Want Some Benchstones!!

K

k12s

Joined
Feb 14, 2008
Messages
338
Bought a Sharpemaker 4 months ago. While it's good for touch up, I want a perfectly profiled edge along the whole edge.

To my surprise there's a Woodcraft store 25 miles from me.

Should I get coarse, extra fine DMT's (3/8) or are the Spyderco bench stones better?
Woodcraft also has a Chinese at 12k. Would that save a 100 strops with chromium paste?
Nortons 4000/8000 waterstones better than DMT's diamonds?

Vassili's videos got me thinking.:jerkit:

Thanks,

Trying to step up to the next level guys.:)
 
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I'm not an expert, but I like my DMT diamond stones. I have a Fine grit 6x2, and I can get my knives to shave with it.

You mentioned "perfectly profiled;" what do you mean by that? Maybe you'd like to look into an aligning system, like the DMT Aligner?
 
I'm liking the combination of D8XX DMT Diasharp plus Sharpmaker. The DMT can shape the bevel quickly and the Sharpmaker can finesse and polish.

I had DMT's in coarse and extra coarse and they just felt wimpy. The 120 micron D8XX is bad ass. It can also be used to flatten other bench stones.

Downside is the D8XX is expensive. Also, it takes some nerve to use it on your best knives. (I lean it against the sharpmaker rods.)
 
The Spyderco produces "hot spots" where the blade very sharpe, but as a whole the edge is just shaving sharpe.

I know it' my skill level and technique. but those small stones are bugging me. I want to be able to freehand one day and this seems the logical step after the Sharpemaker.:)

Also, perfectly profiled to me would be a uniformed bevel and edge on the entire blade.

Thanks, just wanting to move to the next step.
 
Trust me on this, the Chinese 12K takes A LOT of strokes. It takes a while to get one lapped too. I use one on straight razors where the edge HAS to be very fine. My pocket knives don't need to be that sharp.
 
the quickest, easiest, way will be dmt extra course, or course, to the sharpmaker. the xx course most likely wont be needed. once you remove enough shoulder from the blade the time spent maintaining your edge will be greatly reduced, and far more productive with better results.
 
Thanks to those that posted.

I got DMT diamond Duo (coarse/fine) and a Spyderco medium benchstone. I also got some chromium paste while I was there and leather to make a strop.

Coarse is 45 micron
Fine is 25 micron

Spyderco is 15 micron from what I could gather.

It seemed like a natural progression.

Thanks again. Off to ruin an edge with my first attempt at freehanding.:p
 
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