Diamond Emulsions For Polishing Blades

It is widely known that diamond is among the hardest substances on Earth. Given this enviable property, it should be no surprise that the glittering mineral is widely used in applications out of jewelry. Crystals can be found in electronic devices, industrial machines, and a multitude of tools. Sometimes they are ground down to powder form to be mixed with other substances.

This is the case with diamond emulsions which are made from synthetic polycrystalline diamond powder. Polycrystallines are preferred for this purpose because they have a greater number of jagged edges compared to monocrystallines. Their primary use is in the honing and the polishing of knives. The cutting edge can get unbelievably sharp thanks to this emulsion.

Product Packaging

The powder is mixed with a liquid compound to hold the granules together and make usage much easier. Emulsions are then sold in small bottles of around 50 mL or even less. Buyers can pick different grits which are based on the size of the diamonds. Most are sold as 0.5 micron, 1 micron, 2 microns, and so on. Only a tiny amount is needed per use. Note that different manufacturers may produce varying levels of thickness and powder concentration. The more crystals in the liquid, the more effective it will be in sharpening blades.

How to Use the Emulsions

This product is designed to be used with strops. Appropriate strop materials include nanocloth strop, balsa, and smooth leather. Companies that sell emulsions will usually carry strops in their catalog for the convenience of their customers. Sticking to the same brand for both items should produce good results since these will be tried and tested. However, it should be possible to mix and match without any problems. Just use the pump to spray a good amount of the liquid on the stropping medium. Spread this as evenly as possible to cover the surface. Let it dry before using it for polishing.

Things to Remember

Once the compound has been applied to the strop, removing it will be incredibly difficult. Complete removal may not be possible. Those who wish to use the strop without the crystals should keep one side bare. Some people like to work with different compounds to make use of various grit levels. It would be best to purchase multiple strops and designate each one to a certain product. Note that residues of the compound can build up in the leather due to stropping. This is normal. If it begins to affect performance, just take out the residue with tool and then apply a fresh coat of spray.

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