For many years I’ve been using Crock Sticks to sharpen my knives. Basically a block of wood, some holes drilled at an angle, and ceramic (alumina) rods. Lately it just hasn’t been getting the job done. I had been cleaning the rods off but I wasn’t getting all of the metal off the rods. Basically the pores and crevices were loaded up, making them smooth and worthless. I did some snooping around online and found out people were using a product called Barkeeper’s Friend. This stuff looks like Ajax, it’s slightly abrasive and it’s also slightly acidic. I scrubbed the rods off and then soaked them in this stuff for about 15 minutes. Well the “white” rods started off light grey, and by the time I was done they were Snow White, whiter than the paper towels I was using to dry them off. The best part is that they work MUCH better now. I touched up a small folding Buck and it is literally razor sharp. I would imagine this stuff would work on similar sharpening stones as well.
S.R.
