Fallkniven diamond/ceramic whetstone DC521... or alternative

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pantagana23

Joined
Nov 10, 2012
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29
Hello,

I have bought a number of pocket knives (SAKs, Spydercos mostly), and I usually use them until they get a bit dull and then put them in a drawer and buy another one :D

As stated above, I have no experience in sharpening (max was sharpening on the edge of a ceramic kitchen plate, but you just can't get it right).

Now I'm looking to buy a simple sharpener for a number of my pocket knives, and DC521 seems like a good universal solution.

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I don't have the will to put over 20-25 mins per knife for sharpening.

My question is, is this enough for sharpening of folders (maybe kitchen knives also?).

If you could suggest an equivalent, great. I would be looking to find something up to 100 dollars, and a large stone/ equivalent like this

Thanks in advance!
 
I've used this sharpener daily for the past five years. I have three of them.

RULE #1 - Don't let your knives go to the point of dull. All of your daily users should be touched up every day or so.

This is a great sharpener for smaller knives with blades under 5 inches. You need larger stones (IMO) for larger knives. Also, if your blades are really dull you need reprofiling or a new edge and you need a set up with larger stones or wash board sand paper or belt sander.

RULE #2 Sharpening is not a chore to rush through. It's an acquired art that gives great pleasure when done with patience.
 
If I'm looking at the right specs for the DC521, it's an 8" x 2" bench-sized stone (size specs below, from Fallkniven's own description). Should make it a cinch for pocketknives and anything else, up to and including kitchen & large hunting knives. The hone should handle most anything you throw at it; the only thing left is practice, practice, practice... ;)

Dimensions: 12 x 55 x 210 mm
Dimensions: 0.47 x 2.17 x 8.27 Inchions: 0.47 x 2.17 x 8.27 Inch
Click to expand...

For pocketknife-sized blades, I've often used my Fallkniven DC4 (4") for such blades, and it handles those easily. As simple as the steels are in most traditional pocketknives, the diamond side will work very quickly, even for resetting bevels & such. SAKs, in particular, will re-bevel very, very quickly (soft steel + very thin edge grinds = very fast honing). Simple touch-ups of SAK blades on such a hone can often be done in less than 5 passes per side, even down to 1 or 2 passes, when technique is good. I have a couple of Victorinox paring knives, and my DC4 is what I've often used to touch up their edges, after using them at dinner. Only takes a minute or two, at most.


David
 
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Hey David...I missed that he's talking about the larger stone. It's the DC4 that I've used for several years.

Mike
 
EyeDog said:
Hey David...I missed that he's talking about the larger stone. It's the DC4 that I've used for several years.

Mike
Click to expand...

When I see or hear 'Fallkniven', my first instinct always assumes the smaller stones too. I hadn't even heard of the referenced model in the OP, and I'd wondered if maybe they'd re-named the smaller ones; that's what had me looking it up, just to be sure. :)


David
 
I have the same stone, but am ashamed to say I haven't used it much, just been too busy. The DC4's that I purchased have all been dished too much for my liking on the ceramic side. I'll pull my full sized out and start using it, it's a very good concept.
 
So all in all, you pretty much agree that this is a good choice? Oh, and one more question, how do I maintain the stone? I've read on other threads that only washing in water and scrubbing with sponge is enough?
 
The diamond side is pretty coarse, you might not use it much. It depends on what level of finish you prefer. It is certainly capable of handling all the knives that you mentioned. Water and a light scrubbing is all I've ever done, either with a brush or those green nylon kitchen scrubbing pads, the name is not coming to me.

Some equivalents would be the DMT stones (extra fine and extra extra fine), good quality waterstones such as Norton, and Spyderco makes some nice ceramic benchstones as well.

If you are new to sharpening, be aware that ceramics can burr with pressure, and you might find that frustrating. Diamonds (for me) give the cleanest results for sharpening, others prefer waterstones. Sorry to be vague, but your individual style will play a large role in this. It will take some experimentation.
 
pantagana23 said:
So all in all, you pretty much agree that this is a good choice? Oh, and one more question, how do I maintain the stone? I've read on other threads that only washing in water and scrubbing with sponge is enough?
Click to expand...

You could definitely do much worse in choosing a hone for universal use. After replying in this thread yesterday, I picked up my DC4 and used it to touch up a VG-10 blade (from A.G. Russell), and it worked great on that. In regards to perceived 'coarseness' of the diamond side, my DC4 has mellowed a little bit with use since brand new; this will be true of most any diamond hone, and most bench stones anyway. In as-new condition, the diamond seems maybe a tad coarser than DMT's 'Fine' diamond (600-mesh/25µ). They're almost always coarser-feeling when new, and a little 'break-in' will always do them some good. With some use on my DC4, it has become essentially identical in finish/feel as the Fine DMT (in fact, I tested this on my VG-10 blade yesterday, giving a few swipes on the bevels with each of them; I couldn't see any obvious difference in finish or feel). Better brands like DMT & Fallkniven will become much more consistent in finish with some use, and still retain their fast working speed.

As for cleaning it, I just use some dish soap & water after each sharpening session, scrubbed with a toothbrush & rinsed in hot water. Takes maybe 5 minutes of this to keep both sides in near-new shape. The ceramic side will be much easier to keep clean, if it's done regularly. If it gets heavily loaded with swarf, something a little more aggressive will be needed, like scrubbing with Comet/Ajax & water, or with Bar Keeper's Friend powder, mixed to a paste with water and scrubbed with a stiff brush or a Scotch-Brite pad. For a really dirty ceramic hone, that treatment has worked better than anything else I've tried. For light touch-ups using the diamond, it can be tidied up using a microfiber towel and some Windex, in lieu of the dish soap & water bath. Even a dry microfiber towel does a great job lifting swarf off a diamond hone.

I also agree on Sodak's point, in that I've really begun to like diamond hones for their clean cutting & finish, needing minimal or no stropping, if technique with the hone is well-refined. With a diamond hone, most of it comes down to maintaining very light pressure, no matter the grit used or the steel being sharpened. That's another thing l'm liking about diamond hones, as the same light touch will work equally well across the full grit range, from XC through EEF. If you figure out the touch with one diamond grit, results will get much better with all of them, across the board, using the same touch.

(And, after reminding myself yesterday as to how good the DC4 can be, it's riding in my pocket today. :) )


David
 
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That DC521 looks very nice, should work well for you.
 
One thing I would recommend for cleaning the stone is Barkeeper's Friend. I just used it last night on my ceramic stones and it took the metal right out. You don't even really need gloves for it, because oxalic acid is about as corrosive as citric acid when not concentrated. Just use it like you would any powdered cleaner, but do note that it can leave a bit of a residue.

BKF can also be used for most all diamond stones, because the diamonds are normally set in nickel, which is rather resistant to acid, and diamonds are very resistant.
 
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