Credit Card Size Diamond Stone

Manteo · #1 03-31-2007, 08:52 AM

I know I have seen a post or two on the credit card size diamond stones, but can't seem to find them, so I apologize for revisiting this. Does anyone have experience using them? Would the extra-fine be a substitute for a leather strop if you are out and away from your tool kit?

Lynn O. Doughty · #2 03-31-2007, 10:19 AM

A leather strop polishes the blade where a stone, no matter what it is, will act as an abrasive. As for size, I think you want something you can anchor now firmly and draw your blade across it in an even manner. A small credit card size would really be hard to handle and wouldn't give you an even edge. If you need an emergency strop just use the inside of your belt.

Kenny_S · #3 03-31-2007, 11:26 AM

I have used the credit card size diamond stone for years, but it is glued on a piece of wood.

No, It isn't a subsitute for a leather strop. The extra fine diamond stone is an abrasive stone and does what it is supose to do, cyt the medal of a knife blade. The leather polishes the edge. two different applications.

Thomp · #4 03-31-2007, 01:03 PM

I was given a smith brand,\ sold at lowes, for fathers day couple years ago,
its 1" x 3 inches long and bout as dangerious to use as carving with a dull blade,

stick with what lynn said, a strop is easily made from a paint stur stick and a piece of pig skin from walmarts, ive made many.
but in emergency ive used the back of a tablet, my belt, side of my shoe, even a clean flat unfinished plank, will give you some benifit...
but using a diamond stone can wreck the fine polish you strive to achieve on your blades...

Kenny_S · #5 03-31-2007, 02:57 PM

Thomp, The Diamond Credit card size stone does a different job than the leather strop. About the fine polish finish, well just because it has a polish finish doesn't mean it is sharp. I use to think the exact same thing but have been shown that is isn't always true. A sharp not polished knife leaves the same type of burnish cut as the polish Mirrored finish one.
I have regrouped my thinking on sharpness and polished finish.
Just a little knowledge I learned from a professional knife maker. Thought I would pass it on.

Eddy Smiles · #6 03-31-2007, 09:21 PM

Ken... I have a set of Harbor Freight diamond stones, slightly larger than a credit card and originally adhered to a plastic backing. The glue or whatever they used has long since melted from the heat of my tool box. Now I have three loose diamond plates along with three pieces of colored plastic. What did you glue your stone down to the wood with or did it come that way?

Kenny_S · #7 04-01-2007, 09:59 AM

Harbor freight stone are good for what they do. I have a set but do not use them on my carving knives. Way to coarse even the fine grade ones. However, they make short order in sharpening a hoe shovel edge..
The Credit card size diamond hones are EZ-Lap, In fine and very fine grade.

I use plain old Elmers wood glue on several diamond hones and they are still glued down. Also have used Gorilla Glue. a little more messy but does the job. I use a smale C clamp and clamp the hone to the wood also.

Eddy Smiles · #8 04-01-2007, 05:51 PM

Ken... I agree. I generally follow-up with a couple of swipes across my DMT stone. Thanks for the glue recommendation. I've thought about mounting them to a strop sized piece of wood so that the fingers aren't in peril while sharpening but I just wasn't sure what to use to keep them in place!

Kenny_S · #9 04-01-2007, 06:20 PM

Safe way of going Eddy. There are other glues that will work and some may be better, Just used what I had on hand.

Eddy Smiles · #10 04-08-2007, 10:11 PM

Ken...

I tried your suggestion and as I mentioned added my own twist. I thought that I was going to be cute and after finishing the strop shaped backing drilled a 1/4" hole in each corner where the hone was to go. Then I mixed up some two part epoxy and filled each hole and then set the hone in place. When it cured it made for a very neat application. The only problem is that the first time that I dropped one (the yellow strop) the epoxy shattered and broke loose from the hone. So then I tried some Sumo glue and like you said, it was messy but it worked. I didn't want to redo the other two so I dug out some very small screws (used for attaching fishing lure hardware) and put one in each corner. Those suckers aren't coming off now. I just have to be careful when honing that I don't hit the screws with the tool blades. That shouldn't be a problem since all I use them for is sharpening carving tools.