How to choose diamond stones for sharpening knives

Of all the methods for sharpening chef knives, the manual method using sharpening stones is considered optimal. No electric or mechanical sharpener can handle this task as well as a skilled craftsman. The pressure force and intensity of manual sharpening are determined individually, which saves the cutting edge from removing too large a layer of metal shavings, and therefore premature failure. On a machine with high speeds, the risk of knife damage is much higher. When choosing the right sharpening tool, you need to study the grit chart to understand which stone will provide a flawless sharpness and smooth cutting edge.

Diamond stones for sharpening knives: types, marking of bars and sharpening

There are times when it becomes necessary to correct the cutting edge during hunting or fishing, to sharpen or remove the blade on a new or dead knife. A diamond whetstone will allow you to do this efficiently and easily, but only if you make the right choice (depending on the goal) and master the initial techniques of sharpening art.

A set of diamond stones for sharpening knives.

What is a “diamond stone”
Advantages
Flaws
How to choose
Markings and symbols
How to sharpen with diamond stones

Diamond whetstones: how to choose, how to sharpen?

- How do you sharpen your knives? - I have diamond bars! - Ah, you probably don’t know that they are not suitable for every knife...

(From a conversation with a blacksmith)

Quickly correct the sharpening of a knife while hunting or fishing, or sharpen the cutting edge on a newly made or completely ruined knife - with the help of a diamond stone you can do this easily and simply. Only two conditions...

You have chosen the right diamond stone for your tasks.
And he mastered the basic techniques of straightening and sharpening on diamonds.

Let's talk about this. The article will not contain any complex terms and concepts, for example, “deposition of diamond abrasive powder on the steel surface of a bar using an epoxy compound” or “holding diamonds using electrolytically deposited nickel”)). No, I'm not talking about that today.

The purpose of this material is to teach you how to choose a diamond stone to suit your needs and use it if necessary.

And to make our conversation easier, watch the comic video that we specially filmed for this purpose. Yes, this video is about diamond bars.

VIDEO: Diamond bars. The main thing is not to get carried away))

Well, now let's continue. What is a “diamond block”? Typically, this is a plastic or aluminum base on which two metal plates are fixed, on which abrasive diamond grains are planted and held using chemical methods.

Rice. 1 Structure of a double-sided diamond whetstone for sharpening and dressing knives

The great advantage of diamond whetstones is that even a “seasoned” whetstone that has seen dozens of knives remains absolutely flat. “What other advantages do these bars have?” you ask.

Please:

Diamond bars: advantages

Diamond abrasive grains have sharper edges compared to other abrasives and do not change their shape during operation.
Diamond stones are not brittle; they will not break under impact, like natural or artificial sharpening stones.
Sharpening with diamond stones does not require special oil - just lightly moisten it with water.
The diamond block will not become clogged when sharpening with particles of the knife being processed. To clean the bar, just rinse it in water and wipe dry with a rag or fiber.
Diamond whetstones grind down steel very quickly. This allows you to preserve the working surface (length) of the bar for a longer time compared to ceramics or natural abrasives.

But don’t rush to run to the store or surf the Internet to buy a diamond stone. These bars have two disadvantages that may be important to you:

Diamond bars: disadvantages

Effective grinding of knife steel during sharpening on diamond stones can lead to irreparable damage to the blade in inept hands.
And the second drawback is the “price”. Yes, diamond stones are somewhat expensive compared to natural abrasives, since the technology for producing good (read branded) diamond stones is quite expensive. And prices usually start at 800 rubles (11/02/2016). Have you seen it cheaper? Avoid this block! After 5-10 sharpenings it will be bald - you’ll have to throw it away, but you don’t want that, do you?

We’ll fix your hands now)) – more on that below. And the second drawback, “price,” is more problematic to correct. Everything is in your hands here. Sorry for the pun.

