Reply To: Sharpening on a budget?

I have the DMT 8×3 stones, and I use every bit of the 8×3 face of them. My assessment is that you are paying more, but you are paying for quality, customer service (if required), and permanency. I’ve heard the EZE-Lap stones are good, too, and not quite as expensive.

I cringe to think about sharpening on 6×2. Just not enough “runway”. If you go this route, you can sharpen blades wider than 2″ by turning them sideways, but I think that introduces potential for uneven wear.

Sandpaper isn’t a bad route to go getting started, and in my opinion, a continued requirement. You just need to procure a good flat surface to affix the paper to.

I keep 80, 150 and 220 grit sandpaper for conditioning and shaping of newly procured tools. I rarely use my course (200 grit?) stone, but jump to my fine (350 grit) and extra fine (800 grit) stones for final maintenance and honing.