How long does synthetic stones last?

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Knifolini

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Hello, i got a full of set of naniwa professional stones, and was wondering how long they last? I sharpen everyday too practice my sharpening. And i would also like to sharpen bunch of different knives, from big heavy meat cleavers to cooking knives for friends and family, but im afraid wearing out my stones. Will my stones were out from this,or only the lower grit? or maybe i should buy some dmt diamond ones aswell so i can sharp as much as i want?
 
Extremely difficult to answer this. Usually higher grit synthswear down longer than lower grits tho
 
Depends on the stone and the level of use; same sort of question as "How long will my sharp edge last?" All abrasives are consumables, but a hard jnat or super fine synthetic used for sharpening a personal knife kit can last decades whereas a coarse, fast stone used frequently for major repairs can be gone in a couple months or sooner.

The manner of use you describe, if I understand correctly, i.e. sharpening a large number of heavily used knives that might not have been well maintained especially if they are Western-type stainless, will use up coarse stones rather quickly. Note that diamond plates don't last forever either under such use, and grinding metal with them will wear them out faster than reserving them for flattening stones.
 
All that has been said. I found the Shapton Glass 220 a useful addition to my Naniwa Pros. Don't wait too long before flattening, and get an Atoma 140.
 
I have atoma 140 for flattening, could i use this to do the heavy work? will it last a long time, or should this just be reserved for flattening for keeping it straight?
 
No good idea, better have a really coarse stone or use automotive sandpaper on linen, P120, like Bosch 'Metal'. Keep the Atoma for your stones. It would leave deep scratches and wear unevenly.
 
+1 to keep the Atoma for flattening as it doesn't last as long as a coarse stone when used for metal and it's more expensive to replace. It's a great tool for flattening, though, and the plate itself is a useful reference for flatness and straightness. I'd recommend using "good" stones like your Naniwas for medium (c. 1k) and above, when you have the profile and geometry sorted and decent bevels that are relatively chip-free, plus a "good" 300-500 grit stone for "good" knives that are bought new or are well-maintained, and comparatively less expensive coarse (<320) stones such as the "pink brick" for heavy chip removal, reprofiling, major thinning, and similar rough work. Coarse automotive sandpaper is also a good option (as is Benuser's advice in general).

I also use a Sigma Power Select II 240 for work that might be better suited for a belt grinder; it is a useful tool for my requirements (very fast, portable, for repairing knives in need of significant metal removal) but gets used up quickly and requires frequent flattening while being more expensive per unit of work accomplished than slower options. I consider that one to be a special purpose, niche type tool as opposed to something generally recommended for everyone, but depending on your plan it may be worth investigating -- I believe they also make a 120 in that line, but I don't know how well it would work going from that to a 1000-range stone.
 
Alright, so i should i get cheap coarse stone for random stuff i sharpen, and use the naniwa 1k for finishing? the 1k get signifcantly less wear right? also if i were to get a cheap stone, would i wear down my atoma 140 by flattening the cheap stone alot?
 
Nothing about a cheap coarse here: suggested have been a Shapton Glass and a Sygma. If your coarsest one is indeed a Naniwa Pro you will quickly ruin it.
 
Alright, so i should i get cheap coarse stone for random stuff i sharpen, and use the naniwa 1k for finishing? the 1k get signifcantly less wear right? also if i were to get a cheap stone, would i wear down my atoma 140 by flattening the cheap stone alot?

I am not sure what your definition of cheap is but coarse synthetics don't tend to be pricey. Two stones that I find useful for heavy work like chip repair and flattening single bevels are the Omura 180x (you can get this stone for about 30-35$) and the Imanishi 220 'Pink Brick' (mentioned above - about 60$). The Omura wears quickly but it removes metal very fast. The pink brick cuts fast and wears slower than the Omura. I purchased new ones about 5 years ago and do quite a bit of work on them and there is still plenty of life left in them. From there I may go JNS300 or Gesshin 400 before hitting a 1000 stone but I think you could make the jump to a 1000 stone from the pink brick without issue. Hope that help you out.
 
Yes by cheap i mean not naniwa pro price inch by inch. If one were to use cheap coarse stone and optimal finishing stones, would the result be as good as using optimal coarse stones aswell, or would the edge be identical?
 
Yes by cheap i mean not naniwa pro price inch by inch. If one were to use cheap coarse stone and optimal finishing stones, would the result be as good as using optimal coarse stones aswell, or would the edge be identical?

To answer your question properly I think you would have to define what you mean by cheap and optimal coarse stones. If the stones listed above fall into your cheap category rest assured that you'll find them in the shops of many professional sharpeners. They are inexpensive and cut fast which are the basics you want from a coarse stone really. There's no magic million dollar 180 or 220 stone that is going to make a difference to your final edge. Your overall setup doesn't have to be expensive to provide great results. Be patient and work slowly at first and take the time to assess your work as you progress through your stones. It'll help to avoid getting into bad habits. A good edge is far more about technique than fancy stones. I hope I've answered your question in a way that helps you out.
 
but im afraid wearing out my stones.

I"m not nearly as experienced as many of the posters here, but I think I can answer this without getting bogged down in course vs fine.

Stones will last for likely thousands of sessions. There are so many variables to know for sure, but really, you shouldn't worry about it. I'm a very casual sharpener, and my stones (King 800, Cerax 1000, Naniwa GB, Rika 5k) show no appreciable wear. Maybe a 100 sessions (???) on each and I doubt a ruler would be able to measure how much material I've taken off. (Caliper could, of course.) That's why I say I'll get a thousand "uses" out of them.

To repeat, use your stones and don't worry about wearing them out. And if you did the math, it would probably come to a penny or two for each blade your sharpen.
 
I believe the OP's concerns are legitimate, as he sharpens neighbours' and friends' knives, who are likely to be both stainless and neglected. Sharpening a neglected stainless with a Naniwa Pro 1k is possible, will take a long time though and shorten the stone's life considerably.
 
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