Bet you didn't know Amazon delivered on Sunday. I didn't but I guess they do now. I ordered a set of EZE-LAP diamond stones Friday the confirmation said delivery Sunday 08/24/14 and I thought yeah....sure, I'll see 'em Monday. When I came home from work around 1100 there was a box by the door, oh you of little faith, say a dozen Omni, Omni, VORs.....Sorry back on my meds.
I guess you could say I have sharpening round heals. On, above, around, and attached to my sharpening bench is an example of almost every sharpening system know to woodworkers. Jigs, I have 'em. Machines, which one do you want to try, PC, WorkSharp, Tormek, come on down big boy. Sandpaper, most every grit known along with granite plates, lapping plates, diamond spray, paste, and film. Stones, what kind would you like to try, Arkansas oil, Japanese water, Diamond, Ceramic water, and while I don't have every brand there is a damn good selection stuck in different areas of the sharpening cabinet. Strops by the dozen, MDF, Maple, Horse's Butt, Green, Yellowstone, or Diamond.
While all work and will give a "working edge", most have some drawback like Water Stones are high maintenance and messy, Oil I love the feel and the scratch pattern but can be a little slow with some irons and to get a polish you need to strop. Ceramic Water stones while not as messy still are high maintenance. Whatever the system it will work but.....
For the last couple of years for the most part I settled into using DMT Diamond stones. They do a good job, are low maintenance, but I do not like the feel, the feedback and they do not leave a smooth, polished edge. You still need to strop.
I really will get to the point, here is the chase: On one of the forums someone mentioned the difference in "feel" of Mono vs. Poly diamond stones....Damn I have to spend some more money. EZE-LAP come to Papa.
Sure enough, the EZE-LAP have an almost natural stone feel, leave a better scratch pattern than the DMT's but do not come in as fine a grit as available from DMT. Enter one other new addition, the Spyderco Fine Ceramic Stone. After all these years, all the bars and one night stands, I may have found my soul mate. A set of stones with no mess, low maintenance, good feel, will sharpen any iron I will use, and no need to strop. We went looking for a ring this afternoon.
I know what you mean by the DMT not leaving what appears as a polished surface and lacking the "feel", though they are very consistent and deliver. For four years I've been using 3M micro abrasive paper to hone at 15, 5, and 1 micron, ending with a very polished edge. The paper gives me feedback, for sure. Any tiny particles left of a burr will tear the paper! Recently I began using the 8,000 to replace the 15 and 5 micron papers. After the 8,000 diamond stone creates a burr, I lightly back it off and repeat the process once on the 1 micron paper which immediately polishes the iron to a high reflective finish.
ReplyDeleteTico,
ReplyDeleteMaybe because they are the stones I learned on, nothing satisfies the soul like a good hard Arkansas oil stone but for a consistent working edge diamonds are better. I've been using the 3mu stone for awhile and it gives a very good working edge, just needing a light strop to finish or recently the Spyderco fine ceramic..
I've been using the Spyderco ceramic as my polishing stone, skipping the strop but with a single pull through some Red Oak end grain to remove the last of the burr. It seems to work but as always time will tell.
BTW, in spite of this sounding like I'm a sharpening junky, I'm not, all I want is a good working edge quickly with no muss or fuss. I could care less if arm hair commit hari kari (forgive me ;-)) at the sight of my freshly sharpened steel, I just want it sharp enough to do the needed job.
Take care,
ken