This page is credited in full to Dave Cushman who created it. His voice is expressed in black colour text and any additions or comments in blue belong to myself. Credit: Dave Cushman’s website.
PH.
Diamond Hone
This “Diafold” device is made mainly of plastic and is built rather like a “butterfly knife”. tWhen opened for use it appears as in the diagram below and can be used like a file. The metal plate shown grey has diamond dust embedded in it’s surface and cemented to a metal substrate. The colour of plastic that the device is made from indicates the “grit size” in normal abrasive calibration (I have forgotten what grade of diamond granules is represented by blue). ?? ?Diamond hone in closed position
Diamond hone in open position and ready for use
I use mine for the finishing stage of sharpening tools and cutters, including tungsten carbide, as well as blades for woodworking and aeromodelling.
The one I use is about 15 years old and has been heavily used and even ‘abused’ by various ex-members of my staff in sharpening everything from pocket knives to hand axes, yet it is still capable of putting a keen edge on a scalpel blade.
Larger versions are available that take the place of an oilstone, but I have no personal experience of these and the two oilstones that I have are likely to last longer than I do, so I am unlikely to purchase one.
I bought some diamond “cheapies off a market stall coarse, medium and fine and they are excellent for cough