The DMT 8E really ain't so bad.

The love/hate relationship I've had with my DMT's conitinues.. currently on the "love" swing of the pendulum.

My DMT 8E is now very... very... thoroughly broken in. And the more it's broken in, the better it performs. It still seems to cut every bit as fast as it did when it was new, but the edge it leaves is far, far finer. Using a heel leading stroke (X or straight down the stone) seems to really help keep the edge fine with this stone. Also, using a good bit of Ivory Liquid dishwashing soap in the water lube helps alot, too.

I got the Shapton 1k thinking that I just wasn't going to be able to get the DMT 8E to cooperate as far as microchipping and smoothness goes. Now I'm wishing I woulda taken Glen's advice and gotten the Shapton 2k, cause the DMT is working just fine now.

A +1 on the DMT. I used my 1200 for setting some bevels and got micro chipping on some razors. I bought the Shapton 1 & 2K . Happy with both. Meanwhile I wasn't using dishsoap and perhaps my plate wasn't broken in sufficiently. :shrug:

Anyhow, time passed and I got two very tough to sharpen razors. One being a TI Damascus and the other a Bill Ellis ATS 34. The TI is well documented as being brutal to sharpen by others. I got it in a trade and looked forward to the challenge ......... until I tried to sharpen it. :cry:

I managed to get a shaving edge on it with a lot of work on the Shapton pros but not great. Then I got the Ellis and it was similar. A friend has a DMT 8000 and I borrowed it. DMTs are all that he hones with (poor soul) and he hipped me to the dish soap.

I hit both on the 8000 and followed with a Shapton 15k and 30k. Much better but not quite "there". The coup de gras was the Lynn Abrams felt strop with the 0.5 diamond spray. Both of the toughies were doing HHT and cutting through the whiskers like a hot knife through butter. :y Now I have a DMT 8000 for those kinds of blades ... and I am a believer in a drop or two of dish soap on a DMT.