Thread: From 4K To Compound?

Hello all,

I'm considering trying my hand at a restoration and honing.

I have a 1K and 4K stone that has served me very well for carving knives and such and I'm wondering if I can set the bevel and sharpen on the 1K and 4K and then jump to a coarser compound before going to 0.5 micron CrOx and then stropping, rather than buying an 8K 12K stone?

Your thoughts?

You can do it.
question is ? is it worth it?
better or cheaper then stone option?
Gl

Originally Posted by joebehar

Hello all,

I'm considering trying my hand at a restoration and honing.

I have a 1K and 4K stone that has served me very well for carving knives and such and I'm wondering if I can set the bevel and sharpen on the 1K and 4K and then jump to a coarser compound before going to 0.5 micron CrOx and then stropping, rather than buying an 8K 12K stone?

Your thoughts?

I'm all ears hi_bud

I am a universe away from you in experience...talk to me.

What are the pros and cons of doing what I'm thinking?

The paste method seems to be more popular in Europe. The main criticism here in NA is the "rounded bevel theory", which seems to be just that: a theory. No definitive answer has ever been reached. All you can can is try, right?

All you need to try this is an 8K compound. Maybe you could try taking some Zam or Fabulustre, powdering up a piece in a electric spice grinder, and giving that a try.

I got very nice results with diamond compounds on balsa after setting the bevel with any 1k stone. I used 6, 3, 1, and 0,5 micron pastes. No bevel rounding, the paste cuts very fast, and it is easy to use. The only problem is that I used cheapo paste, and it would have been better with quality diamond spray, but that would have killed the cheapness factor. For a beginner, I think it is an interesting way to get started, and cheap too.

Originally Posted by jeness

I used 6, 3, 1, and 0,5 micron pastes. No bevel rounding, the paste cuts very fast, and it is easy to use.

I think the "rounded bevel" theory is supposed to take place after mid-to-long term use, so even if it is true (and I'm not saying that it is) you wouldn't see any appreciable detrimental effects until further down the road. Or so they say

Wouldn't it be a simple matter of using the compounds on something like a paddle strop to avoid rounding the bevel?
I can see how you might round it using a hanging strop, but if the blade is flat on a paddle, much like a stone, why would there be any rounding?

If your idea is based on economics, adding an 8k plus CrO vs various different grit abrasives plus the CrO is there going to be that much difference?

The other side of this coin is that you will probably spend more on trying the various pastes than the price of an 8K hone.