Can my coarse stone be wearing out?

P2P

P2P

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I have a set of 6” DMT double sided dia-sharp stones. I’ve had them maybe 2-3 years.

I feel like I need a coarser stone for setting the bevel, and resharpening.
Ive been rebeveling M4 and ZDP-189. It is taking forever, the tip of both knives seem encouraged to defy my efforts.

Is it possible I’ve worn out the extra coarse stone somehow? Perhaps I need a more aggressive stone? I figured I’d get at least a decade out of this set. The other grits seem to work fine.



Thanks for any advise.
 
It could be the dmt hones are loaded with swraf. You could try cleaning them with dish soap. Nothing abrasive as it might dislodge the diamond. If you have used a lot of pressure then you could have worn the diamond coating off. The dmts are not as course as I would like. I would recommend a corse silica carbide stone for re-profiling I bought a manticore from @FortyTwoBlades and it has quickly taken out a large chip from s35vn.

With that being said, the dmt will be more course when first used until the surface is abraded to its normal level.

Also I have mixed a couple drops of dish soap into a spray bottle of water and use that as a lubricant when using the dmt. I then run them under the faucet and dry them when done.
 
Try cleaning them with Bar Keepers Friend in the Gold Canister but I would suspect more that they are worn out,I had DMT plate's when I used the KME sharpening system and they were trash and I hated them.

The DMT's for me and a few friends I know have never cut very fast at all,try looking on ebay for sellers from Japan that sell Atoma diamond plate's and pick up an Atoma they are way better and have always work great for me,there are seller's on ebay from Hong Kong that sell what they claim to be Atoma diamond plate's but I would careful buying from Hong Kong because from I understand the Atoma's are made in japan.

They are also often call TSUBOMAN Atoma as well.
 
Other than perhaps during the initial break-in my DMT XC was never fast. I may have worn it down using too much pressure but I didn't strip the plating as it still cuts, just slowly.
 
I'd 2nd the suggestion to clean the hone with Bar Keepers Friend & a scrub brush (toothbrush, etc). If the hone has been used dry especially, it can load up pretty fast. If softer, low-alloy stainless steels have been ground on them, they can also clog the surface very quickly, and that stainless swarf really sticks to it.

I've grown to prefer wetting my diamond hones with some mineral oil. It keeps the swarf from sticking to the surface and keeps them cutting well almost indefinitely, so long as they're not used with excessive pressure. Wipe the oiled surface occasionally with a microfiber towel, while sharpening, and apply a few more drops of oil to keep it fairly clean as you go. That's how I used my 8" DMT Duo-Sharp (Coarse/Fine) to reprofile a ZDP-189 blade; the coarse side of that hone worked fairly quickly (~20 minutes or so) to reprofile that blade, with the surface of the hone oiled.
 
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ZDP and M4 can be tough to sharpen, especially when trying to take out damage. I've had my DMT plates for over 10 years, some may be a little dull but they still work well.
 
P2P, that is how my X coarse diamond went after rebeveling some knives with 440C steel. I'm sure you can see whether it needs cleaning or not. I went to using oil and it was a very small amount better. It's like once they get get broke in they start turning to cutting slower. DM
 
Squirt the heck outta them with “Simple Green Soap” in a spray bottle and let the swarf drain out. Then squirt when sharpening. My only objection to the Bar Keepers friend others have mentioned is that it has a fine grit to scour and your putting some filler into the stone as your getting rid of the swarf.. YMMV
 
I have the DMT XXC, C, and EF. So I've never used an XC. My "C" is ok. It's not very good for reprofiling. Makes a nice edge once the edge is profiled though.

The XXC is a beast. It's the fastest grinding stone or plate I have personally used. Of the 3 DMTs I own, it's clearly the star of the show. Recommended.

Brian.
 
Another vote for the 60 grit Baryonyx Manticore.

