I have preferred diamond paste sharpening to other methods I have tried. Using 2000 grit and 14000 grit oil-based paste on 2 separate cast iron plates works well for most chisels and plane irons. I finish with chromium oxide paste stropping. Sometimes the edge is so rounded that, after hollow-grinding, I use a coarse diamond plate to establish a flat with wire edge, before the above sequence. Lately my old coarse plate has lost its bite and acts more like a fine. I purchased 600 grit paste at 50% concentration and put 3 small dabs on the plate, adding a few drops of lubricating oil, using my finger to spread it. With freehand side sharpening I easily flattened the bevel of the plane iron and created a wire edge to present to the 2000 and 14000 grit plates. I suppose the 600 paste would have worked well on a smooth iron plate but do not have an extra plate on which to demonstrate this.
After years of underwhelming (overseas) and/or overpriced (read DMT) paste, I stumbled across a maker (Tech Diamond Tools) whose paste can be purchased at 25% or 50% concentration at low cost. This paste has been a revelation. I know a good hand tool but until now had no awareness of the spectrum of this sharpening medium.
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