Diamond bars: designation and marking

But first, let's learn how to choose a diamond stone. Have you seen their designation? Look: 2500/2000, 2000/1600, 1600/1250, 1250/1000, 1000/80, 800/630, 630/500, 500/400, 400/351, 315/250, 250/200, 200/160, 160/125, 125/100, 100/80, 80/63, 63/50, 50/40, 40/28, 28/20, 20/14, 14/10, 10/7, 7/5, 5/ 3, 1/0.

Confused? Nothing complicated really. These designations are adopted according to GOST 9206-81 (diamonds) and are divided into:

12345 — Diamond bars for repair work associated with intensive metal removal, namely, restoration and change in the shape and profile of the blade and cutting edge.
12345 — Diamond bars for removing traces of roughing operations, grinding and basic sharpening work, namely obtaining the specified parameters of the blade and cutting edge.
12345 — Diamond bars for removing grinding from the blade surface, finishing sharpening and finishing of cutting tools.
12345 — Diamond stones for straightening cutting edges and polishing surfaces.

Now fine? And the marking is deciphered as follows, for example, “125/100” means that on this side of the bar there are diamond grains of at least 100, maximum 125 microns.

Usually, the manufacturer puts a mark on the bars (on both sides), which indicates its grain size. Like this:

Rice. 2 Diamond stone marking

Considering that we are talking about double-sided diamond bars, you understand that one side is intended for rougher sharpening operations, the other for straightening and polishing the cutting edge.

"Cool! One diamond block for two operations! - you exclaim.

Yes, that’s right, “two in one”. As a rule, the greenish side of the bar is rougher, and the brown side is thinner. If there is no marking, you can feel it tactilely with your fingernail, or take a magnifying glass and feel it visually.

Universal diamond stone

Now, listen to the advice of experienced people. A diamond block with one side marked “100/80” and the other “50/40” covers 99% of sharpening operations. Believe me, this bar will be enough!

Do you have little experience in sharpening operations or is there no need to sharpen the cutting edge before planing the hair? Buy this particular block! He will always be with you. Put it in your backpack when going “out into nature”, take it with you when hunting and fishing – a universal diamond whetstone will give sharpness to your knife while cutting up a wild boar carcass, a rich catch, or when slicing food in the kitchen.

Do you make your own knives? Or is sharpening knives your hobby? Use our “Abrasives Table” to select diamond or other stones to suit your needs.

Rice. 3 The table of abrasives will help you navigate when choosing a sharpening material to suit your needs

Download it in high resolution from this link.

How to sharpen with diamond stones?

We have more or less figured out the choice of diamond stone. If anything, write to me by email. I'll help you with advice. Let’s start “editing our hands,” namely, competent sharpening on diamond stones. The rules here are simple and strict. I'll list everything at once:

Before sharpening, wet the diamond stone with water. You can put a drop of detergent on the bar, for example, Fairy (not advertising).
During the sharpening process, after every 15-20 movements, wash off the resulting emulsion from the block under running water and continue.
Tired? Decided to have a smoke break? Place the block in a bowl of water for a while.
When you sharpen a knife, do not hold the block in your hands. It is better to place it on a wooden plank with a slight stop so that the block does not slide on it.
It is allowed to hold the block in your hand when editing a knife in field conditions. But watch your fingers! Even if your knife becomes dull, it will still be able to cause severe cuts to your fingers.
When sharpening, try to use the entire surface of the block, rather than sharpening the knife along one edge or in the middle of the block. In this case, the diamond layer on the block will be ground down evenly.
There is no need to press hard on the knife during the sharpening process - this is perhaps the most important rule! With strong pressure, you will break out abrasive crystals from the surface of the stone, which is not very good. And you can simply ruin an expensive diamond block.
The last rule is most relevant for a new (newly acquired) diamond stone, which you first have to “break in” or grind in.

Remember that a new diamond stone will initially remove steel more aggressively, but will begin to lose that aggressiveness with each knife sharpened. This is normal. After sharpening 5-10 knives, the diamond bar will reach its intended condition and will serve and delight you for many years.

