Lee Valley excels with customer service-diamonds
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
Many companies have customer service contact points. Few are worth trying. Not so with LV, apparently. My problem was solved with a Saturday communication!
The reality of carrying over coarse diamond particles to the next sharpening step makes deciding how to use this fast cutting abrasive not obvious.
Although I have been sharpening with loose diamonds on cast iron for many years I don't know that I have found the best way to use this abrasive. Right now I hollow grind to near the edge (NEVER loose the original edge when grinding) , then abrade away the worn edge with a fine fixed diamond plate and finally finish with 1 micron loose diamond on cast iron. This procedure avoids the carry-over problem, but I am using the loose diamond at the least efficient point.
I know that 15 micron on cast iron is much faster than the fixed plate for edge restoration. It is likely the fastest way to abrade away a worn edge of any possibility. I am trying to come up with a way of using 15 micron loose diamond after hollow grinding, or perhaps even eliminate the hollow grinding step (that is done only when the hollow is ground away).
I recently acquired a used LV MK II sharping jig that I would like to try in various ways. But if I even use it with loose diamond, they will embed in the soft brass roller and shed forever in some inconvenient place. Now if I could buy a spare straight roller..........?
So I email customer service Friday evening to see if I can buy a spare roller. Sat. AM I am provided information sufficient to order one. They probably know that I will add to the order to meet the free shipping challenge. They seem to know how to turn the frugal into spendthrift.