Sharpening results with a cheap 2-grit diamond stone

[maximus83]

So this is interesting, I bought this SK11 2-grit (150/600) 8x3" stone for $32 recently from big river mainly to lap other stones. This afternoon I decided to try it out as a 'single stone' budget solution, and then finish the edge on sharpmaker UF rods.

Profiled it at an estimated 18 dps. The new stone was REALLY rough, but it profiled quickly and nicely with the soft 440a steel in this knife. Finishing strokes about 40 per side on the 600-grit side of the stone, finished by about 10 passes per side using the handheld sharpmaker UF rod. Total effort about 30 minutes. This got it to easily push/pull cutting newsprint, 3-fingered sticky test, and contact-cutting arm hair. I'm not even sure the Spyderco UF rods added anything, it was performing similarly BEFORE I used the UF. BTW, I'm also improving at getting a consistent bevel throughout the belly, see pics.

Conclusion: you can get pretty awesome practical sharpening results using this single, 2-grit diamond stone that cost $32. For a budget freehand sharpening option, nobody should have to spend an arm and a leg, or be dependent on guided systems. People could start with one of these, with something like the Baryonyx Arctic Fox bench stone, or both if they want to compare results and feel (I still prefer the AF for stone feedback).

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

In terms of grit rating it's also worth noting that unless the maker outright states what system they use it's hard to know where it'll fit into your system compared to other stones you may have. Some companies even use their own proprietary values that are essentially pulled out of thin air. Additionally, there exist separate standards sometimes used for grading diamond abrasive grit that are different from those used for all other abrasives. Chinese stones seem to usually follow something roughly approximating Japanese ratings, under which the fine side of an Arctic Fox stone would be considered 700 grit. However, the high grit protrusion of diamond stones (they're basically metallic sandpaper) means that they will act coarser than bonded stones of the same particle size.

 

[David Martin]

I'm glad your getting a better edge at the point and belly of your knife. Yes, it doesn't need to cost a arm and leg to sharpen your knife. A 2 grit stone will do it. DM