Now let's start practicing. I won’t talk about how to initially mark the cutting edge on a newly made knife. A lot has been written about this on various knife forms. And there are special devices. But if you have come to this, then most likely you already understand sharpening with diamond and other stones.

And if you are just learning the basics, then a video on how to correct the sharpening of a knife on a diamond whetstone will be useful for you. Look:

VIDEO: Dressing a knife on a diamond stone

Where to buy double-sided diamond stones?

Did you like the article? Did you get anything useful from it?

Let's move on to shopping! Here is a link to the section of the online store where diamond stones are sold. And not just any stones, but diamond stones of good quality (branded, branded) and from a Russian manufacturer. All of them have been tested not only by us, but also by hundreds of buyers who have never expressed a negative opinion about them. Read the reviews on these product pages:

Diamond whetstones in the online store Zlatoust knives

PS Did you notice that there are two sizes of diamond stones? 200x35x10 and 120x35x10 . Personally, I recommend taking a larger size. Why? It's just more convenient to sharpen! Small bars are more convenient to take with you on a hike or hunting due to their light weight and size. And if you sharpen at home, then doing it on a large block is more comfortable.

PSS Do you remember the excerpt from the conversation with the blacksmith at the beginning of the article? So, knowledgeable people do not recommend using diamond stones for sharpening and straightening knives made of cast damask steel.

This is due to the fact that... (I’ll write soon).

Feel free to sharpen knives made of other steels on diamonds! Good luck!

Natural whetstones

Arkansas stone (scientific name: novaculite)

The state of Arkansas is considered its homeland, hence the name. It consists of small quartz crystals with sharp edges, naturally compressed. It is these edges that remove metal in a thin layer with precision accuracy, performing high-quality sharpening.

It is mined in deposits, the number of which can be counted on the fingers of one hand. This process is expensive, which justifies the high cost of the products. Craftsmen use such devices; in order to properly sharpen a knife with a novaculite whetstone, experience is required. The sharpening technology involves wetting the surface with oil.

What is a knife sharpening machine?

Many people by a machine for sharpening knives mean all sorts of homemade sharpening units. In fact, sharpening knives with such sharpeners is extremely undesirable. With just a few sharpenings, a homemade knife sharpening device can ruin any knife to such an extent that all that remains is to throw it away.

It is better to purchase a factory-made knife sharpening device. With its help, knives are sharpened quickly and reliably, to a razor-like state. In addition, with the help of such a device you can easily make the desired sharpening angle. True, a factory-made device for sharpening knives costs a lot, more than 7 thousand rubles.

Advantages and disadvantages

A housewife in the kitchen will hardly need such a sharpening element. Diamond stones are used in special “Edge Pro” type sharpeners. Or they sharpen it manually, having a trained hand in such a craft. Diamond stones have many positive characteristics:

for sharpening, no additional lubrication with oils is required; just moisten the block a little with water ;
cleaning the sharpening product after work is done by simply rinsing in running water, wiping with a cloth - the stone is ready for storage ;
they are not afraid of falls or small impacts , unlike the listed analogues;
the block does not change its shape after several dozen sharpened knives. The diamond grain has sharp edges and does not change its shape;
fast grinding of metal , allows you to do the work in a few movements;
Compared to other abrasives, the surface remains in working condition longer .

The rigidity and durability of a diamond knife sharpener is a key advantage of the product. But it has some small disadvantages:

The price of the product is not budget . Growing artificial diamonds in laboratories is a painstaking and time-consuming task, requiring special equipment. It is clear that a block of natural diamond will cost the same as an average car. The price of diamond abrasive of standard sizes 150x25x5x2 fluctuates around 2000-3000 rubles. Depends on the percentage of mineral, grain size and manufacturer. The composition of the ligament plays a significant role.
There is a possibility of damaging the knife . In this case, the proverb applies: make a fool pray to God - he will hurt his forehead. She'll be right on point. Having no experience working with diamond stones, you should try experimenting with cheap blades. Too much pressure and an incorrectly chosen sharpening angle can lead to irreparable damage to the product.
Quantity of diamond chips from different manufacturers.

