DMT D3EFC 3-inch Dia-Sharp® Sharpener, Credit Card Sized- Extra-Fine, Fine and Coarse Diamond

by DMT (Diamond Machining Technology)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Take your sharpening anywhere with the ready-to-go Dia-Sharp credit card sized diamond sharpener. Each one fits easily in pocket or wallet. Each comes in convenient vinyl color-coded carry case. Kit of 3: Coarse diamond (45 micron / 325 mesh) to quickly restore a neglected edge; Fine diamond (25 micron / 600 mesh) for a razor sharp edge; and Extra-Fine (9 micron / 1200 mesh) to polish and refine a razor edge after sharpening with a coarser diamond. Each: 3 1/4-inch x 2-inch x .05-inch Sharpening with diamonds is fast and easy. No messy oils needed--sharpen dry or with water. Durable construction will provide years of consistent performance and reliable service For proper tool maintenance, woodworkers, chefs and other professionals rely on the superior quality and versatility of DMT products. Made in USA.

Product Description

Dai-Sharp Ready-to-go 3.00 in. credit card size diamond sharpener with convenient vinyl color-coded carrying case. Fits easy in pocket or wallet.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006IIO3
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: D3EFC
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,291 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #47 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Hand Tools > Sharpening Stones

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great inexpensive portable sharpening system, December 7, 2008

By 

Kari (Elbert, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: DMT D3EFC 3-inch Dia-Sharp® Sharpener, Credit Card Sized- Extra-Fine, Fine and Coarse Diamond (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is a marvelous sharpening system. It is inexpensive and although won't put as nice of an edge as the Norton Waterstone system Norton Waterstone Starter Kit: 1) 220/1000 grit stone and 1) 4000/8000 grit stone, 1) SiC flattening stone it is a lot cheaper. I like these and use them for a convenient portable sharpener. I have sat in coffee shops and such and sharpened with these because they fit so well in a pocket. They don't require any lubricant but it is best to rinse them off after use (I used the drinking fountain at college) although you can do several uses and just wipe them off with your finger, water rinsing only once in a while. The coarse will put an edge on a very dull knife, if it is not too bad use a proper honing motion, but if it is really bad I "scrub" the blade with the card to make it work faster first, and then do the traditional motion when it is closer to an edge.

If you use the coarse until the edge will catch on your fingernail at the shallowest angle permitted by the blade, then use the fine until the blade will cut hair off your arm, and finally use the extra-fine until the edge shaves nicely, you will get a satisfactory edge, but make sure you check along the entire edge, not just one point. If you progress too quickly through the grits, it is much harder to get the blade razor sharp. I use adequate pressure with the coarse, lighten up a little for the fine, and just glide along the extra-fine. Razor-sharp is possible with these cards but it does take a little to break them in. At first they feel rough and will feel smoother after use, but after use they work better, faster, and can make things sharper.

Note these also work well in the kitchen.

Another note is that the DMT diamonds are mono-crystalline, which is better than the cheaper poly-crystalline diamonds that do not last as long or work as well.

I like these and they work very well for what they are, but prefer my waterstones for getting an edge that makes hair fly off my arm in fear.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, convenient, portable, highest quality, September 29, 2010

By 

Mumblin' Berk "Berk" (Bowelsong, NJ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: DMT D3EFC 3-inch Dia-Sharp® Sharpener, Credit Card Sized- Extra-Fine, Fine and Coarse Diamond (Tools & Home Improvement)

OH I LOVE this set. WONDERFUL!

First of all, it's a DMT product, and their diamond crystals are superior to the competition to begin with.
Normally, diamond sharpening stones have the characteristic honey-comb appearance. The purpose for this is to help remove the metal dust created by the sharpening process. The dust falls into the honey-comb pattern, keeping the cutting surface clear.

That's great, and it works very well on knife blades. But that pattern is a problem when sharpening tiny things, and pointy things. Anything small enough to partially "fall" into a honey-comb hole pattern requires a continuous sharpening surface, like these!

I have only had this set for a few weeks, and have used them a zillion times.

Most recently, last night. My wife shopping (Amazon, naturally) for yet another pair of tweezers.
I asked her to show me the "dead" ones, and she brought down her tweezer grave-yard box.

In short order I had re-dressed those tweezer surfaces to better-than-new performance. Then I went after my heavily abused "tool" quality tweezers, and THOSE are all now good enough to pluck Tinkerbell's nostril hair. (video pending)

Here's something else... last week, I was shopping for a new "head" for my electric razor. It's a very nice 3-head Norelco. But when the head wears out, it's expensive to replace. I took the cutting blades out, lubricated just the "fine" sharpening plate with a few drops of water, and gave the cutting surfaces a bit of a polish.

Holy cows! It's like night-and day difference!
With just those TWO items sharpened, this set has more than paid for itself already.
Now THAT'S value.

Despite their tiny (credit-card) size, they are fairly heavy, so I was not carrying them every day. Well, I've changed my mind. They are just TOO useful to be without, and now they have a permanent home in my Maxpedition Versa-pack. (a manly guy satchel, not a "fanny pack". So there.)


Now, ONE little warning: These are a set of tools, NOT some kind of magical sharpening machine.
No more than a nice socket set is a magical tune-up macine for your vehicle.


I see negative reviews here on perfectly wonderful sharpening sets, which is absurd.
It's like saying that your car runs rough because your craftsman socket wrench did a bad job tuning your car up.

Every tool has it's physical properties and limitations, and sharpeing requires a little bit of knowlege and skill.
The more practice you get, the better your understanding becomes. (well, for most people, anyway.)
If you're new to sharpening, you will get much better results if you do a little bit of free reading on the Internet, and watch a few YouTube videos to see how experienced people do it. And yes, you'll find even the "Pro's" contradict eachother all the time.

Don't worry about it.

ANYONE can put a really decent edge on a piece of steel with a little practice.
(I recommend DMT's other knife sharpening products as well.)

PERFECTION... well, that's another story all together. There is a lot of "obession" in the sharpeing game.

Take your skills as far as is comfortable for you.
Just keep it fun.

-Berk

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For weight and space, good buy, July 27, 2008

By 

Joshua P. Vaughn "adventure-survival-freedom" (Alabama and beyond!) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DMT D3EFC 3-inch Dia-Sharp® Sharpener, Credit Card Sized- Extra-Fine, Fine and Coarse Diamond (Tools & Home Improvement)

I bought this little kit in order to have a super lightweight and small size diamond sharpener I could keep in my pack or wallet and never know it was there. For that purpose they are great. The coarsest one is still really not coarse enough to put an edge on a super dull knife, but you shouldn't be venturing out with a dull knife anyway, and it's got more than enough to grit to keep a sharp knife honed up during use.