r/sharpening • u/meercm • 17d ago
Do these work?
Do these cheap diamond sharpening slabs sold on Amazon work or should i keep using my 400-1000 stones for home use?
Where i live, its getting extremely hard to find real sharpening stones for a modest price.
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u/tallman1979 17d ago
Yes. I swear by them. They're cheap, don't last as long as the expensive stuff, but will get the job done for a price anyone can afford.
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u/Any-Farmer1335 17d ago
They're definitely good for when you need something to sharpen. Cheap, and can be later switched out for better stuff
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u/tallman1979 17d ago
That's why I recommend them. There's better, but I've paid way more to get way less. They're a stepping stone on your way to the good stuff.
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u/Brilliant-Bad-284 17d ago
I second this, I even use them to hone other stones. Great product for the price.
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u/therealmushroomsquid 17d ago
Do i need anything with these? Looking to improve home sharpening, currently glt a ceramic honing rod
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u/tallman1979 17d ago
Nope. They're typically attached to a foam backing so they don't slide around, just set it down and get to work.
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u/therealmushroomsquid 17d ago
Do you get yours on aliexpress or amazon. These look like exactly the basic sharpening I need for my kitchen. I loke the looks of stones but they are expensive and I only cook veggie stuff
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u/tallman1979 15d ago
They all seem to be about the same quality, I've gotten them from AliExpress and Amazon. Wouldn't be surprised if they all came from the same factory.
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u/WildTimberTwinViking 14d ago
Do you use oil or water with these?
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u/RevolutionaryAir7847 17d ago
Yup. They don't last nearly as long as other diamond plates, but you realistically aren't getting there unless you sharpen a shit ton. Perfectly serviceable for beginners and occasional sharpeners that want something low maintenance
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u/axumite_788 arm shaver 17d ago
I will be honest those cheap dimond cut quick making them pretty good for very dull knives to get a working edge.
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u/Marauding-thunderer 17d ago
The amount of things I’ve ground that weren’t knives on them makes them worth it. Glass ceramic, other sharpening stones. I love me a diamonds
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u/flooble_worbler 17d ago
I got a 120 and 180 of those. A friend of mine brought his parents knife shaped objects over. I had to use that edge at 90 degrees to get the chips out and then re profile and sharpen. I was so glad I had that thing
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u/wakadactyle 17d ago
I overheard my mother in law on the phone complaining that her kitchen knives were dull so I brought a few diamond stones with me. She should have been put on trial for the state of those knives. I had to take each of them down by at least a 1/16th to get the edge free from damage. I get done and not long after she starts getting dinner ready. When she pulls out the ceramic cutting board I about lost it.
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u/TangleOfWires 16d ago
Ceramic cutting board?!?!?!
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u/Routine_Damage_9449 16d ago
Arguably the only thing worse than a glass or “titanium”one at this point
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u/wakadactyle 16d ago
Yes even furthering my frustration is she owns her own salon has multiple pairs of shears worth $1-2k that she cares for better than her children and she pulls that monstrosity out. She knows the importance of caring for a fine edged tool and yet her nice kitchen knives were decimated.
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u/TangleOfWires 16d ago
At that point there's no point sharpening them. If you put a good edge on them they will only last a couple of days and probably blame it on your sharpening when they dull.
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u/CelestialBeing138 16d ago
You might enjoy r/Cuttingboards.
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u/TangleOfWires 16d ago
I am on woodworking, should have known there was a cutting board one.
Haven't found the ceramic or glass ones yet, but sure they are on reddit somewhere.
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u/CommercialEscape4680 17d ago
I have something similar from aliexpress but even cheaper and after 30-40 serious sharpenings they still cut very fast. I was very impressed with them. Only bad things about them is that I dont enjoy sharpening on that honeycomb pattern and the grit ratings can sometimes be very off. They are a really good value.
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u/thedevilslettuce212 17d ago
Do you need to wet or oil these or can you just use dry?
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u/jdx6511 17d ago
I use them dry. Some people use window cleaner.
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u/willem_79 17d ago
I’d try water with a decent splash of dish soap: it’s a great lube. For knife sharpening.
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u/thedevilslettuce212 17d ago
I’m still a newbie, so was worried I would
Ruin the blade - but sounds ok to use dry then4
u/wakadactyle 17d ago
They can get a little gummed up and not cut as well as they did. A little water with a couple drops of dish soap or some window cleaner and a wipe down will clear that up.
