Nanohone Resin-bonded diamond stone evolution?

[Rangen]

It seems pretty clear that Nanohone will adjust their formulations without any particular fanfare, as I discovered when I reviewed their regular stone line, and the comments pointed out that my review matched the current stones, but not the stones as they used to be. The difference was quite substantial.

I have gradually accumulated the full line of Nanohone resin-bonded diamond stones, over a couple of years. There are really stark differences, and I don't really know whether that's because they've changed, or because they're done differently for different grits. It's something I'd really like to know.

I think the first one I bought was the 1 micron. It looks as though it was woven from some sort of thin line:

The 25 micron is similar.

The 10 micron is not like any of the others, very small holes arranged in lines parallel to the edge.

The 50 micron, 100 micron, and 200 micron have larger holes, not arranged in lines parallel to the edge.

My most recently acquired stone is the 3 micron, which has smaller holes, not parallel to the edge, and feels a bit harder in use than the others.

Does anyone know the history?

Does anyone have a stone that is the same grit as mine, but produced in a different style?

 

[mengwong]

My 100 looks same as yours.
Show Your Newest Sharpening Gear

The manufacturing process makes me think of basket weaving, thin slats laid down to make a thickness. Above post has micrographs.

 

[mengwong]

Casual googling turns up a patent, possibly relevant

https://patents.google.com/patent/CN104057403A/en

 

[sansho]

i would guess that they make that in-house with a FDM process. kinda cool.
basically mix up a special print media with abrasive mixed in and then "3D print" it.

i don't blame you for not wanting to test this, but i am curious if that's a thermoplastic or a thermoset. like if you heat up the corner of it, does it melt and resolidify or just burn/decompose. most likely thermoplastic.

 

[Rangen]

i don't blame you for not wanting to test this, but i am curious if that's a thermoplastic or a thermoset. like if you heat up the corner of it, does it melt and resolidify or just burn/decompose. most likely thermoplastic.

Sorry, that's right up there with firing pistols at my JNats to see what the shatter pattern is like, in my "things I won't be doing ever" list. I'm curious about the question you raise, but not sufficiently curious.

 

[sansho]

you could heat up a paperclip and poke it on the edge. see if it melts/deforms.

 

[Rangen]

you could heat up a paperclip and poke it on the edge. see if it melts/deforms.

OK, it melts a bit.

 

[Choppin]

when did you buy the newer ones? I got a 100 micron like a month ago (from a retailer) and it was still the older version. curious to see how the newer ones perform.

 

[Delat]

It seems pretty clear that Nanohone will adjust their formulations without any particular fanfare, as I discovered when I reviewed their regular stone line, and the comments pointed out that my review matched the current stones, but not the stones as they used to be. The difference was quite substantial.

I have gradually accumulated the full line of Nanohone resin-bonded diamond stones, over a couple of years. There are really stark differences, and I don't really know whether that's because they've changed, or because they're done differently for different grits. It's something I'd really like to know.

I think the first one I bought was the 1 micron. It looks as though it was woven from some sort of thin line:
View attachment 252721
The 25 micron is similar.
View attachment 252722
The 10 micron is not like any of the others, very small holes arranged in lines parallel to the edge.
View attachment 252723
The 50 micron, 100 micron, and 200 micron have larger holes, not arranged in lines parallel to the edge.
View attachment 252724
My most recently acquired stone is the 3 micron, which has smaller holes, not parallel to the edge, and feels a bit harder in use than the others.
View attachment 252725
Does anyone know the history?

Does anyone have a stone that is the same grit as mine, but produced in a different style?

My 100 micron purchased earlier this year looks just like yours. Do you notice any appreciable difference between the 100 vs 200 micron?

 

[Rangen]

Around March, I got the 50 and the 100 from Sharpening supplies, and the 200 direct from Nanohone.

I am quite pleased with the performance. The current form, with a nice flat surface with holes large enough to make the swarf disappear, but not generally large enough to catch you unawares, seems just right. I've been using them to thin or just knock off shoulders, and I like the sense of control over things; it's much easier to feel where you are on this surface, compared to, say, a muddy Power Select 240. Speed seems good. My impression is that the 100 is significantly faster than the 50, but the 200 is not significantly faster than the 100 -- but just typing that makes it sound as though I'm probably fooling myself.

Part of what is motivating this thread is that I don't really like the basket-style ones -- they're effective, but it's easy to trip up on the holes, and the feel isn't that great, and I'm wondering whether a current 1 or 25 micron would still be in that form. But I'm also just generally curious about the timeline, and would prefer it if Nanohone were more transparent about all of this.

 

[Mr Kooby Shemayrew]

Around March, I got the 50 and the 100 from Sharpening supplies, and the 200 direct from Nanohone.

I am quite pleased with the performance. The current form, with a nice flat surface with holes large enough to make the swarf disappear, but not generally large enough to catch you unawares, seems just right. I've been using them to thin or just knock off shoulders, and I like the sense of control over things; it's much easier to feel where you are on this surface, compared to, say, a muddy Power Select 240. Speed seems good. My impression is that the 100 is significantly faster than the 50, but the 200 is not significantly faster than the 100 -- but just typing that makes it sound as though I'm probably fooling myself.

Part of what is motivating this thread is that I don't really like the basket-style ones -- they're effective, but it's easy to trip up on the holes, and the feel isn't that great, and I'm wondering whether a current 1 or 25 micron would still be in that form. But I'm also just generally curious about the timeline, and would prefer it if Nanohone were more transparent about all of this.

ScienceOfSharp.com found that at least on the DMT brand diamond plates from Coarse to Extra Extra Fine, there was an inverse relation of cutting speed to grit size. The smaller finer grit cut faster while the coarser grit cut slower but actually produced a more refined, better edge.

I do not have experience with Nanohones but the concept is valid. The tip of a nail cuts faster than the head of a nail precisely because the tip is smaller.