Rockstead Knowledge Thread

Does anyone know what is the particle size (in microns) it approximate equivalent of grit size of the liquid Pikal polish? More specifically, I’m interested where it falls relative to “green rouge” (chromium oxide) compound (0.5-2 microns/approx. 9,000-15,000 grit) and “white diamond” (tin oxide) compound (3.5microns/approx. 6,500 grit)?
I have made a denim strop according to the suggestions from the Rockstead website and would like to find out where pikal treatment would fall in my sharpening sequence. (I normally hand-sharpen using a set of Arkansas stones, finishing with stropping using white and green compounds, and then bare leather. I have a pair of Rocksteads with shinogi-zukuri geometry (Chou and Hizen), so it seems to me that a traditional oilstone hand sharpening is appropriate. (Please let me know if I’m missing something critical here.) Thanks a million!
 
sharp_it said:
Does anyone know what is the particle size (in microns)
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This is an Amazon review from https://www.amazon.com/Pikal-Liquid...01MTFF6KW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 . Obviously there's no guarantee of accuracy.

"If you are looking for technical detail about this product, this is 20% 3-micrometer diameter Aluminium oxide compound from Japan. Blue Magic is also Aluminium, oxide but has 5-micrometer diameter (according to a source I read.) Aluminium oxide is harder than high-carbon steels, so you can polish knives with specially treated metals. Visible light has wavelength of 0.4-0.7 micrometer (razor edge has a width of about 0.4 micrometer). If scratches are smaller than that, they are not visible in principle. Particles with 3 micrometer diameter would make much smaller scratches, which could be well close to this threshold... maybe this is why Pikal works so well. I used it for mirror-finishing a knife made of Japanese high-carbon steel. I was surprised to see the actual difference from using Brasso, Brasso apparently did not cut well (the polishing cloth did not get black, but with Pikal it did). I highly recommend this product, you probably don't need to buy expensive diamond polisher down to 3-micrometer diameter."

This is the Amazon profile of the reviewer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/a...OFPZCBRMNOPYUQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_gw_btm?ie=UTF8

Eta: I also read that Pikal Paste has larger particles than Pikal Polish, and that Zukuri, the German Rockstead dealer, supplies Unipol metal polish, which he says was tested by Rockstead and found to be functionally identical to Pikal Polish. However, I have been unable to find the particle size of Unipol.
 
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sharp_it said:
Does anyone know what is the particle size (in microns) it approximate equivalent of grit size of the liquid Pikal polish?
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I also found a blog called Science of Sharp, where a guy does lots of stropping and sharpening of razors and checks the results with a scanning electron microscope. He says he got similar results from many different polishes: "Over the past two years, I have tested a variety of other metal polishes on denim strops (Mother’s, Flitz, Simichrome, Wenol, Pikal to name a few) and all have performed and analyzed similarly. The example below shows a blade honed with the Shapton 16k and then stropped 30 laps on a Mother’s Mag polish loaded strip of denim. The result is nearly indistinguishable from that produced by the TI white razor paste." TI is Thiers Issard. https://scienceofsharp.wordpress.com/2016/05/29/the-pasted-strop-part-4/
 
Thank you very much for the information, Nick H.!

It is quite useful if the source is indeed trustworthy. I know that Pikal is not unique and not somehow better suited for Rocksteads than other compounds; I just wanted to find out its particle size and chemical composition.

A related question: does chromium oxide (green rouge compound) abrasive enough for YXR7? (Pikal is aluminum oxide.)
 
sharp_it said:
Thank you very much for the information, Nick H.!

It is quite useful if the source is indeed trustworthy. I know that Pikal is not unique and not somehow better suited for Rocksteads than other compounds; I just wanted to find out its particle size and chemical composition.
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You're welcome! I searched high and low but could not find any 'official' sources. I've no idea where that Amazon customer may have got his facts from. You could always ask the manufacturer - here's their contact form! https://www.pikal.co.jp/contact
 
Apparently the European brand Unipol is about the same as Pikal. This was confirmed by Rockstead to Dirk from Zukuri. You can find it on his website as well.
 
Does anyone know if a lanyard pin from a small Sebenza would fit the lanyard holes of Hizen? If not, would anyone suggest where (if there is any) a pin of such a size can be found? Thank you.
 
sharp_it said:
Does anyone know if a lanyard pin from a small Sebenza would fit the lanyard holes of Hizen? If not, would anyone suggest where (if there is any) a pin of such a size can be found? Thank you.
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I have both at home. I can try to test fit it and get back to you.
 
Unfortunately there are 2 problems. The Sebenza lanyard pin is a larger diameter than the holes in my Hizen. Also, it appears that the spacing of the width of the "shoulders" of the lanyard pin is slightly less than the spacing on the Hizen. The second issue might not be a big problem if you aren't bothered by the pin rattling a little, but you would need to enlarge the holes in the Hizen or turn down the diameter of the lanyard pin to make it fit.
 
GFride said:
Unfortunately there are 2 problems. The Sebenza lanyard pin is a larger diameter than the holes in my Hizen. Also, it appears that the spacing of the width of the "shoulders" of the lanyard pin is slightly less than the spacing on the Hizen. The second issue might not be a big problem if you aren't bothered by the pin rattling a little, but you would need to enlarge the holes in the Hizen or turn down the diameter of the lanyard pin to make it fit.
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Thank you for the information, GFride -
I really appreciate you checking this for me. Best.
 
I have a Rockstead Tei coming and I want to protect the blade. I read in this thread the use of Tufglide was popular.
Can someone tell me if they like the marine better than the regular? The spray over the needle? The Tuglide cloth?
Thanks
 
newblade12z said:
I have a Rockstead Tei coming and I want to protect the blade. I read in this thread the use of Tufglide was popular.
Can someone tell me if they like the marine better than the regular? The spray over the needle? The Tuglide cloth?
Thanks
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I buy the spray bottle and put it into my own needle applicator:D
 
newblade12z said:
I have a Rockstead Tei coming and I want to protect the blade. I read in this thread the use of Tufglide was popular.
Can someone tell me if they like the marine better than the regular? The spray over the needle? The Tuglide cloth?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Good choice, I got my TEI yesterday
thumbsup.gif
 
Hello all,

I just purchased a Higo X in YXR7 and am super excited to get it. I have a few questions for those that own one. How is the sheath that comes with it? DO you miss not having a pocket clip? I

I have never carried a larger (+3 inches) without a clip but I love the ironwood scales and that is what pushed me over the limit to purchase the X instead of the all Ti version.

Any insight would be appreciated.
 
Sgt_Bobbo said:
Hello all,

I just purchased a Higo X in YXR7 and am super excited to get it. I have a few questions for those that own one. How is the sheath that comes with it? DO you miss not having a pocket clip? I

I have never carried a larger (+3 inches) without a clip but I love the ironwood scales and that is what pushed me over the limit to purchase the X instead of the all Ti version.

Any insight would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Man I'd love to hear answers to your questions, as I've been going back and forth on picking up that model for a long time. I'm really hoping they do an updated version with ti liners and a clip!
 
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