Reddit mentions of Diamond Machine Technology (DMT) 3-6-in. Diamond Whetstone Models Sharpener in Hard Wood Box (W6EFC)

It's generally not a great idea to buy something related to someone's hobby or area of expertise. You can easily get them something that isn't what they expected, or would prefer.


For stones, you can get just a standalone one, or you can go the full system. There are a few out there.

I got one of these, which is very nice, and it'll sharpen pretty much everything and takes the guess work out of setting a proper angle.


Having a consistent angle is the most important thing to consider when sharpening.

The different grits makes it easy to get from very dull to super polished sharp.


The other way is just freehand with stones. Somethnig like DMT sharpening stones might be good if he wants to do it the old way but with modern material stones.

Though something else to consider is a honing steel. This will keep the knife sharp between sharpenings much much longer and doesn't remove steel wearing down the knife, it just realigns the edge. You can get it in ceramic or steel, make sure it's smooth though. like this


I find honing much easier and more important than just sharpening. Most everyone overlooks this part. It's important to use between uses. I don't mean after you cut one tomato, but like after a decent bit - often.


Hope that helps a bit. There's a huge ton of options and things to consider. It's not an easy task to weigh the pros and cons, and they aren't usually that huge a deal though.

Amazon for like $106

DMT W6EFC Three 6-Inch Diamond Whetstone Models in Hard Wood Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003NCVFC4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_W5CFwb5HBXCXA

here

All you should need is some diamond stones and maybe a cheap honing guide. I use this and it works well enough but I do want to upgrade to wider stones(it 2" wide so my #4 blades just barely fit, I'd like some leeway).

I don't know what you need for an axe. I just freehand it on my bench grinder for my hatchet.

This set

My biggest blade currently is the LN 60 1/2, says the plane blade is 1 3/8" wide, so I hope it's okay on a 2" diamond stone. I have developed a tendency to sharpen my blade on a biased, so that should help as well.

I have a diamond stone. Like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-W6EFC-6-Inch-Diamond-Whetstone/dp/B003NCVFC4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1422561392&sr=8-7&keywords=diamond+stone

Is that a no-no as well?

The problem I have with stones is that I never seem to be able to get the angle right.

I would start with two or three stones. If I had it to do over again, I would want them to be really low maintenance, so I would probably still buy a DMT product, but I think it would be this one.

DMT W6EFC Three 6-Inch Diamond Whetstone Models in Hard Wood Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003NCVFC4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uxIhzbB9AS31A

If after you've used these for a while and you decide you then want a finer stone, at that point you're probably hooked and $100 for a single stone won't seem too unreasonable.

But this is where it all gets really tricky. I mean... Define expensive? My 4000 grit Mizuyama stone was around $60 and my 8000 grit Kitayama stone was around $80. Both are decent splash and go resin bonded stones. I bought the DMT kit off Amazon maybe 5 or 6 years ago now which had two double sided DMT Duo-Sharp diamond stones, a holder and a non slip mat for a little under $300. Which is a really good price for 4 diamond stones from 220-1220 grit which are guaranteed to stay flat and can be used wet or dry. The Wicked Edge system I have now was $650 of Amazon, but it might be the best value because it's capable of sharpening any profile blade quickly, repeatably and with great precision. So one has to distinguish between expense and value at some point.

/u/Juskimo has it right.

I have the DMT 10" Diamond stones. They are expensive but they are double sided. I have the coarse/extra coarse and the fine/extra fine. I also have a strop with green stropping compound.

I'm very happy I went with the large size diamond stones. this is my setup

If you want a cheap setup I would go with this

Skip the whetstones unless you want to be extremely traditional. I don't see any advantage in using them with diamond stone technology. Diamond stones stay flat. Whetstones you will eventually need to flatten them.

I also have a couple smaller eze lap stones that I used to use for sharpening my hunting knives they are great as well. But I no longer use them since I prefer the large surface of the DMTs.

Diamond plates.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003NCVFC4?pc_redir=1414506690&robot_redir=1

These are what I use because I like to freehand sharpen, but you can get kits that will set the sharpening angles for you that also use diamond plates. (lansky, edge pro knockoffs, etc)

You will want to use diamond plates when sharpening ZDP because regular stones just cant cut it enough to create a good edge due to how hard ZDP is generally treated.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has been using these diamond stones to sharpen plane irons (#4). They are a bit on the small side so I’m in doubt whether to get these or the 8 x 3 ones that are more expensive.

Is this what you have? https://www.amazon.com/DMT-W6EFC-6-Inch-Diamond-Whetstone/dp/B003NCVFC4/ref=sr_1_15?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1550715135&sr=1-15&keywords=Dmt

I've been looking for some regular benchstones lately... I think i'll look in to these DMT stones.

Especially if they come in packs like this!

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-W6EFC-6-Inch-Diamond-Whetstone/dp/B003NCVFC4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407187930&sr=8-1&keywords=DMT+stones#productDetails

Hello! I’m a hobby woodworker who has become obsessed with chasing the sharpest possible plane/chisel. I’ve been getting decent results with high grit sandpaper (800-1500-2000) glued to tempered glass, but I’m curious about diamond stones. Are they worth the price tag? Are they really as maintenance free as they claim? And do either of these options look acceptable?

Option 1

Option 2

Any and all insight is greatly appreciated!

Freehand on this set and I finish it of on a leather strop with a polishing compound.