DMT D8XX 120 micron stone!

[HoB]

. Generally why do you carry it vs something like the Paramilitary (grip wise) ?

-Cliff

The Yojimbo was specifically designed as an MBC tool. But butt end works really well as striking tool and the deep cut out makes it virtually impossible to slip onto the blade. The cutout so far back will also give you more effective reach. It works very well as EDC, the choked up grip give very good control and the concave back works very well in a "sideways" grip (thumb on pivot, holding it like you would a kitchen knife. Don't know the official term), but it was designed for a very different application than the Para. Having said that. the ergos on the Para I am not particular fond of either. My hand doesn't fit onto the handle without using the choil and for use with choil I find the choil to small and ill defined but as Sal said, either you design it that one size fits all, or you design it in a way that fits some better than others. Spyderco puts out plenty of designs that have outstanding ergos for me, so this is not complaint but just an observation.

 

[thombrogan]

Did you have this blade rehardened by Wilson aswell?

Absolutely.

I used my x-coarse DMT to reprofile one side of a Jess Horn in ZDP-189 to a uniform 12 degrees. It took about a thousand passes on the stone, I was also pressing fairly hard, about 25 lbs (used scale). I then used a 200 grit silicon carbide waterstone to bring the other side flat with the primary grind in about two minutes.

Why didn't you bear into the x-coarse stone with the same amount of force as with the green thing?

Generally why do you carry it vs something like the Paramilitary (grip wise) ?

Don't know if you're asking HoB or me, but the Para-Military has a heart-breaking right-hand only/tip-down only pocket clip that makes all of its pluses mock me and put beetles in my oatmeal.

 

[HoB]

Absolutely.

Even more impressive!

its pluses mock me and put beetles in my oatmeal.

I was just picturing that .

Well, Thom, you inspired me.... Notice something different in the picture below?



Not sure if you can really tell from the picture, but his Pacific Salt used to be hollow ground. Now it has a sabergrind to zero edge and on top of that a 10 deg not-so-micro (but still pretty small) bevel. I had planned on doing that for a while now, but dreaded the work, but you got me inspired. In the end it didn't take that long. I just leaned into Yuzuha's favorite pink waterstone and it went pretty quickly (20 min maybe? Not counting the polishing on 700 grit and and Scotch Brite and actual sharpening). But then again H-1 is beautiful to work with and abrades very quickly. S30V is the exact opposite of the spectrum.

It should be a real slicer now :thumbup: .

 

[yuzuha]

Ah, so how do you like the pink brick?

 

[db]

the pink brick vs the XXC DMT is what I'm trying to decide on. Does anyone know DMT's website or have a link to it? I'm trying to avoid getting both but ya know how that turns out.

 

[HoB]

Ah, so how do you like the pink brick?

I've always liked the pink brick (though mine is the smaller one....the half-brick ). It cuts really fast. It dishes pretty quickly, too, though. I don't use it all that often because I rarely have projects that require this much work.

I wouldn't be willing to vote for or against the DMT (though I have only the 220) or the pink brick. They are very different. I like the DMT and it travels with me and the Sharpmaker and I use it a lot with knives that have seen years of lacking attention. It works great. I've even restort the tip of my brothers leatherman who had broken off about 3/8". The pink brick is in my opinion a typical waterstones, with all the advantages and disadvantages. You can lean into it as much as you want, I think the blade glides better, because it doesn't have th holes and you constantly squeeze out water, but you have to have a means of flattening it or its of no use.

But what Thom did to this re-hardened S30V Yo is pretty amazing! I would have thought I would take him days to do that.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Now it has a sabergrind to zero edge and on top of that a 10 deg not-so-micro (but still pretty small) bevel.

I reground a Pacific Salt the same way but the secondary bevel isn't visible. It really could benefit from a deeper hollow but that is kind of hard to do with benchstones.

... you have to have a means of flattening it or its of no use.

I cut my 200 silicon carbide stone into chunks, they get really dished but I just use the high bits on occasion to wear them as well. I use them like files, holding the knife in the off hand and moving the piece of the stone. I have not actually noticed much difference in regrinding edges with that stone irregardless of the steel.

Why didn't you bear into the x-coarse stone with the same amount of force as with the green thing?

Concern with durability/wear on the diamonds.

-Cliff

 

[thombrogan]

Not sure if you can really tell from the picture, but his Pacific Salt used to be hollow ground. Now it has a sabergrind to zero edge and on top of that a 10 deg not-so-micro (but still pretty small) bevel.

