I've always heard that diamond sharpeners cut the fastest, which makes sense since diamonds are the hardest material, but the instructions on the ones I've seen say to use only light pressure. When I use heavier pressure on my silicon carbide stone (120 grit: about the same as the diamond stone, to keep the comparison as equal as possible) I remove metal faster and raise a burr quicker than on the diamond plate. I've used both types of stones at even lower grits and found the same to be true.
It is usually taken as common knowledge and common sense that the harder a knife edge is pressed into a stone (up to a certain point, of course), the faster it is to relief grind and sharpen. Even though diamonds sharpen faster, it seems this advantage is diminished or negated by the light pressure that must be used.
I don't have a lot of knives or sharpen a lot, which is too small a sample to draw any definitive conclusions comparing diamonds with silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, or other coarse-grit stones that are used to remove metal quickly. Given that, I'd like to know if anyone else has had the same results I have.
Thank you….
It is usually taken as common knowledge and common sense that the harder a knife edge is pressed into a stone (up to a certain point, of course), the faster it is to relief grind and sharpen. Even though diamonds sharpen faster, it seems this advantage is diminished or negated by the light pressure that must be used.
I don't have a lot of knives or sharpen a lot, which is too small a sample to draw any definitive conclusions comparing diamonds with silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, or other coarse-grit stones that are used to remove metal quickly. Given that, I'd like to know if anyone else has had the same results I have.
Thank you….
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