Unscrupulous manufacturer . No one is immune from such a turn of events. Insufficient purity of the bond, violation of the technological process, incorrect granulation of diamond powder and other errors.

Lead to rapid abrasion of the coating. But such a manufacturer does not stay on the market for long. And those who have proven themselves have earned gratitude for many years.

Cons: Really not very convincing. It is necessary to treat any business responsibly. And counterfeits or defects are accompanying negative elements in any production. A manufacturer that values its reputation will definitely make a return and apologize for the inconvenience.

Flaws

It would seem that if a diamond whetstone for sharpening knives has so many advantages, why doesn’t everyone rush to quickly purchase it or use it exclusively. Everything is very simple, these abrasives have two significant disadvantages, which play an important role for sharpeners:

quick and productive grinding of metal during sharpening in the hands of a beginner, and in some situations, even in the hands of a master, a little carelessness can seriously damage the blade;
Another minus is the price. Diamond bars are worth an order of magnitude higher than natural stones. The reason for this is the expensive production process. Therefore, if you see inexpensive diamond bars on sale, avoid them. After a few sharpenings, such a diamond sharpener will turn into a pile of garbage.

What is the grit of a whetstone?

The grain size (or in other words, “gritness”) of the bars used for sharpening knives shows how many particles of abrasive substance are located on 1 cm 2 of the surface of the bar. This value ranges from 80 to 10,000 grit. The higher the grit, the smoother the bar and the smaller the abrasive crystals.

Bars with a small grain size are used for the initial processing of a cutting object, since they remove a thick layer of metal due to large particles. It is advisable to use them in cases where the blade is very dull or the cutting edge has crumbled.

Sharpening stones with a higher grit index are more gentle on metal. They are used for finishing the blade. When sharpening a knife, if you have several whetstones with different grits and use them in increasing order of grit, you can make the knife incredibly sharp.

Compliance with the rules of sharpening knives

To properly sharpen a knife, you need to know and strictly follow the rules for sharpening it:

It is necessary to strictly maintain the sharpening angle of the knives. A knife for a special application should have a sharpening angle of approximately twenty degrees. If this is a universal knife, then the sharpening angle can be greater (from 30 to 40 degrees). The sharpening angle largely depends on the quality of the steel of the knife blade. If the steel is of high quality, then sharpening can last a long time. Usually, kitchen knives are not sharpened at a small angle; for them, they try to maintain a larger angle;
There is no need to press hard on the knife while sharpening. The strength when sharpening does not matter, but the sharpening stone very quickly fails;
Before you start sharpening a knife, you need to wash the block with water diluted with some detergent;
During the sharpening process, the blade should slide along the block, and not vice versa. Moreover, strictly from yourself, and not in the reverse order, and also not in the “back and forth” sequence. One side of the knife is sharpened until a so-called burr appears on the cutting edge. After it has appeared, the second side of the blade is sharpened in exactly the same sequence;
After sharpening the knife on a coarse stone, it is recommended to complete the sharpening process on a fine-grained stone. The sharpening process in this case is the same.

If this is a kitchen knife, then after sharpening on a fine-grained stone, the process can be considered complete. If this is a more “serious” knife, then after using a fine-grained stone, the blade will have to be polished on the skin, using GOI paste.

Preparing bars for work

Why prepare the bars for work?

The vast majority of buyers want a whetstone product that is ready to use out of the box. In fact, having bought a printer cartridge in a store, we simply insert a black box into the printer. Without unnecessary movements - we don’t pour powder into it, we don’t saw off or drill anything in this box. We even buy the sharpening stone’s closest friend, the file, take it out of the box and start using it. Sharpening stones are very different from other consumables and tools, as they require preparation after purchase.

From the point of view of most buyers, this seems strange. The need to prepare whetstones for work causes irritation and despondency, especially for those new to sharpening. Many people are willing to pay more for a bar that is completely ready for use. However, the opinion of the sharpening community is unanimous: everyone should prepare stones themselves .

