UK source for sanding belts 75 x 533, 180 grit for kitchen knife sharpening etc?

[Mike160304]

I am using my cheap Homebase Belt Sander, inverted and secured, for kitchen knife sharpening with an ordinary 75 x 533 mm 120 grit belt. It is fast and easy and the results are good enough for me.

I am looking for a finer 75 x 133 mm belt (180 or 240 grit?) specifically for finer kitchen knife sharpening, what would you recommend, and where would I buy it at a reasonable price?

 

[Sideways]

I'll point you at saic-uk and at heritageabrasives either could sort you out but you will need to buy a pack or 4 or 10 belts.
If using it for knife sharpening then I'd suggest ceramic or zirconium grit. Ceramic being my choice for a fine belt.

For those reading with other interests, I've bought SAIC belts for the sorby pro edge and they were excellent and better value than the Sorby ones.
Heritage abrasives will custom make belts to any size in a variety of grits so I had a bunch made to fit a 4" delta bench sander so I could try it out as a poor man's linisher for metal.

 

[Chisteve]

+ for Saic

 

[Mike160304]

I'll point you at saic-uk and at heritageabrasives either could sort you out but you will need to buy a pack or 4 or 10 belts.
If using it for knife sharpening then I'd suggest ceramic or zirconium grit. Ceramic being my choice for a fine belt.

For those reading with other interests, I've bought SAIC belts for the sorby pro edge and they were excellent and better value than the Sorby ones.
Heritage abrasives will custom make belts to any size in a variety of grits so I had a bunch made to fit a 4" delta bench sander so I could try it out as a poor man's linisher for metal.

Sideways - many thanks, I'll look up SAIC and Heritage Abrasives. Your other comments are interesting too.

I'll point you at saic-uk and at heritageabrasives either could sort you out but you will need to buy a pack or 4 or 10 belts.
If using it for knife sharpening then I'd suggest ceramic or zirconium grit. Ceramic being my choice for a fine belt.

For those reading with other interests, I've bought SAIC belts for the sorby pro edge and they were excellent and better value than the Sorby ones.
Heritage abrasives will custom make belts to any size in a variety of grits so I had a bunch made to fit a 4" delta bench sander so I could try it out as a poor man's linisher for metal.

Neither SAIC nor Heritage seem to have packs of 75 x 533 in Zirconia or Ceramic in 180 grit - 120 is the finest.

I need to get on with the test so I have bought on Amazon Prime for delivery tomorrow a 10-pack of Bosch Aluminium Oxide 75 x 533 mm in 180 grit for £12.10 delivered.

See how it goes. It says "best for wood" but my pressure on the knife blade or whatever will be very light so I may get away with it, after mainly shaping the blade on 120 grit.

Mike

 

[eribaMotters]

I am using my cheap Homebase Belt Sander, inverted and secured, for kitchen knife sharpening with an ordinary 75 x 533 mm 120 grit belt. It is fast and easy and the results are good enough for me.

I am looking for a finer 75 x 133 mm belt (180 or 240 grit?) specifically for finer kitchen knife sharpening, what would you recommend, and where would I buy it at a reasonable price?

Try Hermes or Mirka, I know AXI stock Hermes in 180 grit. Hermes HSB Abrasive Belts 75 x 533mm

Colin

 

[Mike160304]

Try Hermes or Mirka, I know AXI stock Hermes in 180 grit. Hermes HSB Abrasive Belts 75 x 533mm

Colin

Thanks - in Zirconia and/or Ceramic? I'll check.

 

[TRITON]

400 grit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/27610776...ujgRanwQQpO6nZMNVx2ujyZA==|tkp:Bk9SR87uvZD2Yg

 

[Richard_C]

I get my Zirconium belts from The Polishing Shop. thepolishingshop.co.uk. Look under linishing belts. Not sure about your sizes. Good prices and very quick despatch.

