Diamond sharpening stones have their advantages over natural stone beyond the variety of grit coarseness. They can grind away chipped material faster without losing strength, as well as quickly change the bevel in a plane iron or a chisel.
Perhaps the best advantage over using natural rock is that a stone coated with diamond will not wear down as quickly and will maintain its shape for far longer than a natural whetstone, tending to last a good deal longer as a result, a lifetime in some cases.
They also make the perfect flattening blocks for Japanese water stones as well. And since the stones are studded with diamond chips, the sharpening process is much faster as well as less labor intensive than using a natural oil or water stone.
And should the craftsman drop a diamond sharpening stone, there is no need to worry, as the metal and diamond chips are far more durable than a softer natural stone, which will potentially chip or shatter on impact with a hard ground surface such as a driveway or a hard floor?
