I am relatively new to Japanese knives and have been doing a ton of research on sharpening including watching Dave's DVDs and have used oilstones on pocket knives when I wore a younger man's clothes. I have settled on the Bester 1200 for a medium/coarse stone and am thinking about either the Suehiro Rika or the Arashiyama 6000/Takenoko 8000 for a medium/fine stone. I'm looking for input as to which of the two would be better in the long run.
I've seen both described as fast-cutting (for the grit), great feedback, great for beginners, and leave a good finish--but finding people who compare them is a bit more difficult. The price difference between the two is only $13, so cost isn't really an issue. I would especially appreciate feedback from people who have used both.
I've seen both described as fast-cutting (for the grit), great feedback, great for beginners, and leave a good finish--but finding people who compare them is a bit more difficult. The price difference between the two is only $13, so cost isn't really an issue. I would especially appreciate feedback from people who have used both.