Sharpening tip from a not-so-newbie

Hi,

I’m posting this in case it helps anyone else in a similar position (@mark68 – your recent post is related I think).

When I started woodworking a couple of years ago I was fortunate to be able to order a set of EZE-LAP diamond stones, and built a sharpening station like Paul’s. I bought a Veritas Mk 2 sharpening jig.

I never got on with this setup, never got anything really sharp. I got “sharp” but never really sharp.

I always started on coarse, went to fine, then super fine, then strop. It always started out promisingly but always went off somehow.

And I was never able to freehand sharp, ever.

I have never been entirely happy with my EZE-LAP stones.

I’ve been switching out my EZE-LAP stones for DMT stones one at a time, and seeing how I got on.

I’ve now switched out the last stone and my sharpening has been transformed.

I’m getting things SHARP, very quickly, and am now able to freehand sharpen. It’s not pretty like Paul’s but it is at least sharp!

I’ve realized after some googling around that my EZE-LAP superfine stone is defective. My sharpening on the coarse and fine stones is actually fine, but if I take the tool to the super fine it gets scratched and dull.

There are many (not lots though) people online reporting similar experiences, with both EZE-LAP and DMT.

So, my tip for anyone in a similar position: don’t just assume that your diamond plates are perfect, and that the problem is you. It might well be a faulty plate.

One more tip while I’m here: don’t go back to coarse every time, fine or superfine may well be enough if you don’t have any nicks in the edge.

Darren.