Reconditioning a Shapton 30k Pro hone...

After a few year's use of the Shapton 30K Pro hone, it lost it's "mirror" gloss on the used (non-logo) side. This definitely impacted the sharpness of my straight razors...the magic was gone and it felt like I was shaving with a razor honed on an 8 or 10k hone. How to polish the hone back to a 30k surface? Use a diamond hone like the one Shapton provides for the "new" ceramic glass 30K hones. Avoiding this nearly $300 expense, I found a cheaper way to recondition my 30k purple(and 16K cream) hones. For $8.00, I bought some Cerium oxide from a lapidary supply store, a tough powdered orange substance (like a rouge) which when placed on the lap, will do a great job on these hones. It appears to come in one grit....ultrafine...and is used to polish stones in lapidaries. Watch the adhesive nature of wet Cerium oxide slurry. The hones must be moved in figure-of-eight motions without pressing down, else they will adhere to the wet lap as if they are super-glued to it. A little patience will result in a nice polish and excellent re-truing of the hone's surface.

Shapton also has a cheaper compact lapping plate, which is a little more economical than the DGLP and DRLP, and can lap any wet stone of any grit. Here is a link. Shapton has changed this product to be smaller and come with only coarse and medium grit powders (I have them on order, but haven't seen them yet, maybe Howard has more info on those). For those who like to use powders on glass, you can also buy the lapping powders individually.

These were designed for the pro series, BTW.

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Originally Posted by jguida

After a few year's use of the Shapton 30K Pro hone, it lost it's "mirror" gloss on the used (non-logo) side.

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Thanks for the info. I have a set of Shapton Pros from 1 through 30k that haven't gotten near to that point yet. Were you only using the stones for razors or were you sharpening other things as well ? My reason for asking is that I am curious as to how long one of these 15mm rocks lasts on average with regular use? I guess it is obvious that sharpening tools and or knives would wear the stones more quickly than only sharpening razors.

If you are only sharpening razors, you will never go through anything higher than a 1K stone. I have gone through 3 #220 and #320 pros and have worn my #1,000 and #1,500 down to 7mm, but I sharpen a lot of things. I still have my original 5k, 8k , 15k, and 30k pros.

If you ever go through a 30K, you would set some sort of world record.:rock:

I always tell my customers that Shapton Pro stones are an investment, and unless you lose them, get them stolen, or drop them, you will never be buying another stone to replace them (maybe the #220 or #320 once). Your children will inherit these stones, and your great-great grandchildren will inherit the 30K.

Can't say the same for the Glass, though....

After 2 years on the glass stones with almost daily use I haven't seen much wear. The medium is pretty tough stuff and doens't wear fast. I use them mostly for my kitchen knives and other knives I get hired to sharpen. I only use straights on these stones when I'm rebuilding a blade, after the edge is established I go to the natural stones...

In a coarse stone I used the 125 Naniwa "brick" a wickedly tough stone and as little as I use it I'm sure it will survive for years. The scratch pattern is much less agressive as the DMT plate of the same grit.


I'm told, and from my observation, that the shapton Pro line is fantastic with carbon steels :) When space and $$ are not so much a problem I'll replace the glass stones with the Pro lines.

Jguida, Have you noticed any grit transferance from the lapping medium to the hone? I've heard this can be a problem in the finer stones. Just currious, I've not polished anything higher than a 16k and I'm nervouse about the problem with this stone... could only imagine my nerves polishing a high $$ item like a 30k hone, yikes...

Try a Chinese 12k. I lap my 16K shapton with it and only intermitantly use a DMT. I have diagonal grooves cut in the c12k so it does not stick. The C12k is a very hard stone so it wears slower than the shapton and it leaves a silky smooth surface on the shapton. It will probably work fine on the 30K shapton too. I have the pro series 12 or 13k and the C12k laps it very fast. I think the pro series are softer than the glass stones. Having said that I will use a DMT for badly hollowed stones and make quick work of it.
Mike

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Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

Jguida, Have you noticed any grit transferance from the lapping medium to the hone? I've heard this can be a problem in the finer stones.

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I had a couple of stray pieces of 150 grit sil con powder stuck in my 4k glass after lapping

I wasn't using that powder, just some leftover by accident on my plate.
I'll be MUCH more careful next time.:(