There are many objective reasons for this. First of all, let's list what kind of preparation we are talking about.

Leveling is bringing a curved working surface to a plane.
Finishing – creating a smoother roughness.
Opening/resurfacing - removing the top layer of the block in order to renew the abrasive.
Chamfering is the removal of sharp edges of a block.

We do not consider such obvious steps as soaking the stones, applying coolant and cleaning the whetstones, since these are actually sharpening stages where the whetstone manufacturer will not help in any way. But why do manufacturers refuse to do the above 4 preparation points?

Reason 1: You'll have to do it anyway.

You bought a perfectly smooth, finished, opened block with chamfers removed. We've sharpened several knives... and your bar is greasy - it needs to be cheered up. After a few more knives, the block is no longer perfectly level - it needs to be leveled. Having leveled the block, it needs to be finished and chamfered again. You will inevitably have to learn to do all 4 operations yourself.

Reason 2. Many people don’t need it.

If you're reading this, chances are you're a fan of careful sharpening. You try to improve your skill, use high-quality whetstones and the most precise sharpener. But there are people nearby for whom “average” sharpening is enough. They use the bars without any preparation - unaligned and unfinished, and guess what? They get a result that suits them completely.

Reason 3. The bars live their own lives.

Believe it or not, the geometry of some sharpening stones changes on its own, even when the whetstones are not used. A block may come out of production perfectly smooth, but then it begins to live its own life. Internal stresses in the material begin to slowly bend and twist the block. Minute by minute, day by day, and after a few months the curvatures are already visible visually. There is nothing you can do about this except level the block again.

Reason 4. The degree of fine-tuning is a purely individual matter.

There are no rules regarding the degree to which any natural stone should be finished. The same polished stone can be rejected by two sharpeners for opposite reasons: one will say “too rough”, the second “over-smoothed”. RuChef polishes natural stones with M28 grinding powder (about F 600). Bars with such finishing can confidently produce a mirror-like cutting edge, and if necessary, they can be finished more finely.

Basic Skills

Learn to check the plane of the bars with high accuracy and do this regularly. Get a straight edge or measuring ruler, or at least a metal ruler. Check the bars for light. Remember that a dry and wet block may show different planes.

Do not trust the folk methods of “slap-slap block to block” and “look along the block at the sun.”

Alignment

If the block shows a gap, do not hesitate - straighten it immediately. The simplest and most universal method is Silicon Carbide Powder on Glass. Regardless of the type of block you want to level, use the coarsest QC powder you have at your disposal. For leveling, we sell powders F 60 and F 120. Apply a pinch of KK powder and a little water to the glass. You should apply a grid on the block with a pencil - it will be an indicator that you are doing everything correctly. After moistening the block in water, place it on the glass and move it in chaotic movements or “figure eights”. Don’t be afraid of the grinding grain grinding against the glass; the louder the grinding, the grain works better there. Your CC degrades very quickly, breaking down into small fractions. To prevent your whetstone from being “infected” with fine-grained silicon carbide, try to wash off the degrading grinding grain from the glass and add fresh one. Always make sure that the sanding grit is always wet.

Over time, your glass will lose its flatness. (Because silicon carbide is harder than glass.) Check your glass from time to time with a straight edge. If the crooked glass is not replaced in time, it will become a matrix for stamping crooked bars.

Do not align crooked bars against each other. They will remain crooked, but they will “infect” each other. Try not to use special leveling stones - they are extremely short-lived and will also have to be leveled.

Avoid glasses with rims. Despite the apparent cleanliness of the process (all the dirt remains inside), such glasses wear out faster (movements only in the center), they are more difficult to clean (contamination with degrading CC).

Finishing

Leveling the block is only half the battle. Medium and high-grit bars, after leveling, will have a very rough surface, riddled with scratches from coarse abrasive powder. Finishing is the process of creating a smoother surface by removing scratches. For finishing we use fine-grained silicon carbide powder. Which faction should you choose? There are a few simple rules for this.

