Water stones wear unevenly during use, developing a hollow or dished surface. To keep your water stones sharpening at their best, it is important to keep them flat. How often you will need to flatten varies, but it is most efficient to flatten lightly and often, so we recommend checking your stones for flatness regularly.
Diamond lapping plates use monocrystalline diamonds bonded to a steel base. They are extremely durable, and remain flat indefinitely. Silicon carbide flattening stones are composite stones with silicon carbide abrasive throughout their thickness. They cost less than diamond lapping plates, but can lose their flatness with wear. Diamond plates are the more precise and long-lasting option, while silicon carbide stones are an economical and effective choice for everyday use.
Diamond lapping plates without large grooves can be used directly for sharpening, keeping in mind that they tend to be extremely coarse and suitable only for restoring the shape of very dull or damaged edges. Diamond plates with large grooves and silicon carbide flattening stones are generally not suitable for sharpening directly however.
Our Sharpening Specialists have hands-on sharpening experience, so you can get advice on selecting the right sharpener for your needs.
1-800-351-8234
