DMT Dia Stones Warranty?

[HeavyHanded]

I hate to use the phrase 'luck of the draw', but it might apply.

I have a fine tapered DMT rod that I've owned for years, have sharpened many a dull serration and have carved a few from scratch. It is still like new. I have an XXC coarse that is cooked after a relatively short period of time and overall light use. The XC stone has been used as much or more and is still like new. My ef has only been used for light duty finishing is dropping off, my EEF is working great with several times the working hours the ef ever saw.

I have older Smith's diamond plates that still work fine, maybe some blow out along the outside long corners.

It is enough that I have relegated my DMTs and other plated diamonds to dedicated high Vanadium carbide or HSS steel and do not use them otherwise. If they all lasted as well as the best examples I have, I'd seldom use anything else.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

I have an old EEF gift from Luong, and it still performs at polishing the final apex. It doesn't remove steel as aggressive as new one I bought later on, but act as more a refined version.

The sets of credit cards (C, F, EF) still works reprofiling many of my pocket knives. After 5 years or so using them. EKrertz really explains it well.

 

[bgentry]

Haven't done anything crazy with any of them, have had to use QUITE a bit though. Clean them regularly. Have used for heavy reprofiling plenty. Will probably see if the extra coarse lasts longer. [...]
Going to get something else for heavy duty sharpening.

For doing tasks we normally think of as "reprofiling" or "heavy sharpening", the DMT C isn't coarse enough IMHO. It will take too long to do the job and will encourage you to use more pressure because the job is going slowly. The DMT XXC (double extra coarse) cuts very quickly and seems to tolerate extra pressure without any issues.

I haven't reprofiled "tons of blades" with my DMT plates. Just a handful. But the XXC doesn't seem to have changed much in the years I've had it. When I first got the DMT plates, I think I damaged the DMT C by using too much pressure. That same pressure on the XXC didn't seem to do anything to it. Now I know to use less pressure. It's just human nature to want to use more pressure when the grinding isn't happening super fast.

I've read here that the XXC lasts really well. I've read that the Atoma 140 out lasts the XXC by a large margin. Then I read the opposite: That the XXC outlasts the Atoma 140. Ken Schwartz and Jason B seem to disagree on which one lasts longer. But these guys are using the plates to flatten water stones; not to sharpen blades.

If you really want a very coarse stone that won't wear out with pressure, you could do a LOT worse than the Norton Crystolon Coarse. According to the charts it's ~100 grit and should cut similarly to the DMT XXC, but the scratches won't be as deep. Considering the price, the Norton is quite a bargain. I have a Norton Crystolon in Medium and it cuts pretty quickly. Not as fast as the DMT XXC, but pretty quick. I do not have the Coarse Crystolon.

Brian.

 

[cbwx34]

... I have an XXC coarse that is cooked after a relatively short period of time and overall light use.

Interesting. My 1st XXC has lasted years with tons of use... I even used it once to take the grit off a paper wheel (worked, but it did damage the stone a bit). It has 'gone smooth' along the edges for some reason, so I don't use it on knives as much, but I still use it for lapping stones. I got a 2nd one for reprofiles... it's done quite a few and still cuts like new... and I feel no need to baby it. If yours failed like you say, I'd contact DMT... my experience says that doesn't seem right.

A bit worn... but still tickin'! You can see the side of the stone (at the top of the picture) is worn away, and the scuffs in the center are from the paper wheel... still diamonds there though, surprisingly.

 

[kn4wd]

I started using the ultra sharp diamond plates and don't see any advantage over the dmt. their warranty is no questions asked send it back for refund or replacement. I have had one failure on the cheap 400 600 the 600 plate came unglued the others aren't glued they are solid. you can get the 300 600 1200 progression for the price of one dmt.