Anyone use polishing sticks?

[Bensbites]

I am not sure if this belongs in sharpening or shop talk, but I think the polishing aspect has broader appeal to polishers rather than just makers.


I have gone way too deep down the rabbit hole! After listening to podcasts on the makery network namely knifetalk and XYZ, there have been discussions around polishing blades. One of the hosts of XYZ who was also a guest on knifetalk talked about using mold polishing sticks. There are what injection mold makers use to polish molds to a mirror finish.

I just orders a set for when I get around to successfully differentally hardening and polishing blades.

I ordered cs-m sticks from MoldShopTools.Com in case anyone else is interested

 

[cotedupy]

O brave new world that has such people in't!

(Sounds very interesting , keen to hear your thoughts when they arrive...)

 

[Bensbites]

O brave new world that has such people in't!

(Sounds very interesting , keen to hear your thoughts when they arrive...)

it will be a while. The current spending spree is more about trying a few interesting ideas with work account funds before the end of the year. I am curious.

 

[Dominick Maone]

Trollsky on Youtube uses them. And Aaron Gough uses them in his latest kitchen knife video. I think the main problem with them (and I do not have personal experience with them (YET)) is getting completely straight scratch pattern. So may be a lot easier to get the knife up to X grit, but you may still need to finish with sandpaper to make the scratch pattern perfect.

 

[stereo.pete]

I’ve used them to flatten a bevel on a honesuki I was making a few years back. I also just used them to quickly remove the burrs around some holes I drilled into the tangs of a batch of nakiri I just finished getting ready for heat treatment.

They come in handy for sure, but I’m such a novice that I will defer to the experts who might use them.

 

[inferno]

aren't these just smaller stones?

when i polish blades i do it on regular bench stones because i get a larger surface area.
i have a selection of different types of stones, soft/hard/soakers/s&g/muddy/no mud/fine/coarse etc etc.
and sometimes i just use sandpaper. they work different on different blades. i like some stones on monos and some stones on clad blades, and some on ss and some on carbons. different horses for different courses.

 

[TB_London]

Yep been using EDM stones for hand finishing for about 10years now. Works out cheaper than sandpaper wrapped round a stick, and with pressure the coarser ones cut quite quickly.

Also they don’t tear like sandpaper...

Polishing is a bit of a misnomer IMO they’re best for removing belt grinder marks when doing a hand rubbed finish.

 

[Unstoppabo]

I think I remember seeing these recommended by one of the makers active in this forum, but more for shaping/thinning/rough finishing. What grit did you go up to?

 

[Bensbites]

Well, they were out of stock on everything I ordered. Looks like this idea will get shelved.

 

[Dominick Maone]

https://www.gesswein.com/
Did you check this site out? I believe you have to buy in sets of 12 or so.

 

[Bensbites]

https://www.gesswein.com/
Did you check this site out? I believe you have to buy in sets of 12 or so.

Thank you. I did not. In a few months when I am deeper down the polishing rabbit I will revisit this subject.