new stones

I'm looking for new stones to replace a 320 and 1000 Sharpton gs . I've used the Gesshin400 and liked it, also looking at latte 400. Need advice for a good 1Kish stone with nice feedback and good mud. Being used prior to rika5k.
thanks

Bester 1200 is extremely muddy and for the price its very good. But if you commit to something like a gesshin 400 i think the gesshin 2k would be the perfect counterpart. Do you sharpen stainless or carbon knives mostly?

Do you not mind permasoaking stones?

Some soakers that a lot of people like in the 1k range: King 1k, Bester 1.2k, JNS 800, Gesshin 2k

Lower grit: Gesshin 400, Beston 500 and JNS 300 (splash-n-go)

FWIW I have a Shapton GS 1k, King 1k, JNS 800, Gesshin 400, and JNS 300

I love, love, love the JNS 800 for the 1k range. It is more 1-2k IMO. It's a large stone and really comes into its own once it's been soaked for awhile and really broken in. I took a diamond plate to it when it first came in, thinking I'd broken it in. I was wrong. I was on the fence about it at first - I felt like it was a little too thirsty, too slow, and not muddy enough for my liking. The more I've used it and soaked it, the better its gotten. It cuts faster, needs less water, muds up easier etc. Nice balance between hard and soft, and I find it works well on both my stainless and carbon knives. I'll leave some of my beater/workhorse stainless knives with that edge - and with other knives I have good results jumping straight to the Rika 5k.

I haven't had the JNS 300 for too long but it is a very nice, smooth feeling stone. It's nowhere near as fast cutting as the Gesshin 400 but it also doesn't seem to dish anywhere near as much and doesn't require soaking. I'm happy with both, but, as of now, for thinning projects I reach for the Gesshin

jared08 said:

also looking at latte 400.

Click to expand...

You might want to find some non biased opinions on that one before you pull the trigger.

I'm really only sharpening DT aebl and a slurry of cheap knives at this point. Use to be all carbon but had to sell a lot of knives.. I thinking gesshin 400 then either Jns 800, bestor 1.2 or gesshin 2k.
thanks for the heads up about the latte.

If you don't mind me asking, what didn't you like about the Shapton 1k? Curious because I only have Shaptons.

The Gesshin 2K and JNS 800 are really very well regarded and are in a different league to the Bester 1200 (I haven't actually used any of these though, this is what I've read!). You might find this thread helpful: http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...)-and-JNS-(800-6000)-stone-quot-shootout-quot

The Sharpton are extremely hard. They don't dish quickly but that in turn makes them difficult to flatten when needed. I started with a progression of glass stones from 320, 1000, 4000. Pretty much all the stones I've used in the same range, i have preferred over them in many ways. I like a medium soft, muddy stone. I did not when I started sharpening bc I'd gouge stones.

maybe try gesshin 400 + gesh 2k since you're only using stainless.

Lets open the rabbit hole... what makes a stone perform Better on stainless over carbon?

I own the Latte 400, and it dishes pretty fast. The cutting speed seems to be good, although I don't have a lot of stones to compare it to. I also have the Beston 500, and I like it better.