More Diamond Talk

So I've gotten a lot of questions about the diamond paste, I guess I let my lack of experience tie my tongue. I got the paste that I used from this link on ebay.com

The photo you see above is the beech with the various grits. As was mentioned in the comments on the last post, I found that the most effective use of the compound was in the final honing or stropping of a tool. I didn't see much point in starting with the rough stuff, but I bought it so, why not?

Like all sharpening, the edge is only as good as BOTH surfaces that meet to make it, so I do polish the flat backs and inner surfaces of the tools with the diamond paste. In the last post, you see a small dowel chucked in a drill that I charged with compound and used to polish the flute of the gouge in the photo. The diamond moves metal, period.

I've also charged my leather strop that I use on my drawknives and noted a huge difference. I used to judge whether a tool was sharp by the waxy surface it left behind when cutting end grain of pine, now the surface looks downright wet.

I've always advocated putting your cash into sharpening gear first, and when you compare the price for this stuff with the cost of a single stone (not to mention the $300 flattening plate that I've been eyeing), it's a bargain.

Thanks for letting me know your experience with this stuff, I enjoy being new to it and learning from you.