Hey everyone! I recently purchased a set of Atoma sharpening stones (140, 400, and 1200 grits) from Amazon to kickstart my knife and plane iron sharpening journey. Initially, the stones felt quite rough, but after using them on a plane iron and three chisels, they seem a bit smoother now. However, I noticed they still feel rough when I touch them, and I can't seem to remove any steel effectively.
When I tried to flatten the back of my chisels, the 140 grit stone showed a hump in the center, and despite spending 2 hours on it, I couldn't get consistent scratches all the way to the edge. I switched to 120 grit sandpaper on MDF, and within 5 minutes, I achieved clean scratches over the entire back. I returned to the Atoma stone, but it only affected the center area again.
I'm wondering if I've ruined my stones. They've only been used on a couple of knives, a plane iron, and three chisels. I might have applied some extra force on the plane iron, which led to my confusion and frustration after trying to flatten it for 3 hours, especially given that the iron and chisels are pretty reputable brands like LN and Narex. Also, is it possible that these stones could be fake?
3 Answers
They might just feel smooth because they're clogged with metal dust. Try giving them a good scrub with some dish soap and a wire brush. And make sure you're wetting the stones when you use them; that helps a lot!
It's possible you got those stones from a third-party seller, so there's always a chance they could be fakes. Atoma stones are generally high quality, but any product can have manufacturing defects. Keep in mind that diamond stones often take some time to "break in"; they can feel smoother after a bit of usage as the diamond bits settle. If your stone has a bump, definitely consider getting a replacement or a refund.
A lot of sharpening stones need to be flattened before use, so that could be what's happening here. Just remember, Atomas are diamond stones! Also, try to use different areas of the stone evenly instead of just focusing on the center, that should help you get more effective use out of them.
Right! Atoma stones are designed to handle that, but you still want to wear them in evenly.
Exactly! Rotating and using the full surface can really extend the life of your stones.