Diamond stones

The Old Dog said:
I'm considering buying a diamond stone (stones). What's the best bang for the buck? Thanks, Dog
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I buy the Smith double sided ones from Walmart for $20. Medium and fine sides. They last between 20-25 axes. And they are a huge time saver . I mean it still takes a long time but not as long as using natural stones. Perhaps better quality stones would last longer? I'll probably give a DMT a try one of these days. Good luck and happy honing!
 
I would not get a diamond stone to sharpen a simple carbon steel ax.
It will not leave the smooth edge that a fine India stone will. As far as economy a Norton combination Coarse / fine India can be delivered to your door for 25-28$ and will
last all the way thru your grand kids life time . DM
 
David Martin said:
I would not get a diamond stone to sharpen a simple carbon steel ax.
It will not leave the smooth edge that a fine India stone will. As far as economy a Norton combination Coarse / fine India can be delivered to your door for 25-28$ and will
last all the way thru your grand kids life time . DM
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I'm not sure what diamond stones you've used David, but it's hard to achieve a smoother finish than I get using my diamond stones. They are damn near polished. Those swirls you see are microscopic, and the bit behaves in wood as if it were polished.
They cannot compare with the lifespan though. Nothing to argue there.
For me, time is a precious commodity. And diamond stones are about 40% quicker than the stones I have.
And were I a normal axe user, one diamond stone would last a lifetime. But alas, I am not and, due to constantly refinishing axes, they are in almost daily use.
 
I was just walking to the mailbox thinking about this. And it occurred to me that unless you are constantly refinishing axes the speed doesn't factor in as much. I am always trying to get rid of file marks with the course side of the diamond stone. And that's what takes all the time and effort.
Were I only ever sharpening one or two axes repeatedly, this step wouldn't be there. You'd just be touching up thr edge and giving the surface a quick once over.
So, as with anything, it depends on your use. If you are only doing one or two axes and maintaining them, you could use either though the initial hone will take quite a bit longer with natural stones. But once initially done, it wouldn't take long to touch up with a fine India as DM suggests.
 
I have used a few. HF is JUNK. A strong wind will wear the diamond grit down. I like the Smith combo bench stone. Works well and IMO doesn't wear down all that fast. It goes in my hunting pack in the fall. Have used EZE lap stones (3 stone set)for a long time now. They are a good value for me. I use them on my small pocket knives and leather scissors. Recently bought a set 1"x6" 3 hone set from China. Inexpensive but man do they cut like, well a diamond! We'll see how long they last. I am going to use these on my hatchets and axes. Of course I don't expect miracles or for them to remove nicks. Cheap enough to replace once a year to me and I don't have money to burn. All around I think Smith is where I would start because of quality and variety. Hope this helps.
 
Blackcloud said:
I have used a few. HF is JUNK. A strong wind will wear the diamond grit down. I like the Smith combo bench stone. Works well and IMO doesn't wear down all that fast. It goes in my hunting pack in the fall. Have used EZE lap stones (3 stone set)for a long time now. They are a good value for me. I use them on my small pocket knives and leather scissors. Recently bought a set 1"x6" 3 hone set from China. Inexpensive but man do they cut like, well a diamond! We'll see how long they last. I am going to use these on my hatchets and axes. Of course I don't expect miracles or for them to remove nicks. Cheap enough to replace once a year to me and I don't have money to burn. All around I think Smith is where I would start because of quality and variety. Hope this helps.
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I was looking at Smith's 8" tri hone. It had a lot of good reviews and it just seemed like a good rig. Thanks, Dog
 
garry3 said:
Dog, you are in the wrong form. Try this one.
https://bladeforums.com/forums/maintenance-tinkering-embellishment.794/

Josh, I use the Smith's DCSA4 4 inch for in the field touch up. They break in and slow down but are not done for a while. Much lighter to pack than a stone also.
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I use the same one. Medium one side, fine on the other?
I've been using em for years and really love them. As you say, they slow down bit only compared to how fast they are new. I'm not knocking stones, but I've never used one you could call fast. And that's what I need! A smooth finish as quick as possible by hand.
 
Yankee Josh said:
I use the same one. Medium one side, fine on the other?
I've been using em for years and really love them. As you say, they slow down bit only compared to how fast they are new. I'm not knocking stones, but I've never used one you could call fast. And that's what I need! A smooth finish as quick as possible by hand.
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Compared to a puck they are fast, but a puck is fast compared to some of my naturals too. I would like to know what you finally end up using. Glue a diamond plate to one side a fine file....
 
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