finishing stone for a beginner - best option is?

Hello everyone,

I'm still putting together my starter sharpening kit, based on all of the info that I've been reading about on this forum

Here is what I got so far:
- Suehiro Deluxe Stone holder
- Atoma 140 flattening plate
- Chosera 1000

So I think the only thing still missing is a finishing stone.
It seems that two popular choices are either Suehiro Rika 5K or Chosera 5k. It appears that Chosera is 3 times as expensive as Rika.
I have 2 questions:
1) Is Chosera really that much better? Specifically for a beginner?
2) Is there a 3rd choice I should be looking at?

Thanks guys!

Alex

Naniwa Hayabusa 4k
Sigma Power Jinzo Renge Suita 6k
Both splash and go
Korin's Mizuyama finishing stones looked to be a fair price
Arashiyama 6k
Gesshin stones
If you're okay with a somewhat toothier finish you could end with a Chosera 3k

AlBaron said:

Hello everyone,

I'm still putting together my starter sharpening kit, based on all of the info that I've been reading about on this forum

Here is what I got so far:
- Suehiro Deluxe Stone holder
- Atoma 140 flattening plate
- Chosera 1000

So I think the only thing still missing is a finishing stone.
It seems that two popular choices are either Suehiro Rika 5K or Chosera 5k. It appears that Chosera is 3 times as expensive as Rika.
I have 2 questions:
1) Is Chosera really that much better? Specifically for a beginner?
2) Is there a 3rd choice I should be looking at?

Thanks guys!

Alex

Click to expand...

I used a Chosera 1k and 3k followed by a bare leather strop for several months and it is a fine setup. As foody said, it will leave you with a fairly toothy edge. I really like my chosera 3k and still use it to finish knives for some tasks or sometimes as a stepping stone to other knives.

I can not answer your question on the rika vs the chosera 5k as I do not have the chosera 5k. I do have the rika and it is a good stone though not my favorite. If you give it a quick 5-10 minute soak and add water as needed it will be a wee bit harder than if you give it a long soak or perma soak where it will get a bit softer and much more muddy. As I said, I have not used it but I understand that the Chosera 5k is a softer stone particularly when compared to other chosera stones.

I also have the Arashiyama 6k that foody mentions. This is also a nice stone with good feedback. It is a harder stone and splash and go.

One more thing to add: You had asked if Chosera is really that much better and for a beginner. What I can say is that you have some rather hard stones and soft stones on your list. I have tried both types of stones and have come to decide they both have their pros and cons. Softer stones are more forgiving in general and can tolerate a more sloppy technique but are prone to gouging. Harder stones are less prone to gouging but require more precision to get the best out of them. That is just my experience.

Good luck on finding stones that best fit you and have fun sharpening.

Alex, what kind of steels are you sharpening, and what kind of things are you using them for? I have a number of different finishers, and find each responds a little differently to each steel, as well as creating different types of edges that suit different cutting tasks.

You have a nice little kit started there... In answer to your two questions, no, I wouldn't say that the expense for the Chosera 5K is necessarily justified (There are lots of really nice finishers for less, including some naturals.), and yes, there are many more choices.

- Steampunk

Steampunk said:

Alex, what kind of steels are you sharpening, and what kind of things are you using them for? I have a number of different finishers, and find each responds a little differently to each steel, as well as creating different types of edges that suit different cutting tasks.

You have a nice little kit started there... In answer to your two questions, no, I wouldn't say that the expense for the Chosera 5K is necessarily justified (There are lots of really nice finishers for less, including some naturals.), and yes, there are many more choices.

- Steampunk

Click to expand...

I currently have a Tojiro DP Gyuto, an older Katsumi Santoku (got it off ebay about 12 years ago, not sure on the steel), a small Shun pairing knife and a variety of Germans. I'm also currently looking around for another Gyoto Jknife to add.
I'm a home cook, no professional usage in sight.

Alex

The Suehiro 5K does well with all manner of steels. For me it leaves a mirror edge on stainless and is my first choice for German knives. It will do good on your DP and Shun. I was put off early on from Chosera (don't even remember why) and can't comment on them.

Getting a harder stone like a Chosera 2k kicked my butt since all the time and learning I had done previous to that was on softer soaker stones and then the Chosera revealed all my angle inconsistencies (faceted bevel, some edge rounding)
But I quite like the Chosera/Pro 400 grit because it is hard and cuts bevels fairly quickly and crisply.
If you're learning on a Chosera 1K then you'd probably be fine to go to either firmer or softer fine grit stones without much problem

So you're mostly sharpening VG-10... Okay.

For pure splash & go if that's a feature that's important to you, I've always liked my Shapton Glass Stone 4K as a finisher on VG-10. It's a pretty easy stone to de-burr on, and leaves a good all-around kitchen edge that isn't too fine; not easy to gouge, either. It's also a fraction of the price of the Naniwa Pro/Chosera 5K... Downsides: it isn't good for kasumi finishing and creating contrast on wide bevel, clad Japanese knives; it's pretty much a strict edge-bevel finishing stone. Also, Shapton isn't always a popular brand with Japanese knife enthusiasts as the stones are typically very hard and not overly feelsome. The 4K GS, however, is kind of a gem of the line, and has a softer, creamier feel than the rest of them. It's also genuinely splash & go; it does not absorb any water.

If you're willing to go for a soaker, I would look at the Gesshin 6K Splash & Go... I know that it says splash & go in the name, but Jon perma-soaks his, and this in my experience is what gets the best performance out of the stone. It's softer than the Shapton 4K, and just a bit finer (The 4K is fairly fine, and very consistent for its grit.). The advantages are that it has even nicer tactile feedback, and can do contrast/kasumi finishing on wide or single bevels. The downside is, it is a little easier to gouge, and can leave slightly convexed or slurry-dulled edges on softer steels that don't feel as crisp to cut with (Especially with too much pressure, or wonky angle control.). On harder steels, or with a bit of practice on the softer ones, it's a very good finisher, though.

Both stones are half the price of the Naniwa.

Hopefully this helps...

- Steampunk

From the stones I have used so far (mostly JNS and Gesshin) I would pick Gesshin Synthetic Natural (splash & go). Gives you a little more bite than a 6000 stone, but the edge is fine enough and just perfect for kitchen tasks. If you would want even more bite, than Gesshin 4000 (soaking stone) is incredibly fast. You could use it several times to just touch up edges before using 1000 stone to re-set bevels.

Matus said:

From the stones I have used so far (mostly JNS and Gesshin) I would pick Gesshin Synthetic Natural (splash & go). Gives you a little more bite than a 6000 stone, but the edge is fine enough and just perfect for kitchen tasks. If you would want even more bite, than Gesshin 4000 (soaking stone) is incredibly fast. You could use it several times to just touch up edges before using 1000 stone to re-set bevels.

Click to expand...

Are you talking about the Gesshin 6000S? or 6000?

he's talking about this one:
https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...ine-stones/products/gesshin-synthetic-natural

Jon, thanks for the pointer.
This is stone is ok for a newbie to use?
Would you recommend it over the 6000 or 6000s?

Alex

Not an answer, but right now I'm in Japan on business and I don't have much time to answer in depth, but if you shoot me an email, I can answer when I have time. Alternatively, if you would like, I can answer here, but it will take me a few days to get to at the very least.