What Sharpeners To Buy...diamond Or Arkansas Stones

[David Bruce]

I recently got into leatherworking and need some recommendations on what sharpeners are best for keeping my swivel knives and awls sharp. I have read differing opinions and would like to know what others use. I currently have a Norton double sided oil-stone and a home made strop.

[Glendon]

Personally I like water stones for leather tools. Oil stones are a bit messy with leather around in my opinion. I would love to have a diamond stone set, but the are pretty expensive.

[Tree Reaper]

Japanese water stones are what I use for sharpening planer blades.

For swivel knife blades, I just keep them sharp with green compound.

[electrathon]

DMT diamond plates. Go to Leather Wranglers and read about sharpening.

[David Bruce]

Thanks for the tips. Electrathon, I've read about the DMT plates and I actually looked at the Leather Wranglers site ( I would love to try out their swivel knives). Why do you prefer the DMT plates? Which are best to sharpen and maintain awls and swivel blades? I was thinking about getting a 3-pice boxed set of Arkansas Stones (coarse, medium and fine). I want to get whatever system/combo will give me the sharpest tools.

[Cedri]

David I've sharpened many many many woodworking tools and have found that there is really no difference in the end if you master the technique. It is going to end up personal preference in the end. Oil and water stones can be messy, you need to have a dedicated space away from your work area, this is true for leather / woodworking / the kitchen LOL. Diamond stones are really good at (what I call roughing in) the initial flattening/shaping. I've progress to ceramics or arkansas stones for med/fine and have honed with sandpaper (1500 - 2000 grit). One thing about water stones, you have to be careful or you will gouge them as they tend to be very soft.

[electrathon]

DMT plates are solid and do not have the holes filled with plastic like the cheaper plates do. They are also very flat. Diamond plates also will not gouge if you stay in one spot too long. I always use simple green as a lubricant on my stores. It keeps the stone from loading up and keeps the cutting edge cool as you are sharpening. As to grit, I finish with my 1000 grit diamond plate, then go on to green rouge.

[Tree Reaper]

You can dress a water stone pretty quick with a carbide flattening stone.

[rawcustom]

I sharpen lots and lots and lots of every kind of edge from axes to my own straight razor. Although I cheat with my belt grinder for some to get things started, I definitely don't have to.

This is my setup:

3"x8" DMT Extra Course (full surface diamond coating)

3"x8" DMT Coarse (full surface diamond coating)

Spyderco Bench stones (2"x8") Med, Fine, Extra Fine

Homemade Strop

I have arkies, and japanese waterstones, and each can be effective, but nothing is as easy and fast as my diamond to ceramic method. I don't like to finish on diamond because I feel it is too effective at cutting, even at the fine grits. A properly stoned edge will increase hardness from the work hardening of the sharpening process. I feel diamonds being effective cutters don't work harden as well as the ceramic. The end result is a slightly sharper, slightly longer lasting edge. Regardless of what you decide for your final edge you should at least get an extra coarse DMT. So much of the battle on a dull edge is establishing the bevels to meet, and diamonds cut to it in 1/4 of the time of anything else.

[BDAZ]

Diamond is essential for setting the edge on ceramic blades.

Cya!

Bob

[Colt W Knight]

I broke down and bough a set of for DiaSharp stones, Ex coarse, coarse, fine and extra fine. I really bought these to level and dress frets on a guitar. before that I used a double sided norton stone. I can sharpen a knife just as sharp on a norton stone as I can my DMT diasharps. My dad had his Norton stone for 20-30 years before I bought him a new one to replace it. If those nortons gets wavy, you dress them back sharp again. Diamond stones are great, but I don't see the need for the expense unless you are sharpening a lot stuff.

Good things.

1. Fast and precise

2. They don't groove like a stone

3. Heavy - so they don't move around

bad things.

1. They are heavy, so it hurts my wrist when I try to hold the stone in my hand and shapen

2. expensive

3. I had a carrying case made for my stones, and they stayed in my truck for a long time. I wore off some of the diamonds in a few spots were they rubbed in the case. If you use them enough to sharpen, the diamonds will wear off. DMT makes that super clear on their website.

* I also finish my edges with a ceramic steel after honing the edge on my stones. For a long time, I use a burned out High Pressure Sodium bulb filament from some very expensive lights used on strip mining equipment.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Colt W Knight

[Toolingaround]

Hi David

For what it is worth sharpening is the bane of my leatherworking because I suck at it but I have gotten way better (including touching up our kitchen knives) since I got a double sided diamond plate (fits in my pocket) and a Viking wet stone I wear around my neck from

https://www.ragweedforge.com/SharpeningCatalog.html

Ragnar is a legend for being able to sharpen anything and his favorite tools are the little diamond plate and the stone. That Viking stone is phenomenal by the way! He does have bench stones when he needs them if he really has to fix a blade but most of the time he uses the little plate and the stone.

By the way if anyone loves "scandi" knives like I do you should definitely check out his web site! I have one of the wood carving Mora's from him that I use as my main leather cutting knife. His prices are the best, he is a super nice guy and he KNOWS sharpening! He will answer your questions. He also sells many other stones too.

Cheers, Toolingaround

[Tex Shooter]

I like a 1 x 2 x 8 very fine Norton India stone. I use the edges for small tools, that way I keep the sides flat for planer blades. Arkansas does not work well on stainless and I have found that I can not get as good of a edge with even a very fine diamond. -- Tex

[David Bruce]

It's interesting and frustrating how everyone's opinion on sharpening differs. I have been holding off on sharpening with my Norton oil stone in fear that I would ruin my tools. I think that I will give it a try and if it doesn't do the job I can always get DMT's, etc...

