Diamond plates don't come in as big a variety of grits, and as far as I know they aren't sold in the really fine grits (4000x, 8000x) that are used for final honing.
They are sold in 4000 and 8000 I believe. I have an 8000 grit dmt diamond plate for final honing on scrapers and straight razors. I use dmt for everything. For planes and chisels I go course, like 220 grit, then 800, then 1200 and then hit it on a leather strop with green honing compound. Shaves hair everytime, and easy and fast to sharpen. I use the Paul sellers method of sharpening and I'm gladi discovered it! Quick, easy, efficient, and holds an edge!
I use diamond plate for sharpening then switch to waterstones for honing. Of course when I bought my waterstones, I don't know if diamond plates were available in grits above 1200 (at least I couldn't find any back then). Even now though, DMT's extra fine diamond plate are a 1200 grit and then they jump to an 8000 grit for the extra extra fine grit which seems like a larger jump than I would like to do in one shot.
If I were starting out today, I honestly would probably buy ceramic stones rather than either for final honing.
Good quality diamond plates are mighty versatile and get quick results, but for those folk convinced that they don't go fine enough in the grits they are not good enough (they should try diamond paste then…). I think lots of money is wasted on trying to get edges impractically sharp, but if sharpening is more of a hobby than woodworking then there is no end to stones, plates, compounds, pastes, papers, films, solutions etc and there is "new" stuff coming out all the time, not to mention gadgets, machines and techniques….
Philip, the Cynical.
I use dmt combo plates and finish at the strop w/ green bar, ala: Paul Sellers. Very effective for me.
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