hey sharpmaker owners

[manowar669]

Are the diamond hones coarser, or do they remove metal faster than the medium grit rods? Are they worth the cost? I've been sharpening freehand for years with a medium grit Arkansas stone, and then stropping. I usually have no trouble getting a shaving edge. I have been reading on this forum how much many of you love the sharpmaker and I've been thinking about getting one. The reason I ask about the diamond rods is that I like a thin edge angle, and I would probably have to reprofile some knives that still have their factory edge before going to the finer grade rods.

 

[ZENGHOST]

I like mine, but I'm not exactly a sharpening expert so you might want to wait for someone more knowledgeable to chime in. They're not really worth the $70 that some places ask for them, but I got them for ~$56 at New Graham (highly recommended) and they were worth it to me. But, if you're already good with a benchstone, you might consider just using any type of diamond stone for the reprofiling and then going to the Sharpmaker for the finer stuff. That'll probably come out cheaper.

 

[knifenerd]

I don't have the diamond rods yet, but they are on the "shopping list". They are not coarser, but they are DIAMONDS, so they cut very quickly.

I've heard that the trick is to let the diamonds do the cutting, i.e.: do not push too hard.

The main benefit is that you can profile your blades so that touch-ups on the regular ceramic rods are a snap.