Does size matter?

I just found a KING #6000 waterstone for a good price here in London that measures 178mm x 52mm x 15mm. (comes attached to a base) {£20 @ Japann Centre}

The closest I can find in price is a #6000 grit at 190mm x 63mm x 19mm for almost twice the price {£35 at Tyzack}

The stone I have already (combi #240/#1000) is the same smaller size (178x52mm) which I have found fine to use, though I have never known any different.

Will I come to regret buying the smaller, cheaper stone, or should I spend the extra money for the slightly larger one?


[buying the smaller would give me budget to buy a #4000 if I came to feel that I needed it, also at about £20]


[this is for honing a CarboNext 210 gyuto and I am a beginner, sharpening wise, but using the 240/1000 stone has so far felt ok]

Thanks!

Robert

i prefer larger stones, but i have no problem using smaller ones. i wouldn't pay double for a larger King 6000.

the smaller stone is about 1£ cheaper after averaging the price out to the cubic mm. Doesn't seem like enough to make a decision based on...I'd find some other criteria than price in this instance.

Larger stones are bliss. Thirty five quid for the larger King is pretty expensive if you ask me but based on what you've said sofar regarding prices in the UK that seems to be par for the course Have you looked at buying online or will you still get shafted?

Glad to hear they haven't put their prices up. Bigger stones are better but for learning on smaller stones are fine IMO. Plus you can always sell it on eBay for virtually that price if you choose the upgrade in the future.

Zwiefel said:

the smaller stone is about 1£ cheaper after averaging the price out to the cubic mm. Doesn't seem like enough to make a decision based on...I'd find some other criteria than price in this instance.

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The only other difference is size, hence my question.

The price difference between the two stones is £15, regardless of what the £/weight is and I am not in a position to just throw endless cash at gear to sharpen my one £75 knife.

I had actually already bought the stone from JC when I posted this, but figured if replies were unanimously "NO GET THE LARGE ONE" I could happily take it back and trade it for tofu and pizza flavoured seaweed.

The £20 #4000 stone I might buy is larger, so if I do get that and decide it's a beautiful thing, I can upgrade and ebay the one I have - good idea TB.

Thanks all.

Blobby said:

Larger stones are bliss. Thirty five quid for the larger King is pretty expensive if you ask me but based on what you've said sofar regarding prices in the UK that seems to be par for the course Have you looked at buying online or will you still get shafted?

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I just had a look at prices in the US (JKI & the TOGO place) and £35 for the larger stone is cheaper than both [$60+/- though perhaps stones are 8mm wider?] I have no idea how much these things go for in Oz.

Japan Centre price is cheaper than e-bay from Korea!

Knives may be overpriced here, but it seems you can get great deals on stones if you are prepared to search them out!

I can feel my inner perfectionist idiot will not be happy until I have spent £2000 on a set of huge Chosera stones, with antique wooden bases, but I shall have to attempt to silence him. It's funny because when I got home last night and looked at my new stone I was really pleased with it: oh, how smooth it was! Yet as soon as I realised that the other one I had seen online was slightly larger, I turned to the forum in an attempt to still the inner voices of discontent.

:sad0:

that's what she said....

rdpx said:

............I turned to the forum in an attempt to still the inner voices of discontent.........

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Stones are just as alluring as knives. More so in fact. I like sharpening a knife as much if not more than using one.

Meh, get the cheaper one. It allows you room to upgrade later, if you become one of those guys (right Jon?). To be honest, you should be well set up with the smaller 6k. Kings dish easier than most stones, but the 6k should be far less "dishy" than the 1k.

Lefty said:

Meh, get the cheaper one. It allows you room to upgrade later, if you become one of those guys (right Jon?). To be honest, you should be well set up with the smaller 6k. Kings dish easier than most stones, but the 6k should be far less "dishy" than the 1k.

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Does "dish" mean become uneven? You should have seen the state of the #240 side on my old combi before I came here and realised how to use it properly (ie: "rarely, and flatten it")

rdpx said:

..........I have no idea how much these things go for in Oz..........

