Best quality diamond plates for guided systems? (Flatness, durability etc)

[ChasingSharpness]

Hi,


I have recently been considering a zero maintinance option for use on guided systems to eliminate the need to correct for dishing.

I was wondering what were the best diamond plates? I heard the atoma ones by jende were very good, and some even made thier own by cutting up full sized atomas.

But which ones in the market have the best flatness, grit dispersion, bonding etc...?

I know hapstone do start diamond series, but unsure how these held up.

 

[joesrx]

I have a couple of different brands/types. I like atomas to remove metal. The venev leave a more polished finish. The cheaper plate types also work to remove metal.

 

[Ilis]

• If we're only talking about diamond plates themselves, then yes—Atoma is generally recognized as one of the best options.
• But if we're discussing what's most suitable for use in guided sharpening systems, I think the diamond/CBN + bonding agent category is more appropriate: metal bond for lower grits, and resin bond for higher grits.
  As far as I know, many people often use Atoma plates for lapping or generating slurry on natural stones, rather than for direct sharpening—though they do perform quite well for sharpening too.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I do like Atoma plates for freehand use, for flattening stones and in the 1x6 format for guided systems. I have a 1x6 Atoma 140 that is 20 years old and while not as fast as new it still cuts. The Hapstone Start series are really good as well. Another option for heavy duty work is the DMT plates in the 2x6 size, either get a custom blank for just center on a 1x6 blank and affix with 3M Super 77 Spray (I've done both). Electroplated diamonds are very fast cutting, probably the best you can get if speed is the primary concern. ChefKnivesToGo.com sells their own 1x6 electroplated diamond plates for Edge Pro and similar systems. They're really cheap but cut super well. I don't have enough time on them to say how well they last but early impressions are good.

The Edge Pro Matrix stones are really superb. They're resin bonded diamond. They don't work as quickly as electroplated and do require a bit of cleaning but they stay flat and leave a fantastic finish behind.

I'm a bit behind the times, haven't had a chance to try any of the newer breed of metal bonded diamonds. It's on my to-do list though!

To me the best diamond regime I've found is a coarse electroplated like the Atoma or Hapstone to set the bevel, then switch to the EP Matrix resin bonded from 250 on up. This will leave an impressive mirror polish that steel feels "bitey" when you cut. In theory the Matrix will need to be flattened but in practice they wear very very well, especially if you use an electroplated diamond for the "heavy lifting" phase of stock removal as you set the initial bevel. My only caveat is that it doesn't seem to be efficient to lower than 140 with a diamond or 100 with CBN. Yeah, it cuts faster but you give back all the time you saved as you try to polish out those deep gashes with finer stones.

 

[abrasivetools]

Hi,


I have recently been considering a zero maintinance option for use on guided systems to eliminate the need to correct for dishing.

I was wondering what were the best diamond plates? I heard the atoma ones by jende were very good, and some even made thier own by cutting up full sized atomas.

But which ones in the market have the best flatness, grit dispersion, bonding etc...?

I know hapstone do start diamond series, but unsure how these held up.

Electroplated plates are waste of money. Although they seem cheap, but real cost of single layer of diamond (say 100 micron) is too high comparing to metal/resin/ combined bond diamond sharpening stones with 3 mm abrasive height. Also electroplated plates are not good for polishing

You would not need to adjust angles if all stones are of the same thickness; so buying different brands is not wise

Maintenance is a common issue and normally, stone must be flattened in one year

IMHO, for diamond stones, combined bond (combination of hybrid bonds in a set) is the best solution
e.g.
DIAMOND SHARPENING STONES, COMBINED BOND, 150x25

​

 

[Tensaw]

I purchased a set of Venev Orion stones shortly after getting a K03. I'm very happy with them but they did need flattening after using a while.

 

[abrasivetools]

I purchased a set of Venev Orion stones shortly after getting a K03. I'm very happy with them but they did need flattening after using a while.

product with old good resin bond, which nowadays is legacy: soft, which is good for polishing, but not so good for flatness
and it's does not matter if this is OSB (without abrasive particles) or B2-01
softness remains the same