Thread: Question for DMT users

Of course I'm refering to the hones....ehemm

I recently purchased a DMT D6E to add as a bevel setter before my Belgian hones. When I hone on the blue I expect a certain level of sharpness before moving up. My question to you all is what level of sharpness should I be looking for coming off the D6E? Currently it passes the TNT but does not shave arm hairs. The is a small part of the bevel that may shave, should I keep at it untill I get the whole blade shaving or is that beyond the scope of the D6E? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

TNT is what I expect before leaving the 1000K grit. That would be comparable to your DMT6E.
After that I go to the 4K, and I hone until the scratch lines are gone.
Then I do a couple of pyramids, and then I go to the finishing stage.

The most important thing is to get good bevels before leaving the 1000 grit stage.
If that is good, then the rest should be relatively easy.
If the blade grips the nail along the entire edge, you are good to go.

If there is one part of the blade that seems sharper than the other, it either has a wire edge forming or the rest of the blade doesn't have a proper bevel set.

Can you see any reflection of light along the very edge when the edge is facing you (with a bright light nearby)?

If it's at the "sharper" area, that's the wire edge reflecting the light, you should move on to a higher grit, and do a little backhoning to remove the burr. If it's at any point along the rest of the blade, then there is a flat spot reflecting light and you should continue setting the bevel until the entire blade is a uniform sharpness.

I do a crude version of the HHT before leaving my DMT D6E.
However, I have noticed that many honers don't manage to get that degree of sharpness of the D6E.
Maybe it's because my DMT has seen so much use that it smoothened out a fair bit in comparison with a new DMT. I don't really know.
Either way, a bevel that's properly set at the 1200 grit level, should shave armhair very well, and even better if you wet your arm just a little bit.
Since you move to the Belgian Blue, after the DMT (that's also exactly what I do), it is double important that you go all the way with the DMT, because the Blue is definitely too slow to make up for neglected sharpness off the DMT.
If the edge, resulting from a progression of about 50 to 100 laps on a blue with slurry and after that, the same amount on a coticule with only water, is not entirely up to par, that is, IMHO, in the majority of cases caused by underhoning on the DMT. With this progression, you really must aim for the maximum on the DMT.

Best regards,
Bart.

Question???
still on topic here as to DMT use....
Are DMT's more prone to creating a wire edge or overhoned condition???? then say a Norton or Shapton 1k????

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Question???
still on topic here as to DMT use....
Are DMT's more prone to creating a wire edge or overhoned condition???? then say a Norton or Shapton 1k????

If the DMT is properly broken in, I don't think so.
I have honed, rougly estimated, about 100 razors with a progression including a DMT D6E. Never encountered any overhoning issues.
It is possible that the Begian Blue with slurry removes any develloping "wireness" from the very edge, but I also inspect most of my razors at 40X magnification while honing, and I never saw anything that fits the descreption of a wire edge, after the DMT.
I did see microchipping from DMT's that were not completely broken in.

Bart.

I use an extra fine for rough honing, and do run into some "microchipping" on harder razors, or when I am really blasting off the steel, but nothing a finer grit stone wouldn't fix with a little patience.

Any razors that will end up being good shavers pass the HHT off that hone pretty well before I move up in grit. Actually, the more razors I resto, the more I use this as a shaving quality pre-test (there are always razors that buck this trend).

As far as comparing it to other hones of comparative grit, I have no experience with em, sorry gssixgun.

Regarding wiredges or overhoning: on this grit I backhone pretty often to prevent such a problem, so no issues yet...

I have talked to a material science engineer and he told me that diamond steels will seldom cause a wire edge. He stated that they cut the metal at a certain angle then just keep removing metal at that angle. I wonder if he is correct?


Take Care,
Richard

Originally Posted by riooso

I have talked to a material science engineer and he told me that diamond steels will seldom cause a wire edge. He stated that they cut the metal at a certain angle then just keep removing metal at that angle. I wonder if he is correct?

That's my experience with them; I can't recall ever creating a wire edge with the DMTs.

At least, not on a razor.

But it wouldn't surprise me too much to find out that it's possible.

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

If there is one part of the blade that seems sharper than the other, it either has a wire edge forming or the rest of the blade doesn't have a proper bevel set.

Can you see any reflection of light along the very edge when the edge is facing you (with a bright light nearby)?

If it's at the "sharper" area, that's the wire edge reflecting the light, you should move on to a higher grit, and do a little backhoning to remove the burr. If it's at any point along the rest of the blade, then there is a flat spot reflecting light and you should continue setting the bevel until the entire blade is a uniform sharpness.

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

That's my experience with them; I can't recall ever creating a wire edge with the DMTs.

At least, not on a razor.

But it wouldn't surprise me too much to find out that it's possible.

OK now I am totally confused ?????