Stone/plate for initial edges?

T

Tin.Man

Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
876
So ive used a sharpmaker and the other stone dimaond systems, also guilty of putting my edges on with my 2x72.

This is the area my fantastic tool can go in the junk bucket and it kills me when it happens.

If say i was taking my edges down to .015-.020 post heat treat, and was willing to put in the work, what stone or diamond plate would you guys recommend to put my initial edge on?

Appreciate the help.
 
If you cant slow your 2x72 down then get a cheap 1x30. I have put the first edge on with a stone and it is terrible.
 
No i can slow my 2x72 down but have seen some amazing initial edges done with a stone. Almost looks meditative.
 
Get some 8X2" to 10X3" (approx) waterstones and learn to meditate. You want to get a stone holder or make one.

The synthetic stones are fine for anyone but the purist. A 800/1200/2000/4000 set will put a fantastic edge on. You can find double sided ( two grit sizes) stones in some brands. 8000 grit is nice, but not a necessity.

The DMT 10X4 Duosharp diamond plates offer a great way to take an edge to very sharp. They make a frostier look than water stones, but really cut well. They come as double sided plates. A good set is the coarse/extra coarse and fine/extra fine. They are often available at a discount as a set. You really want to get the stone holder for them. The same holder will also hold waterstones. It is best to use them just like a waterstone ... wet over a "pond". A drip system over the stone is really smart.
You can use the DMT plates to extra fine (1200) and finish on a synthetic waterstone at 4000 or 8000 grit.

In both types, avoid cross contamination of stray grit. This is especially important with the diamond plates.
 
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Stacy that is fantastic thank you!

Recommend the diamond plates with all the holes over the solid ones?
 
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With the holes seems to be better for me. They also last longer. A complete setup with two Duosharp stones and the holder is a bit over $200 ( depends where you get them). Woodcraft puts them on sale every now and then. The 8" version is fine for knives, too, but the extra $ to go up to 10X4" seems money well spent.

Here is a place that seems to have the full ste and holder at a good price:
https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/dmt/DMT_DuoSharp_With_Base.html
 
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