Diamond hone longevity

[LookMomNoSights]

I have a jewel stick diamond rod I like to use to sharpen broadheads.  Ive had it for a couple of years now,  and it seems like its got a lot less grit to it then when I first started using it.   How long do these things last anyway?    Mine doesnt seem to work as good now and Im wondering if its time for a new one.....what do ya think?

[Spectre]

I have a pocket that I have had for going on 10 years now, it just gets better with age.

[The Whittler]

Maybe needs cleaning?

[NoCams]

If you applied too much pressure when it was new you might have lost some of your diamonds being they are only electroplated to the base metal. On a new diamond hone use light pressure till you wear down the high spots to match the rest of the hone rather than tearing the diamond loose. Give it a wash with some soapy water and see if that helps too.

[Sharpster]

Diamond hones/stones are made by electroplating (soldering) diamond particles to a metal substrate. All diamond hones wear out and will eventually need to be replaced. The harder you push the faster they wear out and coarser grits wear out faster than finer grits do. It's also possible to completely strip all the diamond particles off a brand new stone/hone in less than a minute if you push too hard on them. always use a light touch with diamonds and they'll last a long time. Not forever though.

Ron

[Sharpster]

NoCams beat me to it...

Ron

[Bud B.]

My Dad has an E Z Lap Diamond Hone and Stone he bought when we first started bow hunting back in the late 70s/early 80s time frame. I used it this past weekend to hone my pocket knife back to a razor's edge. It's the red fine grit plastic stick one. The diamond surface is about 7/8" x 1.75". It feels worn smooth but will hone an edge like a mirror. I also used it to sharpen a finger plane we use for fine planing.

Tough as nails from my experience.