Better pocket stone?

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pinnah

Joined
Jul 28, 2011
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Hey folks,

Can you recommend a better pocket stone? By better, I primarily mean, more durable.

I've been using DMT Credit Card sharpeners, but I notice that they loose cutting power after a year or so. I've the same thing happen with larger solid surface DMT stones too.

Nothing lasts forever and I get that. But I wonder if there is a better pocket stone to be used?

Thansk
 
Norton makes a bunch of slip stones in every grit they offer of the Crystalon and India lineup that are pretty small, can even do serrations with them.
 
If ceramic will work with your steels, perhaps the Spyderco 303mf (Double-Stuff)? I don't have one myself but it seems like it might work well for touch ups.
 
pinnah said:
Hey folks,

Can you recommend a better pocket stone? By better, I primarily mean, more durable.

I've been using DMT Credit Card sharpeners, but I notice that they loose cutting power after a year or so. I've the same thing happen with larger solid surface DMT stones too.

Nothing lasts forever and I get that. But I wonder if there is a better pocket stone to be used?

Thansk
Click to expand...

I too own a DMT sharpener and it seemed to loose its power to sharpen. Mine is the butterfly version with the coarse and fine sides. I cleaned mine really well with soap and water. Now it works like new again.

I use it at least 1-5 hours every week. All the guys at work have sharpen there knives.

I found DMT website useful.
 
Cleaning the diamond hone with a fine stainless brush really helps too.

I have a hard time believing your Diamond plates are wearing out that quickly. I have had a complete set of DMT continuous plates for about 8 years now, I've used them thousands of times and still use the XXC as a waterstone lapping plate, probably needs replacement but still gets the job done.

Also, don't confuse the stone breaking-in with it wearing out. DMT products are fairly coarse from the start but become much smoother while producing better edges after they become worn-in. You could also be using too much pressure and ripping the diamonds off the plated surface.
 
What steels have you been using the DMT credit card on, and how often? What grit is it? It seems odd to me that yours would've given up that fast, unless it is clogged and needs a thorough cleaning or has been used at too much pressure. I ask of the steels sharpened, because some softish stainless steels can be especially bad about clogging a diamond hone; the steel comes off the blade in ribbons essentially, and basically blankets the surface of the grit particles.

My most-abused DMT hone is a C/F Dia-Fold that I'd (unknowingly at the time) tried to kill in the process of lapping a ceramic hone, using heavy pressure. It did visibly scrub some diamond out of the nickel plate, but still sharpens well, even after that abuse.


David

pinnah said:
Hey folks,

Can you recommend a better pocket stone? By better, I primarily mean, more durable.

I've been using DMT Credit Card sharpeners, but I notice that they loose cutting power after a year or so. I've the same thing happen with larger solid surface DMT stones too.

Nothing lasts forever and I get that. But I wonder if there is a better pocket stone to be used?

Thansk
Click to expand...
 
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The cut down Eze-Lap model L fine I've kept in my wallet for at least ten years is still working. Diamond hones do get "broken in" and feel smoother, but they still cut. But like was said, you can overdo the pressure and rip the diamonds out of the nickel plate. I've had good luck with Eze-Lap products. They even work good on those chisel ground blades of the Leatherman's that someone got me into!

22060172620_e2cfeefbcb_c.jpg
 
I too believe you are probably mistaking worn out from broken in. The easiest way to tell is to see if it cuts glass, like a jar of jelly.

I always use a spray bottle of very dilute Simple Green on my DMTs, when I'm using them and when I'm done.

They definitely work best when you keep them very clean, and should last several years of daily use.
 
I've worn out one dmt stone . It was an extra course and I was using it on an edge pro. It took a couple of years though . If they are wearing out in a years time of freehand sharpening check your technique .

If your in the market though I love spyderco ceramics. I don't have the double stuff but I do have the medium and UF bench stones . ThEY are probably my 2 favorite stones . They aren't going to repro file your knives but if you maintain your edges spyderco ceramics are awesome .

I also have a couple of rods from the sharp maker I used to own. Those rods fit in a bag or pack and I use them as a slipstone when I'm on the go .

