DMT D8F Dia-Sharp Diamond Knife Sharpener, Fine Diamond Sharpening Stone, 8-Inch

So I have had a few lock-back pocket knives kicking around my life for a few years now. One Gerber has been with my for over a decade. Over the last few months, I have realized how I have completely neglected blade care all this time. I use them purely for home use, work use, and have yet had a chance to use them as an "outdoorsman" would... someday!Some of my knives have gotten nastily damaged and dulled over the years.... some just dulled. I have a "pro" motorized, ceramic kitchen knife sharpener, and out of of desperation I TRIED using it on my oldest Gerber. Nope, can't barely fit the thick blade in the slots, and even so, the original bevel must be at too large of an angle. It looks like it tried to grind down a secondary bevel. I know that it cuts at 20 degrees.After research, watching sharpening methods using everything from sandpaper, to whetstones, to splash & go stones, to diamond bench sharpeners, I settled on this one for all my general sharpening. After trying to emulate the methods I had watched, I cannot believe it, but I already have had HUGE results! My oldest most damaged Gerber, pitted, dulled, etc.... After doing the work 10x slower than anyone else, I managed to restore the edge, get ride of the pitting AND properly sharpen the blade all on this stone... Didn't even use a coarser stone before hand to "repair the edge"... I got it to the point that it cuts through paper smoothly, through the full blade with no jagged tears... I do not have a proper way to strop the bevel off yet, so I did some horizontal blade sharpening pulls, alternating until the bevel pretty much was gone, and I used my work mat in place of a leather strop in the meantime until I can get one...It can't arm hair shave very well just yet, but I am sure until I can get more of the proper gear to remove the bevel and I work on my technique, I am convinced I will be able to get to that point. I watched a video of a guy sharpening a blade on this stone, and had such good technique, was able to shave his arm hairs straight away.I will get there! Meantime, fantastic bench stone! DO NOT BUY CHEAP DIAMOND STONES! Those are not made properly where the diamond is not ionized into the metal, and are just stuck on with adhesive, meaning it will wear down and rub off completely over time. This stone will last for years in comparison!

As a professional meat cutter, I've had to sharpen knives several times a day as part of my craft, thousands of times, over several years. Diamond stones weren't available when I was in the trade, but other quality stones were. After I received this stone and used it on a Mora Bushcraft, I was amazed with the smooth and even surface. The diamond surface cuts amazingly fast and even, and leaves the edge razor sharp in no time. This is a fine grit stone, but can fix minor damage on the edge with minimal effort. This is the best sharpening stone I've ever used, Period! (I also purchased the 6" diamond whetstone with holes, that's nothing like this stone, Not so good! )Pros: cuts fast, even, and smoothly. No oils to cleanup, use water as lubricant, easy cleanup, non clogging surface, guaranteed to stay perfectly straight and flat. Get a razor sharp edge in minutes with proper technique. Maintain edge with a few strokes as needed.Cons: pricey, not very portable, hard to use on table/bench tops. Needs to set on a block or buy the holder.SAFETY:Dull knives cause accidents: keep your knives sharp, and Never, Never cut towards yourself! Don't use your knives/tools for tasks they weren't intended for. Always think before cutting: knives can slice long and deep. Don't become a statistic.I recommend this Diamond StoneIf your serious about sharpening your knives, then the price shouldn't be an obstacle.

Use 6" course to shape knife edges then 8" fine to finish edges. Use mostly for kitchen knives and does great. Study and manage the sharpening angles for a super edge.

Every DMT stone I have gotten with the exception of the course has had significant quality control issues. Unfortunately, this one was no exception. There is significant grit contamination on the stone. (See pictures) I broke it in by sharpening about 5 or 6 kitchen knives I do not care about and made sure to get all of the loose diamonds off. Even after the break in period there is significant grit contamination. You can feel and even hear it when you pass over it with a knife. With that being said, it is still a good stone as long as you are not super concerned about grit progression and wanting a mirror polish (even then you can likely get the scratches out with a finer stone). It is a well made stone with significant weight to it and will undoubtedly last for years and years if you take care of it. If it wasn't for the grit contamination, I would definitely give it a 5 star review. It cuts fast, funny enough faster than even my DMT coarse stone, I think. I really like DMT stones despite the lack on outstanding quality control. They are good stones that will last forever and are well worth the money.