If you could add just one set to your Sharpmaker what would you choose?

[JimP]

Easy! Diamond. For re-profiling any super steel, life is too short to use anything less than diamonds.

Diamonds are not just a "girls best friend".....

[Dr. Snubnose]

I voted UF....Because I do all my re-profiling on diamond stones free hand, just not those that fit the sharpmaker.....Doc
A Spyder Strop would be a nice addition to the kit.........

[jackknifeh]

I voted UF....Because I do all my re-profiling on diamond stones free hand, just not those that fit the sharpmaker.....Doc
A Spyder Strop would be a nice addition to the kit.........

A strop from Spyderco would be a good idea I think. Maybe someone will ask about it in a thread called "Would you buy a strop from Spyderco?".

Jack

[maa14]

I would say the UF stones, and yea that strop would be nice...

[Jet B]

Diamonds for speed. Polishing any finer than the normal white rods isn't necessarily going to improve your cutting efficiency any way.

[rg02]

man, hard to decide on one or the other. I love my UF stones for that mirrored back bevel but enjoy the effectiveness of the diamonds in reprofiling and sharpening non spydies or a spydie I have traded for that was not sharpened properly. Overall my vote for functionality would be the diamonds. For beauty---- the UF stones. If you have a good strop, you can just hit a knife on the medium stones and strop after for a toothy scary sharp hair popping edge!

[gaj999]

I've got both. I'd give up the UF rods first. By far. But I also have a strop and and an Edgepro and often just want a working edge anyway. Talk about overkill.

Gordo

[Mr Blonde]

For me it would be the diamond stones. Sometimes I need to reprofile and edge, sometimes from the box and with supersteels like zdp189 it's hard to do it with the brown stones.

[jackknifeh]

If you are going to use a strop after any stones or sharpening system you use you can leave out the UF stones. I don't know of a way to remove a lot of steel quickly other that coarse stones. So the diamond stones are the first you need compared to the UF stones. If you are wanting a mirror finish and/or a super razor sharp edge the strop will take care of it. If you get some coarser paste for your strops you can put a mirror polish on a bevel much easier and faster than any method I've tried. Get 3 grits of diamond paste for $19, free shipping here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/230723389175...84.m1439.l2649
I got the 600, 1050 and 3000 grit pastes and applied them to leather glued to wood. With it I can VERY easily get a bevel to a mirror finish and the edge hair whittling sharp. Of course deep scratches from the coarse stone would need to be gone. You need to be proficient at stropping. It takes understanding stropping and some practice but any idiot can master it. That's why I like it.

Jack

[pdptrow]

I just ordered a set of diamond rods. I only have sharpmaker sharpener and they will let me work with other knives too. I can make a true 30 edge or a 30/40 edge if I want. Diamond does speed up working with ZDP too.
So I just noticed there is a little inward play on the rods when set in the angle slots. If they are held inward did anyone measure that angle?

[fredswartz]

Diamond rods would be my preference
I sharpen all kinds of edges and at times
you need to get brutal.