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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
DMT Whetstone
- Thread starter Will'em
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2001
- Messages
- 32,359
Go with a fine stone in a wood holder as large as you can afford, 8" no smaller than 6", the longer the stone, the easier it is to maintain your blade to stone angle, through out your stroke.
An xtra fine will drive you crazy by not removing enough metal to see what you've already sharpened, great to polish a blade, but the results take forever.
An xtra fine will drive you crazy by not removing enough metal to see what you've already sharpened, great to polish a blade, but the results take forever.
MelancholyMutt
Doggy Style
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2002
- Messages
- 3,906
DMT... you must buy the black, blue, red and green ones... then, proceed to Spyderco Ceramic in fine and ultrafine... they will last you forever and you can sharpen anything with a set like that...
- Joined
- Nov 25, 1999
- Messages
- 1,499
In fact only one whetstone (no matter DMT or any other brand) is rather very, very minimal solution and probably wouldnt fit all your sharpening needs. However if you can afford only one piece right now go with 6-inched DMT fine (red) whetstone. I would prefer plastic based one because it is cheaper with no compromise for performance. Additionally it is more stable when working. I have one wooden based 6-incher and two plastic based ones. In fact wooden based piece slightly (for about 2-3 mm) moves within wooden case what irritates me. This causes me to take the piece out of the wooden base and to put onto one of the plastic ones, this avoids any unwanted movement and allows to sharpen without obstructions.
If you would later consider one stone too few for your needs you could successfully extend your set for necessary grits, coarse (blue) one I could advise as first extension.
IMO 6-inchers would be enough if you do not have particularly long blades to sharpen, say longer than 6 inches. Of course 8-inche long surface would add you good deal of comfort and accuracy when working but they are significantly more expensive. In fact I do not use the whole length of 8-inched DMT sharpening surface when working on 4-inche long blades.
Well, another quite sensible solution would cost you somewhat more money at the first buy but greatly probably it would be more cost efficient in long run. If you can afford somewhat more go with 8-inched double-sided sharpening surface Duo-Sharp in coarse (blue) and fine (red) grits. Get also optional plastic base what significantly rises working comfort and as result accuracy. This sharpener supported with the set of SPYDERCO ceramic ProFiles (medium and fine) greatly probably could match all your sharpening needs with no exceptions.
Of course no one set could replace you free-hand sharpening skills
If you would later consider one stone too few for your needs you could successfully extend your set for necessary grits, coarse (blue) one I could advise as first extension.
IMO 6-inchers would be enough if you do not have particularly long blades to sharpen, say longer than 6 inches. Of course 8-inche long surface would add you good deal of comfort and accuracy when working but they are significantly more expensive. In fact I do not use the whole length of 8-inched DMT sharpening surface when working on 4-inche long blades.
Well, another quite sensible solution would cost you somewhat more money at the first buy but greatly probably it would be more cost efficient in long run. If you can afford somewhat more go with 8-inched double-sided sharpening surface Duo-Sharp in coarse (blue) and fine (red) grits. Get also optional plastic base what significantly rises working comfort and as result accuracy. This sharpener supported with the set of SPYDERCO ceramic ProFiles (medium and fine) greatly probably could match all your sharpening needs with no exceptions.
Of course no one set could replace you free-hand sharpening skills
anyway i have a lansky jig for doing the corse stuff, it just takes off too much metal for everyday use,
ill check out the plastic base ones if there better...