Best medium for hunting knife sharpening?

N320AW

Just purchased one of these small diamond knife sharpening tools. Just requires a fingertip of water and off you go.

It seems to work well, but what about the old standby . .an Arkansas whet stone. I can't tell the difference on the sharpness after using both.

What say you?

tennmike

I use a coarse, medium, and fine tri-stone, and I use the diamond hone stones in medium and fine, and ceramic blocks. Diamond is fastest, the tri-stone gives the best results for me, and the ceramic blocks do a good job of honing a slightly dull blade back to sharpness. But I also like to use a razor strop loaded with red jewelers rouge to finish up using any sharpening method. It makes a lot of difference in the end result. Don't have a razor strop; take an old leather 1 1/2 inch belt and saddle soap it. Put the jewelers rouge on the rough inside surface of the belt and strop away.

knitepoet

I prefer diamond stones, then ceramic sticks. I don't think the diamond stones produce a better edge, but they DO stay flatter which makes getting a good edge easier IMO/E.

KENFU1911

The Diamond is OK for fast...but I like the old Smiths Tri-Hone............. https://www.smithsproducts.com/product/tri6/ ...Of course the new ones are plastic...the one dad got me 30 years ago is in a wooden block...........that an an old belt does a better job at giving a really fine edge.............wish they still made the wooden block.after 30 years of use,,,,.I am ready for a new one......Ken

EDIT.....I see Mike already posted the correct answer.........:tooth:

Zee

Fine ceramic sticks allow me to make short work of flesh and this makes me happy.

jbp-ohio

I hear John Edward can get a good edge on a blade..............

tennmike

KENFU1911 wrote: »

The Diamond is OK for fast...but I like the old Smiths Tri-Hone............. https://www.smithsproducts.com/product/tri6/ ...Of course the new ones are plastic...the one dad got me 30 years ago is in a wooden block...........that an an old belt does a better job at giving a really fine edge.............wish they still made the wooden block.after 30 years of use,,,,.I am ready for a new one......Ken

EDIT.....I see Mike already posted the correct answer.........:tooth:

You can make a new one pretty easy if you have access to a table saw. Cut out the triangular wood block on the table saw. Then order coarse, med., and fine stones on the internet and epoxy them on the wood. I level my coarse stone occasionally by using the slow speed grinding wheel for sharpening axes and such in the shop. Runs about 80 rpm and levels out the stone EZPZ. The slow speed grinding wheel is very coarse and is a wet bath wheel.