I was unsure but hopeful about how these were going to perform since I've had to spend gobs of money to get quality stones in the past. I was extremely pleasantly surprised. I have worked with Vinevs, KDTU, PDT, Jende to name a few and these hold their own against their resin bonded stones as far as cutting ability, feedback and consistency. I even experienced less loading at the higher grits than I have with Vinev. The scratch pattern is excellent and I was able to get dull knives just as sharp as is possible. The grit progression is consistent and well spaced.
I will point out that they have a rather small working layer and the material doesn't reach the ends of the 6 inch base BUT they had to do something to make these affordable and I'm sure glad they did. 1mm of working material will last you a decade with regular sharpenings and I don't notice the shorter length of material when sharpening on a guided angle system at all. I would love to see a super low grit profiling stone in one of the lines like an 80 or 120 but the 200 is definitely fully capable of reprofiling, It's just nice to have extra oomph sometimes.
I have tried both this pro version as well as the premium version and I do like them both but I actually prefer the pro. It may be the feedback that I like more with the flat surface but the raised pattern on the premiums is extremely efficient and that might be your jam. It's an interesting innovation. I also appreciate the slightly thicker working layer of the pro. I hope to try all of their offerings eventually.
I also have to mention their customer service which is top notch. I don't just mean it was good at the basic level but they went above and beyond to help me with my first order, answering any questions, and even followed up after our initial chat. I was worried I wouldn't get the case, spray bottle and conditioning stone since I was mixing and matching from 3 different lines but they assured me they'd include them, adding to the value.
We don't all have $400 to drop on a set of stones even If it will last a lifetime. There was a huge hole in the market for a quality budget resin bonded diamond stone and I'm glad to see someone filling it. Maybe we'll see them expand into CBN next! I would love to see that, or perhaps hybrid bonds. I expect good things whatever direction they go. I will be spreading the word, including in the extensive yet close nit online world of sharpening, and I see that I'm not alone in that (shoutout to Lacey). I only hope we don't start seeing the stock issues we've seen with Vinev and KDTU! If you're considering these, don't hesitate. (I am unaffiliated with the brand, I just appreciate the product and the value)
Review was written after sharpening a dozen knives of varyings angles and steels, soft to super hard. I will try to post another review with some photos and updates after I use it a while longer.
