Review on 💎 Diamond Whetstone with Dual Grit - SHARPAL by John Hall

Model 8x3 purchased. Firstly, a very comfortable weight. When you pick up this thing, just KNOW it means business. I like the case/holder too. I only sharpen by hand, not on a bench, so I really want as much thickness as possible so my fingertips don't get in the way of the blade. This holder does just that, and I love that it doubles as a cover to keep out lint, hair, and more. The hinge is a real hinge with a pin, not just flimsy flexible plastic that will wear and break over time. "The space is there. Sharpening a few old stainless steel kitchen knives will usually do the trick. After the papers are knocked down, the interface looks pretty much as expected. Like all diamond inserts, this one cuts quickly. Even the hardest steel has to bow to this sharpener. Nice and flat. Flatness is very important for straight razors and also for knives, especially straight edge knives. Since you can't lap a diamond coated plate, it has to be really flat. My ruler pressed to the surface does not let daylight from below, from corner to corner, along the two diagonals and along the edges. If you sharpen a lot, diamond blades are NOT durable. None of those. If you sharpen a thousand facets on it, it will wear out. If you sharpen 20 ribs on it, it shouldn't be. So NO Diamond Plate deserves more than two stars for durability. Having just received this I would give it three stars based on the presumption of doubt. Diamond honing stones will NOT withstand high processing volumes. For high volume use you will need a good flat lapping pad and wet/dry sandpaper that can be changed leaving the pad flat. Or a lapping foil or synthetic stone that can be lapped as needed and gives off a lot of abrasive. So I have to give it three stars from a charity for a product I haven't worn yet. However, due to the size and weight, overall quality, and attention to detail, I give it 4 stars for durability. Maybe this won't prove me wrong, but I've worn out over a dozen DMT records and a lot of budget records, so we'll see. Ease of use and value I gave 5 stars. The size is good. DMT is too small for me. I typically use an 11" piece of sandpaper or lapping tape on 1" or 3/4" thick acrylic or 12" long balsa glued to it. I hate short dashes on a tiny rock. This plate is beautiful, wide and almost long enough to satisfy me. The corners are not cut. Fit and finish are first class. Therefore, despite the expected short lifespan, I give it a full 5 stars overall. It's just a really good product and I'm very happy to have it. I would love to see the diamond actually mixed into a bronze, aluminum or copper matrix to give it room to wear, applied maybe 1/8 inch thick. on a steel or nickel substrate. When the diamonds are gone, they're gone. They cannot be returned. But if the diamonds are mixed into a thick layer of matrix then much more wear can be obtained from it. A thicker layer will not work. If it's completely worn out, the surface will still fail and you'll never be able to sand it evenly. In fact, perhaps a 1/16 inch diamond matrix would be better. I didn't mess around when repairing or initially installing a bevel on a razor. For heavy work I use fast-cutting coarse materials. And so I will enjoy using the 325 grit side of this plate and yes, a few dozen rounds from the 1200 side before hitting Naniwa, Kuromoku or 9u round to bring the bevel home and prime it for progress . . Burning question: HOW LONG will I enjoy this? The time will show. Meanwhile I think this is a great product and PERFECT for a regular home knife sharpener. This boring $12 SS chef's knife doesn't stand a chance against a few dozen circles on each side of this beast. Soon it cuts like a chainsaw. The same applies to pocket knives. For real. Who wants to spend an hour mending a Buck pocket file on an Arkie when all you want to do is ruin the edge the first time you open it and use it, or spend all that time sharpening it and not wanting to use it? Respect for the thin edge? Hit that thing with your utility knives and it's done in under a minute.