Mono vs. Poly: A Foodie's Perspective

KarlMaldensNose

KarlMaldensNose

Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
1,342
I pulled this off the Foodie Forums. I am interested in opinions of all flavours regarding the content of that post.... agree, disagree, why, etc. In case anybody is confused, the schpiel after the quote is not mine, it's Pam's.

----------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by DocNightfall
Cheaper plates tend to be made with polycrystalline diamonds. They break up more easily compared to monocrystalline dimaonds, so the service life of the plate is shorter.
---------------------------------------------

Been buying into DMT's ad hype eh? The toughest diamonds in the world are natural polycrystaline carbonado diamonds (unless they've come up with some carbon bucky-ball / nano-tube thing in the lab). Some of the early synthetic poly diamonds crushed easily but they can manufacture them to any desired characteristic now. and Ez-Lap plates (poly) work just as well as DMT (mesh for mesh, EZ plates are not as aggressive when new, but produce a more even surface finish from my experience)

Mono diamonds are weak along cleavage planes so the crystals essentially split in into random sized pieces. They are cheap and good for fast stock removal. Poly diamonds don't have cleavage planes, they are just designed so that micro-diamonds break off the corners to expose a fresh cutting surface while the diamonds themselves retain a consistant size. They are more expensive but are better for precision grinding.

The major difference between plates is actually the bond to the plate. With the cheap plates the diamonds are just stuck to the surface while the good plates actually have them embedded in the surface... i.e. DMT plates last because the diamonds are embedded in a thick layer of nickel. They don't scrape right off like they will with some cheap plates that appear to have the diamonds glued on like sandpaper.

I have only used DMT, EZ and know they are good.... Spend the money and get a good plate that won't get stripped the first time you use it.
_____________________
Pam
 
Interesting stuff. I know EZ-Lap has a pretty good commercial business with machine shops for example, so the thing about the bonding being more important than the diamond type would seem to make sense.

And then of course there's the authority of someone named DocNightfall posting it on the internet. :)
 
Something I noticed on a second read that struck me as kinda odd was the comment about the EZ lap diamonds leaving a better finish. I have a 1200 grit EZ and IMO the DMT is way better, better finish, better feel, and a sharper edge.
 
I've been carrying a Eze-lap model L hone in my wallet for almost 10 years now. I'd cut off most of the red plastic handle so it would fit in the zipper part of my wallet and be available to me anytime I had pants on. It's also my only knife sharpening tool that gets used on my pocket knives. I will take it out and free hand touch up my knife when it starts getting dull.

It still sharpens in a minute or two, and I can't see how its degraded any. It's shapened a ton of knives, used dry, and I will probably use it for years to come.

If DMT's hype is to be believed, it should have stopped working years ago.
 
jackknife said:
I've been carrying a Eze-lap model L hone in my wallet for almost 10 years now. I'd cut off most of the red plastic handle so it would fit in the zipper part of my wallet and be available to me anytime I had pants on. It's also my only knife sharpening tool that gets used on my pocket knives. I will take it out and free hand touch up my knife when it starts getting dull.

It still sharpens in a minute or two, and I can't see how its degraded any. It's shapened a ton of knives, used dry, and I will probably use it for years to come.

If DMT's hype is to be believed, it should have stopped working years ago.
Click to expand...

I've found the came thing w/ my EZ-Lap . I also have a DMT and it seems to work well too . DM
 
I'm a fan of both DocNightfall and yuzuha's writings here and on other forums. Learned tons of good from both of them.
 
thombrogan said:
I'm a fan of both DocNightfall and yuzuha's writings here and on other forums. Learned tons of good from both of them.
Click to expand...
Yo, Thom! :D

That's something I really like about the web, ideas pretty much have to stand on their own merit. Supposed authorities are subjected to the crucible of intense, bandwidth-driven scrutiny, while knowledgeable, anonymous posters can rise to fame and critical acclaim. Heck, even a lowly Dog of War could be right about something; rare, I know, but it's been known to happen.

Happy New Year, amigo!
 
I was Not Impressed with the longevity of their DMT XXXFine '8000' grit plate. Nor with the grit size claimed to be '8000'. When it worked I'd have said 5000 or so, and then it quit VERY much sooner than I'd expected for its impressive appearance. That said, I abused heck out of it with a D2 outcast at the last stage of reprofiling convex, so I can't be TOO shocked. It just left me feelin a little sour.

I like the speed of diamond plates, but it ain't cheap when you look at hone life.
 
The DMT plate is rated in mesh and not grit, though it may not look like a 8000 finish if you understand how diamonds work you will understand why you didn't get the finish you expected. How fast did your DMT wear out? I've had mine for over a year and have sharpened hundreds of knives and its just breaking in.
 
DMT 8000 is 400 JIS, so a 5000 finish is pretty good. Just don't ever buy Norton waterstones, they're pretty pricey for being measured in mesh.
 
I am a machinist and use all sorts of diamond abrasives for sharpening steel-cutting tools. (both tungsten carbide and high speed steels) I have both Eze-Lap and DMT laps and hones at work, and they are both about equivalent, IMO. I will say I heartily disagree with Pam's comment that the Eze-Lap hones don't have an aggressive cut when new. I have more than 10 diamond laps and hones, and they ALL cut fast and left a worse finish when new until they break in; basically I can not tell the difference between the two brands without looking for the logo. I also have the XXC, XC, and EEF Dia-sharps at home for knife sharpening, and they are exactly the same as the ones at work in terms of starting extremely aggressive and then breaking in to a much smoother/finer cut. (the jump from XC to EEF isn't all I have, as I fill in with 2000, 5000, and 15,000 shaptons as well).
 
I use diamond laps to hand refinish blades. The DMT laps seem to last longer, and cut more consistently than the EZ Laps.
 
LOL I posted on FF and got quoted on BF.

yuzuha's right on the money here. I don't mind being schooled, cause that's how I learn.
 
Doc, why don't we hear more from you here? You seem to have some knowledge that could be useful.
 
DocNightfall -- my sincere apologies, I didn't know you had 'board cred' :) here on BFC. And of course my comment about anonymous posters on the web was intended all in good humor.

And yeah, like kk says, you should post more. I didn't even know you were a member here!
 
Dog of War said:
DocNightfall -- my sincere apologies, I didn't know you had 'board cred' :) here on BFC.
Click to expand...

LOL board cred.

Most of what I know about sharpening, I learned from BF, at least when there was still a search function. These days I just lurk.

I'll try to drop by here more often and chime in, thanks.
 
The good Doc taught me to pair my Sigma Power 1K waterstone with a Suehiro Rika 5K waterstone. I didn't understand the point of all that, but my knives thank him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top