After a lot of trial and error, and some expense, I stopped using ~120 grit for quick and/or heavy metal removal. Instructions for ~120 diamond plates said to just use light pressure, which I thought might be the reason they were slow at hogging off metal. So I tried ~120 grit silicon carbide because I could use more pressure, but wasn't satisfied with that, either. (I have better things to do than take more time than necessary to grind away metal.)

The Manticore made a big difference. I highly recommend it.

Just a quick semi-related question: When sharpening with continuous diamond plates I use a vacuum cleaner attachment to remove swarf, to save time and hassle. That being the case, are there other reasons to use water or other lubricants on diamonds? Thanks...
 
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MtnHawk1 said:
Another vote for the 60 grit Baryonyx Manticore.

After a lot of trial and error, and some expense, I stopped using ~120 grit for quick and/or heavy metal removal. Instructions for ~120 diamond plates said to just use light pressure, which I thought might be the reason they were slow at hogging off metal. So I tried ~120 grit silicon carbide because I could use more pressure, but wasn't satisfied with that, either. (I have better things to do than take more time than necessary to grind away metal.)

The Manticore made a big difference. I highly recommend it.

Just a quick semi-related question: When sharpening with continuous diamond plates I use a vacuum cleaner attachment to remove swarf, to save time and hassle. That being the case, are there other reasons to use water or other lubricants on diamonds? Thanks...
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On the question of using lubricants on diamond hones, the main benefit is in keeping swarf from sticking to the surface. Not so much about just removing it. Swarf can cling tenaciously to the nickel & diamond; especially low-alloy stainless on a dry hone, or on a water-wetted hone that periodically dries out as you're working. Using something like oil keeps it from clinging and doesn't dry out too quickly, which therefore makes it easy to wipe the swarf away.

Some loose swarf can be picked up dry, with a microfiber towel or vacuum cleaner, etc. But the swarf that causes most of the problems with clogging is the stuff that isn't easily lifted and it clings like a foil coating to the surface. So it necessitates something extra to keep it from holding on so tight. Oil works best for that, as it allows the sharpening process itself to dislodge or sweep away swarf from the surface, so the hone keeps cutting cleanly.
 
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No one has mentioned this but without trying to give offense if you're having a difficult time getting the tips of your knives sharp that's an issue with your sharpening, not an issue with equipment.
 
Vicv said:
No one has mentioned this but without trying to give offense if you're having a difficult time getting the tips of your knives sharp that's an issue with your sharpening, not an issue with equipment.
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No a problem with getting sharp. Just taking forever. My Benchmade Freek is super thick behind the edge, and it’s M4.


Obsessed with Edges said:
I'd 2nd the suggestion to clean the hone with Bar Keepers Friend & a scrub brush (toothbrush, etc). If the hone has been used dry especially, it can load up pretty fast. If softer, low-alloy stainless steels have been ground on them, they can also clog the surface very quickly, and that stainless swarf really sticks to it.

I've grown to prefer wetting my diamond hones with some mineral oil. It keeps the swarf from sticking to the surface and keeps them cutting well almost indefinitely, so long as they're not used with excessive pressure. Wipe the oiled surface occasionally with a microfiber towel, while sharpening, and apply a few more drops of oil to keep it fairly clean as you go. That's how I used my 8" DMT Duo-Sharp (Coarse/Fine) to reprofile a ZDP-189 blade; the coarse side of that hone worked fairly quickly (~20 minutes or so) to reprofile that blade, with the surface of the hone oiled.
Click to expand...

thanks for the advice, using mineral was a nice add. I’ll certainly keep this as part of my process going forward.
Alberta Ed said:
I clean my DMTs with BreakFree CLP. Lifts the swarf right out. Mine are 20+ years old and work like new.
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I’ll check it out.


Also thank you all for the other stone suggestion. Manticore, or XXC DMT may be the way to go in the future.

my biggest problem is usually when I buy a new knife. It always needs to be reprofiled. Once that’s done, touch ups aren’t so bad.
 
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