If you have already been using your sharpener, and you later purchase finer stones like 2200 and 3000 grit stones, you will notice the fine grits feel coarser than your coarse grits, which is because the fine stones have not broken in yet. Break in the fine grit stones just like your other diamond stones for optimal results.
Sharpen some inexpensive knives or a piece of scrap steel to break in your stones. Do not rub your stones together to break them in.
When your stones are properly broken in, you will notice they will feel smoother than they previously felt before they were broken in. You will also see much less dust gather when you sharpen, and you will notice they make a much softer, less crunchy sound as you sharpen.
This depends on the types of steel you sharpen, the amount of strokes you do with each stone on each knife, and the amount of pressure you use. If you would like to learn from other Wicked Edge users about how long their stones last, the Wicked Edge Forum is a great resource where you can reach out to other Wicked Edge users and ask questions about their experiences with the stones. On average, we estimate that the stones will last approximately 400 to 600 knives. You can extend the lifespan of your stones by using less pressure and not doing more strokes with the stones than necessary. If your goal is to achieve great sharpness, you shouldn’t need to do more than 20 strokes with each stone on each side of the knife. If your goal is to polish your edge, you should do as many strokes as necessary to achieve the level of polish you desire.
When your Wicked Edge diamond stones wear out, you will notice bald spots where you can see the bare aluminum plate underneath the surface of the stones. When you see this, it’s time to replace your stones because they will no longer work effectively to refine your edges.