Ceramic Blades Vs. Others

[swivelsphinx]

Hi There!

I've been curious to know if anyone has experience carving with ceramic bladed swivel knives vs. other popular types. I own the "cheapie standards" that Tandy and Hidecrafters sell, an old Rubyat, and several better-than average steel blades. I find the "cheapies" easiest to put an edge on, but admit that I dislike sharpening my blades because I am not comfortable with a technique yet. I am interested in how those ceramic blades might perform for non-traditional carving work.

[dirtclod]

I bought one several yars ago and i hate it. It never was sharp and i belive you could strop it all day ever day and it wouldn't help. My vote is save ya money and get a good steel blade or a good knife and blade togeather. Other folks might of had better luck them than me.

[King's X]

If you want, I pay the postage and you can just ship that ceramic blade over to me. I have re-beveled the angle on my two ceramic blades and taken them up to 4000 grit. I strop them usually one or twice and they go all night long. Now, I will say for some reason, I switch between my steel blades and my ceramics? I guess, like a good father, I want to give all of my swivel knifes enough visitation. Just kidding....it just depends for me on the feel when cutting.

Let me know.

[Storm]

Over the years I have had a chance to use a wide variety of blades. I had one ceramic I used for years and loved it. Then I had purchased a newer one and found it to be junk. You could strop it till the cows come home and it just wouldn't work as I liked. I have since learned to be a lot better at hand sharpening a steel blade and correctly stroping same. My favorite blades now are the Al Stohlman steel blades. When it all comes together and the leather is cased the blade will really glide through the hide!

Here is a tip on stropping. First use a business card or my favorite a 3x5 index card. Then apply a liberal ammount of white jewelers rouge. I used a straight pull for stropping but now have found another way. Instead of just pulling it straight toward yourself I strop in an tight wavely line while bringing the blade toward myself. Keeping in mind that my first finger rests on the top of the blade so as to keep it flat on the surface. Two strokes on one side and two on the other. The reason for the card stock is that you do not have the tendency to gently rock the blade back and forth. This messes up your edges. For years I used a polished oak wood strop with and 8oz. strip of leather glued to it. I find now that I get a nicer smoother edge using the card stock on a hard surface. However I might take advantage of King's X's offer to sending him my current blade and see what magic he can perform. Always try to leave your options open.

Storm

Edited January 12, 2010 by Storm

[rickeyfro]

Over the years I have had a chance to use a wide variety of blades. I had one ceramic I used for years and loved it. Then I had purchased a newer one and found it to be junk. You could strop it till the cows come home and it just wouldn't work as I liked. I have since learned to be a lot better at hand sharpening a steel blade and correctly stroping same. My favorite blades now are the Al Stohlman steel blades. When it all comes together and the leather is cased the blade will really glide through the hide!

Here is a tip on stropping. First use a business card or my favorite a 3x5 index card. Then apply a liberal ammount of white jewelers rouge. I used a straight pull for stropping but now have found another way. Instead of just pulling it straight toward yourself I strop in an tight wavely line while bringing the blade toward myself. Keeping in mind that my first finger rests on the top of the blade so as to keep it flat on the surface. Two strokes on one side and two on the other. The reason for the card stock is that you do not have the tendency to gently rock the blade back and forth. This messes up your edges. For years I used a polished oak wood strop with and 8oz. strip of leather glued to it. I find now that I get a nicer smoother edge using the card stock on a hard surface. However I might take advantage of King's X's offer to sending him my current blade and see what magic he can perform. Always try to leave your options open.

Storm

Storm, I didnt see anything in Kings post about returning that blade!!!!

[pete]

Interesting!

I too have 2 ceramics. One I've had for who knows how long, and the other probably 2-3 years. The Old one has an "OLD" color to it, like and old piece of marble- a little yellow and almost a translucent look to it.

. Cuts as smoothly as anything I've ever tried. The new one looks more like a white shiny false tooth. Doesn't cut as well and needs stropping.

I just viewed and passed on the Jerimiah Watt video. He uses a steel blade but it is really thin. I have searched the internet and have found that a LOT of sheridan carvers use a really thin knife.

I mention this because if there is anything that I would change about the ceramic it would be to make it thinner but due to the ceramic itself, I don't think that they can do it without making it too easy to break.

I don't use metal blades because it is too easy to undercut my corners- even with a hollow ground blade. I would need to practice more but I have never undercut my pattern with the ceramic.

pete

[swivelsphinx]

I bought one several yars ago and i hate it. It never was sharp and i belive you could strop it all day ever day and it wouldn't help. My vote is save ya money and get a good steel blade or a good knife and blade togeather. Other folks might of had better luck them than me.

Thanks for the comment dirtclod! I was looking at ads for ceramic sw. knife blade this morning, and most of them claim that the ceramics "only need stropping" rather than sharpening. Sounds like the one you got diddn't live up to that claim at all! Maybe it was not properly edged to begin with.

[wildrose]

I'm lousy at sharpening, which is why I use a ceramic blade. Strop it a little and it's great. I did have a student chip the tip off one once, but other than that I find I prefer them over the steel. I do keep steel blades and low end knives for beginner classes.

[King's X]

Rickyfro was right....I will accept any ceramic blades that nobody wants... Now, my what would be tandy's filigree blade (angle) ceramic blade can be thinned down. You would have to get pretty aggressive with it at the beginning. I had taken a Stohlman steel blade that I bought off eBay that was jacked up and thinned it out. Now I use that one for tap offs since I like a thin marking line.

Good luck.

[hidepounder]

This is a subject that keeps coming up every few months or so. A search would turn up a lot of information. I don't use ceramic or Rubyat blades because I've learned to sharpen my steel blades, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with using ceramics as long as you can keep from ruining them. IMHO most ceramic blades need to sharpened and are not ready to go right out of the box. Sharpening them is difficult and usually requires the use of expensive equipment. Additionally ceramics are not available in nearly the sizes, shapes or thicknesses that steel blades are and I need a variety for different cutting requirements. I think the appeal of ceramics is that they require sharpening less often than steel. I also think that in many cases the user has probably never really experienced how well a trully sharp steel blade can cut. When my steel blade gets dull I can easily resharpen it and I don't have to worry about ruining it or spending the time and money required to maintain a ceramic blade. I'm just too ham handed to spend the money on a blade that will be ruined so easily.

I remember when the Rubyat blades first came out....I just had to have one (then two, then three) and they were expensive but I told myself that it was worth the money because they cut so well. Then I learned how to sharpen my steel blades because all the pros that I was trying to emmulate just laughed at me for using the Rubyat blades. What I discovered was that the Rubyat blades were not sharp at all!....I just hadn't known what sharp really was!.

So for the money I'm sticking with steel!

Bobby