I cleaned a very well loved 8x3 dias harp XC with some wd40 the other day what I thought was a clean stone amazed me when the wd40 hit it . Give your diamonds a shot of wd40 and a scrub with an old tooth brush . If it is missing diamonds you will see dull or dark spots in the diamonds .
 
Also edge pro stones or shaptons and chosera stones cut for the edge pro can be used as slipstone .edge pro stones are very affordable and their grit rating is a little higher than they areally marked on the stone . The shapeons and chosera can save you a few bucks vs a full size waterstone
 
Thanks all for the suggestions.

I'll give cleaning again another go.

Would a mild abrasive like Comet help?

OWE (David), most of my knives are 420HC, 12C27 or 440A, which would probably play into your theory?
 
If your losing diamonds may he worth a call to dmt . If it's not your technique you night if gotten a bad stone . It happens (rare) but it does happen and dmt has great customer service. I'll throw up some pics of a worn out stone in a sec.
 
Full disclosure this is a 2x6 xc/c stone . It was a freebie I had bought a waterstone that got broken I'm transit and CKTG gave me a store credit and I used it on this plate . I already have the 8x3s in all grits . This 2x6 was used on the edge pro and overall abused by me . It losing the diamonds was 100% my fault. Pics are of the XC side

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My XXC DMT is about 50%. All of the others are in good shape. Aside from a bunch of routine bevel-setting it was used to flatten the backs of a number of plane irons and several chisel sets. Lapped hard waterstones perhaps a dozen times. Under magnification I can see the diamonds are blown out of their plating nests across much of the stone, not just the high wear areas. Am familiar with diamond plates, have never had one croak this fast without blatant abuse.

It is now 100% for waterstone lapping, and that just for routine flattening. If a bunch of work I reach for a dedicated diamond lapping plate.

My XC is holding up fine, as are all the rest of my DMTs. I might want to contact DMT about this. Last time I had a go with their CS it took months to get it resolved.
 
I have a pair of DMT Diasharp hones (coarse and fine) that have seen around ten years of use. They aren't as abrasive as they were when I first got them, but they still work for touching up an edge. I'm not an obsessive sharpener, I don't feel the need to sharpen my knives after every use, so that could be a reason they have lasted so long.

Heavy usage, or pressing too hard on a diamond hone will wear it out faster.
 
pinnah said:
Thanks all for the suggestions.

I'll give cleaning again another go.

Would a mild abrasive like Comet help?

OWE (David), most of my knives are 420HC, 12C27 or 440A, which would probably play into your theory?
Click to expand...

Comet will help but Barkeepersfriend like Jason suggested will work even better. When I contacted DMT about using my ultrasonic cleaner on their stones they even said to try Comet to help clean the stones as it will help. I have used soap and water with an old toothbrush, barkeepersfriend and an ultrasonicleaner to clean my DMT stones. The best were the ultrasonic and barkeepers friend which gave me the same end result. Soap and water helped but no where near as much as the other two. And the difference between a clogged stone and a freshly cleaned stone is night and day in my opinion.

And as others have said diamond stones to "break in" I guess you can say which is also what is happening most likely.
 
I used to see some trouble with steels like 420HC (Case) and maybe 440A as well, with my Lansky diamond hones, until I realized what was going on; especially at coarser grit. Stainless steels with a reputation for being somewhat 'gummy' on the hones are the troublemakers. This is another reason lighter pressure is better with diamond, I think. I used to lean pretty heavily into the Lansky hones while sharpening, and I think that played into how badly some of the 'gummy' stainless was embedding into the grit on them. Since my habits have changed in use of pressure, I don't see the problem nearly as much. In fact, the Case 420HC knives have responded in a big way to use of light pressure on diamond; it's one of my favorite means to sharpen those now.


David

pinnah said:
Thanks all for the suggestions.

I'll give cleaning again another go.

Would a mild abrasive like Comet help?

OWE (David), most of my knives are 420HC, 12C27 or 440A, which would probably play into your theory?
Click to expand...
 
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