Varieties

The whetstones are divided into several types depending on the galvanic bond, which can be soft or hard. Each of them has distinctive properties and is suitable for certain jobs. The service life of products may also vary.

On a soft organic bond

Venevsky whetstones with a soft organic bond are a new product that is widely used for sharpening steel blades. For handmade we produce blocks of the following sizes (mm):

200 x 83 x 10;
120 x 35 x 10;
200 x 35 x 10.

To use a block in a sharpener, it must first be sawn. Products for machine tools with dimensions of 150 x 25 mm have already appeared on the modern market. When purchasing such an assistant, the need for sawing is eliminated.

The bars have a soft organic base and are characterized by the presence of a uniform coating, the thickness of which is at least 3 mm. This is a high-quality abrasive that provides effective sharpening. In terms of their properties, the products are very similar to standard stones intended for the same purposes. Diamond crystals protrude slightly above the surface; they are directly embedded in the soft binder. Compared to galvanic-based bars, where diamond chips are simply interspersed, such varieties work more gently with metal. The risks remain shallow. In addition to the fast and efficient operation of the device, it is also easy to level. During the sharpening process, the properties of the consumable tool are observed to be preserved for a long time; according to user reviews, up to 5 years.

On a solid galvanic bond

Bars with a solid galvanic bond have a more rigid structure. The production material is ferromagnetic, so the use of products on sharpeners with magnets is not recommended. The use of bars is allowed if the blade is fixed manually on the sharpener table.

The crystals do not need to be aligned; after purchasing a sharpener, you can immediately use it for work. The use of Venev devices is recommended to replace the most expensive abrasives when sharpening simple knives at home. The whetstones have high productivity, which ensures quick and comfortable sharpening of the blade. They are characterized by long service life and abrasion resistance. If the efficiency of the device decreases, it is recommended to soak it in an acid solution.

Products made from a solid galvanic bond have a low cost, which guarantees their availability to a wide range of buyers. Whetstones are used not only for sharpening blades. With their help, a suspension is applied to other sharpening stones or its flaws are trimmed.

There are several disadvantages to this type of block. If the device is bent, it can only be straightened by bending the plate on which the coating is applied. During operation, there is a gradual actuation of fragments, as well as their falling out of the bundle, which leads to a loss of the initial effectiveness of the tool. Crystals may protrude unevenly above the surface if improperly manufactured or during operation. If individual particles are released, they will leave deep cuts on the surface during the sharpening process.

A little theory

The modern process of sharpening a cutting edge is conventionally divided into three stages: roughing, sharpening, finishing. Accordingly, sharpening stones/stones of various grain sizes are used for metal processing: coarse-grained, medium-grained and fine-grained.

The concepts of hard, medium and soft whetstones/stones also apply. The concept of grit is the size in microns of crystals (grains) that remove metal layer by layer.

Coarse-grained bars are designed for rough work: they inaccurately process the blade, removing metal in large fractions. Fine-grained stones grind down the irregularities left by a larger stone, thereby bringing the cutting edge to perfection.

When working with some stones, it is necessary to moisten them with water or oil.

This is due to two reasons:

There are samples of stones/bars that work extremely inefficiently without lubrication and wear out quickly. When a cutting edge rubs against a stone, the water between them is a kind of reagent that forms a suspension with the abrasive. Thanks to this very suspension, the block grinds off the metal. A striking example of such stones are Japanese water stones.
When metal rubs against the surface of the whetstone, particles of stone and metal clog the pores of the whetstone, reducing its abrasive ability; the flow of water washes away excess dirt, keeping the working surface of the sharpening whetstone intact. It should be noted that the abrasive, when sharpened dry, can scratch the polish of the blade, which is also not very good.

Best Knife Sharpening Stones for 2022

The domestic market is represented by a large variety of sharpening stones. However, according to experienced users, it is best to use water stones for sharpening kitchen knives. This is due to the fact that they are perfect for processing even hard steel and provide the maximum level of sharpness of the sharpened tools and utensils.

