A rough stone called a lapping plate or flattening stone is used to flatten sharpening stones. Cutting tool edges must be kept level and straight, hence a flat stone must be used to sharpen them. Waterstones and other similar stones cut very quickly because the glue holding them together degrades rapidly, continuously exposing new grit. 

While this works quite effectively on metal, it also causes the stone to wear relatively quickly and lose its flatness over time. The grit and stone grade both affect how quickly this wear occurs. In general, stone wear occurs more quickly the rougher it is. Additionally, the harder the binder and the slower the wear, the higher the stone grade.

The Different Types of Flattening Stones

When you initially look through the wide range of flattening stones, you’ll notice a few distinct features that separate them. Depending on what you intend to use them for, you’ll need to pay special attention to their composition, grit and structure.

Double-Time 

One of the most popular lapping stones is the Double-Time. This lapping stone is simple to use because of its large size, which is bigger than other water stones. The Double-Time has two sides as well: a rough side with a grit of 120 for quick flattening and a fine side with a granularity of 320 for lighter flattening or smoothing the surface of a water stone with a finer grit.

Naniwa

A smaller stone is called the Naniwa Flattening Stone. It is smaller than the majority of water stones, and its purpose is to flatten them. This implies that it must be moved over the water stone that is flattening rather than the other way around. Sharpeners that like this procedure find it to be popular due to its inexpensive cost and compact size.

Naniwa Pink Aluminum Oxide 

Between Naniwa and the Extra Large Naniwa is the Naniwa Pink Aluminum Oxide Flattening Stone. Its distinctive quality is that it is constructed of pink aluminium oxide rather than silicon carbide, as is the case with the majority of other flattening stones. Pink Aluminum Oxide is tougher and more resistant to deterioration than silicon carbide, making it a hard-wearing flattening stone that nevertheless cuts quickly.

Naniwa Extra Large

In comparison to the standard flattening stone, the Naniwa Extra Large Flattening Stone is considerably larger in size. Even though the size could be a hassle, it would make a great permanent addition to a sharpening bench. The more coarse grit of the Extra Large model creates an ideal surface for aggressive flattening and quick wear.

Norton

The Norton Flattening Stone is a medium size, simple to use and only slightly larger than the typical water stone. Extreme flatness, which translates to consistently flat water stones, and durability, which never needs to be re-flattened, are two benefits of these stones. If your budget allows, diamond lapping plates are a great option among the various grades and sizes offered.

Dia-Flat DMT

For flattening all water stones, the DMT Dia-Flat Lapping Plate comes in very helpful. This is our fastest lapping plate due to its vast surface area and extremely aggressive 120 mesh grit. This lapping plate wears less quickly and lasts longer than typical diamond stones because of the DMT Hardcoat technology.

Dia-Flat 95 

A variation of the DMT Dia-Flat with a finer grit is the 160 mesh DMT Dia-Flat 95 Lapping Plate. This is one of the most often used lapping plates, and it features the DMT Hardcoat technology for a long working life. It flattens quickly despite cutting slightly more slowly than the coarser plate. Many people like the Dia-Flat 95 for covering extremely fine stones because it creates a smoother finish on the water stone being flattened.

Diamond Lapping Plate

A very finely constructed surface for flattening water stones is the Shapton Diamond Lapping Plate. It is a specific tool created for the Shapton stones and should not be used on any stone with a grit of less than 500.

The way a Diamond Lapping Plate works is by using a coating of diamond particles and a special base of silicon carbide. The combination produces a very smooth surface and produces a very consistent uniform finish.

Nano Hone Surf Stone Diamond Sheet

The diamonds on the Nano Hone Surf Stone are placed in a wave pattern for aggressive cutting and efficient waste material clearing. You can customise your lapping plate to meet your needs by choosing from 60, 140, or 325 grits. Replacement plates are available, and the diamond-covered plates are replaceable.

What Kinds of Wear Do Whetstones Get?

Beginners will find that they need to flatten their whetstones more regularly than more experienced sharpeners. This is due to a lack of refinement in the sharpening method. As your sharpening technique improves, you will achieve more even wear over the surface of the whetstone.

You will also be more aware of the possibility of uneven stone wear and will take the required precautions to mitigate this issue on the sharpening surface. The whetstone will wear more quickly in regions where you apply more pressure as the sharpener. Uneven pressure applied to the blade when it is passed across the stone may result in uneven wear in certain areas or on each side of the whetstone.

Dishing is the most prevalent wear pattern on a whetstone that happens regardless of technique quality. This dishing pattern occurs when the middle section of the whetstone has a curved profile and the near and far edges are raised above the central region of the stone. 

The pattern arises because less pressure is applied at the start of a sharpening stroke, more pressure is applied in the midst of the stroke, and less pressure is applied again at the end of the stroke when you remove the knife from the stone.