2" x 72″ Cork Sanding Belt – 6 Pack for Knifemakers

The last belt a bevel sees before the buffer or the strop is usually cork. An ungritted cork belt carries no abrasive of its own; you load it with a bar of polishing compound and it takes the scratch pattern left by a 600 or 800 grit belt down to a satin-to-mirror pre-polish, without the rounding and heat a loose buff puts into a thin edge. We convert these 2" x 72" cork belts in Anaheim, California, from natural cork bonded to a flexible cloth backing, and sell them six to a pack.

They fit every standard 2 x 72 knife grinder and are bought by bladesmiths, knife finishers and small metal shops polishing stainless, steel and aluminum parts on the grinder instead of moving them to a buffing wheel. The same belt, run wet with a cerium or pumice slurry, is also the finishing belt in glass and mirror shops.

• Ungritted natural cork on cloth: a compound carrier, not an abrasive, so it polishes without cutting
• Removes the 600–800 grit scratch pattern and leaves a satin-to-mirror pre-polish on steel
• Polishes on the grinder platen, so bevels stay flat and edges stay crisp
• Fits any 2" x 72" belt grinder; run at low-to-medium speed
• 6-pack lets you dedicate belts to different compounds and metals
• Converted in Anaheim, California; ships free on orders over $200

What is an ungritted cork belt and when do you use it?

This listing has one option, Cork, in one grade, Ungritted Cork. There is no abrasive grain on the belt. Plain natural cork is bonded to a flexible cloth backing, and the cork does two things: it holds polishing compound in its surface, and it gives slightly under pressure so the compound conforms to the bevel instead of scratching a new pattern into it.

• Use it after your finest gritted belt. Cork is the step between a 600–800 grit belt and either a buffing wheel or a leather stropping belt. It will not remove 220 grit scratches; it only refines what a fine belt already left.
• Use it with compound. A dry, uncharged cork belt rubs and heats. Load it with a stainless or steel polishing bar for knives, an aluminum compound for aluminum, or a cerium/pumice slurry for glass.
• Use it on the grinder, not a buffer. Because the belt runs over a platen, the bevel stays flat and the edge geometry survives. That is the reason knife makers reach for cork instead of going straight to a loose buff.

If you want a mirror on a full flat grind, you will still finish on a buff or by hand; cork gets you a uniform, scratch-free satin that makes that last step fast.

Where does cork sit in the knife finishing sequence?

What machines take a 2" x 72" cork belt?

• 2 x 72 knife grinders and belt grinders, including the Grizzly G1015, Bader BIII, Beaumont KMG, Reeder 2x72, AmeriBrade grinder packages and Burr King 960-272. Any grinder that runs a standard 2" x 72" belt will run this one.
• Variable-speed grinders are the best match. Cork wants low-to-medium belt speed; a single-speed grinder at full speed throws compound and heats the blade.
• Glass and mirror belt sanders in the 2 x 72 size, run wet with cerium oxide or pumice slurry as the final polishing belt.

Mount it like any cloth belt: check the inside for a direction arrow, tension, jog and centre the tracking before charging it with compound. Because the belt is ungritted it tracks a little differently than a coarse belt; adjust once it is up to speed. If your grinder takes a different length, we make custom cork belts to order in about 3 days.

How to get the most out of it

1. Finish the gritted sequence first. Take the blade to 600 or 800 grit with no visible coarse scratches. Cork refines a fine pattern; it cannot rescue a coarse one.
2. Clean and dry the metal. Wipe off grinding dust and oil so grit from the previous belt does not get pressed into the cork and scratch the polish.
3. Charge the belt while it runs slowly. Hold the compound bar against the moving cork for a second or two until the surface is evenly coated. A little goes a long way; a caked belt smears instead of polishing.
4. Run low-to-medium speed and moderate pressure. Let the cork do the work. Excess pressure heats the steel and compresses the cork; too little and nothing happens.
5. Keep the blade moving and cool. Sweep the bevel across the belt, spine first, and dip in water between passes. Never let a thin edge change colour.
6. Re-charge when the cut slows, and dedicate a belt to each compound. Green stainless compound on one belt, aluminum compound on another; mixing them dulls the finish.
7. Dry use on metal, wet on glass. For knives run it dry with bar compound. For glass, run it wet with a thin cerium or pumice slurry and keep it damp.
8. Store belts hanging away from heat and sun so the cork stays supple and the compound does not harden into a glaze.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Pre-polishing knife bevels, flats and spines on stainless and carbon steel after 600–800 grit
• Satin and mirror polishing on aluminum, stainless and steel parts run on a belt grinder
• Final polishing on glass and mirror edges with cerium oxide or pumice slurry
• Removing fine belt scratches before a buffing wheel or a leather stropping belt

Don't use it for

• Stock removal or scratch removal below about 600 grit; the belt has no grain
• Running dry without compound on metal or dry against glass; it heats and does nothing
• Full grinder speed on thin edges; slow down or you will overheat the steel
• Coarse compounds meant for sisal buffs; they load the cork and scratch the finish

Which compound goes on a cork belt?

Match the compound to the metal, and keep one belt per compound.

• Stainless and carbon steel knives: a stainless steel or steel polishing bar. For a mirror, follow with a finer white or green finishing bar on a second cork belt or on the buff.
• Aluminum and non-ferrous: an aluminum polishing compound, run at low speed and with light pressure because aluminum loads quickly.
• Glass and mirror: cerium oxide (or pumice for a cheaper pre-polish) mixed with water to a thin cream and applied to the wet belt.

Our metal polishing compound bars and metal polishing kits are listed under Related products below. Residue from bar compound cleans off the blade with a compound remover or a solvent wipe before the final hand rub.

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• Knife making belts and supplies
• 2" x 72" Sanding Belts for wood, aluminum, stainless and steel
• 2" x 72" Leather stropping belt
• Metal polishing compound bars
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days