Wasted DMT XF?

B

Buck268

Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
1,864
Well, I'm not totally sure whats going on. In the past I've had excellent results using my DMT XF 6" stone. Always quick and easy to get any blade hair popping sharp. Well tonight I've been having issues.

First of all, the stone feels really....Smooth. Like it has no bite any more. I'll get the knife to shave on the DMT fine, not well but shave, then move to the X-fine. Well after working the XF a bit I'll check ut the progress of the egde, and each time so far its dulled. Now, I'm not the greatest sharpener in the world, but I've been doing this on various stones since I was a kid and on these DMT stones for two years, so I think I am at least competent. Do you guys think the X-fine is took the proverbial shyt on me? Or maybe I'm just having a bad night?

Think I'll dig up my pocket arkansas and see where that takes me!


EDIT: Great results going from the DMT Fine to the Arkansas meduim, within just a dozen or so passes! Its appearing the DMT XF has *some* type of issue.
 
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How are you checking for sharpness?

In the past I would tend to test sharpness with my thumb but always used the same thumb testing the sharpness in the same direction across the blade. But then I learned a lot from some of the people here on BF and realized that when my "test thumb" indicated the blade had dulled, I used the other thumb and it felt sharp which indicated I was just rolling the wire edge from one side to the other, back and forth . . .

I finally bought a strop block and have never looked back for finishing my knives to the sharpest edge I'm personally capable of obtaining. Of course they are only as good as the edge you sharpened the knife to but the strop is almost fool proof for getting the wire edge oriented properly or almost eliminated.

Just a thought
 
Have you tried giving the DMT a thorough cleaning? I have to go after mine with Bar Keepers Friend (scouring powder) and a Scotchbrite pad every now and then.
 
In the past, running under the sink faucet and rubbing my thumb on it has seemed to work. As for sharpness testing, I attempt to shave arm hair once on each arm, moving proximally from the wrist. This hits both sides and typically is a good indicator of a wire edge for me (I don't shoot for rediculous scaple sharp like a lot here, just clean shaving).
 
Running water usually works fine, unless you got oil on it somehow, which really isn't too hard to do. I don't have to scour mine often, maybe once every three or four years, but they can load up. Of course, using too much pressure when you sharpen will eventually strip all the diamonds out of the plating and you will have to replace the hone.
 
Scour it with Bar Keeper's Friend or Zud and a scotchbrite :thumbup:

I've found that usually you can clean a DMT Coarse or Fine under running water but that the X-Fine hones get more stubbornly loaded and need to be scrubbed much more often.
 
I'll have to give it a try tonight. Don't have none of those fancy cleaners, but hopefully dish soap and a brillo will work!
 
Don't use a Brillo or any other metallic scouring pad. Use something non-metallic like a greenie (Scotchbrite) pad.
 
Let the DMT work for you.
It is not a stone that needs pressure
The lighter your pass on the DMT the better results you will get.
I just use the weight of the blade.
 
Well, diamond stones do wear out eventually, depending on what they're used on and how much pressure you put on them. They also "wear in" a brand new XF dmt will seem to have lots of bite and cut fast, but once you use it a few times it will break in and maintain a smoother surface for the life of the hone.
 
fill a glass with cleanzer (you know the white power stuff i cant spell lol) an water with a 50/50 mix and use and old tooth brush they will come out brand new
 
I actually used some toothpaste last night with an old tooth brush. It literally feels better to the thumb. We'll see how it works next time I need to sharpen!
 
Diamond hones have fixed abrasives. Unlike waterstones or oil stones, the abrasives don't separate from the stone to reveal fresh ones. They simply stay there get worn down. It doesn't take them very long to do this. They will still work, they just cut more slowly.
 
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