Which diamond stone do you use ?

[JSpill]

I know how this topic can get out of hand. I want to only hear from people that use diamond stones to flatten and sharpen chisels and plane blades. What brand of diamond stone do you use? Why do you like it? Please don't tell me about oil stones, water stones or machines used for sharpening. I'm trying to learn about an acceptable diamond stone system. I apologize if this request doesn't allow you to talk about your favorite way of sharpening. I simply don't want this topic to descend into an endless discussion of "The best way to sharpen chisels and plane blades is.....

[Strokes77]

DMT Diamond plates have been awesome for me.  the 8" x 3" versions.  I use Fine and Extra fine with honing micro bevel.  If you want to regrind a primary edge, get a course as well.

Finish on leather. Plenty good for the girls I run with.

[Handplanesandmore]

DMTdia sharp diamond stones.

Simon

[Bill Holt]

I started with the DMT.  I didn't know how to use them and damaged to some degree all three, course, medium, and fine.  Now I have the Trend combination 300 / 1000.  I follow that with a white Arkansas stone.

I believe the key is to NOT use a lot of pressure.

[hbmcc]

The DMT I started with quickly wore down to something finer than its 'fine' designation. ( I really hate their non-numbered grit designations, though it apparently makes no difference.) Now I use the back of the plate for one of my diamond pastes.

[cputnam]

I have DMT stones (8" x 3") from 8000 down to 120. The 120 will put some big furrows in your steel.

[AHill]

Atoma plates for me.  I used to use DMT Duo Sharp plates with the perforated plates.  They lost their aggressiveness pretty quickly, and the perforations sometimes caused issues catching corners of blades or chisels.  I mostly just use my diamond plates for flattening stones.  If I need rapid refreshing of an edge, I used sandpaper.

[Bibliophile 13]

I use the DMT solid-surface coarse stone for general sharpening (following up with Arkansas stones and a strop). I've been using the same one for a dozen years now. It's gotten a little slower at cutting over the years, but it still cuts steel surprisingly well.

I don't use a diamond stone for flattening. Flattening steel surfaces on diamond stones wears them out too quickly, and I get better results with sandpaper on a patten.

[AHill]

Flattening steel surfaces on diamond stones wears them out too quickly, and I get better results with sandpaper on a patten.

Did you mean flattening stone surfaces?

[Steve Friedman]

Did you mean flattening stone surfaces?

I think Steve meant flattening the backs of blades and I agree.

I use Atoma for water stones, but EZ Laps for blades.  There had been lots of discussion some time ago (not sure if it was here or SMC) about Monocrystalline vs Polycrystalline diamonds and one being better (or lasting longer) for abrading steel.  No recollection of which one was supposed to be better, but I'm guessing others will know.  At any rate, that's what prompted me to try the EZ Laps.  Plus they were relatively cheap.

But, I only them them for gouges (so I don't ruin my waterstones) and, even then, only sometimes.  Don't like the lack of feel.

Steve  (a different one)