Which system?

C

ccr

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Nov 8, 2008
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Hey all. Heres the deal. I want to get better at sharpening. I want to do freehand. Currently my setup for sharpening isnt super great and i want something new to "hone" my skills on. I can get a usable edge but not nearly as sharp as i want. I have decided to get either this kit

http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/DMT-Duosharp-Plus-Diamond-Kit-P248C3.aspx

or this one

http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Ultimate-Oil-Stone-Kit-P320C100.aspx

So my question is which one? The dmts cost almost twice as much and price is a consideration. i dig both of them though. what do you guys think? save some money and be traditional or break the bank and get the dmts??? thanks guys,

cole
 
My sharpening gear is almost all diamond stones so i'm obviously a little partial to the DMTs.

The more obvious advantages of the DMT set are:
- Not as messy as oil stones and cleanup is a bit easier. Might not be a big deal for you depending on where you do most of your work.
- They cut pretty fast so they work faster on the harder wear-resistant steels like S30V, S90V, ZDP.... etc.
- They don't require flattening.
Drawback:
- You may want to add something finer than the DMT Extra Fine eventually which is approx. 9microns (~1200mesh).
Just remember to be careful not to use excessive pressure otherwise you will dislodge the diamonds.

Having said that, there's nothing wrong with choosing the oil stone kit and the basic skills/technique is the same regardless of which you choose. The oil stone kit also includes a strop with chromium oxide which is a useful extra although I think the jump from the hard arkansas to the CrO is a wee bit large.

And if you aren't already confused with choices, you can add a strop with CrO to this set if you want to try a different kind of traditional:
http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Naniwa-Japanese-Combination-Waterstone-Set-P324C97.aspx
:)

Hope that helps a little. Just remember that good technique makes all the difference so practice is important (the sharpie or permanent marker trick helps as well). Let us know what you decide on in the end..
 
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When sharpening freehand, I prefer starting with a diamond stone and finishing with water stones. I refuse to use oil stones - to messy. I also don't use arkansas stones - too soft. Norton makes decent water stones. I'd look into those before deciding what to buy.

If you set a bevel with a DMT, you don't have to worry about the stone dishing. Once the bevel is set, all you're doing while sharpening with the finer stones is removing the scratch pattern off of the blade edge. DMT's will work for this but it isn't necessary. Water stones will require minimal flattening if used in this manner and will last a looong time... probably longer than the finer DMT's.
 
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