Originally Posted by
Neil Miller
Lapidary grit in various grit sizes (eg 100, 180, 240, 320 - you can go up to 600 but for some reason 600 and above a bit harder to get hold of), water, flat hard surface (cast iron plate/thick glass/granite) and a lot of rubbing. Quicker than a diamond plate and you can make longer/wider sweeps. Just put a small mound of grit on the plate, pour on some water and go at it. Makes a lot of mess, though. You can always true-up with the diamond plate if you suspect that your surface wasn't flat enough or you have allowed a build-up under the hone that has resulted in a slight roll of the surface. Usually not necessary though if you are careful.
Regards,
Neil