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Pros: Effectiveness, Durability, Overall Quality, Ease of Use
Cons: None
The 11.5" Length is Fan-Freakin'-Tastic
For longer knives, Bowie Knives, the length really makes it noticeably easier to come away from the bench with a razor edge that's constantly even throughout the full length of the blade. I have three of the 8" Dia Sharps and first few strokes w/ the 11.5" could easily tell the advantage of having the extra length; Longest blade I have is a Condor Combat Machete @13" and was very sharp out of the box but this benchstone made short work of it becoming a overgrown razor blade. Be nice if this stone was 1/2" wider but that would raise the selling price and not any downside at all to it's quality and functionality. I was going to get the 8" Extra Extra Fine stone but at the last minute changed up and ordered this one and man o man am I glad I did. My shorter folders are benefiting from the length increase too. There are a number of company's manufacturing quality sharpening tools but having owned a number of DMT items(a few years now since my first one) I'm 100% locked in and lovin' the DMT way of making fine edges even finer along with the availability, pricing, quality and high level of service Knife Center provides.