DMT (Diamond Machining Technology) W250CX-WB 10-Inch DuoSharp Bench Stone Coarse/Extra-Coarse with Base, One Size

Recently I purchased DMT Sharpening Stones in Extra Course, Course, Fine and Extra Fine.While I anticipated this system would work well it's performance far exceeded my expectations. With a simple honing guide you can with unerring accuracy successfully sharpen just about any straight blade in your tool box time after time.Go to the kitchen and grab the knives and with a little practice, very soon, professionally sharpened razors! Not for ceramic knives, but you most likely knew that.Finally, very expedient. I was able to remove nicks in both chisels and a 2-1/2" hand plane blade in a matter of seconds. Very little pressure is required. Enough to simply hold the honing jig in place as you move forward and backward and the diamond surfaces remove metal like it was putty. Very compact, no damaging the temper of the blades, easy to haul with you and cordless!I have used other systems including a water stone system from a major tool manufacturer that was successful but very messy and slow. Repeat set up was time consuming from chisel to chisel.This system , while very high tech in its compounds, is incredibly easy, fast, simple to use. And for the nut cases like me, you can actually "feel" the material being cut or polished as you move through the grades. You can almost sharpen by feel and sound, sans eyesight.As long as the plates stay flat and the diamonds remain firmly embedded, I see this system being my default sharpening tool for years to come.The base could be a little more substantial. I have doubts that the clips on the plate retainer will last as long as the stones, plus they are not very easy to remove. However, having used the system a few times I now prefer to place the stones on the silicone pad provided, rather than the base. I may make a base myself as I have the capacity to mill and machine, from more durable materials, with a little improvement here and there. I would not spend the money on the base unless you really want to.Regarding the price, well, you get what you pay for.Happy nick removing

I bought this and the fine/very fine (red/green) stone without stand. I've owned a red/green folding pocket size sharpener from DMT for about 10 years. With that I've been able to resharpen box cutter blades to new or better sharpness when I forgot to bring my replacement stash. So, I've been looking forward for years to getting a full size stone set.They are amazing. I took two very different quality stainless kitchen knives and reshaped the edges and brought them to razor sharpness faster than I thought possible. A blunted cleaver got the same treatment, though I stopped with the fine (red) stone given what the knife is used for. Still, it's close to razor sharp judging by a finger feel along the new edge.I went through all the non-serrated kitchen knives I have, including two high carbon non-stainless blades. Those I hit with WD-40 to protect those fine edges afterward.Since DMT's web site says it's OK, I also refinished the edges on a couple of ceramic blades that had tiny chips on the edges. I used only the fine and very fine stones for that, pressing quite lightly using lots of strokes. The red stone pulled the whole blade down past the level of the little chips, and the green stone brought them back to razor sharp. I don't have the ultra fine stone, but I'd consider it in a smaller size for the ceramic blades.For the steel blades I used a cup of water with a tiny amount of detergent to float the sharpening debris. Doesn't take much. I had 1/3 left after doing 5 blades on 4 stones. After I was done I just sluiced them off under the kitchen faucet, towel dried, then let them air dry.The ceramic blades I sharpened dry. I just wiped off the dust with an old T-shirt.I'm a little uneasy about the bench holder for the stones. It's a light weight ABS type of plastic. They use interchangeable rubber cylinders to hold the stand steady on the bench, and the stones steady on the stand. They worked well for me, even on a slick tile countertop. The latches for the clips that hold down the stones look like a weak point...maybe. The the way the thing goes together prevents them from flexing too much, so with care they may last a good while. I'll update this in a year or so with how they last.

I was a little skeptical about this crocodile design, but it really works better compared to the regular stone. Efficient and precise.Also, the bill quality is top-notch.

Watch some youtube videos to give you an idea how to use it and you will always have sharp knives in seconds. Pricey but is definitely a good investment. I will using it for years.

So far I've mostly used it to flatten water stones, and it's been excellent for that.