, in the 80 and 140 grit range as well.

Btw flattening before/after each use wears the stones faster. You have to replace them more often, doing so. This is why Shapton recommends it. They make more money

@@Jef I read more comments after this and noticed that this method gives more use out of the block, I am very new to this, like extremely so thanks for the info and I have decided to use the method in the video to extend the longevity of my blocks. What grit of Silicon Carbide for the aforementioned blocks do you recommend? I noticed you used a finer grit on your finer grit blocks as well.

I believe i started with 120/220, and the finer stones, i took to 400/500 grit. Many loose silicone carbide powders, are sold in sets, of four grits. If you just prefer to buy em all separately, maybe grab 96 grit, 120, and 500. They are all capable, but 96 helps speed things up. Otherwise, just snag the 120/220 and 500. Those should get you where you need to go, with little fuss 🤘

@@Jef So just to confirm, 96 grit is fine on the finer blocks and won't damage it?

You can sharpen em several times before they start thickening Up and cutting poorly. Plus the sharpened edge seems to last longer than fresh out the box 👌

I’ve held a few knives that it didn’t bother me so much. Still, i agree. Make use of the real estate available

Exact same process for flattening and conditioning. The only difference between the uf and the fine, is surface texture. You can change both with loose sic powder. I did a video or two on spyderco ceramics. I think they are awesome. Just fine. I use em for touch ups

@@Jef Thanks!

Its faster than shapton 320. I would put it up against the sp 120. I had a burr on some of this edge after the first few strokes.

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