I got my 2 DMT stones today, i got a 6x2 Fine and a 6x2 course. My first victim was my CS kobun, 420 steel. It was easy to reprofile, i put a realy small angle edge on it using the coarse stone(this thing eats metal like a monster) then polished it up best i could with the fine stone, now im thinking i should get a ultra fine stone. While the fine stone does put a fairly clean edge on it. It is not as hair poping as i was after, too many micro serations, im sure a ultra fine would fix this problem. Now, with my first knife done i started feeling confident and decided to put a new angle on my EDC, a CRKT M18. The differnce in steel's is most noticable as the AUS8 on my CRKT was much harder to remove. But still went faily smoothly. the blade shape on the M18 is a REAL pain to sharpen free hand but i still managed to put a hair poping edge on it(this steel seems to take a better edge than the kobun's 420, either that or i just sucked on the kobun) All in all i am happy with my freehand results, with diamond stones i can sharpen MUCH faster than my 204. I also touched up my Ka-bar and a custom 4" fixed blade. Touching up is also much faster than my 204, just 10 strokes per side on the fine stone and my knives were sharp again, i dont know how all you guys conned me into the getting a 204, but i will still use the 204 on serrations so i guess its not a waste. But for any fixed blade DMT is the way to go.
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First Freehand sharpening Experiance..........
- Thread starter oshihari
- Start date
I love DMT stones. But brand new ones are a lot more aggressive (courser) than they will be after using them a while. They go into this a lot on the DMT site. To speed this "breaking in" period I always use water stones to break in the new DMT's. This way the entire surface of a new DMT stone is broken in evenly. If you leave the breaking in of the surface to be done just by using the stone the only sections of the stone that get wear will be where the knife edge touches the surface. This will leave different sections of the surface with different aggressiveness. Once your fine stone is broken in it will put a much smoother edge on the knife. The extra-fine stone is a nice stone too. They have an extra-extra-fine grit also that I have gotten in the small 4" stones and I consider it a terrible grit.
For any much smoother edge apex I suggest Spyderco's bench stones. I have the course, fine and ultra-fine stones and love them. I use the ultra-fine for my straight razors also. It's that fine. A wonderful stone.
So get the course and fine DMT's broken in and you'll have a wonderful set that I'm sure you'll love. If you are considering another grit I'd suggest the extra-course stone next. I need the courser grit for super dull knives or re-profiling more often than I need the extra-fine grit. But that's just me.
When an edge is looses the arm-hair shaving ability it's time for the DMT fine grit that will bring it back FAST. If it's a bit duller the course stone first will prepare it for the fine grit. But, try using just the course stone then use the knife. It's a toothier edge and is a bit more aggressive for rope and such. But mostly I prefer the edge from the fine grit DMT.
Jack
For any much smoother edge apex I suggest Spyderco's bench stones. I have the course, fine and ultra-fine stones and love them. I use the ultra-fine for my straight razors also. It's that fine. A wonderful stone.
So get the course and fine DMT's broken in and you'll have a wonderful set that I'm sure you'll love. If you are considering another grit I'd suggest the extra-course stone next. I need the courser grit for super dull knives or re-profiling more often than I need the extra-fine grit. But that's just me.
When an edge is looses the arm-hair shaving ability it's time for the DMT fine grit that will bring it back FAST. If it's a bit duller the course stone first will prepare it for the fine grit. But, try using just the course stone then use the knife. It's a toothier edge and is a bit more aggressive for rope and such. But mostly I prefer the edge from the fine grit DMT.
Jack
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2005
- Messages
- 19,385
I would add a DMT extra fine when you get comfortable using them. I finish off my freehand sharpening with the extra fine DMT unless I'm in a hurry.
I use the DMT stones just like I would like I do a very course DMT or other lapping stone. I just pretend I'm flattening the water stone even if it's a DMT fine grit new stone. One or two minutes under running water and I consider the DMT stone broken in enough to use it. One time DMT suggested I rub two DMT stones together to break one in. Maybe I rubbed too much but within a matter of seconds I ruined the finer grit stone. I contacted DMT and they replaced it but I would NOT RECOMMEND using one DMT to break in another. If you don't have any water stones you may want to get a cheap one top break in the DMT's. And of course you can use the water stones. I have Shapton glass stones that I flatten with my extra-course DMT but they are expensive. There's a nice set of two water stones (or you can just get one) on the Carter Cutlery site that I'd get if I wanted more inexpensive stones that are also great performers. Just a suggestion though.
Hope this helps.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2009
- Messages
- 11,813
When did we all con you into getting a 204?
palonej
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2015
- Messages
- 14,580
When did we all con you into getting a 204?
That post is his first, I was wondering the same thing.
