Diamond Stones are So "Special" I can't stand it. DMT in the Edge Pro

Wowbagger

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So I finally decided to cough up the bucks to put a couple of diamond plates in my Edge Pro. I thought I needed this stone for at work (free hand sharpening) and figured if I got a double sided one it wouldn't hurt too bad to get a six inch one that I've been told will fit passably well in my Edge Pro.

I have been getting by for the few S110V knives I have by double back taping my little four inch stones from my DMT Aligner onto a blank aluminum Edge Pro plate that usually is used to support sharpening tapes. WARNING : if anyone tries this be aware the stones are way short and it is easy to frequently bang up the knife edge from having the stone slip over the edge because the stops on the Edge Pro are for longer six inch stones. I get around this by putting magic marker lines on the guide rod and try to stop at the line each stroke and reverse directions before I run off the stone. Good luck; easier said than done as they say.

So . . . I have a complete set of Aligner stones from like 140 or so to 8,000.

I ordered and received a six inch double sided DMT plate that was supposed to be "Fine" and "Extra Fine".

The problem I have are two. First off the grit and surface concentration of diamond particles is VASTLY different than my Aligner stones of the same grit description. Take a look at my sucky photos and tell me they are the same. o_O :confused: o_O :confused: :(
IMG_5596.JPG

This Green Aligner stone is supposed to be the same grit as my new plate . . . both are supposed to be "Extra Fine 9 micron" . . . do they look the same to you ?

This photo is of the next more coarse stone in the Aligner line up, the Red "Fine 25 micron" is still much finer than my new "Extra Fine 9 micron" plate and the number of diamond particles is distressingly sparse on the new six inch stone.
IMG_5600.JPG
IMG_5601.JPG

The second problem is the plate is just short enough that I am going to have to add a washer to the Edge Pro between the brass tube and the plastic vise jaw that grabs the aluminum plates that hold the stones or tapes. This is obviously no great hardship . . . I mention this only because at least one of you have said you use these DMT six inch plates in your Edge Pro.
Have you had to add a washer to be able to grip the DMT plate ?

Like I said; no big deal I'm just curious and still grateful for the tip.

Someone in the back there is grumbling : Why didn't dumb O' 'bagger just get the Edge Pro diamond plates ? ? ? ?
Answer is that they are listed for use with ONLY ceramic knives or the world as we know it will come to an end and two of them would have been significantly more money and I THOUGHT I knew what I was getting grit wise by ordering a DMT stone because I already had DMT stones in those grits. The DMT in the six inch is also twice as wide as the Edge Pro stones so I was getting more abrasive surface area for my hand held sharpening.

Diamond stones . . . suck . . . scratchy, inconsistent, goofy things that produce a less impressive and refined edge than water stones . . .
and yet I seem to need the nasty things to sharpen my high vanadium and ceramic knives. :(

Thanks for listening . . .
I feel a little better now.
 
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You really, really should have tried the Matrix pass-around to try them out. They are different than any other diamond stones. They only suck on soft steel where you wouldn't even want to use sic stones. On decent steel they leave a very consistent scratch pattern that is ealily removed with the next grit in the lineup. The harder the steel the better they work and they work really well on ceramic.

Not saying you should buy them, just saying you should try them out. Cost is $13.95 for the return shipping.
 
Oh for sure.
No question !
I wasn't aware of the pass around but in the same breath I will say there is no question in my mind that the Matrix stones are the best way to apply diamonds in sharpening a knife,

For example I have had a some what similar single grit stone in my save for later cart for six months or more. It is more money than the two grit stone shown so I went Cheepy Joe for this beater stone untill I spring for your top shelf stones.
PS : I still most likely wouldn't use your stones for the beater application I bought this DMT for . . . long story.

I will eventually get a set of Matrix stones for my Edge Pro. Job security is lurking so I'm being thrifty for now but still feeding the addiction.
 
...
The second problem is the plate is just short enough that I am going to have to add a washer to the Edge Pro between the brass tube and the plastic vise jaw that grabs the aluminum plates that hold the stones or tapes. This is obviously no great hardship . . . I mention this only because at least one of you have said you use these DMT six inch plates in your Edge Pro.
Have you had to add a washer to be able to grip the DMT plate ?
...

I'm not sure which stone you got, but I can tell you a 2"x6" DMT DiaSharp stone fit in my EP without any modification.

f521ca9e09ef5ee03588ba223d1fbe88_zpsfsn181we.jpg
 
Mr. Wow,

You've been around the block more than a few times, so if you know this already, please take no offense.

