DMT: Diasharp or Duosharp

[SC_Dave]

Folks with DMT experience,

Help me shorten my learning curve, which of the two would you prefer? I am looking at the 10 x 4 size, red and green. Thanks in advance for you input.
David

 

[Nickelsig229]

I prefer the continuous Diasharp over duosharp. I do use one of the folding 3 inch duosharp as a field emergency peice. I sold off my duo sharps when I got into water stones and purchased a 80 and 220 grit diasharp to speed up serious reworks and double as a stone flatner. I feel they are more like my stones in comparison to the duo sharp line.

I'll admit that the duo sharp are no lesser of a product, its just a preference for me.

 

[Jeff Clark]

The rationale for the semi-perforated Duosharp surface is that tools honed flat on the surface benefit from places for metal debris and diamond fragments to get out of the way. This might apply to a wood chisel, a plane blade or a Scandinavian full flat ground knife. It starts being less of a good idea when you hone a knife with a curved cutting surface, a point or if you really want a fine microbevel. I almost never use my coarse Duosharp. I got it to hog off material when restoring badly damaged knife edges. I use Diasharp hones extensively. The smooth uniform surface is all around better for knives. They really can be used to produce a finished edge on any knife.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

If you can afford the continuous-surface hones (DiaSharp), get 'em. The Duo-Sharp (polka-dot, interrupted surface) are excellent too, but continuous-surface hones have that much more diamond on 'em, more bang for your sharpening buck. More diamond means they work much faster. And the continuous hones won't be a problem for sharpening tips of blades, either. Have to be careful with that, on the interrupted hones; sometimes the tip can get tripped up/snagged in the 'dots'.

 

[SC_Dave]

Thanks guys this is just the kind of information I wanted!
David

 

[SC_Dave]

If you can afford the continuous-surface hones (DiaSharp), get 'em. The Duo-Sharp (polka-dot, interrupted surface) are excellent too, but continuous-surface hones have that much more diamond on 'em, more bang for your sharpening buck. More diamond means they work much faster. And the continuous hones won't be a problem for sharpening tips of blades, either. Have to be careful with that, on the interrupted hones; sometimes the tip can get tripped up/snagged in the 'dots'.

David, in considering the Diasharp in the 10 x 4 red (600) and green (1200). Can you recommend a hone(s) to complement these two?
Thanks, David

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

David, in considering the Diasharp in the 10 x 4 red (600) and green (1200). Can you recommend a hone(s) to complement these two?
Thanks, David

I think the 'Coarse' (blue, 325 'mesh' / 45 micron) is very versatile for most jobs, especially on a larger hone. So a blue/red/green sequence would serve very well, I think.

 

[SC_Dave]

I think the 'Coarse' (blue, 325 'mesh' / 45 micron) is very versatile for most jobs, especially on a larger hone. So a blue/red/green sequence would serve very well, I think.

My mistake, sorry. Guess what I really meant to ask was, what should I use to polish the edge between the green Diasharp and my strop with green compound?

Also is 10 x 4 too big? Should I go with the 8 x 3? Sorry to ask so many questions but I am trying to learn from others here and buy once.
David

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

My mistake, sorry. Guess what I really meant to ask was, what should I use to polish the edge between the green Diasharp and my strop with green compound?

Also is 10 x 4 too big? Should I go with the 8 x 3? Sorry to ask so many questions but I am trying to learn from others here and buy once.
David

Ah. Understood (I think). For clarification, I assume you're talking about the continuous hones (those are the Diasharp)? When I hear references to blue/red/green/etc., I usually assume the interrupted hones (DuoSharp). Assuming continuous hones, I believe the EEF (3 micron) is available in the 8" x 3" size. If you're talking about the DuoSharp (interrupted) hones, EEF probably isn't available, EXCEPT for the small, pocket DiaFolds (I have a green/tan, EF/EEF DiaFold). If you don't use EEF, then stropping with DMT Paste is probably the next best option. From the EF (9 micron) hone, the logical steps would be 6/3/1 micron diamond paste on strops (or wood, like balsa).

You could also use ceramics for polishing, after the EF diamond hone. Spyderco's med/fine/uf hones might fill that gap, although that's a significant expense in bench-sized hones.

And by the way, I will never think anything is TOO big for hones, unless cost/portability is an issue. If you like the 10" hones, no reason to avoid them.

 

[SC_Dave]

Thanks very much, sorry for any confusion with my layman's terms.
David

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

If you are looking to really polish the edge, I'd still recommend the DMT pastes, in sequence (at least 3/1, if not 6/3/1 micron). Polishing places a lot more emphasis on narrowing the gaps in grit sequence. Otherwise, you won't likely be able to remove all the scratches from coarser grits. Whichever way you go with the hone choices, the pastes are still a good investment (and which will last a long time; a little goes a long way).

 

[SC_Dave]

The rationale for the semi-perforated Duosharp surface is that tools honed flat on the surface benefit from places for metal debris and diamond fragments to get out of the way. This might apply to a wood chisel, a plane blade or a Scandinavian full flat ground knife. It starts being less of a good idea when you hone a knife with a curved cutting surface, a point or if you really want a fine microbevel. I almost never use my coarse Duosharp. I got it to hog off material when restoring badly damaged knife edges. I use Diasharp hones extensively. The smooth uniform surface is all around better for knives. They really can be used to produce a finished edge on any knife.

Thanks Jeff, since the 8" Dia comes in an EEF I may go with that. I would rather have the 10" but they don't offer a EEF. What you say about the holes in the Duo makes sense. Thanks for the information, I appreciate it.
David