Ceramic vs diamond

Federico

Federico

Joined
Sep 5, 2000
Messages
1,522
Well my coarsest, and course diamond hones are just about kaput, and so I will be in the market for some new coarse hones pretty soon. So I figured Id ask what does everyone prefer for coarse grit hones, diamond or ceramic? Which is more durable, and which bites more aggressively (which is what Im looking for in a coarse stone)? Though I have the feeling the two are not mutually compatable. Which goes best with toast, and which resists the martian brain waves better? Anyways, Ive read a few things here and there, but I value the expert advice of the loons that visit the HI forum.:D
 
Gasp. Long time no post. I was going to start a rumor that you were in jail or something. :)
 
If your in the market for a hone, try Cerahone. They make an "indestructible" aluminum ceramic and or diamond hone. Work well. Easy to carry in the field if you need to. 1SKS carries them.
 
hehehe not in jail Bruise, just been a busy summer. Though summers almost over.:(

Hoghead, thanks for the recommendation, alot of the pics on 1sks were down, does cerahone make something other than rod like hones? Or maybe instead of hone I shoulda said stone, can never figure out which is what. Something small and could easily fit in the hand.
 
If you want something small/portable, a lot of guys swear by their DMT Diafold sharpeners.

Diamonds are much more aggressive than ceramic. Ceramic rods are more for polishing and touch-up.
 
Fredrico:

I got one of those credit-card sized diamond honing plates from www.ragweedforge.com (coarse on one side - fine on the other) and carry it in my wallet. It is a little too aggressive for most sharpening, but if you really put a ding in the tip of your khuk out in the woods (hit a rock or something) this thing does pretty good damage control. Ragnar also has cheap ceramic rods and I got a bunch of those for final finishing.

Diamond stones usually last me a long time, and I use mine mostly for trueing up japanese waterstones. This doesn't seem to hurt them at all. Woodcraft in Bloomington has all kinds of them, along with just about every other sharpening device you can think of.
 
Ceramic is my most frequently used sharpener, but I use it for touching up blades. If I need a coarse hone, (which I rarely do) I go for the diamond.
 
I don't know much about ceramics as far as any coarse ones, but I like my fine ones from Spyderco!
They're not gonna win any contests at material removal, but they should last longer than the fine/extra fine DMT diafold I think just because of their thickness.
Not much help, but my .02 for what it's worth.:)
I would sure be willing to try the Spyderco if they come in any coarser hones!!!!
 
Cerahone makes several types. Check out thier website at Cerahone.com. Another type that is very portable are the dogbone ceramics by Lansky. Fit in your pocket and while they don't remove material very fast they will touch up an edge nicely.
 
Fed, I've got a two sided diamond-coated plate from Ragnar. Dunno if it is representative of all diamond sharpeners, but while it cuts fairly fast, it seems to leave deeper residual scratches for the grit size than just about any thing I've used. tricky to hang onto also.

It seems to me that the stones that cut fast, and don't leave deep scratches are the softer ones, like water stones, and some aluminum oxide stones (like my blue "Oregon" stone).

The idea of carrying a thin diamond plate to keep them flat is a very good one--hardly any extra space, and a back-up to boot.

The hard ceramic stones and Arkansas stones just don't seem to cut as fast, even though they don't dish out.

Seems like a fast cutting stone that doesn't dish out, and doesn't leave extra-deep scratches like the diamonds maybe hasn't been invented yet.
 
But no one has answered the question which goes better with toast:D :p

Thanks for the input guys, guess its back to diamond I go.:D
 
I try to get a good edge on new khuks if they don't have one and after that I touch them up just a bit more often. I do not like the removal of too much steel. That sweet spot may be big to some people but, I don't want to have to have one re rempered. After the initial sharpening I never use any thing coarser than my soft Arkansas. I have one old one that is a bit smoother and harder than most I have seen. I'll get around to the convex edge but, I have all kinds of patience.:)
 
Originally posted by Federico .......But no one has answered the question which goes better with toast:D :D
Click to expand...
Get a box-full of those silver abrasive fingernail files.
When they wear out they're great for buttering toast.
Before they wear out they're good for removing the charred bits from the toast.
:D
 
Fredrico:

Forgot to mention: Ragnar's diamond plates work alot better for spreading butter on toast than the ceramic rods also.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top