Imperfect tri-stones on Sharpmaker

[Mako109]

I probably should have asked a long time ago. The tri-stones on mine, particularly the Fine (white) feel imperfect.

1. The sides on mine have "pimples". I mean if i run my finger down one side I can feel a pimple or two; and it's like this on two sides per stick, giving me only one side on each stick to use.

2. The corners on some parts are slightly jagged. So slight I can't see it until I run my fingers over that portion, but it's certainly there.

Are these conditions normal? Should the sticks/rods feel perfectly smooth?

[Wartstein]

Sounds not normal to me: Just checked my white, brown and CBN rods: All perfectly smooth (other than being abrasive of course.. ) on the flats and the corners, no "pimples" or jagged spots.

The "pimples" on yours are really that bad that you actually can´t use the flats where they (the "pimples") are?!

[Sharp Guy]

I have a couple sets of each and mine are all smooth. Have you considered contacting Spyderco?

[The Meat man]

The are some bumps on my UF stone flats that will chip an edge if I try sharpening on them. Luckily, there's at least 1 side to each UF rod that is perfectly smooth so I just marked the smooth sides and only sharpen on those.

[Mako109]

Sounds not normal to me: Just checked my white, brown and CBN rods: All perfectly smooth (other than being abrasive of course.. ) on the flats and the corners, no "pimples" or jagged spots.

The "pimples" on yours are really that bad that you actually can´t use the flats where they (the "pimples") are?!

Yes, I feel that's why I've had such difficulty. Like "The Meat Man", I marked the two sides that are perfectly flat and just use those.

[Mako109]

I have a couple sets of each and mine are all smooth. Have you considered contacting Spyderco?

Unfortunately it's been several years since I purchased mine, so I doubt they'll do anything.

[Mako109]

The are some bumps on my UF stone flats that will chip an edge if I try sharpening on them. Luckily, there's at least 1 side to each UF rod that is perfectly smooth so I just marked the smooth sides and only sharpen on those.

Yes, that's been my solution too.

[tonijedi]

The are some bumps on my UF stone flats that will chip an edge if I try sharpening on them. Luckily, there's at least 1 side to each UF rod that is perfectly smooth so I just marked the smooth sides and only sharpen on those.

Same with mine. I don't know exactly well but I bought them many years ago, probably more than 10, and they were like that from factory.

[Cambertree]

Yes, my Sharpmaker rods are smooth.

It’s obviously a different kind of rod and a different production process, but my diamond rods had a few very large particles - one chunk was so much of a ‘pimple’ that it would catch and stop the whole knife dead in the pass.

Luckily it was near the bottom of the rod.

I ended up knocking the outsized pimple out by tapping it with the side of a plane iron. I wonder if you could do something similar on your caramic rods?

[jpm2]

It's pretty common to flatten and lap sharpening stones. This will remove new stone imperfections.

With new diamond plates, I run a scrap piece of steel over them till the surface is even.