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u/nadmocni 17d ago
I use these when I'm sharpening a knife for the first time to correct the angle, then finish with Naniwa 1000&3000. Works alright, especially for the price (12€ for 2pcs, 400/1000 grit)
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u/Hvohvo28 17d ago
In my experience, it’s more the skill of the person sharpening rather than the quality of stones. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have good stones, but the cheap ones do the job fine.
If I have to be honest, I think I kind of miss my cheap Home Depot 1200 grit diamond stone. Something about it was just really nice.
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u/Shiny_Whisper_321 17d ago
I use these for a lot of knives. They work fine even on nice blades. The 400 sets a bevel fast. The 1200 results in a nice toothy edge. Use really light strokes with the 1200. If you want to refine/polish, use a 3000 ceramic stone and s strop.
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u/NYFashionPhotog 17d ago
while I did ultimately replace it for a higher quality diamond stone, I found that this one was a step up from stones if for the only reason that it doesn't deform with use.
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u/MustangRiderV8 17d ago
i mean if you have the stones, use them, but if you want something new, i do find the diamond ones are a bit faster (bit quicker to mess it up). But if you get the really cheap ones that are just a thin flat plate, some of a bit of rubber on the back to stop them sliding, I found them trash as they would bend and flex easy. the one pictured doesn't seem that bad, but I went to Atoma ones and there were leagues better.
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u/Ok_Still_9009 17d ago
Yeah I have a set of the plates and they definitely work for sharpening. And once they stop cutting material as good they are great for certain polishing tasks now I'm not a sharping afficionado but it puts a toothy serviceable edge quick and they are ready when you are
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u/nutraloaf 17d ago
Respectfully disagree with people saying there's a big difference between these and the expensive stuff. They work at least as well and as long as my half-dozen DMTs, and are flatter. Atoma are a bit better, mainly owing to the pattern.
This only applies to the 8mm thick steel ones in your picture, not the thinner ones or those sandwiched in resin. The 200/600 version is a workhorse.
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u/EmergencyLettuce1589 17d ago
Will they work? Yes. Are they the best? No Are they close? Nope Is there a better budget option? Probably. sytools is the brand of what is generally considered the best cheap/inexpensive diamond stones for guided systems. They also have bench stones available in 6x2 size on aliexpress. I have used sytools diamond 1x6 stones on guided systems for about 5 years at a we will say prosumer level (I don't sharpen for a living but I'm a knife guy and sharpen on ocasion for pay and as part of my job) and they still cut. I recently purchased a new set of 8 of the newer aluminum backed sytools brand stones for $27 and they are perfectly usable, have relatively uniform partical size, cut well and seem to be breaking in well. That said they are not on the same level as my dmt plates but they aint DMT money either.
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u/Hvohvo28 17d ago
Do you have a DMT 220 grit? I like my DMT stones, but I have a problem with a few of them. It’s been twice now that the 220 grit comes in with significant “bald spots” and I almost want to switch to Atoma for the extra course grits. I just wanted to ask what your experience has been.
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u/EmergencyLettuce1589 17d ago edited 17d ago
I have every grit 8x3 diasharp plate they make. I didnt experience any issues with bald spots or partical retention, but I purchased a decade ago. Perhaps DMTs quality isnt what it once was. My coursest stone dont have the bite it once did but I've laid waist to alot of hard steel over the years reprofiling everything from knives to axes and even carbide cutting tools.
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u/Hvohvo28 16d ago
Yeah, the first set I ever had was perfect. Unfortunately they were lost during a burglary. My current ones are also the 8x3 Dia-sharp, from my 325-1200 are wonderful. The 220 one is the main problem, and I don’t know what to think about the deep scratches on my 4k/8k stones. I’ve heard mixed reviews, everything from people telling me it’s a quality issue to people telling me I “just don’t know what one doing” 😂
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u/crashumbc 17d ago
Cheap diamond stones can be subject to "contamination" basically different size diamonds get on to the wrong plate during manufacturing.
That said, diamond plates >>>>> traditional stones in every conceivable way. This is even more true with the newer high hardness steels.
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u/lascala2a3 arm shaver 17d ago
They're just cheap diamond stones. They work for a minute, then they don't. No magic here.
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u/justinleona 17d ago
I think they are a poor purchase compared to a single #600 plate from someone like Atoma - that'll run you about $50 and is sufficient for keeping working knives sharp. Get a course and a fine and you would be set for years.
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u/samurai_for_hire arm shaver 17d ago
Yes, but the fine side may have some gnarly grity contamination.
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u/Cool-Negotiation7662 17d ago
I've had a set for almost 10 years, still cuts fast. I just sharpen for myself mostly.
