Diamond grit sharpening stones

[bill.shitner]

Hello all.

I'm after a diamond grit sharpening stone. I intend to use it for general purpose sharpening, as well as flattening my Jap water stones.

I notice that "DMT DiaSharp" seems to be a premium product in diamond grit sharpening stones (judging by the price, at least). On the other hand, there are a lot of cheapo items on eBay that are less than half the price of a DMT of equivalent size.

My working assumption is that the DMT products will be better made (flatter, more durable, more uniform grit etc.), but does anyone have anything positive to say about cheap diamond grit sharpening stones? Source?

Thanks.

Bill.

[harry]

There are less diamonds in cheapo stones and they are slower cutting/less effective. I suspect the diamonds may also be smaller in the cheaper ones.

You notice this when cutting very hard things, eg granite.

[Bob Minchin]

If you need to to reference flatten your Japanese stones then I'd by the best. I have some small no-name ones to touch up carbide metal turning tools where anything will do and they are fine as are ALDI diamond files.

I presume you are a woodworker and need plane irons to be dead straight/flat hence the Japanese stones. The other method woodies favour is the scary-sharp method where the flatness comes from float glass. I do a lot of woodwork but virtually no hand tools. My Tormek is more than adequate for planer thicknesser knives and the saw blades go off to the local saw doctor for attention.

Bob

[TimW]

I have used plenty of cheap diamond stones. They are great, but they do deteriorate. I used to go through them when I was working as a pro on restoration projects but the need to keep tools razor sharp all week while planing off 300 years of paint and old nail heads was pretty unusual. I think the resins which bond the diamonds must be a bit inferior, or the flexing of the backing weakens the bonding maybe.

Even a plastic backed diamond stone is far flatter than the old double sided whetstone (once used and a bit worn) so totally adequate. And a plane blade I would always have a little rounded unless it's for a specific purpose like jointing. Also great not to have oil around your wood, just water or spit to grind with.

TW