DMT Diamond Stones

Gliden07

Gliden07

Well-Known Member
Just ordered some 11-1/2" x 2" DMT Diamond bench stones. I bought them from The Perfect Edge in Shrewsbury MA. The owner Howard Schecter recommended them. Anyone use these stones??
 
I use them every once in a while.

I have two that I lapped them together, face to face, so they're worn a bit and don't cut so aggressively.
 
I have the course, medium, and fine. I love the course for establishing an edge but after that I really don’t care for the feel of them and just flat out don’t like them by the time you get up to the fine. I’m going to be getting some decent water stones soon as money allows. This isn’t to say they don’t work but they’re not my favorite.
 
I get my knives decently sharp. That said I feel this is one area I have not improved on. I want to take a class with Howard Schecter owner of The Perfect Edge (where I bought the stones). He teaches at Salem Art Works in Upstate NY. Unfortunately because of Covid they suspended all the classes last year and their schedule is still up in the air now. Mr Schecter is well known in the Straight Razor community. Anyway figured good bench stones would help my process?
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
Honestly, I can't remember that last time I used a "sharpening stone" type item in the shop. It's so much more efficient to use the grinder.

Now, that being said, I do use the DMT and/or EZ-Lap "paddle" varieties for various tasks around the shop. They are particularly handy for sharpening straight edge scissors.

https://www.amazon.com/EZE-LAP-PAK5-Color-Coded-Diamond/dp/B002RL83DQ

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D2K-Dia-Sharp-Diamond-Mini-Hone/dp/B000S5SD9M
Click to expand...
Ed could you describe your process on the belt grinder? I've had limited success with it.
 
I've tailored my method of sharpening on the grinder, to match the flow of how I make knives. Most of what I build are flat grinds, with convex edges. When I come off my final grit belt during finish grinding, my goal is for a blade to be "ragged sharp". That is then cleaned up/accentuated during hand finishing. (usually, the "convex" edge is installed at my 220 grit belt during finish grinding, and then just cleaned up with successive grits until I'm done)

With the flat platen attachment in place, I utilize the slack belt area between the idler/tracking wheel, and the top contact wheel of the platen, (this can also be done with a large contact wheel in place....but I find it's easier to "reach" that slack belt area with the flat platen on the machine) with the blade's edge going into the direction of belt travel. I can't give any specific "angles" because it's not an angle....it's a convex, so I sharpen mostly by feel. How large or small that edge convex is...... is determined by down pressure, and the flex of the belt you're sharpening on. Obviously the flex is going to differ between and "Y", "X", and "J" weight belt....so, if you use various grits with this method, try to use the same backing weight for this type of sharpening. With some practice, you can learn to feel where the belt is cutting.

Unless the blade's edge is very banged up/dinged up, there's very little pressure applied, more of less it's just the weight of the knife. I start just like I grind blade...... in the middle of the blade back to the plunge/rear of the edge, then a pass all the way to the tip of the blade.....and repeat on the opposite side. With most blades completed/pre used knives, it's only 1-2 passes per side.
In the case of severe dings or dents in an edge, I will usually just grind a flat on the edge, until I get rid of the dents/dings, and then sharpen as I described.

Some caveats/variances.....
*This is best accomplished on a variable speed grinder, with the belt traveling SLOWLY. For example, it's usually 15% or less on the VFD dial of my grinders.

*The necessary steps are widely different for Carbon/alloy steels versus Stainless
**For carbon/alloy, were the edge(s) are not damaged, I use a worn out 400 grit belt, and that's typically it.
**For Stainless, it's necessary to go through a progression of grits.... again, if the edge(s) are not damaged, I start with a worn out 400 grit, but then, I step through successive grits to either 1200 or 2000, depending on the type of stainless I'm sharpening.
**For "collector" type knives, I follow the sharpening up with a pass on edge edge (edge down) on a loose buff with Pink No-Scratch compound. (most collectors like to "show off" how their knives will shave hair from their arms) :)
**For "user" knives, I often do not buff, but leave a "bitey" edge that the worn out 400 belt, or in some cases 600 belt produces. This edge my not necessarily shave hair all day long, but most of my "user" clients prefer it, saying that it's far more aggressive, and the edge seems to hold up longer under harsh cutting tasks. However, there are some of my less experienced clients who want it "shaving sharp", and for those I don't even try to convince them otherwise.....and give their knife/knives the buffed edge treatment. :)

BEWARE! THERE IS A RISK OF SOME CHEAP BELTS, WHO'S JOINTS ARE LESS THEN PERFECT, CATCHING/JAMMING INTO THE CUTTING EDGE....MEAN IT COULD JERK THE KNIFE OUT OF YOUR HANDS, OR JAM THE BLADE OR TIP INTO THE BELT.....SO UNTIL YOU ARE CONFIDENT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, IT'S BEST TO HAVE A "DEATH GRIP" ON THE KNIVES/BLADE YOU'RE SHARPENING....AND EVEN THEN, DON'T TRUST IT.....JUST MAINTAIN A GOOD GRIP. Remember "There's traps everywhere for a man!" ;)
 
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I do similar to what Ed does, but with a few differences. I also use the slack portion just above the platen, but what I do is run my belt in reverse at a very slow speed with the blade edge up. This way I can see the burr form on the blade edge and then move to the other side and create a burr. I start this process at 220, then to 400, then finally 600
 
After Ed showed me his method of sharpening during a class, I bought several knives at the second hand store and practiced on them. Watch for that burr to form evenly on both sides. It’s a very efficient way to sharpen for sure. Lesson learned, slow that belt down...
 
I sharpen on the slack belt behind my small wheel attachment with the belt in reverse. And slow! On my grinder (Bader3) holding the blade level the angle of the belt puts me between 15-17 degrees per side.
 
Lately I’ve been sharpening on the slack belt with my big contact wheel. I started doing this after sharpening random knives as a favor for friends and discovering that most of these knives were beyond dull and way too thick at the edge. In that case I actually begin sharpening on the wheel itself like a Tormek, then move to the slack portion of the belt to convex. It works great and you don’t get any dished out areas if you have to focus on one area a little more.
 
Well not answering the original question but to discuss sharpening in general I form the edge on a wet 220 grit belt on the slack just before my top platen wheel then I finish on an 800grit naniwa professional (chosera) waterstone and loaded leather strop. Kitchen knives I'll add in the 3000grit chosera before the strop. The chosera/professional stones are my favorite stones I've used yet.
 
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