Bummer: 1x42 150 grit Cubitron belts no longer available

[grepper]

Well, not quite.  Looks like they may still be purchased in lots of 200 for about $550.00 from R.S. Hughes, but I am not able to find them in small quantities anywhere. 

I'm bummed.  It was my favorite belt.  If anyone knows of a supplier please post.

[SHARPCO]

Well, not quite.  Looks like they may still be purchased in lots of 200 for about $550.00 from R.S. Hughes, but I am not able to find them in small quantities anywhere. 

I'm bummed.  It was my favorite belt.  If anyone knows of a supplier please post.

I'm having a similar problem. I haven't found a shop that sells small quantities of Norton NoRax 1x42 belts yet.

BTW, how about Norton Blaze instead of Cubitron?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTakXxWoBCo

[Mark Reich]

Whenever you need a particular belt in 1x42 or whatever, there is one place you can always get them.

Econ Abrasive will split and splice any belts very accurately, for a very reasonable price. You can save money buying the longest 2" wide belts for them to split and splice, so it works out to be plenty cost effective.

IMHO, ultra premium belts really aren't necessary for sharpening. Normally these heavy duty belts are made for high rate of removal using heavy pressure. They last a long time under these conditions, which is why they are so expensive and only available in coarse grits.

I keep a Blaze 120 grit belt on my first stage Kally, which will do all the profiling on hundreds of blades. That means your second belt barely has to do anything. One light pass per side is all it takes to refine the edge up to 220 grit, so high quality aluminum oxide or silicon carbide belts last plenty long IMHO.

[SHARPCO]

Whenever you need a particular belt in 1x42 or whatever, there is one place you can always get them.

Econ Abrasive will split and splice any belts very accurately, for a very reasonable price. You can save money buying the longest 2" wide belts for them to split and splice, so it works out to be plenty cost effective.

IMHO, ultra premium belts really aren't necessary for sharpening. Normally these heavy duty belts are made for high rate of removal using heavy pressure. They last a long time under these conditions, which is why they are so expensive and only available in coarse grits.

I keep a Blaze 120 grit belt on my first stage Kally, which will do all the profiling on hundreds of blades. That means your second belt barely has to do anything. One light pass per side is all it takes to refine the edge up to 220 grit, so high quality aluminum oxide or silicon carbide belts last plenty long IMHO.

I agree. My Blaze 120 grit is workhorse too. But I ordered Blaze 60 & 80 grit because I need more aggressive belts for thinning mainstream kitchen knives and sharpening Japanese Sushi knives.

[grepper]

Mr. Mark sayeth, "IMHO, ultra premium belts really aren't necessary for sharpening. Normally these heavy duty belts are made for high rate of removal using heavy pressure. They last a long time under these conditions, which is why they are so expensive and only available in coarse grits."

The Cubitrons weren't that expensive ($2 - $3 as I remember), work great and seem to last forever.  But yeah, they are meant for high pressure grinding.  As I understand it, the pressure fractures the crystals and keeps the belt sharp.  I suspect if mine starts to get smooth I can lay into it with some hard steel against the platen to crack some crystals and it will be good to go again.  (Just a guess).

I've used 180 grit Deer's but didn't like them as much as the 150 Cubitrons and they didn't last as long either. 

I have some 120 grit Cutitron II belts, but the last time I tried them they were a bit on the aggressive side.  Have to try them again and use one enough to break it in. 

Oh well, it's kind of a moot point now.  I'll have to try Blaze or some other ceramics and find a substitute.  

[Ken S]

This situation puzzles me, Grepper. The last belts I ordered were from Hughes. The service was excellent. I have the impression that Hughes is an industrial supply house of some size. I also have the impression (based on no real factual knowledge) that some of the sharpening suppliers may be smaller, more "mom and pop" businesses. I would think it could be a profitable niche part of a business to order a quantity of Cubitron belts wholesale in lots of 500 and resell them in smaller lots of say 10 to 20 at a retail mark up. 

Ken

[EOU]

Same for us Ken but apparently Hughes has changed their order policy. "Ken's Belts" has a nice ring to it.

[Ken S]

I would do it, except that the huge increase in income would put me in a higher tax bracket.  

Ken

[Bud]

I've got the fix Ken. Sign me up for a customer and since I don't pay my bills your tax problems will go away!

[Ken S]

Thanks, Bud....I guess.

Ken