DMT Double Sided Benchstone...what else?

[Heisenberg]

Hey guys,

I just bought a Kershaw Junkyard Dog 2.2 Composite and with it, I also purchased a
DMT Double Sided Dia-Sharp 6x2" Bench Stone. The two sides are Fine(600 mesh) and Extra Fine(1200 mesh).

This is my first diamond stone as i just recently got into freehand sharpening.
I have been practicing on my dad's old Case Washita oil stone and i do not know the grit of it. It is fairly fine though.
I have the movement down fairly well after watching youtube videos and I can get my CRKT M-16 (8Cr15MoV) to just about razor sharp.
It will cut computer paper leaving a smooth edge. This is sharper than the factory edge.

Is the DMT I purchased sufficient enough for me to keep learning on and will I get a fairly sharp edge on the stone with this grit (1200)?
Do you guys recommend I buy anything else as a beginner?

thanks!

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

That F/EF DMT will get you off to a good start. For general maintenance, Fine/EF can accomplish a lot. If at some point, you need to re-bevel or do some heavy grinding on a large or thick blade, a Coarse/XC would be a good choice for that. For just starting out though, it's best to avoid the heavy grinding until you know you have your technique down. Too easy to remove way too much steel from a blade, with a coarse diamond hone and marginal (or worse) technique.

The Fine side of your hone will be OK for re-bevelling simpler steels (carbon and basic stainless), as well as some tougher steels in relatively small blades. And both the Fine and EF sides can produce hair-popping edges, by themselves. Just make sure, every time, to form the burr. That's the guarantee that the edge is fully apexed. That is what makes hair-popping/whittling edges possible, at the minimum.

A strop is always a good idea too. Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. Just veg-tanned leather on a flat, smooth piece of wood, and some compound. Diamond pastes and green compound are very versatile.

 

[Heisenberg]

Thanks for the reply, O.W.E.. I will most likely not be re-profiling any edges as much as I will be maintaining the sharpness of a few pocket and fixed blade knives.

My main goal is to get my knives incredibly sharp and hopefully sharper than most, if not all, factory edges.

What stone do you guys suggest i purchase next to take the edge i get from the 1200 grit DMT to the next level of sharpness?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Thanks for the reply, O.W.E.. I will most likely not be re-profiling any edges as much as I will be maintaining the sharpness of a few pocket and fixed blade knives.

My main goal is to get my knives incredibly sharp and hopefully sharper than most, if not all, factory edges.

What stone do you guys suggest i purchase next to take the edge i get from the 1200 grit DMT to the next level of sharpness?

DMT does make an EEF (8000/3 micron) in the 8" Dia-Sharp line, and also in a Dia-Fold model, but it's not available in the 6" version like your hone. There's also the diamond pastes in 6/3/1 micron. Depending on how they're used, such as on various substrates like wood (balsa or hardwood) or leather, a lot can be done with those at the stropping stage.

Having said that, so much depends on the very first stage of sharpening. The apex of the edge at the beginning is what lays the groundwork for anything that might follow. If that's done poorly, even the most comprehensive set of stones, compounds and strops after the fact will only be able to do so much.

 

[Heisenberg]

Thanks again, O.W.E.. I looked into the DMT 8" EEF but its a little pricey for me at this point. Im just starting out so there is always room to expand in the future. I was just curious as to what I should be looking into to purchasing to further my sharpening set. Thanks for clearing things for me about the DMT paste as well. I was unsure as to what you would apply the paste to.

Also, How do I know when I have reached the apex and created a burr? Magnifying glass? Touching test?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Thanks again, O.W.E.. I looked into the DMT 8" EEF but its a little pricey for me at this point. Im just starting out so there is always room to expand in the future. I was just curious as to what I should be looking into to purchasing to further my sharpening set. Thanks for clearing things for me about the DMT paste as well. I was unsure as to what you would apply the paste to.

Also, How do I know when I have reached the apex and created a burr? Magnifying glass? Touching test?

It's never a bad idea to use both. You'll be looking and/or feeling for a thin sliver of steel that'll fold away from the side being honed. That's the burr, and it forms when the two bevels meet in a clean intersection. The steel at the very edge is thin enough at that point, that it will fold over. It can usually be felt with a thumbnail, or the tip of a needle or toothpick can butt up against it, when slid very slowly down the side of the blade, toward the edge. Experienced sharpeners can often see it, as a thin strand of light reflected from the edge, when held at a certain angle to the light. But, if one hasn't done this before, it might be difficult to see or recognize it for what it is. Always better to feel for it, and the magnifier (with bright lighting) can definitely help too.