TRENDTrend Diamond Sharpening Stone Kit, 8 x 3 Inch Double Sided (300/1000 Grit) Bench Stone with Pouch, Cleaning Block & Non-Slip Mat, DWS/CP8/FC

This sharpening stone works great! Being 8"x3" it is the perfect size for sharpening plane blades and chisels. I achieved very sharp edges on my chisels and plane blades and was able to flatten the backs of my blades. I like that it has two sides so I only have one stone to deal with instead of two. I also like that it is monocrystalline instead of polycrystalline; monocrystaline sharpens more efficiently and lasts longer.One side is 300 grit and the other side is 1000 grit. These are marked clearly on each side. Only the 300 grit side has the clearance channels. At the time of this review, the photo advertised here in Amazon is not correct since it shows clearance channels on a 1000 grit stone. These channels are very effective for keeping the lapping fluid evenly distributed on the surface and also clear out some of the metal shavings. The 1000 grit side does not have these channels. I wish it did since it really helps a lot. I find the channels on this Trend stone to be much better than the holes used on DMT stones. While a knife point can still occasionally hang up in these channels, the point will have more tendency to skip over it rather than catching hard like on the edges of the holes on a DMT stone. I sharpened two pocket knives on this stone and only had the knife point hang up once. The channels on the Trend stone also take up less space on the stone, thereby allowing for more diamond cutting surface, unlike the DMT stones where the many big holes leave very little cutting surface left. DMT does have steel plate stones very similar to these Trend stones, but DMT currently does not offer any clearance holes or channels on them.I only used a general purpose household cleaner in a spray bottle as the lubrication. The soapy solution works well as a lubricant and is easy to clean up; it is also very cost effective. Don't' use bathroom cleaners since those can be corrosive if left on metal for too long.Once broken in, my knife and blade edges came out very smooth and sharp.I posted a photo of one of the bad chisels I flattened with this stone.Diamond sharpening stones do require a break in period. The courser the stone, the less time it takes to break in (because there are fewer diamonds to break in on a course stone). When first pulled out of the package, this Trend stone is very rough. I grabbed one of my low quality chisels and started working on it to improve the chisel and break in the stone. The 300 grit side broke-in within about 30 minutes of working this one chisel (the chisel was in really bad shape and would have sharpened quicker if I used an extra course stone). The 1000 grit took about 2.5 to 3 hours of sharpening time with a few different chisels and knives before it broke in. Some people expect the stone to be broke-in right out of the box; however, with a stone that will last for several years, I don't have a problem spending a few hours breaking it in.The pouch it comes with is well made and very handy to have.It also comes with what they call a cleaning block. This item seems to be nothing more than a big pencil eraser. But it is nice they included it. It also comes with a non-slip pad: this is also something you can buy in a home store that is used as liners in drawer bottoms, but again it is very nice they included it.Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of this stone. I highly recommend that if you are looking to get a diamond stone, this one will not disappoint as it is high quality and sharpens wonderfully - far better than sand stones.Updated information:I have also used the DMT diamond stones. I find the trend stones to be far more quality made than DMT. The Trend stone has a more uniform coating of diamonds and the metal block has squared edges instead of slightly rounded edges. The Trend also does not seem to clog as easily as the DMT. The DMT stones also seem to lose diamonds much easier than the Trend. I also believe the Trend is a flatter stone after I attempted to flatten a few plane blades. Therefore, as a side by side comparison, I put Trend stones well above the DMT stones.

Oh yes! I bought this and the Trend DWS/LF/100 3.4 FL OZ lapping fluid. This is really what you want. I also have the DVD of James ___ demonstrating this stone. (He is the distributor of this in the US.) Light pressure works better. My first project was to tune a cheapy Buck block plane. I had mostly done that already on wet/dry on glass. But I thought I would touch it up. It definitely improved it. Then on to the blade. I had sharpened it once on wet/dry but then hit a hidden finish nail with it. Not once, but over and over before I realized it was not a knot. Poo. (Pooh?)So thanks to the nail, I had a LOT to take off. I have a honing guide (spent a pretty penny for it, too) but chose instead to free-hand it. It turns out to be quite easy once you get a feel for it. So an hour later on 300, and about 5 minutes on 1000, and that booger was SHARP. I wound up using it a few days later on a door I was restoring, and it cut like butter. Wow!!!The next evening I tackled an Irwin Marple 2" chisel I bought on Amazon. It took A TON of work to true the back and the bevel. More on that when I review the chisel. But again, an hour+ (listening to FWW shoptalk live podcasts) on the 300 on the back, and 30 minutes on the bevel, and I cut myself wiping it a bit carelessly. But it was not yet sharp, so I then spent a few minutes each on the 1000. It was razor sharp! Wow! It cut paper like the DVDs show. I will never go back to wet/dry now for sharpening. I will still use it for major truing at the coarser grits. But not any of the sharpening.

Great abrasive. Stone is heavier than I was expecting. It definitely feels substantial.My 1st. use and after an hour the stone started to discolor. I think it is correct to buy a water additive to help cut down on rust. Honerite or something else. But the stone still works great. I'm new to hand sharpening. But was able to get a very sharp end polished edge on my hand plane and kitchen knife. I definitely recommend an additional really Fine stone to finish the polishing and honing of the cut edge.

As can be seen in pictures taken after 1st 3 minutes of use, right out of the box.The diamond grid started peeling off along with loose diamonds in certain areas on the stone - I suspect the loose diamonds is the culprit for grinding off the grid, but that should not happen.The coloring of the stone is also darker in certain random areas suggesting uneven wear.(all this on 1st 3 minutes of use).I contacted Trend customer service, they said its definitely defective and informed me to return it to the place of purchase.Besides that Trend is a great brand for diamond stones but unfortunately they have rather poor quality control so make sure to check yours.I advise you to use this stone 1st time out of the box for a good 5-10 minutes making sure to cover the entire surface of the stone with the back of your plane or any flat peice of steel let the stone do the work, no pressure , but make sure your diamond coating doesnt peel off, cause if it does, you have yourself a defective product.