Thread: DMT D8EE Advice

Anyone here use the D8EE?

My question is regarding the fact that the hone cuts very fast - when the razor is almost there, how do you get a bit more sharpness without going too far (and overhoning)? Would doing a few really light passes without any soapy water (as DMT recommends) going to make the hone cut slower (or the opposite)? Any other tips?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I use the 8EE and I like it. What do you mean "almost there"? I use this to really set up my edge and it cuts very rapidly usually in 8 or 10 laps. I then go to a pasted strop 1.0 micron and work my way down. I would not expect to shave after a 8EE it is after about 3 micron if memory serves me correctly.

Richard

3 micron is right. I know the D8EE is supposed to be broken in and all but I found mine was a LOT better once I used it to lap one of my Arkansas stones. It was kinda rough (feel on the razor and left a "rough" edge) before that. Now it's very smooth and sets a great bevel (really slowed it down too which I found helpful to controlling the process). I do go very light on it and optically check the bevel every 10-12 strokes. I also can go straight to pasted strops or do a few passes on the Spyderco UF. Whichever fits my mood that day.

Good luck with it.

Ken

I am ashamed to say I broke mine in by putting it on my garage floor and gently going in circles for about 50 laps!


Sorry!

Richard

Originally Posted by riooso

I am ashamed to say I broke mine in by putting it on my garage floor and gently going in circles for about 50 laps!

You "broke" your D8EE?? What does that mean?? You stripped off the diamond coating? Or you "broke" the steel into pieces?

Either way, sorry to hear it.

Ken

I was just stating that to eliminate the harsh edges on the hone I simply put it on smooth concrete and that is how I "broke it in", as it were.


Richard

Originally Posted by riooso

I was just stating that to eliminate the harsh edges on the hone I simply put it on smooth concrete and that is how I "broke it in", as it were.

Ah, my error, I read "broke", not "broke in".... Sorry!

Ken

Originally Posted by riooso

I use the 8EE and I like it. What do you mean "almost there"? I use this to really set up my edge and it cuts very rapidly usually in 8 or 10 laps. I then go to a pasted strop 1.0 micron and work my way down. I would not expect to shave after a 8EE it is after about 3 micron if memory serves me correctly.

Richard

It is as fine as a Norton 8000, which is plenty fine enough to comfortably shave with.

I like my initial experience with it, and the razor I used to test it was a real piece of work, so I can only assume better things to come. But do keep in mind that this is an initial impression, and is subject to change with different blades/steels and age of the hone; possibly better, possibly worse.

To answer the question of whether there is a dramatic risk of over honing, take this example as testament. The razor I used had an uneven edge and an asymmetrical grind (as most vintage blades do, kinda gives them character) so there were parts of the edge that were "there" before the others even got close. I started on the 1200 grit diamond hone for initial bevel setting, BUT I stopped short of getting a totally consistent edge since I want to to test the D8EE (yes, I went straight from 1200 to 8000, and probably could have skipped the 1200 if the edge were in better shape) . I would never have left this much inconsistency if going to the Norton 8k, and this would have been a fair amount of work for the 4k. The D8EE brought those last few spots up even with the rest of the bevel in approx. 50 strokes (mind you this is straight from the factory, and the cutting power may decline a bit with use). But, most importantly, it didn't destroy the edge that was already in good condition; I think the aggressive diamond tooth may have reduced the potential for a wire edge by really abrading everything off that isn't the main piece of steel. The edge that was left was definitely 8,000 grit, and that is good enough to shave hair (comfort would be debatable).

The drawback that I experienced with the D8EE is that there really is no "easing up" on the abrasion, every stroke cuts as fast as every other no matter how much water/soap there is or isn't on the hone. Whereas with the Norton 8k you can start with a slurry and move to just water and maybe finish dry (some people advocate this, I don't see much difference) resulting in an edge that is a little more polished than that of the D8EE's. But if you're going to use a finishing stone, as I do, this is not a problem.

Also, as could be inferred from the nature of diamond hones vs. natural stones, there is vary little pleasure to be derived from the honing process; if you are into the smooth natural feel of a vintage coticule or escher, this hone will disappoint you. It is diamond, which means unforgiving, hard and aggressive. But it leaves excellent uniformity, does the job quickly, with less fuss and will outlast the competition.

Summary:
The grit is verifiably 8k so it could be a finishing stone if followed by some good strop work, and it is definitely a diamond hone so it cuts as fast as is realistically possible (after the initial testing, I would say that it could replace a 4k if you so chose). But I wouldn't necessarily recommend it over the Norton because they each have their own "personality". It's probably your best bet if the end results are your only concern; but it lacks, entirely, the connection felt when honing on natural stones.

D8EE will probably see more use than my Norton, and the recent arrival of a vintage Coticule may bump Norton all the way to the bottom shelf, sorry buddy.

I'll be receiving my D8EE tomorrow, so hopefully I can comment on how it works. I also got the 25 micron hone which I believe is the D8F.

My plan is to use these two to set a bevel and to finish on pastes for now (1 micron diamond, 0.5 micron chrome oxide), and maybe to try out a chinese 12k or the spyderco UF to finish.

One other question I have for people that use the DMT hones, do you use water or any lubricant? Or are they used dry like the spyderco hones?