Thread: do yo have to use ridiculously expensive shapton lapping plate?

do you have to use the shapton diamond glass lapping plate? seriously thats just so ridiculously expensive.

Definitely not. The most common alternatives are the DMT 8C , sandpaper on a flat surface (glass, stone etc) or the Norton. I have all of these including the GDLP. My recommendation would be the DMT for the best balance of performance and $ value. The Shapton is seriously nice and does work better than the DMT in my opinion, but there is that money issue to deal with.

Originally Posted by Bill S

Definitely not. The most common alternatives are the DMT 8C , sandpaper on a flat surface (glass, stone etc) or the Norton. I have all of these including the GDLP. My recommendation would be the DMT for the best balance of performance and $ value. The Shapton is seriously nice and does work better than the DMT in my opinion, but there is that money issue to deal with.

+1... I use the DMT and get great results.

No, you do not have to use the Shapton DGLP.

I still do.

- Scott

What Bill S said. The GDLP will be flat within a gnat's behind while the DMT might or might not be that close. It will be close enough and you can by six of them for the price of one GDLP. I use the GDLP on Shaptons and on some of my other hones because I have it but the D8C is a great tool and I could get by with the D8C by itself and do fine.

The Shapton lapping plates are very nice and quite a luxury to afford yourself if you can, however, I would recommend buying a couple of DMT Dia-Sharps in different grit ratings instead. I'd say that you'd be better off with a D8XX and D8C to cover the rough to fine needs required when lapping a range of stones. Then take the extra $$ you save and go get another couple of stones or a new razor.

I should add that I also have a D8C -- I use this
on my natural stones because my particular DMT
is nicely broken in and imparts a very smooth
surface to the hone. I don't lap these stones any-
where near as often as the Shaptons, though.

I would use the D8C on the Naniwas, if I had 'em!

- Scott

Get one of these. I absolutely LOVE mine.... The Epicurean Edge: Japanese and European professional chefs knives

I'm tired of eating up diamond plates lapping stones. This thing makes extremely short work flatting ANY stone. It does leave a fairly coarse surface but just use another flat stone that's fine to smooth out the surface. So... flatten your finishing stone and flatten something else coarser, like a 1000 grit or so. Then use it to smooth out the roughness left on your finishing stone. Works like a charm. I have never had a problem with "stone contamination". Read the fine print with the GDLP... it says not to use it on anything coarser than 1000 grit. This thing will work on anything and last near forever.

If your really going to be doing some hone lapping, Get a D8XX, you'll be glad you did.
I restored a bunch of old Swaty's, they chewed up and spit out my D8C, That's when i bought a D8XX. Works ten times better on hone lapping. You will need to finish your hone with some finer grit wet/dry, or the D8C might help. The D8C get clogged pretty good if you do a lot of hone lapping, like I do, I sell the C12k slurry stones, and once their cut, I would use my D8C, it got trashed, and that was under running water. Now I use the D8XX, much better...Rich

if you want to get closer to DRLP level, the atoma 1200 is about $185 and is near or = DRLP flatness. it has a blank backside too that you can epoxy a very thin replacement plate to later on. i use a 400 and can lap rough synthetics on one side and precious naturals on the other.