Thinking I need a coarser stone. Options?

[Obsessed with Edges]

This is definitely an option. I seen great reviews on this stone. But, given the fact I am having problems with thinner more flexible blades, wondering if the added width of the DMT or other diamond stone might give a more stable platform making more contact with the blade. Basically wider plate/stone means more underneath support for a flexible blade. That being said, at that price I might just need to buy it regardless in addition to another coarse stone.

I used to have a lot of trouble with very flexible blades, like fillet knives, on any stone. The 'fix' finally came in learning to utilize my other hand in the process, by putting a fingertip or two directly behind the portion of edge being worked, on a bench stone. With a little fingertip pressure, this serves to keep the bevel in flush contact on the stone, which is nearly impossible with a very flexible blade held and guided with just the one hand on the handle. If you're not yet using a two-hand technique (some call it a Japanese technique, I believe), give it a try. This will also keep the new bevels created much more flat and crisp; otherwise, rounding/convexing of the bevels and apex was usually the result, when I used to try these with just one hand on the handle.

Used as above, even a very simple aluminum oxide bench stone (oil stone) in a double-sided Coarse/Fine config will make sharpening kitchen knives a breeze. Going anywhere beyond XC shouldn't be necessary at all, for kitchen knives; and I don't believe I've ever used anything beyond Coarse for that matter, for these types of tasks. And the basic two-sided AlOx hardware store stone has started to become my favorite for these (I've been using an ACE Hardware stone with mineral oil; works great on kitchen stainless blades).

Also, if you're currently using the diamond hone dry for these knives, you might consider wetting the hone (water, water + dish soap, or mineral oil) to keep it from getting clogged up with swarf. Kitchen knife stainless can clog a diamond hone very quickly, if it's used dry.

The combination of lubricating the hone and applying just a little bit of direct fingertip pressure behind the portion being worked will also make the hone cut more aggressively and greatly speed up the grinding process. This is what makes using XC or anything coarser unnecessary, most of the time.


David