(Linishing is a useful search term when looking for such things generally)

 

[Mike160304]

400 grit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/27610776...ujgRanwQQpO6nZMNVx2ujyZA==|tkp:Bk9SR87uvZD2Yg

Thanks, but many sites have 75 x 533, 180 grit, but this one has 120 and 240 not 180.
And it is Aluminium oxide only and the recommendation for my use was Zirconia or Ceramic, but I can find neither in 180 grit. So I have already bought Al. Ox. in 180 grit as mentioned above.

 

[Mike160304]

I get my Zirconium belts from The Polishing Shop. thepolishingshop.co.uk. Look under linishing belts. Not sure about your sizes. Good prices and very quick despatch.

(Linishing is a useful search term when looking for such things generally)

Thanks, yes, "linishing" does find sanding belts too. But The Polishing Shop has nothing in 75 x 533 mm, they are more industrially orientated. As mentioned above, I have already bought Bosch 75 x 533 belts, Al Ox, 180 grit from Amazon. 180 grit does not seem to be available in Zirconia or Ceramic, anywhere, so I have stayed with Al Ox for now.

 

[TRITON]

I think you have to come to terms that cheapo belt sanders dont have belts that suit fine knife grinding. Especially ceramic or zirconia.
I mean why would they ?, there would be little to no call for the vast majority of their customers who are buying it to sand wood.
If you really need to do knives etc buy a dedicated knife grinding set up.

 

[Myfordman]

Abtec list your belt size with ceramic grit but ask you to contact them for further details eg grits available and prices

 

[niall Y]

That is because they are out of stock

 

[Mike160304]

I think you have to come to terms that cheapo belt sanders dont have belts that suit fine knife grinding. Especially ceramic or zirconia.
I mean why would they ?, there would be little to no call for the vast majority of their customers who are buying it to sand wood.
If you really need to do knives etc buy a dedicated knife grinding set up.

Thanks, yes, I have come to the same conclusion in a roundabout way.
I am not knife making, just sharpening mainly kitchen knives for our own home kitchen and with my inverted cheapo belt sander I am getting satisfying results even with Al Ox 120 grit, very quickly and without taking too much metal off the knives or going through a lot of sanding belts, just one seems to go on and on if I keep it clean with the crepe rubber block.
I am happy that I asked about it here and I am looking forward to trying the cheap ordinary Al Ox 180 grit belts for finishing when they arrive.

 

[Mike160304]

Abtec list your belt size with ceramic grit but ask you to contact them for further details eg grits available and prices

Thanks, I'll check.

 

[TRITON]

These are very good, in addition to a quality butchers sharpening steel.
I've been using one for a long time, and its my go to.
Of course you need a decent bit of steel to begin with. No point trying to sharpen soft metal, or you'll be at it on a daily basis.

 

[Cobbs]

I use 240 grit aluminium oxide for all my sharpening, follow up with a strop for the important things - does the job just fine, but don't forget to run it slow...

 

[Sideways]

Spyderco sharpmaker .....

 

[Mike160304]

These are very good, in addition to a quality butchers sharpening steel.

I've been using one for a long time, and its my go to.
Of course you need a decent bit of steel to begin with. No point trying to sharpen soft metal, or you'll be at it on a daily basis.
View attachment 169543

Thanks, I'll look this device up in case I go back to that kind of sharpening.

Reverting to the sanding belts, please see Myfordman's reply above. I have followed his link to Abtec Abrasives and they are in fact showing 75 x 533 mm belts with Ceramic grit, and on the phone they have confirmed that 180 grit Ceramic is available. I am now awaiting prices for 120 and 180 grit in Ceramic, with interest.

 

[Mike160304]

I use 240 grit aluminium oxide for all my sharpening, follow up with a strop for the important things - does the job just fine, but don't forget to run it slow...

Thank you, I may go on to try, additionally, 240 grit. I don't have speed control on my portable sander so I have to manage with the fixed speed, using very light pressure.