When choosing a sharpener, you need to pay attention to the degree of its grain size. In order to recognize it, you need to familiarize yourself with the markings, which, as a rule, are applied to the edges of the bar. In addition, such markings, which indicate the grit level of the sharpener (measured in grits), must be indicated directly on the packaging itself in which the whetstone is sold.

Where can I buy? You can purchase a sharpening stone for kitchen knives in online stores by placing an online order. In addition, sharpeners that are sold on a popular Internet resource called Ali Express have recently become very popular among domestic consumers. This is due to the fact that the products presented on this site are of low cost and acceptable quality.

Set of diamond sharpening stones GANZO G501

Everyone knows that working with a sharp knife is more pleasant and easier than working with a dull one. You can use a hand whetstone to sharpen it, but this requires certain skills. It’s easier, and sometimes faster, to use a sharpening machine.

Such a machine is a clamp in which a knife is clamped, and the sharpening bars move along guides, allowing you to maintain a constant sharpening angle.

Previously, the GANZO company had in its assortment sharpening machines with abrasive whetstones. Now a model has appeared with four diamond blocks of different grain sizes.

The set is a bright plastic box, inside of which there are all the elements: a screwdriver, a handle, 4 bars, a clamp, a base for the handle, oil.

The instructions are pasted on the bottom of the package.

Inside the package, although everything is laid out in its own compartments, during transportation the instruments still move and rattle.

The diamond bars are mounted on a plastic base with grooves for better retention. A metal pin protrudes from one end, which does not have a lock and can be removed. Unfortunately, there is no bend at the end of the pin and it can be removed from the guide during operation. The pin in the bar is held in place by rubber seals in the hole.

The bars come in four types of grit: 360, 480, 600 and 800. As you can see, there is no very fine bar to give a mirror shine. The 480 grit whetstone has a groove for sharpening fish hooks.

The clamp in which the knife is clamped consists of two aluminum halves fastened with 2 screws. The screws allow you to clamp even a knife with slopes from the butt. 2 plastic guides with different angles are attached to the clamp to select the correct position. Available in 10, 14, 17, 23, 28, 33 degrees.

When sharpening a knife, the manufacturer recommends using oil - a bottle is included. It is necessary to increase the service life of the bars, so that they clog less and slide better along the knife blade.

The machine can be mounted on a plastic handle, which, in turn, can be attached to a stable working surface. But you can sharpen a knife without it, simply holding the clamped knife by its handle.

The process of sharpening and assembling the set is shown in the video below. But I think everything can be seen quite clearly in the photo.

I would probably classify the disadvantages of the set as:

— lack of fixation of the guide spoke in the block;

— the guide spoke does not have a limiter at the end (because of this, it sometimes flies out of the guide if you get carried away);

— plastic guides for setting angles (although there is no power load on them, metal is still more reliable);

— the red pen included in the kit looks very flimsy.

Pros:

— large selection of sharpening angles;

— good delivery set;

— quite a budget set;

— the ability to clamp almost any blade (even with a release from the butt).

Review for the Fonarik.com blog.

Author serj_32. Any use of materials is permitted only with the written permission of the author.

3 comments

Christinareply May 5, 2016 2:19 pm

Pebbles. I'm so glad to see you. I gave the set to my husband. Although, maybe not only him, because my knives are now sharper than anything else. And, it should be noted, I myself was able to figure out how everything works, although my husband says that I have hooked hands. Overall, great stuff.

Vladreply 13 May 2016 16:39

Good sharpener. I tried sharpening ceramic knives and was pleasantly surprised by the results.

Victorreply 24 May 2016 16:09

Good sharpener. Not only does it sharpen perfectly. It also doesn’t take up much space during storage.

Device for sharpening knives at home

However, a high-quality device with which to sharpen knives at home can be made with your own hands. It's not that difficult. A drawing for such a device can easily be found on the Internet.

