Boride AM-K Stone [6″ x 1″]

Boride Sharpening Stones are used for sharpening knives on Hapstone Pro sharpeners. Boride offers a wide range of stones with different performance values and different rates of wear. Boride stones are made of aluminum oxide, with the exception of CS-HD series stones, which are made of silicon carbide. All Boride stones are 6 mm thick and are mounted on high quality aluminum blanks. Stones that are 6 mm thick offer a longer life cycle than stock Edge Pro stones that are 3 mm thick and are becoming a community standard.

If you are not sure what to buy for your knife sharpeners, buy Recommended Boride set with 5 stones.

Details

• AS-9 series stones are made of aluminum oxide and were originally intended for the treatment of metal after electric spark machining (EDM). Due to their excellent performance and weak leading, AS-9 stones were soon in demand for sharpening knives. AS-9 320 grit is included in one of the Boride stone bundles.

• Orange EDM series stones are made of aluminum oxide and were originally intended for the treatment of metal after the electric spark machining (EDM). These very popular stones have medium grit for sharpening knives. Orange EDM 600 grit is included in one of the Boride stone bundles.

• Golden Star series stones are made of aluminum oxide with grain that is strictly controlled. Designed for medium-hard steel, they are high performance stones. The stones do not require a long soaking. Boride recommends Golden Star series stones as the best choice to work with high carbon steel. Golden Star 800 grit and 1000 grit are included in Boride stone bundles.

• AM-K series stones are made of aluminum oxide and have an average hardness. AM-K 220 grit is in great demand for the rough sharpening of knives and is included in all Boride stone bundles.

• CS-HD series stones are made of silicon carbide and are designed for the hardest steels (up to 63 HRC). It is advisable to use the CS-HD stone set to sharpen knives made of hard stainless steel or carbon steel. Use of CS-HD stones to sharpen knives made of soft steel is not recommended – this will cause the CS-HD stones to wear at increased rates. However, the coarse CS-HD stones (120 and 150 grit) are often used as a universal coarse stone and perform well in this role. CS-HD is the second most popular of the Boride series for Edge Pro sharpening.

• PC series (Polisher’s Choice) stones are made of aluminum oxide with grain that is strictly controlled and a special bond. As you might have guessed from the name of the series, these stones are designed for finishing operations with fast removal. PC 1200 grit is very popular as a finishing stone and is part of Boride stone bundles.

• T2 series stones are made of aluminum oxide and use a very strong bond. As a result, these stones are high performance and their wear rate is below average. Boride recommends T2 at the best series for working with stainless steel. The T2 series is the most popular among all Boride series for Edge Pro sharpening. Many customers buy entire sets of the T2 series. T2 400 grit is included in Boride stone bundles.

• RUBY series stones are made of aluminum oxide and are high performance stones designed for roughing work. They are available only in coarse grain. RUBY 150 grit is in great demand for coarse sharpening and is included in Boride stone bundles.

Specification

• Product size: 160 x 25 x 9 mm (6″ x 1″ x ⅓”)
• Working surface: 152 x 25 x 6 mm (6″ x 1″ x ¼”)
• Weight: 83 g (1.6 oz)
• Abrasive: Bonded Aluminum Oxide or Silicon Carbide
• Extra materials: Aluminum Blank, 3M PSA

How to use

Boride stones should be used with one of these lubricants:

• Water
• Soapy water
• Boride Bori-Lube
• Water solution of dipropylene glycol
• WD-40 (for experienced users only)
• Refined olive oil (for experienced users only)
• Oleic aсid (for experienced users only)

In case of using the water as lubricant, soak the stone in water for 1-2 minutes. In case of using the oil, put a small amount (1-2 drops) of honing oil on the stone’s surface and spread it evenly over the stone with a finger. If the stone absorbs the honing oil, use larger amount of oil.

Boride Stones may have the following minor defects:

• Saw strokes on the work surface
• Residues of lacquer
• Small chips at the corners and along the edges (no larger than 1 mm)

All these defects will be eliminated during preparation of the stone. The majority of sharpening stones requires preparation, and Boride stones are no exception. Additional lapping can be performed by customer to improve sharpening quality. We recommend to use loose silicon carbide powder or diamond lapping plate.

FAQ

• What is the difference between Boride and stock Edge Pro stones?

  There is no difference. Edge Pro stones are Boride 150 x 25 x 3 mm (6″ x 1″ x ⅛”) branded as Edge Pro. Boride offers a wide variety of series and sizes, while Edge Pro offers a limited assortment. We buy sharpening stones from Boride and mount the stones to blanks. That’s exactly what Edge Pro company does. The difference is we keep the names of the original sharpening stones in the names of the finished products.

• Can I use Boride stones and stock Edge Pro stones simultaneously?

  Yes, but you must use a thickness compensator because stock Edge Pro stones are 3 mm thick, while the Boride stones we offer are 6 mm thick. It’s highly recommended to own a thickness compensator because the ability to use sharpening stones of different thicknesses allows for a high level of flexibility.

• What if I buy Boride stones 3mm thick to keep all my collection uniform?

  This is possible but not recommended as a long-term solution. The 6 mm thickness is becoming a community standard for Edge Pro sharpening stones. If you keep your entire collection 3 mm thick, you will not be able to use many good stones. You will also have to purchase 3 mm stones more often than 6 mm stones due to their shorter life cycle.

• 5 sharpening stones are too many for me. What should I buy?

  Consider buying Ruby 150, T2 400 and PC 1200. These 3 stones are the best Boride stones for sharpening knives.

• Can I buy CS-HD and use it to sharpen all my knives? If it’s okay for hard steel, it should be even better for soft steel, right?

  No, we do not recommend this. CS-HD will wear extremely fast when used on soft steel, making CS-HD uneconomical for this kind of steel. If you own knives of both hard and soft steel, consider buying 2 sets of stones.

• What are the pros and cons of 6 mm and 3 mm thicknesses for sharpening stones?

  All stones wear as they are used and thicker stones have longer life cycles as a result. However, it’s easier to use thinner stones on Edge Pro sharpeners because of their lower weight. The 6 mm thickness offers a perfect balance between life cycle and weight, and has become the community standard for Edge Pro format sharpening stones When made of hard material, 3 mm stones are good as ultra-fine sharpening stones, for example alumina ceramic or natural stones.