Thread: Recommended hones for stainless steel

I did my best to keep my honing setup cheap. I started out with the 3M papers (thanks, WildTim!), but couldn't stop there. So I got a DMT 8E, a DMT 8EE, a Chinese 12k, a four sided paddle strop with 1, .50, and .25 pastes, and an old Swaty three line.

Generally, I've been fairly happy with this setup. Minimum investment, and I'm able to get some pretty good edges on most of my blades. However, try as I might, I just couldn't get my Hess 44 Stainless sharpened without getting some microchips in the blade. It looks like this is a case of where being frugal really didn't pay off.

So I sent the Hess off to be sharpened by Lynn. Which means I'm gonna need an appropriate finishing stone to maintain that edge eventually. I haven't been *really* impressed by the edges left from the swaty or the chinese 12k. So I'm looking to you guys to suggest an appropriate finishing stone for stainless steel that won't microchip the edge. It seems that the swaty and the chinese 12k just aren't harsh enough to cut that tough stainless steel, but if you go to a stone that *is* harsh enough to cut it, it microchips the blade. So I need something that falls into a vary slim margin: harsh enough to cut the stainless, gentle enough to not microchip it.

The diamond pastes on the paddle strop don't seem to improve the edge *at all*, which really surprised me, as I have really been happy with the results I get from the paddle on all my regular carbon steel blades. Great newb setup, for sure.

Right now I'm leaning toward the Shapton 16k, but would love to get some suggestions from you guys before I spend the cash.

I'm also wondering if a complete line of Shaptons ( 1k, 4k, 8k, 16k) would be appropriate should I (or rather, when I) get more stainless blades. Any problems with microchipping stainless from the Shaptons? I'm talking about the shapton on glass series, not the pro series.

thanks in advance!

I'm a Shapton glasstone user, so this may be somewhat biased. Having said that, however, they are made specifically for the hard steels popular in Japan for kitchen knives and other implements. The work extremely well on hard steels (I have japanese kitchen knives) as well as softer carbon steels like much of Sheffield steel (and French kitchen knives!). For shaving, however, I find the edge right off a 16k a little too agressive, so I finish with a Chromox-laced strop (although there's some argument about this, some folks, myself included, feel that diamond cutting material leaves a more aggressive scratch pattern than that of chromox or a natural stone).

cheers,

cass

What about a natural japanese finisher? Have you looked at old_schools web site?
I've got the 16k, but I'm getting myself a Nakayama Hone!!!

Originally Posted by KristofferBodvin

What about a natural japanese finisher? Have you looked at old_schools web site?
I've got the 16k, but I'm getting myself a Nakayama Hone!!!

Nice stuff, indeed, but a bit out of my price range.

Did you lap the DMT, if you didnt, they will eat a blade up. The SWATY is for maintaining an already usable edge, far too slow of a cutter when it comes to re establishing a bevel etc.. Since youve already sent the Hess to Lynn, I would ask him what went wrong and why, wether it was the bevel, the stones. the honer or bad metal on the razor. He should be able to tell. With out pics of the chipping I cant tell.

Since you are already experienced at using the 3M films, may I suggest getting some diamond lapping film as your finisher?

Get a sheet of 3um, and a sheet of 1um, and you'll get fantastic edges on your stainless razors, no sweat.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Did you lap the DMT, if you didnt, they will eat a blade up. The SWATY is for maintaining an already usable edge, far too slow of a cutter when it comes to re establishing a bevel etc.. Since youve already sent the Hess to Lynn, I would ask him what went wrong and why, wether it was the bevel, the stones. the honer or bad metal on the razor. He should be able to tell. With out pics of the chipping I cant tell.

Yes, I did break in the DMTs quite thoroughly. I used a handle of an old Craftsman screwdriver on them, sharpened a bunch of kitchen knives, and had used them to set the bevel and refine edges on probably 20 or so razors before taking the Hess to them. I can't *imagine* someone trying to set a bevel with a Swaty! That'd be like putting out a volcano with an eye dropper.

Darn, I should have enclosed a note with the razor asking those exact questions.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Since you are already experienced at using the 3M films, may I suggest getting some diamond lapping film as your finisher?

Get a sheet of 3um, and a sheet of 1um, and you'll get fantastic edges on your stainless razors, no sweat.

That's a great idea. You had actually given me this idea a while back, but I kinda put it off because I've been having problems using X strokes on sharpening surfaces that fall off at a ninety degree angle. I know it's my technique, but I can't seem to correct it. I have a couple granite tiles that I use to mount my films to, and no matter which edge I mount my films to, I always end up dulling my blade when I try to use an X stroke. The same thing happens when I try to X stroke on my DMT's, too. Yet I get good X stroke results on beveled sided stones like my Swaty and my Chinese 12k. And by good results, I mean that I don't end up dulling the blade. And as you can probably imagine, I end up having blades that aren't equally sharpened all the way down the edge when I don't use an X stroke. It requires *many* more passes (hence alot more spine and blade wear) to sharpen a razor to an equal sharpness down the length of the blade without using an X stroke. I think part of the problem is that I have "benign tremor", aka shakey hands. That being the case, I think I'm going to have to re-do my hone setup to ones that all have beveled sides.

If you go to the Shapton USA website and look at the FAQ it says that the Shapton 12K professional is especially for stainless steel. Oddly enough they don't carry the 12k. Japan Woodworker does carry the 12 and it works very nicely OTOH, I am sure a 16K glass would work just fine. I spoke with Harrelson of Shapton USA a couple of weeks ago and he said that they just received some new Shaptons from Japan that are for stainless. Not sure it these are glass or what.

I have seen and heard several times now that the Shapton glasstones come in (or did come in) two parallel series. One that works best for A2 steel stuff and one that is designed to work best on Japanese steels. (reference: So at Japan Tool)

What does that mean in practice? I have no idea. I don't even know if the difference would be noticeable.

The only thing I have ever noticed about stainless steel is that it takes longer, as it is harder. I have honed stainless on everything from the Norton 4/8 to the Asagi finisher. It just takes a bit more patience.

My personal belief is that you don't need any special type of stone to hone stainless steel.

James.

That's good to know, James, thanks. I guess I'm just a bit gun shy on the whole stainless blade thing since my DMT's just insisted on chipping the blade no matter how hard I tried. Good to hear that's the exception, rather than the rule.