DMT D8F Dia-Sharp Bench Stone
By DMT · Knife Sharpening · Kitchen & Cooking · More from DMT
- 8-inch length
- Fine diamond (25 micron / 600 mesh)
- Continuous diamond surface
- Made in USA
- Non-skid rubber feet
Price not listed
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Summary
A single-grit fine diamond bench stone for routine honing and edge maintenance on kitchen knives, sold direct by DMT. It is one grit only, so check whether you also need a coarser plate to repair chipped edges before you buy.
Strengths
- Cuts fast for a diamond plate, with no oil or water handling required.
- The continuous surface stays flat and is guaranteed not to hollow or groove.
- The 8-inch working length supports long, consistent strokes.
- It flattens plane soles, irons and chisel backs as well as sharpening edges.
- Usable dry or with water, and the plate needs no electricity.
Weaknesses
- It is one grit only, so a chipped or badly damaged edge still needs a coarser plate.
- DMT’s 20-degree sharpening guidance does not suit thin Japanese knives.
- The surface cuts aggressively during break-in and can remove more metal than a buyer expects.
- DMT does not publish the plate’s weight or body material, so wet-counter stability is unconfirmed.
- Warranty terms did not render on DMT’s warranty page, so confirm coverage with the seller.
Verified specifications
| Model/SKU | D8F (DMT); Country Knives lists the same stone as DMD8F. |
|---|---|
| Grit | fine, 25 micron / 600 mesh, red color code. |
| Abrasive | micronized monocrystalline diamond bonded to the plate. |
| Surface | continuous, uninterrupted diamond with no holes. |
| Grits | one, fine only. |
| Lubrication | no oil; dry or water use only. |
| Base | none; non-skid rubber feet, with the grit marked on the side. |
| Manufacture | Made in the USA. |
| Dimensions | 8 × 3 × ⅜ in. |
| Weight | not published. |
| Intended use | edge repair and honing, plus flattening plane soles, irons and chisel backs. |
| Power | none; a non-powered abrasive plate. |
Full research notes and sources
One grit, continuous surface
The D8F is an 8-inch bench plate with a continuous micronized monocrystalline diamond surface at fine grade, 25 micron / 600 mesh, red color code, resting on non-skid rubber feet with the grit marked on the side, and made in the USA. DMT sells separate plates for each grit rather than two grits on one plate, and it states the surface is “guaranteed not to hollow or groove.” There is no oil to buy and no base; you can use the stone dry or with water.
Angle guidance and Japanese knives
DMT’s FAQ recommends sharpening at a 20-degree angle and says a constant angle matters more than the exact angle. That suits Western and outdoor geometry. Thin Japanese knives are different: Shun publishes 16 degrees per side and most VG10 gyuto edges sit near 15, so running them on this plate at 20 degrees thickens the edge rather than maintaining it. If your knives are Japanese, set the angle yourself instead of following the maker’s FAQ.
Maintenance and life
Cleaning is a wipe-down with water after each use, then a mild kitchen abrasive cleanser and a nylon scrub brush after several sharpenings; no oil or compound is required. DMT describes the surface as aggressive until it is broken in, so early sessions can remove more metal than a buyer expects, and it says its sharpeners last several years but not forever. The plate has no moving parts, no electronics and no replaceable components, so the ownership cost is simply the replacement price when the diamond surface wears out. DMT does not publish the plate’s weight or body material, and the only anti-slip provision is the rubber feet.
Is it worth it?
At $82.99 direct from DMT the D8F is a defensible buy for someone who already has a coarse plate and wants one flat, continuous fine surface for daily kitchen-knife maintenance. At about $105 from Country Knives the value narrows, because at that money a two-grit plate covers both edge repair and routine sharpening; the Gyuto Club review calls the two-grit DuoSharp the better single purchase and notes the D8F costs about the same as a double-sided SHARPAL for half the grits. Above roughly $105 the D8F is hard to justify as a single purchase. Sibling DMT plates at the same retailer run from $14.00 for a W7E single whetstone to $260.00 for the W250FC DuoSharp system. Fine at 25 micron sets and maintains an edge rather than polishing one, so a finished bevel still needs a finer plate or a strop.
Which model this is
This page covers the 8-inch single-grit fine plate, manufacturer SKU D8F, which Country Knives lists under model number DMD8F. DMT’s page for the SKU carries GTIN-12 017042007676. Do not confuse it with the double-sided D8 C/X fine/coarse plate, the D8E extra-coarse plate, or the interrupted-surface DuoSharp line.
The Amazon listing for this stone is ASIN B0001WP1LK.
Sources
Manufacturer:
Independent reviews:
Owner reports:
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