Experience with diamond Sharpmaker rods?

Planterz

Planterz

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I went and got the diamond rods for the Spyderco Sharpmaker 204 (from newgraham), but I'm wondering how well they actually work. Obviously, the extremely course grit is intended for reprofiling (which is what I'm trying to do). The problem though seems to be that they are too course. All it seems like I'm doing is scratching the hell out of the edge, instead of removing material and wearing it down. I'm almost convinced that using the medium rods would be faster.

Does anyone else have any experience with the diamond rods? Any tips?

Or is it just that the D2 steel I'm trying to work with is ridiculously resiliant and I need more time and elbow grease (it doesn't seem much easier on 440C).
 
I do not have a Sharpmaker, but have some experience with diamond.

Diamond hones need breaking in. And gently.
You do not want to rip out all the expensive diamonds from their sockets.

Break them in on a piece of scrap metal and yes the hone seems very course but that will change.

I have found the trick is to NEVER PUSH DOWN. Let the diamonds do the work.

Some people get years of use out of diamond hones....others wear them out in the first week.

You will know when they are broken in as they will become much smoother.
 
New diamond hones are coarser and rougher when you first use them. There will be sort of high-diamonds and low diamonds. The high diamonds will sort of gouge the blades until the hone is a little worn in. You might want to do the trick of honing one side until you start to feel a burr on the other side. Then work the other side for about the same number of strokes. You will have a rough edge that needs a lot of finishing with the medium and fine grit ceramic hones.
 
Does anyone know the actual grit of the Spyderco diamond rods? How would they compare to DMT grits?
 
They are too expensive IMHO. Before they came out and I wanted to reprofile a knife I went out and out an extra corse DMT diamond stone. I just hold that up against my Sharpmaker to keep the angel right and it works perfectly. Only problem is that it leaves fingers open to the cutting edge that will be getting very sharp, or possibly already is.

I still do think of buying the rods at times though. But then I think about how many times I would actually use them, and what else I could do with the money.
 
I've used mine to start a knife from really dull. I have also reprofiled my Buck Mini Strider to a thinner edge to cut better for my uses. They work good. It just takes time. A proper belt grinder would be faster, But there's not one in every garage.
 
guy g said:
I've used mine to start a knife from really dull. I have also reprofiled my Buck Mini Strider to a thinner edge to cut better for my uses. They work good. It just takes time. A proper belt grinder would be faster, But there's not one in every garage.
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A belt grinder might be faster, but it will also be a faster way to destroy a good knife if you don't know what you are doing. You would be suprised how fast a knife gets hot when working it on a belt grinder, hot enough to destroy the heat treat pretty quick. Also there is nothing to hold a consistent angel, that just takes lots and lots of practice.
 
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