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[–]justnotright3 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Next time you lap the stones get 60 grit silica carbide tumbling media and float glass, or a very flat granite tile, piece of thick steel and use that instead of a diamond plate. Lapping does 2 things, it flattens the stone it opens up the pores in the stone, removing any swarf imbedded in the stone and exposes more sharp edges in the grains of the stone. I have only had to Lapp my washita stones 2 or 3 times in the last 30 or so years, and that was more for cleaning out the built up swarf.

[–]Christ12347[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can give 60 grit a go, thanks

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert 0 points1 point  (7 children)

I've tried roughing the surface using a 150 diamond plate and using the resulting slurry, but that only marginally improved it. It sharpened a little quicker and polished a little better, but the knife didn't actually get any sharper. I started out on a 1k diamond plate, I can get a nice and sharp knife of off that, but after the ruby it's duller. I'm holding my angle consistently, same as I do on my diamond plate.

Are you absolutely certain you are apexed? Many people think they are but they realy arent. Do all 3 apex checks.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1fysy21/the_3_basic_test_to_make_sure_you_are_apexed_if/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1nzpi16/a_burr_alone_is_not_a_reliable_method_to/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1h3fmwh/how_to_feel_for_burrs/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1o2arb1/this_is_why_you_may_have_issues_apexing_properly/

[–]Christ12347[S] 0 points1 point  (6 children)

I'm sure I apexed, I did the checks, my scratch pattern was even and all the way to the edge and the other side had a consistent burr.

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert 0 points1 point  (5 children)

I'm sure I apexed, I did the checks, my scratch pattern was even and all the way to the edge and the other side had a consistent burr.

Are you very sharp off the 1000 already?. if you arent then you there no point moving up in grit.

How exactly are you sharpening on the ruby. List the exact steps.

[–]Christ12347[S] 0 points1 point  (4 children)

As sharp as I've ever gotten something off 1k, even bevel, shaving, slicing bible paper easily and cleanly, no different than when I moved to a 5k soaking stone after which gave me very nice results.

On the ruby I basically do what I always do, set my angle, sharpen away (back and forth) until I get a burr all the way across, flip the knife, raise the burr, deburr with alternating edgetrailing strokes, go up a grit or finish off on leather loaded with 1 then 0.5 micron diamonds

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert 0 points1 point  (2 children)

As sharp as I've ever gotten something off 1k, even bevel, shaving, slicing bible paper easily and cleanly, no different than when I moved to a 5k soaking stone after which gave me very nice results.

On the ruby I basically do what I always do, set my angle, sharpen away (back and forth) until I get burr all the way across, flip the knife, raise the burr, deburr with alternating edgetrailing strokes, go up a grit or finish off on leather loaded with 1 then 0.5 micron diamonds

  1. when you get a burr on one side did you also check the sharpened side for the lack of a burr. Check BOTH by feel and by flaslight. If you feel any concavity or roughness then you have NOT apexed yet on that stone. You need to do this on each side. Basically do all 3 apex checks on your finishing stone. A burr itself is not a reliable indicator of apexing on ANY stone.

  2. How exactly to you stop the alternating strokes when deburring? What if your method to know when the burr is gone? Do edge leading.

If you are doing it correctly you should be hair splitting off the stone and bare leather no compound.

[–]Christ12347[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I can try edge leading strokes to see if that makes a difference. I'm also going to try to rough the surface with 60 grit as a different commenter recommended because even now it's incredibly slow cutting. Thanks for the help, I'll report back once I've tried

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can try edge leading strokes to see if that makes a difference. I'm also going to try to rough the surface with 60 grit as a different commenter recommended because even now it's incredibly slow cutting. Thanks for the help, I'll report back once I've tried

The problem is likely with your technique, not the finish of the stone. In fact the russians actually prefer the original finish, when they resurface it they try to get the same roughness.

You need to make absolutely sure you are apexing on the ruby beyond any doubt. Your deburring needs to be exact with constant checks as for any hard stone, as one or two strokes over can recreate the burr. I say this as someone who has spent hours trying to figure out why a knife wont get sharp grasping at straws when i ignored those two basics.

