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Diamond whetstones can be an expensive investment to sharpen your knives, which can lead some people to look for cheaper products. How do you know which stones are worth their money and how low the price should be before the quality is compromised? Our diamond stone buyer's guide will help you choose the right stones at the right price.
Diamond whetstones can be expensive, but cutting stones offer better value than cheap stones. High quality diamond stones like Atoma last longer and outperform most other diamond stones available. The durability, longevity, and potency make these stones a worthwhile proposition!
If you're undecided about which diamond stones to buy, or even if you should even consider diamond stones at all, our buying guide can help you make the decision anyway!
If you are interested in checking out the best diamond sharpening stones (atoma), you can find them by clickingHere(Amazon-Link).
Are diamond whetstones worth it?
When you consider the price of diamond stones you may be wondering if they are worth it and if you should go for traditional water stones.
We can convince you that diamond stones are definitely worth it. However, you need to make sure you get what you pay for and choose the right stones for a good sharpening experience.
As with most purchases, you get what you pay for; So unless you have the budget for a decent set of diamond stones, it's better to save up for a good set than settle for a cheaper option.
The main reasons why diamond stones are worth their price are as follows.
- Efficiently cut diamond stones
The effectiveness of the diamond abrasive speeds up most grinding jobs. This means that extensive repairs to a knife edge or direct sharpening are completed in less time.
- Diamond stones are durable
The durability of the diamond abrasive in the stones makes quality diamond stones much more durable and long-lasting than most other traditional sharpening stones.
- Diamond stones do not work
Traditional whetstones wear unevenly and take on a hollow or cupped shape over time. When this happens, they need to be flattened. That doesn't happen with diamond stones. Therefore, they do not need to be flattened.
- Diamond stones are easy to clean
Diamond stones are non-porous which means they will not absorb lubricants used in sharpening. This makes cleaning the stones after use as easy as washing with warm soapy water and drying.
- Diamond stones are easy to store
Diamond stones are not affected by temperature changes like normal sharpening stones. Conventional sharpening stones can crack or break when subjected to sudden temperature changes or wide temperature ranges.
These advantages of diamond whetstones are the qualities that have made them so popular with knife owners and even home knife owners who want to do their own sharpening.
TOP:If you're not sure what diamond whetstones are for and want to learn more about how to store and clean them, check out the ultimate guide in the article below:
Who Makes the Best Diamond Cutting Stones?
There are several manufacturers of high quality diamond stones, but the cost of these stones is prohibitive for the amateur knife sharpener.
Recently, the cost of diamond stones has come down, largely due to their rising popularity. That's good news for knife owners, because quality stones are now more affordable.
Reducing the price of the best quality diamond stonesconstrictedthe price difference between good stones, medium stones and cheap stones. This has clouded the waters and raised doubts among new buyers of diamond whetstones.
Fortunately, our knowledge and experience can assist you in choosing the right diamond stones for your sharpening needs.
We will offer what we consider agood qualityDiamond stone set, a mid-range stone set and a cheaper diamond stone set. Let's compare the three variants and give our recommendation.
Best Quality Diamond Stones for Knife Sharpening
Our range of high quality diamond stones is a line of products called Atoma diamond stones manufactured by the Japanese company Tsuboman.
Tsuboman products, especially Atoma diamond stones, are known for their superior quality and attention to detail in manufacturing.
The precision with which stone surfaces are produced creates a high degree of uniformity across the entire surface of the stone.
Another great feature of these stones is that the diamond surface plate can be replaced without having to buy the base plate again.
The advantage of this set is that you get 4 high quality stones that cover a wide range of sharpening needs. These stones are the most durable of the selection and can easily last up to 10 years.
- The number of bricks in the set:1 x 140 grit,1 x 400 grit,1 x 600 grit, z1 x 1200 Grit(Link from Amazon).
- Steinmaße: Each stone is 8 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 0.47 inches thick.
- weight of stone: Each stone weighs 1.64 pounds.
- backing board material: Machined aluminum.