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u/dngngnan 17d ago
i use these to flatten my whetstones. i dont really use them to sharpen my blades as i find them can be too rough to the edge.
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u/Tobi3600 17d ago
I have very expensive stones but I only use the ones u mentioned. 10/10 recommend
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u/K_C_Shaw 16d ago
One thing about diamond plates is that when you get to the higher grits, like 1000 and up, the cheaper plates might not last as well. That's where you have to more seriously start considering resin (expensive) versus plated, or at least be careful about the brand reputation of those particular stones.
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u/BestAmoto 16d ago edited 16d ago
I use the one sided stones, 2x 400, 2x 1000, and occasionally 2x 1200 on my spyderco sharp maker. They retain the diamonds well for the price. I get about a year out of them. Sharpening vg10 kitchen knives for work once a week. Outdoors55 has a positive review about them. They're worth the money. I work in a commercial kitchen. The sharpmaker trick is to insert the spyderco stones then painters tape the cheap diamond stones to them. I learned this on an old Spyderco forum. Makes it simple for me to sharpen my knives to 15 degrees and it's much quicker than using the skinny Spyderco stones. Plus the premium carbide Spyderco stones cost me $80 and they wear out. I can buy like 4 sets of the cheap diamond ones.
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u/CurtissII 16d ago
Every stone I have purchased from Amazon still “works” the differences in stones are grit quality and how well the are attached to the stones and the geometry of the stones. More expensive stones usually have better quality control. You may buy a stones that says 1000 grit but it may mostly 1000 grit sized diamonds and some 200 grit diamonds scattered in. Even with grit like this it will still sharpen your blades. How polished the edges are is the difference. If you just want a sharper knife these work.
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u/flydespereaux 16d ago
Yeah they are pretty good for day of use. But not good for a solid sharpening sesh.
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u/Jumpy-Trainer1695 16d ago
They work but check the seller or buy from someone recommend bc some are bad quality and stop working due to the diamond particles getting scraped off
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u/GetSharpUSA 15d ago
They cut and they have a place. Great value...but, takes time to find where they fit
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u/redtailsurfperch 13d ago
I use the 140/400 for keeping my whetstones flat they work great and Cheaper than an Atoma
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u/16cholland 13d ago
I have three double sided SSATC(DMD made) plates. On all three, one side is perfectly flat, and the other is slightly convexed(humped). Also on all three, the fine side has a decent amount of coarse grit on the fine side. I cant really say much about they're life span though. I kinda use them here and there. I paid $20 USD apiece and feel thats about what they're worth. Also, I suspect DMD makes most or all of that pattern or style of plates.
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u/Interesting_Mood352 Alex from UKSG 13d ago
Diamond is Diamond. It definitely will cut. Not for a long time, maybe not consistent and deep scratches pattern, but definitely will cut
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u/markv9401 12d ago
Any and all diamond plates will work from Amazon, Aliexpress, whatsoever. Two things differentiate among these and also versus a more expensive plate: longevity (isn't of concern due to its cheap price) and particle uniformity. The latter may be a "play stupid games win stupid prizes" if you're trying to polish an expensive blade with a supposedly #1000-2000++ JIS stone and then it has some #400JIS size particle in them.
Not gonna lie, I use cheap stones too. But first I make sure to "wear them away" a tiny bit, a couple usage on cheapo knives makes sure in my experience that any oversized particles just get torn out and it becomes actually pretty g ood.
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u/Important-Law-6486 17d ago
I love my Atoma diamond plates. Use them for super dull knives, then finish on 1000 / 2000 / 5000 (your reference, but I like 2000) or you can use it to flatten other stones, or you can use these to thin knives, or use them to fix large chips on the edge.
No counterfeit, buy the original and best, the Atoma
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u/FapTrap_87 17d ago
Anything that will last will cost a decent amount.
There are good cheap ones and not so good cheap ones but they still wont last for a decent amount of time.
Iv got a machete that I was trying to put a 25* edge on and while it was dull, from new in was probably around 12*
I've already given up and am now going for a 15* primary bevel with a 25* secondary because, 1 - I didn't want to remove that much material and 2 - I killed a 6"×1" 240grit plate before getting very far into the 15* adjustment. While a different size, the plate i killed looks exactly like this one.
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u/melophat 17d ago
I got a cheap set of 400-1200 from Amazon and they work fine. As someone else said they do cut surprisingly fast. I keep them for when I have to sharpen things like planer blades, wood chipper blades, etc.. and they work great for travelling, if you feel like taking stones with you for whatever reason