hey guys
i was wondering what everyones thoughts were with these stones (Dia-Sharp Stone, 8" x 3") for sharpening compared with water stones. thanks

Sharpening is a bit like holy wars bottom line is they all work but each have pro's and con's

Diamond stones
I don't have any direct experience with them but friends of mine like them. still takes some water, but doesn't require soaking like water stones.
(for personal reasons I don't like DMT)

water stones
Cut fast, but go out of flat very fast. I find them messy. you have to dry and oil your tool after.

oil stones
they cut slower, stay flatter over time. no need to oil the tool after sharpening, just wipe the oil off and go. (honing oil is mostly mineral oil so it leaves your hands nice and soft)

Sand paper on glass
cheap start up cost. over several years the cost is higher than stones. requires water spritzing, and oiling tool after sharpening.

power sharpening systems
too many options to really go into.

Honing guides:
I use them. others don't. I can see both sides of the argument



To quote chris schwarz, "pick a system and stay with it for a year."

I've been tinkering around the edges of this hobby for a couple years, and I use the DMT products. I have a coarse block, then I move to the 8" by 3" for fine and extra fine honing. I feel like I get very good results, it's not too time consuming, and I don't worry about having to flatten the tools, etc. I guess the drawback is that it'll eventually wear out, but what won't?

I use my diamond stones for quickly flattening new blades. I have never used them for finer work. My experience is that they are fast flat and easy but do not give the finest finish that I get from the fine grit water stones.

Steve

I'm a newbie to WW and this forum but I'd like to offer my input. First: Chris Scwarz' advice about choosing a system and sticking with it is good. I wish I had followed it! Second: My experience with DMT products is with the M Power DMT PSS sharpening system. This is a jig (M Power) that uses small diamond honing plates that are made by DMT. On examination its limitations are obvious but it is worth investigating. The honing plates and the M Power jig/system are available on the Woodpeckers' website, the Infinity Cutting Tools website, et al.

I use the scary sharp method for chasing the burr, flattening and shaping. I use aluminum honing plates for a substrate instead of glass or granite. Why? Granite is heavy and glass can break. That being said, I know people who use both and they are all satisfied with their results. None of them have broken their glass plates or broken a toe because they dropped their granite plates. I don't want to be the first. My abrasive medium is Silicon Carbide (SiC) honing film. Film is the operative word here. The SiC abrasive is embedded in a mylar film. I like the results I get with this much better than wet-dry sandpaper. It comes plain or PSA backed. It (most definitely) IS more expensive in the long run but it is easy to use and yields reliable, repeatable results

I tried a 1000/6000 combination water stone for a while and hated it - messy, always out of flat and required drying and oiling the tools. I bought a soft and a hard Arkansas (oil) stone (one each//8" x 3"). The hard was nice and flat but the soft was dished on one side and crowned on the other. The nice thing about Arkansas stones is that once you get them flat they stay that way for a long time. However, for the price you pay, they should be dead flat right out of the box!

I use a honing guide and I recommend all beginners and hobbyists do the same. I use the Veritas Mk II honing guide. It is more expensive than others but gives reliable and repeatable results. It comes with a jig that helps you set the tool's bevel angle in the guide. Less expensive models require YOU to make a jig. I didn't trust myself to do it right so I gave Veritas $50 to do it for me.

I'm sorry this turned out to be an epistle instead of a reply. I hope it helps.