Planning for the future

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MindTone

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Hi!

So far I've got one real waterstone, a King #800, but my planned setup is (I like planning things like this, and dreaming):
Atoma #140 (mainly for lapping)
Naniwa Pro #400>1000>3000
Kitayama #8000
I've got a feeling that Naniwa Pro #3000 > Kitayama #8000 is to big of a jump, but I have no idea what to bridge it with? Another question, would this be a good general setup?
 
Why the 1000 if you already have a 800? You could properly skip the 3000 as well and go straight to the Kitayama. Or skip the Kitayama and finish on the 3000..
The Atoma is great though. Well worth the money imo.

Lars
 
The #800 is kinda small, it was just a 130mm sicklestone, and I bought just because it was cheap. Can I really go #1000>Kitayama #8000?
 
A 5000/6000 - eg the superstone 5000, or the belgian blue, or a king 6000 ... would be useful here both as a finisher for stainless and as an intermediate...
 
I have the Kitayama and for carbon I don't think you need anything between the 3000 and the Kitayama. As long as you want to finish with the Kitayama or a natural of course. I think the Kitayama is fast enough to erase the scratches from 3K, in fact Watanabe says you can jump from 1K to the Kitayama.
 
Interesting, I'll be sharpening carbon and stainless. I've begun to upgrade from cheapish stainless to Japanese carbon steel knives, so longterm mostly carbon.
 
I have the Kitayama and for carbon I don't think you need anything between the 3000 and the Kitayama. As long as you want to finish with the Kitayama or a natural of course. I think the Kitayama is fast enough to erase the scratches from 3K, in fact Watanabe says you can jump from 1K to the Kitayama.
Absolutely! The Kitatayama works very well after a 1K (especially the Watanabe #2 AI 1K). And not just carbon - does surprisingly well on stainless too despite the jump.
 
Absolutely! The Kitatayama works very well after a 1K (especially the Watanabe #2 AI 1K). And not just carbon - does surprisingly well on stainless too despite the jump.

Let me clarify that I haven't tried the combo for stainless thus the reason I limited my recommendation to carbon but I realize my post seemed to imply it wouldn't work for stainless. Thanks Marek for clearing that up.
 
I quite like a 1k/8k edge on carbon, semistainless and PM stainless. It feels refined but toothy for kitchen use. In my experience (I'm certainly not an expert), 8k is a bit refined for AUS8. I've never sharpened Ginsanko or VG10, so can't comment.
 
Didn't assume you meant it was only good for carbons Carlos... just adding my experience.

I am quite amazed how well the Kitatayama works with German knives and even cheap knives like Aldi and Kiwi. It raises a fine, even bur very easily something I find difficult with the Naniwa Junpaku which is also 8K.

Perhaps the Kitatayama is actually a bit coarser than its stated 8K. Does anyone else think this? Regardless, it's become one of my favourite synths.
 
You asked about the jump from Naniwa Pro 3k to an 8k. Should be no problem at all, Naniwa has its own grit system and the 3k leaves a JIS 4k finish. It rarely makes sense to go any further with double-bevelled blades, besides a very last deburring. And if I go to an 8k for edge refinement an intermediate isn't needed at all.
 
@Benuser I understand you often advocated leaving the 8k be for conventional stainless, and you gave good reasons too (carbide weakening)?
 
Edge instability, by carbides breaking out of a weakened matrix. So, with Krupp's 4116 I never polish the edge but stay @400 or 800, deburring on 2000.
 
what seems to be missing is a work horse for damage repair. I would suggest an 8" Norton coarse/fine in either India or Crystolon. I would also get a 12" square piece of glass or steel and some 36-50 silicon carbide grit for flattening your stones.
 
@Benuser have you ever made/posted a list of steels this limitation/trap applies/doesn't apply to? It's interesting :) You mentioned AEB-L as a case where it doesn't, 4116 as a case where it does...
 
Atoma #140 (mainly for lapping)
Naniwa Pro #400>1000>3000
Kitayama #8000
I've got a feeling that Naniwa Pro #3000 > Kitayama #8000 is to big of a jump, but I have no idea what to bridge it with? Another question, would this be a good general setup?

That's an awesome setup.

The transition from 3-8000 is perfect, no need to bridge it. Although you may go from 1-8000 with some knives, I would still purchase the 3000. It's a great stone. You may prefer to finish on the 3000 or use it before the 8000. It'll all depend on your preference, purpose and knives.

I recommend the Atoma 400 instead though. The 140 is a bit rough on stones.
 
@fujiyama About the Atoma #140, do you mean that it removes too much stone or do you mean the condition of the stone surface after lapping?
 
I was referring to the surface condition after lapping; the #400 leaves a smoother surface.

Once the #140 is heavily loaded, a smooth surface is achievable.. but loading the Atoma requires removing too much stone material. I bet a #140 would work wonders if you never cleaned it. Also depends what stone and grit you're lapping.
 
I was thinking I'd compensate for the roughening by doing a lapping progression, #140 on all stones, then #400 on #1000, then #1000 on #3000 and lastly #3000 on Kitayama. Not sure if #400 on #1000 is necessary but that's my idea anyway.
 
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