clean your ceramic rods!

[toomzz]

Hello guys, a little tip I would to like to share, probably already known. :)
Flitzz polish compound works great to clean your ceramic sharpening stones. Just rub a little with a piece of toiletpaper over the stone and the stones becomes as white or gray as you bought them! After that rinse ´em with some warm water, detergent and scotchbrite and you are good to go again!

[Barman]

I use Barkeepers Friend ceramic cooktop cleaner. It's a liquid and a lot easier to use than the powdered stuff that I've been using for years. My Buck ceramic rods still look like the day that I bought them...in 1985.

[kbuzbee]

I've always used Comet (sink cleaner). Works great.

Ken

[jackknifeh]

I've always used Comet (sink cleaner). Works great.

Ken

I've used Comet also as well as tooth paste. I think they both work ok as far as performance of the stone but I have never been able to get the white stones looking new. They always still have spots which is ok as long as they perform like new. I've used nylon bristle burshes and scotch pads both. Several people here have told me Wal Mart carries Barkeeper's friend but the one near me doesn't. Neither does any other store with a cleaning isle. Flitz OTOH is available on about any knife making site I've seen and possibly at Wal Mart also with the other cleaning/polishing products. Does anyone think that my stones would PERFORM better if cleaned to a completely white appearance than they do now when they are clean, just not as pretty? I'm thinking any discoloration may indicate metal still being in the pores. Don't know for sure though.

Jack

[Jes Schuetz]

Electrical toothbrush with toothpaste.
Just make sure you use an old brush head and don put it in your mouth afterwards.

[glbpro]

I've been having good luck with using a soft pencil eraser as suggested by another forum member a while back. You can see all the metal deposited on the eraser itself, which is a sure indication that it's no longer on the stones.

Regards,
Bruno

[JNewell]

I've always used Comet (sink cleaner). Works great.

Ken

FWIW (I am not an expert on this), I've read that using non-abrasive, non-embedding cleaners like BF is better for the rods. If you haven't noticed problems, it's probably urban legend.

[JD Spydo]

I use Barkeepers Friend ceramic cooktop cleaner. It's a liquid and a lot easier to use than the powdered stuff that I've been using for years. My Buck ceramic rods still look like the day that I bought them...in 1985.

I agree with BARMAN>> I also find that "Bar Keeper's Friend" cleanser is truly one of the best ceramic cleaners I've ever used. When I have extremely clogged up stones as I do every now and then I first do a scrubbing with Comet cleanser to get rid of the worst of the clogged metallic filings out of my stones. Then I use "Bar Keeper's Friend" with water as hot as I can stand to use it with rubber gloves and I have all my ceramic Spyderco stones as well as other ceramic stones I've accumulated come out as if they just came in new.

I also soak stones overnight in this new "Dawn Overnight Dishwashing Soap" that just hit the market. It seems to really speed things up nicely. That new Dawn product has really impressed me with a lot of difficult cleaning jobs.

I have no doubt that the FLITZ polish would also work>> however the high cost of that FLITZ polish compared to what I can buy Bar Keeper's Friend at one of the local "Dollar General" stores is truly a no-brainer.

[doctorknife]

Why would you waste your FLITZ paste for a ceramic rods cleaning? There is cheaper and easier solutions, like a dish washing powder for an example. Just...read your spyderco manual book.

[phillipsted]

I agree with BARMAN>> I also find that "Bar Keeper's Friend" cleanser is truly one of the best ceramic cleaners I've ever used. When I have extremely clogged up stones as I do every now and then I first do a scrubbing with Comet cleanser to get rid of the worst of the clogged metallic filings out of my stones. Then I use "Bar Keeper's Friend" with water as hot as I can stand to use it with rubber gloves and I have all my ceramic Spyderco stones as well as other ceramic stones I've accumulated come out as if they just came in new.

I also soak stones overnight in this new "Dawn Overnight Dishwashing Soap" that just hit the market. It seems to really speed things up nicely. That new Dawn product has really impressed me with a lot of difficult cleaning jobs.

I have no doubt that the FLITZ polish would also work>> however the high cost of that FLITZ polish compared to what I can buy Bar Keeper's Friend at one of the local "Dollar General" stores is truly a no-brainer.

+1 on the Barkeeper's Friend. The stuff is truly amazing at getting rid of swarf.

TedP

[.357 mag]

FWIW (I am not an expert on this), I've read that using non-abrasive, non-embedding cleaners like BF is better for the rods. If you haven't noticed problems, it's probably urban legend.

Doesn't Sal use a powder like Comet in the sharpmaker video?

[LC Kid]

Hey Folks!

I always use Comet with my rods, Medium, Fine and Ultra Fine, with excellent results :)

[toomzz]

Summary: there are more and cheaper abrasive pastes that can do the trick. Indeed Flitzz is not cheap. I bought my sharpmakerset in the twentieth century :D and it only had a little booklet back in the days. Therefore I am not familiar with all the tricks you guys mentioned Guess I am getting old.....

[kbuzbee]

Guess I am getting old.....

Right there with you, brother.

Ken

[Evil D]

I don't use ceramic rods at the moment but I lap my stones after every use. This ensures that they're clean and flat for the next use.

[Echo63]

I clean my Ceramic stones when they are obviously dirty - i normally use a Scotchbrite pad with some Jif (abrasive dish cleaner) then normal dishwashing liquid and water.

Diamond stones are done with water and a scrubbing brush (i use dishwashing liquid and water as a lubricant on the diamond stones, so they dont need anymore when washing them)

the stones certainly work much better when they have been properly cleaned

[fanglekai]

It becomes pretty obvious when they are loaded with metal. I put about a teaspoon of comet onto a sponge, make a paste with it, and then use that to clean off all the stones. They look brand new afterwards and I haven't noticed any change in how they perform. I'd imagine ceramic is harder than the abrasive used; I haven't noticed any damage or change in appearance in the several years I've had the sharpmaker kit so I'd recommend comet. I've been wanting to try barkeepers friend but I haven't seen it in the stores I usually go to. I need to look harder.

[Cajun93]

Barkeepers here, no need for anything else

[jackknifeh]

It becomes pretty obvious when they are loaded with metal. I put about a teaspoon of comet onto a sponge, make a paste with it, and then use that to clean off all the stones. They look brand new afterwards and I haven't noticed any change in how they perform. I'd imagine ceramic is harder than the abrasive used; I haven't noticed any damage or change in appearance in the several years I've had the sharpmaker kit so I'd recommend comet. I've been wanting to try barkeepers friend but I haven't seen it in the stores I usually go to. I need to look harder.

Don't look any harder. I won't. I've stood in the cleanser and polish isle of every store I can drive to. Even ones that people here say Barkeeper's Friend is sold in and it's not there. I think the existance of Barkeeper's Friend is a rumor spread by people who like knowing there are people like me who always want something that is "just a little better" than what I already have. Then they sit on the couch laughing, knowing we are out there searching for a mythical ceramic stone cleaner. :D

[jer]

Don't look any harder. I won't. I've stood in the cleanser and polish isle of every store I can drive to.

I've been able to purchase BKF at both Publix (right next to Ajax, Bon Ami, Comet, etc.) and Lowes if that helps. Not sure where in the panhandle you are located but hopefully one of the two is within reasonable driving distance.