Cheap stones?

[NikolaTesla]

DC4 broke, can't fix it, and I want a stone that I can sharpen my knife and axe, what would you guys recommend?

Thanks...

 

[gabrielsdad]

another dc4? i use a basic diamond block if my knife is a bit battered and just hone it with a dc4 and leather. seems to work for most things for me. axes etc

 

[NikolaTesla]

To be honest DC4's are high quality, the older batches were, but these new ones are junk...

 

[River98]

I just have an old wet dry stone that I found in my grandads shed. Seems to do the job good enough for me.

 

[gabrielsdad]

ive only ever had this recent one. i must admit i was a bit underwelmed, but i just put it down to me being a mediocre sharpener. one day ill have the spare money for a se of whetstones.

 

[NikolaTesla]

I have a 400grit "diamond stone" although it's not diamond, it's no-where near the grit you need, the course side of the DC4/3 is 800, which has micro serrations, which is pretty sharp, and the ceramic side is 2000-3000.

 

[gabrielsdad]

i have a 4 sided diamond stone from b&q from 400-1200 grit. so i use the 1200 to sort it out and then finish with the dc4 some leather and me car window lol. works for me. not polished by any means. but it holds its edge and cuts aswell as i can make a knife cut.

 

[NikolaTesla]

i have a 4 sided diamond stone from b&q from 400-1200 grit. so i use the 1200 to sort it out and then finish with the dc4 some leather and me car window lol. works for me. not polished by any means. but it holds its edge and cuts aswell as i can make a knife cut.

Well I'm still using my DC4, but now if a different way, just watched this,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE1W7XwYGKk&feature=related

He sharpened his parrang with quartz...Not sure if this would work without any sharpening before or after, could you use this before you do anything else? I mean sharpen only using this...

 

[sasquatch]

If you go to those cheap shops with tools you can often find aluminium oxide stones with 2 sides for less than £3. Ali oxide stones work great on knives before you move on to a strop to finish it. Can't get cheaper than that!

 

[swotty]

British Red's £5 system works for me, the only slight change I made was to make a wooden block out of an off cut of beech kitchen worktop with a couple of wedges to hold the wet'n'dry or leather for stropping in place.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11571&highlight=home+made+sharpening

 

[NikolaTesla]

If you go to those cheap shops with tools you can often find aluminium oxide stones with 2 sides for less than £3. Ali oxide stones work great on knives before you move on to a strop to finish it. Can't get cheaper than that!

I have one if those cheap stones, but is 400~ really enough before moving to the strop? As a strop I use a belt with ceramic paste, and then newspaper...and then glass, to steel the edge, although I have a chef's steeling rod, I don't really know if it helps...