Yes! Your Diamond Stones need to break-in and go through about 20 sharpening sessions before they can perform optimally. All of our Diamond Stones have an outer layer of diamonds that need to be broken off to get to the better, more consistent diamond layer underneath. When you first use your stones, you’ll notice that they feel very aggressive and sound harsh against your blade. They will also create a lot of dust and grit. As you work through this outer layer, you’ll notice that the stones become smoother and sound less gritty. You will also notice much better edge results.  We recommend that you use cheaper knives to break in your stones. Many customers sharpen butter knives or packs of cheap kitchen knives. We highly recommend you don’t use your new Diamond Stones on your more expensive knives until your stones are broken in.