Originally Posted by
Utopian
The loose grits can serve a great purpose for lapping, but they are not of much use for refreshing a hone surface.
Okay, low to high by price...
1. I have heard that there are cheap diamond plates on ebay. I know nothing about them and have never even looked them up. I know nothing about their quality or utility.
2. ChefKnivesToGo has two sided (400/1000) plates that appear to be similar to the Trend two sided (300/1000). I have never used them but their design seems good (as is that of the Trend plate) and others here have recommended them.
3. The DMT DiaSharp plates, especially the D8C 325 grit. This is the workhorse so many of us have used for years. DMT did not design, intend, guarantee, or recommend this plate for lapping but it still works great for lapping and refreshing.
4. The Atoma plates have diamonds that are organized into little clusters. I put off trying these for quite a while because of the way they looked. The diamonds are mounted onto a thin layer of metal that is then somehow glued onto a thicker plate. Honestly it looked to flimsy. I was wrong. They work great and are extremely durable. Also, they work much better for edge restoration work. The 400 can quickly hog off steel but the scratches left on the bevel and edge are easily and quickly removed by a 1k hone. It also works well for lapping and refreshing. I consider them to be significantly better than the DiaSharps.
5. The Trend double sided plate costs more, but it is double sided. It works great for lapping and refreshing.
6. The Shapton DGLP. This is the one strictly for the hone fanatics among us. Yes it is expensive, but it is a joy for refreshing. Years ago I asked Lynn if it was worth it. He said I never would regret buying it and I certainly never have. The highly uniform diamonds are organized to allow the quick dispersion of slurry to allow very clean refreshing of hone surfaces. I would never never ever lap any hone with this. It strictly is for refreshing the surface of 1k and higher synthetic hones.