Leather Bench Hone

Phoenix Knife House Bench Hone/Strop - Lacewood base - 10"x3"

Provided is a very beautiful Lacewood platform/base that comes with rubber feet for sure grip, magnetic material attached for pad interchangeability, and a metal backed textured leather pad.

The leather has a very strong draw (or pull) to it that I like especially for western style double bevel Japanese knives. It will work fine as is but works flat out incredible with a couple of coatings of our Dupont diamond honing spray applied.

A great key feature to using this textured type of leather is how you can read it and see what you have happening at the edge microscopically, it'll show burrs or edge nicks as lines in the surface of the leather and is easily seen. You strop until the surface becomes smooth - takes the guess work out of the process.

This leather pad is very thin and not easily deformed through depression which means it is very difficult to round edges while using it and it's just resilient enough to where it's resistant to being easily cut.

The base is made of Lacewood and I think the pictures speak for themselves here. I could see this as being the first bench hone that is allowed to sit out on the counter at home (wife friendly).

Base is topped with magnetic material. Pads are backed with steel. Pads can be replaced as needed. 

Felt deburring pads are available with steel backing in this 10"x3' size. Replacement leather pads are also available.

**Please also note that this product is made from natural materials and as such will not necessarily all look alike, will have slight variations in shade/texture, and may not exactly resemble the picture shown in the listing. We can not pick a specific base or leather pad for you.

This is a really nice set up that Phoenix Knife House has come up with, you won't be disappointed with this one.

Lacewood Leather Bench Hone

A New Way - Dupont Polycrystalline Diamond Honing Spray

Dupont Premium Polycrystalline Honing Spray - 0.25 Micron

Professional chef testers are reporting that our new diamond honing spray to be the best that they've ever used. It's said that it refines and creates such a sharp keen edge that they don't feel the need to use as many sharpening stones or even sharpen as often. Many sighted edge retention was increased dramatically to decrease the need for waterstone sharpening.

In my own testing, with over 30+ diamond spray types reviewed, I can say without hesitation that this diamond spray is the very best that has ever passed through my hands or has been sold by us to be used on Japanese kitchen knives.

Expensive Dupont polycystalline white diamond particles are held in a water based suspension that comes packaged in a convenient spray pump bottle. Unlike diamond slurries, the diamond particles in this solution are held in permanent suspension through the use of a binding agent. 

Unlike less expensive monocrystalline diamond particles, polycrystalline diamond has self-sharpening properties which continually release worn and dull surface monocrystallites to expose fresh sharp new cutting edges below. This occurs even moreso with this particular diamond spray because of a special Dupont process that micro-fractures each particle to crack under stress. For this reason, Dupont Polycrystalline diamond spray will hone and polish faster than any other diamond spray. 

This is the finest quality diamond spray that we've used to date. This product has been tested and approved by us particularly for use on Japanese knives.

Best suited: For use on the textured leather bench hone that we sell. Not suited for all leather types - may cause drying. Use caution when used with felt as it will bubble felt up if too much is applied. Use VERY sparingly on felt honing pads.

Directions: Apply a coating to leather pad/strop or felt honing pad but take care not to soak as damage to pads may occur. I suggest using a layering approach much like you would use while spray painting. Apply several light coats versus one heavy coat.

Concentration: Heavy

Randy Barrett, Lead Instructor - Le Cordon Bleu Cambridge, MA said (of the Dupont Polycrystalline Diamond Honing Spray):
"Edge retention is phenomenal. Beat it up for a week now and it's holding to about 85-90% of its edge fresh off the stones. If it starts to lose anything at all 5 or 6 passes on the pad will bring it right back. I use the pad every morning before I start and that's all it needs; it will hold all day until the next morning. Chock full o' bite it sure has."
 

Sent to us in an email:

"Hi Dave,

Just a note to tell you how much I like the new .25 micron Diamond Honing Spray.

I have gotten so many fine sharpening products from you in the past I just had to try it.
I made up a leather honing pad with several light applications of the spray. Couldn't really feel anything being added to the leather, but I knew Dave Martell doesn't sell "snake oil" so last night I tried it out on a few of my knives.

I have never obtained this level of sharpness with even the Cromium Oxide compound.
I absolutely love this Diamond Spray! It really works! Easy to use too.

This takes sharpening to a whole new level of "Fun".

Thanks for another great product!

DT "

Dupont Premium Diamond 0.25 micron honing spray