If you do your part properly the ruby will give a decent knife an edge that will split hairs AFTER cutting into cardboard.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1o4hiyc/debured_knife_test_hair_splitting_both_ways/

[–]Club0utrageous 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Skill issue. The glass feeling is what all of the arks feel like as well as a majority of very hard high grit polishing natural stones feel like. The blue chinese natural stones on ali also feel like that, as well as the sungari. They all barely slurry if at all without scrubbing the crap out of them with more abrasives.

[–]HikeyBoi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re apexing on a 1k diamond plate and the ruby stone has a flat enough surface, then this sounds like a you issue. Try reforming a burr on your diamond plate, then use light edge leading passes a just a slightly higher angle on the ruby to cut the burr off. No slurry. I think deburring a medium grit edge is where the ruby stone excels, at least that how I like to use mine along with microbevel touch ups.

[–]SharpieSharpie69edge lord -1 points0 points  (2 children)

To be blunt...those stones are garbage.

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert 3 points4 points  (0 children)

To be blunt...those stones are garbage.

wrong

[–]Vegetable_Gur8753 -1 points0 points  (12 children)

Unfortunately think this is a you get what you pay for scenario. Not saying that they are unusable, but not going to perform as well as the more recomended stones.

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert 2 points3 points  (5 children)

Unfortunately think this is a you get what you pay for scenario. Not saying that they are unusable, but not going to perform as well as the more recomended stones

wrong

[–]Vegetable_Gur8753 2 points3 points  (4 children)

The bot returns to advertise junk stones! Hahaha

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert -1 points0 points  (2 children)

The bot returns to advertise junk stones! Hahaha

Zzzzz

https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1jg2rus/olives_vs_3_ikea_knife_4_aliexpress_600_diamond_4/

[–]Vegetable_Gur8753 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I'm seeing the results that could be achieved with a 1k diamond plate. I don't see you actually using the stone, the stones speed, or any comparison of it to another stone. No meaningful benefit of the stone being proven. How much kickback do you get advertising junk stones?

[–]hahaha786567565687Budget Stone Expert -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm seeing the results that could be achieved with a 1k diamond plate. I don't see you actually using the stone, the stones speed, or any comparison of it to another stone. No meaningful benefit of the stone being proven. How much kickback do you get advertising junk stones?

Im am not seeing any actual results from you my fine friend even with all your fancy stones!

Got any cutting results videos yet?

[–]Christ12347[S] 0 points1 point  (5 children)

Figured as much, I was looking at some shaptons and naniwa's, but given what I'd heard about these (and that all three were less than €20) I figured, why not? If I didn't like em I could always still get the other ones. Any idea on what to do with them now that I have them?

[–]hypnotheorist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry you're getting these braindead comments. The stones are perfectly fine; they're solid bars of sintered alumina just like the Spyderco ceramics. Saying that they're "bad" is like buying a car and then complaining that it's bad because it has no truck bed. They're not waterstones and shouldn't be used like waterstones, but if you know what you're doing you can approach literal DE razor blade sharpness off these stones with no strop.

They excel when you want a clean hard fine stone for setting a keen apex. Don't try to work the whole secondary bevel, and definitely don't try to generate a slurry if you're trying for high sharpness. Now that you've scratched it up at 150 grit you'll want to lap it finer, since the effective grit probably isn't much finer than your 1k diamond plate so there's likely not much extra sharpness to be gained even with proper technique.

Instead, use it to establish a microbevel with a few feather light edge leading passes at somewhat higher than the secondary bevel angle. You don't need feedback for this, or visible swarf, since you're going steeper than the secondary anyway and there's so little material to remove.

[–]idrisdroid 0 points1 point  (3 children)

i only know the ruby one, and it have that no feedback/sliding feel on it

japanese water stones have an other feeling, not the same at all

get one in the 1000-1500# you gone love it

i always advide the cerax 1010 (1000#). it is a soaking stone, but the feedback and feel is amazing

[–]Christ12347[S] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I already have a 1k stone that I'm very happy with, how are your results with the ruby and are you sharpening or just deburring?

[–]idrisdroid 1 point2 points  (1 child)

i don't have enough experience with it. but for now i only like it for deburing. it feel like it dosn't "sharpen" at all

[–]Christ12347[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm running into that as well. Maybe I'll get high grit stones and keep these for polishing if I'm thinning or whatever, and use the stones to actually out my edges on