DMT Sharpening Steel - Fine

 - It's a 295mm(12") sharpening rod. Model DMT DS2F. Molded, no roll handle. As with other DMT products, fine grit is equivalent of 600 grit(25µm). DS2F is really fast cutting diamond rod. I wouldn't call using it steeling though. It's sharpening. I've used it quite a bit, sometimes it's more convenient and faster than the benchstone. As usual, I use it paired up with the Extra Fine Steel. I said it's fast, and that means both, fast cutting and use of the faster strokes with it. I don't know about the others, but I'm faster with the steel, compared to the benchstones. Probably, because the angle isn't that precise. It's a good steel, works super fast for restoring duller edges. When I don't have time or don't need polished edges I just use this and extra fine steels. On the other hand, I've never touched high end Japanese knives with it. Too imprecise and too rough for 0.25µm finished edges.

DMT Sharpening Steel - Extra Fine

 - Identical to DMT-D2SF, except for the model number(DS2E) and grit - 1200(9µm). Same, 295mm(12") long sharpening rod. Molded, no roll handle. I've used it more often that Fine grit steel. Because it's extra fine :) Nice one, for quick touchups of not so delicate edges. Global Knives for example, responded to it very well. Same goes true for German Kitchen knives. In general, softer steels are cut very fast with DMT diamond sharpeners and those steels are no exception. As with the D2SF, never used it on the thin, ultra-fine edges on my prized kitchen knives. But, for rough use cutlery, be it kitchen or combat, this steel works just too good. That's the reason I still keep them around.

Diamond-Ceramic Triangle Sharpener Review

This mutant, probably belongs in ceramics section, but since it's got Diamond sharpeners, two of the on it actually, and it's from DMT, I've decided to put it here. I think this is the most versatile DMT sharpener ever. I picked it up back in summer 2008. So, to describe it, I'd say this is a triangular rod, with no roll handle. One side of that triangle has a coarse diamond flat surface, another side has fine diamond surface, and the third side is fine ceramic. Thus, we already have 3 different grit sharpeners in one ;) What is makintTriangle Sharpener even more attractive and interesting, is its three rounded corners. The radii on those three are different and as you can guess are used to sharpen the serrations of the different widths.

As for the grits, they're standard DMT classification. To be precise: Coarse is 320 grit - 45µm; Fine is 600 grit - 25µm; Ceramic is 2200 grit - 7µm; One could say it's a big jump from fine to ceramic, 25µm to 7µm, becausethetheory calls for reducing the grit by half on every step. In practice, however, that isn't noticeable, even on very hard and wear resistant steels. Besides, even if it was their diamond extra fine, that is still 1200 - 9µm. As you can see, nothing to be worried about. You'll just get a finer edge with literally few extra strokes.

I've used it onall of my serrated knives. Cutting speed is quite high, besides with serrations, you don't have to remove a lot of metal, unless it's something badly damaged. Most challenging work was of course the 320mm Gude Bread Knife. Just the sheer length and size of the serrations makes it difficult, compared to let's say 200mm serrated blade of the Global G-9 bread knife. Overall, because of its length and variable or multiple redii I prefer it on all occasions for serrations sharpening, except for the cases, when the serrations are very small. It's faster and more versatile than the Diafold® Serrated Diamond Sharpener from DMT, giving up little portability, but nothing too big.

Overall, I'd say it's a very good and versatile tool. Now it's hard to imagine sharpening without it.

Last updated - 05/19/19