diamond vs. ceramic for sharpening

[dsvirsky]

I've never had much luck getting my Apogee (S90V) as sharp as I would like it to be using a Sharpmaker -- the knife would have a decent working sharp edge, but not what I was hoping for.

I had a little time and desire this weekend, so I tried a some freehand sharpening with a DMT fine hone. The hone is still fairly new (and therefore coarser than "advertised"), so after raising a burr on each side and then taking the burr off with a few alternating strokes, I finished on the Sharpmaker fine stones. Result = sharp knife.

Now, in theory, raising a burr should be raising a burr, whether by ceramic or by diamond. But, wow, what a difference in cutting edge using the diamond first!

Anyone care to advance a theory? We're talking push cutting as well as slicing ability, here.

 

[calyth]

Well I've never used diamond hones and I've put some pretty good edges on my knifes. On my smaller knifes I sometimes use a 3/4 inch clip as an angle guide.
Perhaps what you need is to run the knife a couple of times on a steel/strop. Those finishing touches may make a difference.
All I've heard is that diamond hones takes off steel much faster than other hones.

 

[Jeff Clark]

The extremely high content of vanadium and other alloying elements makes S90V hard to cut with a ceramic hone. The diamond will cut the hard carbide cleanly and produce a nice acute edge. The ceramic will held clean up loose ends when you use it after the diamond hone. If you use only the ceramic it will mush things around or knock out the hard carbides rather than cut them.

 

[nonbox]

I've read on this board that Spyderco is Making diamond stone sticks for the Sharpmaker. They are new so they will not be in the stores yet?