DMT stones are somewhat notorious for requiring "break in". That is, the diamond height and/or distribution seems uneven for a while and tends to produce a scratch pattern that is a step or two more coarse than the plate indicates. After the peaks get broken off and/or the rest of the distribution of diamonds is normalized, the plates seem to be much closer to the expected scratch pattern.

My coarse showed this. My EF seemed very coarse at first (for an EF). My XXC was really, really bumpy and odd for a while. Now they've all settled in and seem fine. Or maybe my expectations have changed.

There's probably a clever way of accelerating this break in period. I wouldn't recommend doing any kind of crazy full plate grinding (like holding the DMT plate against a plate of steel and grinding the whole surface). I'm not sure what to recommend actually, other than using them for the equivalent of 4 to 6 full knife sharpenings. Whatever that means! :)

Good luck and I mean that.

Brian.
 
I'm not sure which stone you got, but I can tell you a 2"x6" DMT DiaSharp stone fit in my EP without any modification.

f521ca9e09ef5ee03588ba223d1fbe88_zpsfsn181we.jpg
Thanks for the encouragement and past info too !
Yup leave it to me to find another almost but not quite. I'll just add a washer I suppose.
Have you ever had it fall out of the grip of the plastic Edge Pro jaws. It feels like that could be a danger because the plate is so heavy ?
I am looking forward to actually putting some kind of precision edge on my one white ceramic knife that has had a useless edge since it left the factory.
IMG_5603.jpg
 
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There's probably a clever way of accelerating this break in period. I wouldn't recommend doing any kind of crazy full plate grinding (like holding the DMT plate against a plate of steel and grinding the whole surface). I'm not sure what to recommend actually, other than using them for the equivalent of 4 to 6 full knife sharpenings. Whatever that means! :)

Good luck and I mean that.

Brian.

Yes I have to continuously restrain my self from rubbing it on another diamond stone like one can safely do with two water stones.

Yes that would be shear madness and very destructive (though interesting) to do with two diamond plates.

You are probably right. Needs break in. Maybe all that nickel plating or what ever it is that holds the diamonds to the plate is making the grit look way larger than it actually is.

There is a disclaimer that comes with it from California that due to nickel poisoning I probably won't live long enough to see the stone get properly broken in.

Any one want to talk about that ?
I have never seen a "You Gonna Die Boy" warning on a water stone info list.
 
Thanks for the encouragement and past info too !
Yup leave it to me to find another almost but not quite. I'll just add a washer I suppose.
Have you ever had it fall out of the grip of the plastic Edge Pro jaws. It feels like that could be a danger because the plate is so heavy ?
I am looking forward to actually putting some kind of precision edge on my one white ceramic knife that has had a useless edge since it left the factory.

I never had it fall out. I do know that some who did this would glue it to an EP blank, so they could use the cutouts to secure it... maybe you could try that if what I did doesn't work.
 
Call DMT they'll tell you to rub'em,
My head is spinning.
I'm picturing those diamonds (one layer thick mind you) colliding and breaking against each other.

I feel faint . . .
. . . he collapses on his fainting couch.

Beulah peals him a grape for dinner for when he comes to while thinking "It was never like this when I was with Mae West".
 
No. Don't do that. Please.
Hahahaha
The diamond stone makers say it is ok to rub their stones together.

That is like when I ask my dentist, after he has done a few root canals, capped several teeth with crowns and told me I have the teeth of someone twenty years older than I am . . . I ask him if I can still chew chocolate coated coffee beans and chew up ice. He looks a bit sheepish and says : "Well I wouldn't do that EVERYday . . . but sure . . . eat what you like".

It sounds good anyway.
And . . . he has all those payments to make on his yacht collection.
 
I'm not sure which stone you got, but I can tell you a 2"x6" DMT DiaSharp stone fit in my EP without any modification.
Oh ! Cool ! I can see your photo now.
Originally it was just a blue box with a question mark in it.
This gives me hope.
 
Wow, you have a good sense of humor. I've encountered this same malady with diamond plates and just sharpened a few knives and they
broke in, or broke down. To the stage, now I use them sparingly. DM
 
DMTs do take a few uses to break in but then they last practically forever. I sharpen freehand mostly, occasionally with an angle guide.
 
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