- Diamond type: Monocrystalline.
- Is a stone stand included? Yes, a stone pad is included that provides a secure anchorage while sharpening.
- Diamond density and uniform spread: Great
- durability: High durability
- Country of Manufacture: Japan
The price of these diamond stones may seem a bit high but compared to the quality of the product compared to other diamond stones and the durability of the stones, the price is worth it.
We highly recommend these stones and if they're within your budget, don't hesitate to buy them; You will be worth the investment.
DICA PRO:We personally use Atoma diamond plates. They are very expensive, but of high quality and have a very long lifespan.
The initial cost is higher, but you have the option to purchase diamond replacement skins for all Atoma boards. The diamond skin replacement cost is much lower than the cost of buying a new diamond plate.
So if you use diamond plates regularly and want to get the best quality on the market, check out the four Atoma diamond plates below (Amazon links).
- Diamond sharpener Atoma Coarse Grade 140 Grit
- Diamond sharpener Atoma Medium grit 400
- Atoma fine diamond sharpener 600 grit
- Atoma superfine diamond sharpener 1200 grit
These 4 diamond whetstones are all you need to repair or sharpen your knives.
Medium-sized diamond stone for sharpening knives
For a slightly above average range of diamond stones, theUltraSharp diamond sharpening stones set consisting of 300 grit, 600 grit, z1200 grit diamond plateare a good choice (Amazon links).
These stones are composed of monocrystalline diamonds bonded to metal plates through electroplating processes. This offers great durability and limits the loss of diamonds on the surface due to adhesion problems.
The UltraSharp Diamond Sharpening Stone Set is a mid-range stone and while durable, will not last as long as higher quality Atoma stones.
These diamond plates in these stones are not interchangeable and you can expect around 5 years of wear and tear from these stones compared to Atoma stones.
- The number of bricks in the set:1 x 300 grit, 1 x 600 grit, z1 x 1200 Grit(Link from Amazon).
- Steinmaße: Each stone is 8 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 0.25 inches thick.
- weight of stone: Each stone weighs 2.2 pounds.
- backing board material: Nickel-plated steel.
- Diamond type: Monocrystalline.
- Is a stone stand included? Yes, a stone pad is included that provides a secure anchorage while sharpening.
- Diamond density and uniform spread: Bom
- durability: Bom
- Country of Manufacture: USA
While UlstraSharp bricks are good bricks and cost about half the price of Atoma bricks, if you can wait and save a little more for the other half of the purchase price, Atoma bricks would be a better buy.
The 3 grits offered in this set also limit the versatility of the type of cutting processes that can be performed compared to the 4 stones in the Atoma Diamond Stone Set.
Set of economical diamond stones for sharpening knives
An example of an inexpensive diamond stone is theDMD Diamond Whetstone Messerschärfer-Set(Amazon link) which includes a 150, 325 and 1200 grit diamond plate mounted on a triangular block.
The set comes with a plate on which the stone is mounted which can be filled with water to lubricate the stones during sharpening.
One of the biggest problems with this set is that thegrain levelsinclude adjustment pads in the low grit and high grit with abrasive grit, but no sanding pads.
- The number of bricks in the set:1 x 150 grit, 1 x 325 grit and 1 x 1200 grit(Amazon-Link).
- Steinmaße: This is a triangular block with diamond plates on 3 sides. Block dimensions are 10 inches by 2.8 inches by 0.6 inches.
- weight of stone: 4.89 pounds.
- backing board material: aluminum, steel and ABS plastic.
- Diamond type: Unknown.
- Is a stone stand included? Yes, a stone holder is included that can be filled with water to lubricate the stone.
- Diamond density and uniform spread: Average
- durability: very low
- Country of Manufacture: China
This set of diamond stones is very cheap but we don't recommend it at all. Diamond plates are very thin, so the coating that holds the diamonds in place is also thin. As a result, the diamonds easily detach from the diamond plates.
The thickness of the plates also allows them to warp meaning the plates are not flat which can affect your knife's final cutting edge.
