how do you clean diamond and water stones?

[justin sherriff]

I have shapton stones and use a DMT diamond plate to flatten them. How do you clean off all the slop off the diamond plate after flattening?

[Frank Pratt]

Just rinse it off. I have Sigma stones & a DMT plate to flatten them & also to do heavy material removal off damaged edges. When done, just a quick rinse & pat it dry with a paper towel. I don't know if they rust if left wet though.

[lowell holmes]

I would wash the DMT, dry it and store it. I have one and that has kept it clean.

[Dave Zellers]

Water and a short bristle nylon brush. I use a fingernail brush.

[David Bassett]

Diamond plate rinse after each use. Dry as soon as I'm done. (I use a nylon nail brush I got from LV when a swish in water doesn't leave the surface clear.)

Water stones it depends. I will usually rinse the surface before drying my stones. But you should note some sharpening techniques, especially used for cosmetic finishes on Japanese Knives, make use of the stone slurry and many sharpeners will dry and save it for their next use. So, YMMV.

[John K Jordan]

I usually use a soap and water and an old toothbrush. Some makers recommend a mild kitchen abrasive. It apparently helps remove metal particles embedded between the particles of grit. From the Eze-Lap web site:

"Question: What is the best way to clean my sharpener?
Answer: We would suggest Comet or Ajax and some warm water. Using an old toothbrush, scrub until clean."

[Andrew Pitonyak]

And make sure it dries properly, you do not want it to rust.

Trend says that they will NOT warrant their diamond plates unless you use their lapping fluid, which is supposed to help keep things clean AND to prevent rust. While watching a demonstration (not by someone working for Trend) who swears by the stuff. The only reason that I do not own any is because it is a wee bit expensive compared to just using water with a bit of dawn soap in it.....

I would not use Trend stones without since otherwise you have no warranty. Someday i will give it a try, but, if you are only using diamonds to flatten your stone, I would NOT be inclined to use Trend fluid for that since I would NOT want it to get in to my water stones.

[Winston Chang]

And make sure it dries properly, you do not want it to rust.

Trend says that they will NOT warrant their diamond plates unless you use their lapping fluid, which is supposed to help keep things clean AND to prevent rust. While watching a demonstration (not by someone working for Trend) who swears by the stuff. The only reason that I do not own any is because it is a wee bit expensive compared to just using water with a bit of dawn soap in it.....

I would not use Trend stones without since otherwise you have no warranty. Someday i will give it a try, but, if you are only using diamonds to flatten your stone, I would NOT be inclined to use Trend fluid for that since I would NOT want it to get in to my water stones.

I also have a Trend diamond plate that I use with water and a bit of dish soap. Like you, I wouldn't want to get their oil-based lapping fluid in my waterstones. I have their lapping fluid and tried it out, but it didn't really seem much better than water.

I occasionally see a little rust on the diamond plate, but as far as I can tell, it's just rusty swarf, not the plate itself that is rusting. I suppose the lapping fluid would probably prevent the swarf from rusting, but that's not really important to me.

[Edward Dyas]

I have natural arkansas stones. I don't clean them, I keep them in water 24/7. The water will rust away any steel that gets in the pores of the stone. Most of the stones I have are 40 years old and work like new.

[Dennis Droege]

For what it's worth: I work my diamond plates over with a scrub brush and a little Comet-I can see and feel the improvement. And this is a late development for me: I have taken to mixing some glass cleaner into the water I spray on the plates when I use them. May be my imagination, but I feel like it leaves a cleaner surface.

[Keith Mathewson]

Recently I have purchased a number of chisels from Stan, some of you will remember Stan. Here is some advice that he gave me on cleaning water stones

I love natural stones and have spent a lot of money on them over the years. They make the blade look pretty. They are pleasant to use. They are part of the adventure. I think (but can't prove) they hold an edge just a tiny bit longer than a synthetic stone. But do they make a measureable difference in cutting performance? Not at all. They are not superior. And anyone that says different is selling piss as perfume.


However, If you look at the more expensive of the Shapton stones, you will find that reasonably-priced natural stones are not more expensive. This is very interesting.


There are risks with any stones, natural or synthetic, but more with natural stones. Sometimes hard particles exist inside a natural stone that will surface as the stone wears. Sometimes there are hidden cracks, or they may develop cracks later. This happens frequently and measures must be taken to prevent it.


Also, some natural stones don't work well with some blades. It is wise to test your blade on a stone before purchasing it. This is why I don't sell natural stones. I couldn't guarantee them and customers will always be dissatisfied. But I would be happy to help you find one. If you come to Tokyo, I would be happy to go to a stone store with you and translate and give you pointers.


Having a good nagura stone is the key to making any stone, natural or synthetic, work best.


Don't let what I have written discourage you from trying natural stones. They are fun and pleasant, except when they are an irritating waste of money.

[Jim Matthews]

I flatten my stones with a coarse Atoma plate.

I use the same lubricant to clean the stone (WD-40 for Arkies, soap and water for Waterstones).

I use a "file brush" and pat the Atoma dry before storage.

FYI - some of the Waterstones will leave a chalky residue that just slides off when dry.