The strange genius of Nanohone Resin-bonded diamond stones

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I have a lot of stones. When it comes to sharpening gear, I shoot my credit card first, and ask questions (and pay bills! Oh, the bills!) later.

That's how I know that the Nanohone resin-bonded diamond stones are something different. Very different. They feel like hard rubber. They look like a web weaved from strands. What are these strange creations?

I've been trying to figure that out for months. It can take me a long time to figure out a JNat, but this was just unreasonable.

I still don't quite have it, but I have found something for which they are absolutely perfect: a straight razor made from CPM-M4, a hard tool steel with lots of carbides, but they are small carbides.

Honing this razor has been an ongoing struggle. Ceramic stones struggle to make an impression. Diamonds (or CBN) are the thing, but they leave such deep scratches, and such ragged edges.

So I put my razor on the 10 micron (~1500 grit) Nanohone, and darned if it did not make a near mirror polish on the thing, once I was done with the soft leading-edge strokes. 10 microns! And the edge was super keen, like I get off of the Shapton Glass 1000 on a carbon-steel razor, when I take the trouble to get the bevel-set perfect. I think I might even be able to move directly to their 1 micron stone from here (though it's a pity that they don't make a 5).

I am impressed. But it merely gives me a hint that these stones are very worthy for some purposes. What uses have you found for them?
 
Have you used any other non-plate diamond stones? Like Venev, Practical Sharpening, JKI, BBB or Naniwa? Just curious for a comparison.
 
I've tried Naniwa shrimp diamond 6k and JKI ones. . . the shrimp one felt a lot more smooth and rubbery almost, too. The JKI ones feel like stones. . . just super hard, stong and sharp.
 
Have you used any other non-plate diamond stones? Like Venev, Practical Sharpening, JKI, BBB or Naniwa? Just curious for a comparison.

Yes: Venev, BBB 400 Super Vitrified, Naniwa 3K and 6K, JKI 800 Vitrified and 300, and some Poltava metallic bonded in EdgePro size. None feel anything like these strange stones.
 
I have a lot of stones. When it comes to sharpening gear, I shoot my credit card first, and ask questions (and pay bills! Oh, the bills!) later.

That's how I know that the Nanohone resin-bonded diamond stones are something different. Very different. They feel like hard rubber. They look like a web weaved from strands. What are these strange creations?

I've been trying to figure that out for months. It can take me a long time to figure out a JNat, but this was just unreasonable.

I still don't quite have it, but I have found something for which they are absolutely perfect: a straight razor made from CPM-M4, a hard tool steel with lots of carbides, but they are small carbides.

Honing this razor has been an ongoing struggle. Ceramic stones struggle to make an impression. Diamonds (or CBN) are the thing, but they leave such deep scratches, and such ragged edges.

So I put my razor on the 10 micron (~1500 grit) Nanohone, and darned if it did not make a near mirror polish on the thing, once I was done with the soft leading-edge strokes. 10 microns! And the edge was super keen, like I get off of the Shapton Glass 1000 on a carbon-steel razor, when I take the trouble to get the bevel-set perfect. I think I might even be able to move directly to their 1 micron stone from here (though it's a pity that they don't make a 5).

I am impressed. But it merely gives me a hint that these stones are very worthy for some purposes. What uses have you found for them?

have you tried shaving off the stone? just leather after the stone?

i have shaved after the dmt 325/C and it works. but it needs a good leather stropping.
 
have you tried shaving off the stone? just leather after the stone?

i have shaved after the dmt 325/C and it works. but it needs a good leather stropping.

No. I may try that trick someday, but not with this oddball razor. Anyway, I have the 1 micron version also, and my plan is to bridge to it with the Naniwa 3000 and 6000. However, based on prior hones of this razor, the edge will still be ragged, and my JNat finisher will smooth that out.

This strange razor doesn't seem to operate by the rules I learned from carbon steel. What I describe above is the best I've found.
 
i think you should try it anyway. just work up the grits. strop on leather, test shave. then do the next grit.
 
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