You can find instructions on the Internet for making two homemade knife sharpening devices. One device in its design resembles a branded Lanski sharpener. Another attachment is very similar to the Edge Pro Apex model. The first sharpener is easier to make than the second, but on the second model you can sharpen a knife faster and with better quality.

Description

Venevsky diamond whetstone size 200x25x10 mm on an organic binder, diamond concentration 100%.

on one side: 100/80 microns (this is approximately 160 grit) on the other side: 50/40 microns (this is approximately 320 grit)

The dimensions of the bar allow it to be used with Profile sharpening systems

Manufacturer: Venevsky plant (VeAl)

Additional Information:

Grain size: how to choose bars?

Stone 200/160 – 160/125 microns: Designed for peeling and repair work when a lot of metal needs to be removed. Used to correct or change the geometry of the blade.

Stone 100/80 – 50/40 microns: Designed for sharpening, eliminating traces of abrasion, and minor damage to the blade.

Stone 20/14 – 7/5 microns: Designed for finishing and removing sharpening marks. Gives the knife an aggressive cut. It is especially important for imparting sharpness and durability to blades made from steels with low carbon content.

Stone 3/2 – 1/0 microns: Used for polishing RC and removing sharpening marks. Polishing is especially important for imparting sharpness and durability to hard, high-carbon steels.

How does the concentration of diamonds affect the performance of the stone?

Concentration is a measure of the number of diamond grains (carats) in a bond. With increased concentration, the abrasive ability of the bar improves.

The higher the % concentration, the faster the bar works and the less wear it wears. The lower the % concentration, the slower the bar works, the more accurate and softer it is.

Do I need to lubricate the bars before work? It is not recommended to use oil when sharpening - the bars quickly become greasy. You can work “dry”. Some craftsmen use water or soap solution when working with abrasives.

How to clean the bars after work? Craftsmen advise cleaning the bars with a pumice stone or a brush under running water. You can use diamond powder or diamond paste.

What is it like?

A diamond stone is a plate of a certain thickness with an aluminum base, on which a layer of synthetic diamond powder is applied. The latter is usually supplemented with a bakelite binder, its concentration varies from 25 to 100%. The spray layer is perfectly smooth. The crystals protrude strongly above the surface, but are firmly fixed on the block.

The hardness of diamond occupies a confident leadership position among ten standard abrasives - class 10 out of 10 on the Mohs scale.

Venev diamond bars ensure the fastest possible removal of the metal layer from the surface being treated. They are used for sharpening and finishing polishing of any cutting tools - knives, axes, scissors, razors, chisels. The abrasive tool is ideal for straightening the cutting edge of all types of steel products, including high-alloy and tool ones. It is also suitable for sharpening ceramic knives. If we compare special devices and other abrasives, Venevsky bars have a larger number of cutting points and the distance between them on the working surface - which is why they are several steps ahead in terms of processing quality and the final result. One side can sharpen an average of 200 to 1000 knives, which is beyond the capabilities of similar products offered by other manufacturers.

Characteristics of whetstones and recommendations for their selection

A sharpening stone can be synthetic or natural, made of silicon, aluminum oxide, or diamond-coated. There are also water and oil stones for sharpening cutting surfaces.

The most popular manufacturers of whetstones are the USA, Russia, China and Japan. The standard surface grain parameters of a tool in the latter country are recognized throughout the world and are considered an accurate indicator of its effectiveness.

The price of sharpening stones varies - from 116 rubles to infinity. If we take the optimal price-quality ratio of the product, then its cost will be 3-6 thousand rubles.

Stone for dressing water stones

When using water stones, irregularities form on their surface, which impairs the quality of sharpening knives and other cutting tools; you can correct them:

But it is easier and faster to sharpen the sharpening tool with special stones - synthetic water stones with diagonal cuts along the surface of the same depth. They can be hand-held or tabletop. In the first case, straightening is carried out with a stone with cuts, in the second, the damaged whetstone is ground/straightened on a fixed one.

The most popular stones for dressing water stones: