DMT C/F 8” Benchplate vs Ken Onion work sharp

mrdabble

mrdabble

Joined
Jan 23, 2014
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Hey everyone.

Looking for recommendation for sharpening system. I have the sharpmaker but it doesn’t produce the edge I would like on some of the higher carbide steels. Specifically s30v, s35vn, and m390.

I am not a great free hand sharpener. That being said, I’ve never had a go on a good size benchstone of any type before. I work with my hands and I run a circular saw very well, I imagine I could become good at sharpening pretty quickly with the right tools. I know the sharpie technique and how to sharpen, it’s just holding the angles that is difficult for me but perhaps a bench stone will help me with that.

On the other hand, I’ve seen the ken onion work sharp for quite some time and I do wish to be able to sharpen knives in the least amount of time possible with the best possible outcome, and according to some of the reviews on Amazon this may be my ticket. I know the cost of belts scan be high but otherwise the tool is reviewed well. I have heard some say the heat can destroy the edge. Is the work sharp worthy of these steels or should I get a good stone and start with that? I can finish with my sharpmaker I have the fine and extra fine stones, making the DMT 8” coarse/fine benchstone an appealing option. Just wondering what you all think.
 
I stay away from powered sharpeners, lack of talent on my part. The DMT diasharp coarse and fine are good. Go no smaller than the 8 X 3 to start. Once you develop the muscle memory, it will astonish you how fast and easy it is to get a knife really sharp. Use light pressure and let the diamonds do the work. Their plates are generally very flat.
 
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If you want to get into the art of sharpening try stones, freehand and guided systems ect. But...if you use your knives A-LOT..and want to keep them very sharp with very minimal effort go with a belt for sure. I like using stones sometimes when I have time and want to achieve a specific result but sometimes I have knives that I just need sharp with out taking a half hour to bring out an edge.

I have the KOWS and sharpened 10 kitchen knives in well under 30 minouts. Depending on the knife I can get a screaming sharp edge in a couple minutes. In other words it depends on the result I want and the time I have. If I just wanted sharp edges I would use a belt every time. Suuuper sharp in literally no time.
 
mrdabble said:
I know the cost of belts scan be high but otherwise the tool is reviewed well. I have heard some say the heat can destroy the edge. Is the work sharp worthy of these steels or should I get a good stone and start with that? I can finish with my sharpmaker I have the fine and extra fine stones, making the DMT 8” coarse/fine benchstone an appealing option. Just wondering what you all think.
Click to expand...

The KOWS has a speed control and your hands have a speed control. To avoid overheating touch and move. The faster the abrasive is going the faster you need to move. For any powered sharpener that is the golden rule.
 
Though I've tried other sharpening options, I prefer freehand. Some good recent threads about the "why freehand" question, like this one, and I posted my take on that here.

For high carbide steels, definitely the preferred option is diamonds (cbn and silicon carbide stones can work too).

If you want one do-it-all diamond stone that gives you 2 grits--a coarse grit, and a finer grit--I've done a fair amount of testing, trying it myself, and talking to a few of the sharpening pros in the forum. Here are a few options for a "1 diamond stone solution" at different budget levels:

  • Dirt cheap
    • DMD 2-grit diamond plates in 400/1000. I've seen these for as little as $7. A few folks in the forum are using these and those I've seen have reported they work.
  • Low
    • Sk11 2-grits diamond plates in 400/1000. I see these at online retailers for as little as $33. I've personally tried their 150/600 grit one, I've used it for lapping other stones, profiling blades on the 150 side, and general sharpening with the 600 grit. I'd recommend the 400/1000 for general use, these are extremely good quality plates for the money if you're on a budget.
  • Medium
    • Ultrasharp 2-grit diamond plates in 300/1200. I see them here for $68. Ultrasharp are good quality plates tested by myself, @Jason B., @HeavyHanded, others, I think they are a viable competitor to DMT though perhaps DMT is still slightly superior; you still get what you pay for, just have to pick your price point.
  • High
    • Atoma: spendy but good, I have their 140 plate. You could buy a single Atoma plate say the 400, then you can buy the 1200 grit diamond sheet only (don't need to buy a separate plate) and stick it on the other side of the 400 plate you got. Atoma are really really good, very spendy, and some folks like them more than DMT. Others prefer DMT due to the different approach to embedding diamonds in the plate, and for the resulting edge finish they leave. I prefer DMT as well.
    • DMT (2 ways you could go here):
      • If you want an all-in-one-plate solution: I'd get the DMT W8ECNB 8-Inch DuoSharp Bench Stone Extra-Fine / Coarse. This costs $85 to $100 at online retailers, and IMHO, gives you the 2 most useful all-purpose grits you could get in a single stone.
      • If you're willing to go with a 2-plate solution, I'd recommend this because it'll set you up with the continuous diamond plates (which IMO, work better) and you can easily expand on your plate/grit collection later:
        • The 8" Diasharp continuous coarse plate: $55 to $60 at online knife sites. I've gotten good deals on DMT plates in the past at Knifecenter.com, Knifeworks.com, and SharpeningSupplies.com, as well as some of the big online general retailers.
        • The 8" Diasharp continuous extra-fine plate: same price range and places as above.
    • DMT splurge: if you want to really get into diamond grits and know you like DMT, SharpeningSupplies.com has a sale and package buy combining all 4 common grits (XC, C, F, EF) in their 8" diasharp continuous plates, here.
 
Guys, these are fantastic recommendations.
chopsaki chopsaki i do wish to have both systems in my arsenal, and what you had to say is pretty much what I expected in terms of results. I want the ability to have a fantastic edge, and I know that comes with time and acquisition of skill. I also want to not be constrained by time, which is where the K.O. undoubtedly would fit me needs.

M maximus83 thank you for the detailed breakdown, I couldn’t have found a better source of this info on the whole wide web.

Ironically, I got anxious and ordered the DMT duo sharp 8x3 C/F and the Amazon guy left it out back, outside of my apartment building altogether.... they left a picture of where they deliver in my orders.... the package was not where they depicted it being delivered to, that’s for sure. I think I might go for the C/EF Duo sharp after the recommendation above. However... that deal on sharpening supplies is outstanding. Is there any difference to the continuous stone other than use for small tools? How do they fare against each other in overall results?

I should mention the steels that I wish to sharpen long term are s35vn and m390. They serve my purposes best in that they are not terribly hard to sharpen but hold a great edge. I’ll be practicing with a couple Kershaw Emerson’s that I picked up, I love the Bowie style one I have. Forgot the model. Anyway they’re 8crM30v for whatever you know what it is the China-man special.
 
^You will get different views on the continuous versus interrupted DMT plates. I have both, get good results from both. :) From a practical standpoint, you might lean to the interrupted duosharp ones if cost is a factor, as those are a little more cost effective than buying 2 separate continuous plates. OTOH, some folks strongly prefer the continuous plates for the slightly different (better? ) feedback and feel that they get from the plate versus the interrupted ones. And as you said, continuous ones if working with smaller pointed tools. It's about a toss-up, they both work.

Also, I wouldn't overlook checking out some of the plates at the other price points. For example, HeavyHanded has another thread where he just did an evaluation of 3 of the above plates listed, and he indicates that any of these plates can work, and even the dirt cheap ones work surprisingly well. If you wanted to test the waters a bit, learn more about freehanding, and do a little research on sharpening options before you spend a bundle, you could get a dual plate of that DMD brand, and be able to sharpen your blades for a low startup cost while you learn and research. Usually for me at least, getting nicer stones isn't the real breakthrough in getting better sharpening results, it's more my own technique (or the lack thereof :rolleyes:) that's the limiting factor. Which would argue for, when getting started, consider getting a basic recommended stone or two, get a couple of beater blades so you don't abuse your nice knives, and do some learning initially. As you do that, you'll start to figure out more what the sharpening stone options are available and what you want to upgrade to.
 
A simple angle guide helps keep a consistent angle when using bench stones. I use an ancient Buck Honemaster that clamps to the back of the blade. A Google search will turn up several current makers. Even taping a nickle or dime to the sides of the blade will work.
 
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