That's some good reprofiling. How well does it cut compared to when new? Unless that's the only pocket knife you carry, I could reprofile it with a 8" wet grinder if you'd like and you could enjoy an even thinner blade with a nice hollow profile.

But then again H-1 is beautiful to work with and abrades very quickly. S30V is the exact opposite of the spectrum.

I guess it shows that DMT's coarsest hone isn't made from diamonds, but from Chuck Norris' chin stubble.

Concern with durability/wear on the diamonds.

Would you be willing to risk bearing down on the stone to compare its durability to your green brick of reprofiling goodness?

 

[db]

I have one on the way. I cann't compare it to the pink or green bricks but can to the cheaper black silicon stones.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Would you be willing to risk bearing down on the stone to compare its durability to your green brick of reprofiling goodness?

I have a small coarse diafold that I'll lean into and see what happens.

-Cliff

 

[thombrogan]

Aside for on wildly curved knives, this stone has become my preferred hogger (over the belt sander, for which I have 1/4" wide belts for wildly curved knives). It's very responsive. Before it, my faster reprofiles involved a 120x SiC stone (from EdgePro) used like a file (aka the Cliff Stamp pressed4time method), but this is about as fast without consuming the hone in the process.

It doesn't care how hard the blade steel is. It doesn't care about wear-resistance. It just doesn't care if flattened waterstones several times and was hastily washed before being used on the knives. It just sharpens all before it.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I have been pressing very hard on the x-coarse DMT, done about a dozen sessions of significant use. It isn't as fast as the 200 silicon carbide, but is close enough that I could see an x-x-coarse being better.

-Cliff

 

[Spydercoguy]

Hello. I recently purchased a DMT extra course sharpening stone and it is quite excellent. One thing that I noticed however is that the stone is cutting less aggressively after I had reprofiled about 3 knives. I wasn't using a whole lot of pressure on the stone either; about as much pressure as I normally use on my ceramic stones. Has anyone else had this happen? The stone still cuts very aggressively however.

Thombrogan, do you have the extra course stone also? If so, how much more aggressive is the XX stone? I was thinking about getting the DMT XX so that I can do some real whittling! ;o)

Thank you.

 

[Ben Dover]

Mr. Brogan,

Do you "free hand" with that big diamond stone? Or do you have some sort of fixture for it.

I was recently given a new 6 inch DMT coarse stone. I am reluctant to even try free handing after the VERY poor results that I have achieved with Arkansas oil stones. (That's why I bought the Sharpmaker)

Is there some fixture, gadget or gizmo that I can use to hold a consistent edge with this beautiful diamond stone? It looks like it would be wonderfully efficient if properly used. But in my case, it would probably require a "gadget" of some kind.

Or should I just give it away to someone who has the skill to free hand?

Thanks,

Ben

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Razor Edge sells angle guides to be used with benchstones, there are also clamp and jig systems like the Skarb which are designed to be used with benchstones.

-Cliff

 

[thombrogan]

Don't have the extra-coarse hone; only the extra-extra, the coarse, and a few fines.

Mr. Dover,

This stone isn't for sharpening. It's for removing the steel that stands between you and the edge you want. The angle you make with the 120 grit diamond only needs to be thinner than 30 or 40 forty degrees and the Sharpmaker will let you finish off the edge with your choice of scary, spooky, or stupid sharp.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I would contend the not for sharpening part. Take that x-x-coarse edge to some aggressive slicing. I have done this with finishes as low as 80 grit belts, it works very well, especially if the edge angle is really low. If you do it with something like D2 it gets pretty extreme. The low angle magnifies the coarse nature of the grit as does the fact that the D2 keeps fracturing and it saws very well for a long time. Of course this wears out your knife pretty fast. Using similar methods my brother turned a Basic #7 into a Basic #5 in about a year or so.

-Cliff

 

[thombrogan]

In the context of replying to the fellow with the curious screen name, using the D8XX freehand and finishing with his Sharpmaker would work great. Should he reprofile freehand and skip the Sharpmaker, I imagine that'll be a treat as well. Just so long as the edge is as thin as the steel can stand, it's all good in my book.

 

[sodak]

Good stuff, Thom, thanks! I was seriously considering the 8XX, but might try *really* bearing into my green brick (Norton waterstone) first. I haven't tried the pressures that Cliff is talking about, have been using my Edgepro for reprofiling duties thus far. Very slow, and hard on the stones.

I have an RD7 that needs to have some serious metal removed, this will be a good test. Having done other large blades, I know how long this can take....

 

[Mtn Hawk]

I haven't done any precise comparisons between the D8XX and the Razor Edge Coarse Hone but so far have found that the Razor Edge removes metal faster, with little or no dishing.