Hi from the Philippines

Hi everyone,


Have been lurking for months and bringing myself up to speed. I'd just like to say that I've learned alot and am looking forward to more. I've recently had an epiphany on knives as from the utilitarian aspect, pretty much learning to enjoy them for what they are not simply for what they can do. I come from a background of mostly stainless steel junk and old-school utility Henckels...as crazy as it sounds, the market for J-knives and their accompanying paraphernelia is a very small niche (regardless of the Philippines' proximity to Japan).

Irony of ironies though is that there are Japanese restaurants and groceries pretty much everywhere you go.




I've recently popped my J-knife cherry with a MAC HB-85. Put off plunking the dollhairs for that until I felt my sharpening skill(?) was up to spit and I'd sourced a halfway decent stone to help maintain a decent edge.

:dance:

It cut pretty decent until it's first encounter with pork skin from a semi-thawed shoulder I was breaking down. Recently put on it's honbatsuke with a 1000 grit naniwa ebi and a "sato sharpening stone" of unknown grit which brought it to (i feel) better than it's OOTB sharpness.

Great to be here and hoping to learn all I can.


Cheers,
Ray

Welcome!

Thanks for having me here



here's a pic of the Naniwa Ebi I got off the googles. searched high and low for feedback on it and found scraps of info off of a dutch, thai and straight razor forum.






from what I can tell from Naniwa's japan site http://www.naniwa-kenma.co.jp/sharpening_stone/deluxe/, it's an econo stone. I've seen it retail for 20sh to 35 USD on ebay. It was an accidental find, was just rummaging through a mom and pop hardware store and came across these. Apparently not knowing what they were, the shopkeeper charged 2 USD for a piece.I walked away with 3 of these without hesitating.

It was only when I got home and searched online, and found next to nothing.

The stone is thirsty and took a good 30 minute soaking before I used it. Cuts quick and didn't generate a bunch of mud. Granted the knife I sharpened it on needed more of a touch-up than anything else. Will post pics of the actual stone (which btw is green as opposed to the internet pic) and the edge it pt on a MAC if anyone is mildly curious, and hopefully share their experience with it.

Welcome!

Welcome to KKF Ray

I enjoyed reading your introduction. Welcome Ray. (I'll be keeping my eyes open in the hardware store!)

kumusta

Welcome!

Welcome, Ray. Looks like you've come to the right place.

Thank you all for the warm greetings. Been a bit tied up with work so I haven't been posting as much as I'd like. Managed to score another curious find at the hardware store. Appears to be a 'home-use' stone of 800sh to a 1000 grit. Problem is, waiting on (old) new kit which is great coz I don't have anything to sharpen as of the moment. There are some curio knives that are locally forged with some (to be honest) rather dodgy handles. Will take pics as well for everyone, rather unfortunate that I never bring a camera phone with me when I head out on my strolls (wife hates it).

Will post a pic soon in the hopes that (again) someone has come across it or maybe can even translate.The package is completely devoid of any english.








FWIW, the knife roll below (a gift from my mom-in-law)is now making slow progress from the arid sands of Nevada, across the azure expanse of the Pacific and hopefully will get here in rural Los Banos, Laguna before XMas lets out. Shouldn't really be complaining, but I'd rather the honing rod be replaced with a Green Brick (in my perfect world). hahaha!!!:spiteful:

Since my wife is threatening to skin me alive rather than buy *another* piece of kit, the following hand-me-downs will (for now) be all right by me.irate2:

Welcome!