[rawcustom]

Just have to say that I've been making and sharpening knives my whole life. Part of my policy with the knives I make is that I maintain them for free for life including sharpening, and most of my local repeat customers I'll sharpen anything else they bring me as well. There is more mysticism and general BS regarding sharpening then there is fact. Your best source of information is the research done by John D. Verhoeven where sharpening was studied scientifically. It's very easy to get caught up in natural hones that according to the price must be assumed to have some imbued great properties, but there is nothing magical about a creating a fine edge. All you are doing is polishing two opposing faces. The evenness and angle in how those faces meet, and the degree of polish will equal your end result.

Here's why I like bench stones: Less variables. A huge struggle in sharpening is maintaining the same angle on each pass of the stone. If you hold a stone in your hand now you have just added a new set of XYZ movement to your sharpening method. Can it be done? Sure, but for learning and consistency, eliminate half your variable, half the problem and use a bench stone.

Here's why I like Diamond course plates: Fast and Flat. You won't wear them uneven, no dressing required and they work incredibly fast. Working fast is also great because it means you spend less passes on the hone, and therefore introduce less variable angles. I assure you the faster you get your edge established the better it will be. All the extra angles work to round your bevel over and therefore work against your efforts.

Here's why I like ceramic: Flat and Finish. Spyderco ceramics give a great finish without much extra time. Their medium stone is considered open coat and they state it may need to be dressed (this must take a lot since mine has stayed flat) but they guarantee their fine and ultra-fine to never need dressing. Can I get equal polish from an Arkie? Yes, but slower, much slower. Can I get equal from Japanese water stone? Yes, but more maintenance in dressing stones, and prepping stones. After a Spyderco UF, a few swipes on a strop with chromium oxide and you have a complete surgery ready edge.

There is some debate over a flat sharpened bevel vs an elliptical or convex sharpened bevel. My advise on this is always attempt to create a flat sharpened bevel. Two reasons for this, first I can promise that you will already have a somewhat elliptical bevel if you sharpen by hand because you are not a machine. Second, the argument I have read on this is that the convex offers a longer lasting edge. Let's suppose this is true but you start with a perfectly flat bevel. Over time as you maintain the edge it will naturally wear into an elliptical shape, and it will be easily maintained until the elliptical grows too great from too much worn off edge. This is where it is dull and you re-sharpen. If you start with an elliptical edge, you're going to reach that dull edge a lot faster since you skipped the whole wear into an elliptical stage.

[Colt W Knight]

I agree about all the sharpening mojo/mysticism out there. I think it is becoming a lost art for most folks. When I was a kid, my dad gave me a dull pocket knife so I would learn how to take care of one without cutting myself. What did I do? I went down to the creek and found a flat stone and sharpened my little pocket knife. When I showed my dad, he took it away, and I didn't get another one till I was about 11-12. He showed me how to use his norton stone once, and I spent a lot of time sharpening every knife I could get my hands on. I even sharpened friends and family knives. Once I got the hang of it, I was able to sharpen a knife fairly quickly and effectively with just a simple two sided worn out norton stone. When I was 16, a gentleman at my family's horse stable gave me a brand new long double sided norton stone for always

sharpening his knife. I really thought I was something using an actual flat stone to sharpen a knife. I was so obsessed with sharp knives for while, I carried a HPS bulb filament in my pocket to constantly dress my pocket knives.I still keep my knives sharp, but I got burned out sharpening things. I just do it know when I have to, and I don't volunteer to sharpen stuff for other anymore.

I understand the principle of the convex/concave edge thing, but once the knife is dull, I would think sharpening a convex edge would be a royal PITA. I would probably end up working it into a normal flat edge.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Colt W Knight

[hidepounder]

I prefer to use the diamond plates. I've tried a lot of the other stones and I always end up going back to the diamond plates. I've also discovered that stropping mechanically with Brownell 555 black rouge (thanks to Terry Knippsheild) saves me a lot of time an effort in keeping my head knives and straight knives sharp and usable. I'm not against the use of india stones or water stones and the like, but I've discovered that they are not as time efficient or practical for me when using a knife everyday.

[simontuntelder]

I have a belt sander and polishing set up already.

But I would like some diamond sharpening stones. What grits should I be buying?

Oh, and does anybody know of a good UK or European source?

[terrymac]

I prefer to use the diamond plates. I've tried a lot of the other stones and I always end up going back to the diamond plates. I've also discovered that stropping mechanically with Brownell 555 black rouge (thanks to Terry Knippsheild) saves me a lot of time an effort in keeping my head knives and straight knives sharp and usable. I'm not against the use of india stones or water stones and the like, but I've discovered that they are not as time efficient or practical for me when using a knife everyday.

Bob,

The 555 works as well on a strop for swivel knifes. Knipper recommended using latigo rather than veg tan, and it certainly spreads smoother on the latigo. Do you think you have enough compound to last a while?

Terry

[hidepounder]

Hi Terry,

I have enough to last me for a while. I don't use 555 to strop my swivel knife (although it would work really well) because it just isn't necessary. Swivel knives develop corrosion from the residual chemicals in the leather and a couple of strokes on green rouge cleans it off. The act of stropping is what dulls the blade so I use the finest rouge I can find. My head knives and trim knives take a lot more abuse. I prefer to use food grade belting for my swivel knife strop because it doesn't compress and round the edge of the blade. For my knives I use a paper wheel with 555 on a grinder motor. It's really fast an easy!