Choosing my first stones (home-made sharpmaker)

[Logan1994VH]

Hey everybody. This is my first post here. After looking through the forums for a couple weeks, I just had to join. I am making my self a sharpener that works the same way as a Spyderco sharpmaker. It just consists of one board coming out of another board at a 20 degree angle that I will attach the stone to. However, after looking at all the options, I am kind of overwhelmed. So many choices! I never let my knife get very dull (they always at least cut paper), so would the DMT diamond stones for the aligner in fine and extra-fine be good choices? Do I need the extra fine? Are there other, better, affordable options?

Sorry for all the questions!
Logan1994VH

 

[David Martin]

The coarse and fine should suit your needs. Get the continous surface stone, its offered in a twin grit. DM

 

[Logan1994VH]

This may be a dumb question but since i am very new to sharpening I will ask. Why would I need a coarse stone if I am just wanting to touch my knives up frequently and not let them get dull?

Thanks for your help,
Logan

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I'd also recommend a coarse/fine combo to start. Even if you don't let your knives get too dull, the coarse (blue, 45 micron) is very, very handy in the event one of your knives gets damaged (rolled or chipped). And I'd also bet it won't take long before you'll want to try re-bevelling one of your blades; the coarse is much more useful for that. The Fine DMT will leave a great working edge on a blade, by itself.

Having said that, I'm not one criticize the preferences of another, over my own. The fine & EF will do great for most maintenance and touch-ups. For learning the whole sharpening process, starting with a finer hone is generally a good idea, as they're a bit more tolerant of mistakes. Coarse hones can do a lot of damage and remove a lot more metal than necessary, if technique is a little off. For down the road, keep a coarse hone in mind. I've generally always started out with medium & finer hones, and eventually always wished I had a coarse one, too. May not use it too often, but when you need it, you really know you need it.