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Lucky to have this shop 10 minutes drive away. http://www.carbatec.com.au/sharpening-stones_c21785 They stock King stones, the full range of DMT gear and lots of other bits and pieces. And all very reasonably priced too. Multiply by 2/3 to get pounds. It's not top of the range sharpening gear (from what I've read here and at other sites) but there's nothing wrong with any of it. I can attest to the lower grit (1200) King stone dishing quite rapidly but a lot of that's due to my inexperience too. They're relatively cheap. Just have to flatten it more often. It's nice and fat and'll last for years of home sharpening. I think it's a really nice stone to use too.

Blobby said:

Lucky to have this shop 10 minutes drive away. http://www.carbatec.com.au/sharpening-stones_c21785 They stock King stones, the full range of DMT gear and lots of other bits and pieces. And all very reasonably priced too. Multiply by 2/3 to get pounds. It's not top of the range sharpening gear (from what I've read here and at other sites) but there's nothing wrong with any of it. I can attest to the lower grit (1200) King stone dishing quite rapidly but a lot of that's due to my inexperience too. They're relatively cheap. Just have to flatten it more often. It's nice and fat and'll last for years of home sharpening. I think it's a really nice stone to use too.

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Nice prices! Looks like they sell the slightly larger ones. I want one now...

I don;t know if you are ever in Sydney (I know it is a very very long way from where you are) but the most amazing knife work I have ever seen and sushi I have ever eaten was at Yoshii there. Just amazing, and we had the chef to ourselves at lunchtime. He did this amazing and very simple thing with a tiny sliver of carrot that turned it into a very beautiful swallow type bird. He showed me how to do it and I forgot instantly.I have a video somewhere that I took of him filleting a huge barramundi. If you are ever in Sydney, do not miss this experience, but in the evening it starts to get rather expensive.

Thanks for that. Always great to get a recommendation. Particularly if it's a good restaurant.

I would've gone 4k over 6k myself. Especially from the 1k jump. But that's just me, I'm sure.

Cool, they import all their stuff from Japan wholesale so most of their stuff is competitive price wise. Sushi prices nearly doubled when they moved to their new shop though.
If you want to borrow the 4k to see what it's like drop me a PM. I'm not a fan of it in the king series. Only really use it on single bevels where it helps with the kasumi finish.

TB_London said:

Cool, they import all their stuff from Japan wholesale so most of their stuff is competitive price wise. Sushi prices nearly doubled when they moved to their new shop though.
If you want to borrow the 4k to see what it's like drop me a PM. I'm not a fan of it in the king series. Only really use it on single bevels where it helps with the kasumi finish.

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Thanks TB that is a great offer - if you were still true to your name (and not now TB-Cardiff) I would love to drop in and get a lesson from you! I will see how I go with the #6000 and if I think I need the mid-step, as I can get a #4000 for around £20 I will probably just go ahead and do that. Am still hankering slightly after returning the JC one and getting the larger stone for an extra £15, but deep down I know it is not really necessary. I must say I find that the plastic foot attached to the King feels a bit cheap, and the perfectionist part of me yearns for the wooden stand that would have come with the more expensive JCK stone!

I have really loved dealing with Koki - the tracking shows that my knife arrived in Coventry about 3 hours ago, so I am half expecting it to turn up tomorrow.

From your JC/sushi price comments I feel you are a sushi lover, so here is another tip....

There is a fairly new sushi restaurant in London (Clerkenwell) called SUSHI TETSU. They only do sushi/sashimi - nothing hot (not even miso soup!) and it is fully booked a good two months (+?) in advance as it only has about 7 seats. Apparently it is stunning, and the way forward is to do the "Omakase" and let Toru-san feed you at his whim. We are on waiting list for a space.... You might want to see if you can book a spot sometime if you have a trip to London planned in the next few months, apparently it is worth it. I would imagine it might be worth the trip just to watch Mr. Takahashi using his knives, but be warned, it isn't cheap. This is "special treat" territory.

Sushi Tetsu website

Jay Rayner review

Gah I lived in Clerkenwell for 3years but never saw it there, and used to walk down clerkenwell green almost daily.
I'm down in London quite frequently, but that place looks worth a trip on its own.
Next time I'm down if you wanted to meet up I could bring some knives and stones

And yeah I know ill thought out user name, didn't think I'd be leaving London