The cost of this diamond stone option may be low, but the abrasives don't last long, which would require a product replacement within 6 months to a year.
TOP:Many people prefer electric knife sharpeners over classic manual sharpeners. But one of the most frequently asked questions about electric sharpeners is: will they ruin your knives? Discover the full answer in the following article:
Explained: Do (electric) knife sharpeners break knives?
Are Cheap Diamond Sharpening Stones Any Good?
We all like to find a good deal, but there's a difference between a good deal and a cheap product, and the same goes for diamond stones.
Most people who have not had good experiences with diamond stones probably bought them cheap.Products. These low-cost products don't work as well as the high-end ones.
You may find that the following applies to cheaper diamond stone products.
- Low cutting performance
Cheap diamond stones can use inferior quality diamonds, which can crack and break, limiting the cutting efficiency of the diamond abrasive.
- low diamond density
Many manufacturers of cheap diamond stones cut costs in order to reduce costs, for example by reducing the density of the diamonds embedded in the surface. This reduces the efficiency of the stone.
- Uneven distribution of diamonds
The uneven distribution of diamond abrasive across the surface of the stone causes some areas of the stone to cut better than others. This leads to an uneven sharpening of the knife edge.
- The stone is not flat
Many cheaper diamond stones have thin plates to which the diamond abrasive is bonded. This causes the board to flex with use or be prone to temperature changes causing it to warp or buckle. This will result in uneven sharpening and the sharpness level of your knives will be less than desirable.
- The diamonds come off
Cheaper diamond stones have a thinner layer of nickel in which the diamonds are embedded. As a result, the diamonds are not embedded as firmly in the nickel plating and can be loosened more easily even with moderate pressure on the abrasive surface.
- Corrosion of the diamond plate
Cheaper diamond stones often rust and show stone discoloration even with moderate use.
These are the main reasons why we don't recommend you to go for a cheap diamond stone to sharpen your knives. More expensive diamond stones are far superior to cheap versions and offer a very different sharpening experience!
TOP:If you're interested in better understanding why expensive whetstones are much better than cheap ones, check out the full comparison in the article below:
5 reasons why the expensive sharpening stone is better than the cheap one
What lubricant to use with diamond whetstones?
Most diamond stone manufacturers recommend using water as a lubricant for their diamond stones. Many people disagree because they think water rusts rocks. However, rust should not be a problem if the stones are washed and dried thoroughly after each use.
Diamond stone discoloration is a natural occurrence as the stone is used and is often confused with corrosion caused by water used as a lubricant.
People use many other ways to lubricate their diamond stones besides water. Other options may include Windex or Oil.
When using oil, it is recommended not to use vegetable oils as these oils will set on the stone and become rancid. The best oil is mineral oil, which has low viscosity and washes off easily.
Best lubricant for diamond whetstones
The best lubricant for your diamond stones mainly depends on personal preference. If you are new to the world of diamond stones and don't have a preference yet, we have some suggestions for you to try.
Our first suggestion would be to try plain water as this is the lubricant most manufacturers recommend for sharpening diamond stones.
If you want to try an alternative, we've found thisKrud cutter cleaner and degreaser(Amazon link) work better than any other alternative lubricant.
The advantage of this product is that it alsoRemove rust, which is an added benefit when dealing with rust on your diamond stones.
Diploma
A diamond whetstone can be a great investment and produce exceptional knife sharpening results, or it can make you lose diamond stones for life! The deciding factor will be the quality of the diamond stones you buy.
In some cases, purchasing a mid-range product will suffice and offer reasonable performance and results, but we have found that it is best to select a high-end diamond stone product.
The initial cost of a better product might be a bit higher, but the results and durability of the stones are the most cost-effective in the long run.
TOP:Do you know how to properly sharpen a knife with a diamond whetstone? Good technique is very important in order not to damage your knives or the stone itself. Check out the full guide to sharpening in the article below:
DIY Instruction: Use diamond knife sharpening stone like a pro