Worth buying diamond and UF rods for ZDP?

[MaDMaX]

I have a strech CF with ZDP blade, having a hard time sharpening it with sharpmaker. I've spend almost 2 hours trying to make it better but still not as sharp as it was out of the box(wich wasnt that sharp, barely hairpoppin)

I do alot of strokes with very light pressure but cant seem to make it sharp as i want it to. I've done my pre shaping at 30°(with a marker to be sure it sharpenend the whole thing to the edge) and after did all the steps at 40°.

So I looked at the forums and many people are using diamond rods and then go on till UF rods.

My question is, is it worth to spend almost 100$ for those rods? Is the improvement really there? will it make my knife hairpoppin? Or can i stay with my med and fine rods and still do the job?

Also, if someone would tell me their methods to make zdp sharp step by step please.

Thanks for your infos

[Praxis]

Can't speak to the specifics of sharpening a ZDP Stretch, but I definitely use my diamond rods for other knives. I mainly use them to clean up the edges of a couple kitchen knives that get a lot of hard use. I give them a few swipes with the diamond rods and then move on to the regular rods. Don't have any UF rods yet, but I definitely intend to get some. Instead, I use a leather strop with polishing compound to get a hair-popping edge.

[D1omedes]

I would imagine that the diamond rods are a must for ZDP, due to the steel's hardness. The diamond rods will cut down the time needed to reshape the bevels and restore the edge a lot faster, I think.

I can get VG10 to be push-shaving sharp on the fine rods. I'm sure you can do the same with ZDP. If you want hair-popping sharp, then you will probably need to strop (which can mess up the edge geometry) or pick up those UF rods.

[noddy]

Usually I rest a Fallkniven DC4 up against one of the rods to restore angles on particularly hard steels and then go through the usual routine with the sharpmaker

But with this one I think I am going to strop on 3200 grit and then polish - and do that for many sharpens until it takes on its own convexed edge

[Climb14er]

I've got the same knife and other ZDP-189's and YES, it's a must (YMMV) to have the Diamond Rods.

[jzmtl]

If you need to reprofile the edge yes you need diamond (goes for other steels too).

Wasn't there the problem of ceramic rods chip hard steel like ZDP because it has no flex? Was that ever solved or found to be caused by something else?

I use 2000 grit sandpaper, found it can remove burrs a lot better than ceramic rods, which just push the burr around. Probably due to the same reason that paper can give a bit and grab the burr while ceramic doesn't.

[JimP]

I think the diamond rods are essential addition for all super steels, whether it be VG-10, S30V or ZDP.

Out of my 30 odd folders there has been maybe 3 that have not needed re-profiling out of the box so that I can easily maintain with the sharpmaker using the white stones at 40 degrees. Using the brown stones I found it could take in excess of 2 to 4 hours to re-profile a super steel, with diamonds it takes maybe 15-45 minutes.

It depends how many knives you intend on buying and how much you use them but for me life is too short to muck around with just the brown stones.

BTW I find that all steels benefit from a strop after working with the sharpmaker.

[demtek9]

I actaully had an Lansky with 3 stones and 1 diamond slab, so I used that diamond rod to set the edge and then use the sharpmaker fines (whites) to smooth the primary cutting edge, then the 2000 wet sandpaper. I'm not sure you need the sharpmaker diamond rods, but any vendor that makes a quality diamond sharpener will help. Its taboo to recommend a non Spyderco product on a Sypderco forum, but see if you can find an LK3DM that costs 55 bucks.

[MaDMaX]

how do you use sandpaper to sharpen your knives? I used to have a native and was alot easier to make it very sharp with fine stones but zdp aint...

So i guess diamond is necessary, but UF rods now? i'm not sure since ZDP is so hard, it barely does something on fine rods...ultra fines will remove even less...that's why i ask. thanks everyone for your great answers, i appreciate. not too many forums are that friendly.

[demtek9]

Using 2000 grit sandpaper is slightly more agressive than a leather strop charged with compound. Just draw the blade back freehand style. Any polish is some sort of light abrasive in a paste or liquid. Polishing wheels and such are just using a fine abrasive to make the edge razor sharp.

[VashHash]

well i have something to admit... I use a lansky sharpmaker wanna be with the round ceramic rods and i only use the medium rods on all my knives. It works great for ZDP and S90V just i don't think it'll work for serrations. Don't get me wrong i was gonna get a sharpmaker but i ordered from a bad site and lost $50. I'll just have to suck it up and try again Also the lanksy mediums make it SUPERSHARP but.... IT STILL CUTS MANILLA ROPE WITH EASE

[STi]

I have them all and use the UF the most and finish up with the strop.

Make sure you wipe the Diamond rods with some CLP or something before storage and use ultra light pressure.