Arctic Fox Bench Stones

FortyTwoBlades

Baryonyx walkeri
Dealer / Materials Provider
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Mar 8, 2008
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Finally have these in a full-sized bench stone. Single grit configuration only, as the shrink rate differential between the two sides put too much tension on this large of a stone and they'd pull themselves apart during firing. I've been using my personal one as a go-to for EDC and culinary knives and it's been performing beautifully, as expected. Like the rest of the Arctic Fox stones, it's an ANSI 400 grit (22µ) ice-blue aluminum oxide in a medium-hard ceramic bond that cuts fast, resists loading, but is hard enough to wear slowly and provide a crisp apex. Readily absorbs and holds water, or can be used with oil if desired.
 
Sweeeeeeeeet!

Really thinking of making this one of my main stones for sharpening folders. I like using these stones dry because they polish a bit better and yield a nearly burr free edge. After a short soak in water I've noticed they will produce a light slurry and cut much coarser... more like what you would expect from a 400 grit stone for cutting speed.

I also lap these like I do with my waterstones and have noticed you can slightly change surface texture and cutting speed with different lapping grits. For example: if lapped with an Atoma 140 the surface is gritty and will cut like a strong 400 grit stone. If lapped with something finer like a DMT Coarse the surface becomes slightly smoothed and while still 400 grit it helps to polish down the burr and makes getting a very sharp edge much easier. Adds a little polish to the edge too.
 
Hey 42, those look cool. I've been looking for a lower grit stone for re-profiling. Currently all I have is DMT bench stones.

Would your Manticore model be a good super-coarse complement to my DMT stones?
 
Hey 42, those look cool. I've been looking for a lower grit stone for re-profiling. Currently all I have is DMT bench stones.

Would your Manticore model be a good super-coarse complement to my DMT stones?

Absolutely. That kind of application is exactly what they were envisioned for. :)
 
Sweeeeeeeeet!

Really thinking of making this one of my main stones for sharpening folders. I like using these stones dry because they polish a bit better and yield a nearly burr free edge. After a short soak in water I've noticed they will produce a light slurry and cut much coarser... more like what you would expect from a 400 grit stone for cutting speed.

I also lap these like I do with my waterstones and have noticed you can slightly change surface texture and cutting speed with different lapping grits. For example: if lapped with an Atoma 140 the surface is gritty and will cut like a strong 400 grit stone. If lapped with something finer like a DMT Coarse the surface becomes slightly smoothed and while still 400 grit it helps to polish down the burr and makes getting a very sharp edge much easier. Adds a little polish to the edge too.

Jason, have you noticed any loading up when you use them dry?
 
Will the 240 grit side of the Arctic Fox combo be released as a separate 8x2 entity?
 
Will the 240 grit side of the Arctic Fox combo be released as a separate 8x2 entity?

It's unlikely. The 240 grit side is there to compliment the 400 grit side rather than being a dedicated and independent formulation. We'll have the 180 grit Bull Thistle stones in a bench stone eventually, though, and that'll be pretty close.
 
awestib awestib

Loads up dry and a little when wet. Doesn't seem to alter the sharpening too much though. I lap it fresh like a waterstone before every use unless it's dry.
 
It's worth noting that discoloration from metal particles on the surface from loading shouldn't get confused with glazing, as the formulation allows for easy release of fresh grit while minimizing slurry formation. Slurry is the enemy of a crisp apex, but also is good for preventing the development of a wire edge. By walking that line it's able to still cut quickly due to the grit refresh rate but generate a crisp apex because you're not developing a heavy slurry. This can also be modulated by adjustments in the pressure used.
 
awestib awestib

Loads up dry and a little when wet. Doesn't seem to alter the sharpening too much though. I lap it fresh like a waterstone before every use unless it's dry.

Thanks Jason.

It's worth noting that discoloration from metal particles on the surface from loading shouldn't get confused with glazing, as the formulation allows for easy release of fresh grit while minimizing slurry formation. Slurry is the enemy of a crisp apex, but also is good for preventing the development of a wire edge. By walking that line it's able to still cut quickly due to the grit refresh rate but generate a crisp apex because you're not developing a heavy slurry. This can also be modulated by adjustments in the pressure used.

Thanks! I noticed that on the combination stone Arctic fox that I have too.
 
Kicked out the SPS II 10K to accommodate the Arctic Fox (incoming).

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I am commissioning a local wire forming shop to reproduce the rack in a lower gauge steel so as to eliminate the center support bar for ease of stone ingress/egress. Teflon or Halar coated to reduce crosswire abrasion. An extra tier to hold additional stones such as the 8x2 Bull Thistle :) .
 
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Arctic Fox on copy paper...

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Bubbling stopped after 16-17 minutes. I will either permasoak the Arctic Fox or treat it as a 10 minute stone. Not sure yet...

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There were two minor issues that were easily resolved. First, note that the surface of the stone after being flattened with #220 SiC is pitted with voids.

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This would not have been a concern had one particularly deep void not continued to catch the edge of the blade while apexing. This required taking down the surface an additional 1mm. Note that such surface anomalies can easily be discerned by examining how running water sheets across the surface.

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The second was a chip along the unbeveled edge which required a low angle bevel cut. That being said, I do prefer unbeveled stones in that the end user is able to determine the bevel cut so as to accomodate edges where the heel meets the quillion less a sharpening notch/choil.
 
Spyderco M4. Destress, shape and apex. All on one stone. 10/15. No problem.

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I could not find any newsprint, so I used a grade school worksheet. No issues with draw cuts against the grain. Good enough for me.

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Touching up a 15 micro on a Wilkins Mytuko Cobalt. This is why I went with the Arctic Fox in the first place :) .

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Based on only a handful of sharpenings, I would categorize this as a medium hard stone. It does not slurry readily at the ~40g of scrubbing pressure I was applying. Refreshed with a spritz of water after every 50 pps to coax the generation of a light slurry. I like the Arctic Fox so far. Just need some more time with it.
 
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Medium-hard is exactly what we targeted with the formulation, so good to hear you agree with our categorization! I think you'll have a lot of fun with it. :)
 
I made it a point to disregard everything that I had read about the AF and approached it with a blank slate. Going back to review your introduction and further commentary, I can confirm that you were on point with your descriptions. Though I was still taken aback for a bit when the Atoma 140 generated as little slurry as it did. But you may have understated one descriptor as the stone does not just readily hold water. Rather, it is a reservoir in that I had left the AF to dry on a rack and returned nearly four hours later to find that a subsequent soak produced no visual bubbling that I could detect by eye. Really impressive.
 
I flattened my arctic fox field stone, so the double sided one, on SIC powder as well, no sure about the grit of the powder though. Also used my very well used coarse DMT stone for that same purpose. I have not noticed those voids. Have to go back and check again. Mine came with the stone edges unbeveled also, no chips on mine though.
 
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