Tojiro DP in need of sharpening

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abepaniagua

abepaniagua

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Hey guys,

I have 2 Tojiro DPs: a Santoku 7", and a pairing knife. They came sharp, but not razor sharp like you see on the videos...after 1 year an a half, they are still a bit sharp but they need sharpening for sure. Which stones would you recommend me? I got a low to medium budget right now.
 
abepaniagua said:
Hey guys,

I have 2 Tojiro DPs: a Santoku 7", and a pairing knife. They came sharp, but not razor sharp like you see on the videos...after 1 year an a half, they are still a bit sharp but they need sharpening for sure. Which stones would you recommend me? I got a low to medium budget right now.
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You don't say how much your budget is, nor have you shared where you are located, so I'll assume your budget is less than $75 USD and your location is the US.

At minimum you should get a medium grit (1000-1500) and fine grit (4000-6000) stone. Given your budget constraints, a two-sided combination stone is probably your best bet. Some recommendations:

Togiharu 1000/4000. The 4000 grit will leave a little "tooth" which many prefer: http://www.korin.com/Togiharu-1000-4000-Two-Sided-Stone_2?sc=27&category=280108

Mizuyama 1000/6000. A wider stone that makes sharpening a little more efficient. The 6000 grit leaves a more highly polished edge than the 4000 grit. http://www.korin.com/Mizuyama-1000-6000-Two-side-Stone_3?sc=27&category=280108

King 1000/6000. A little smaller than the other stones, but it will get the job done: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DT1X9O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nemo said:
Better fill in the questionnaire
Click to expand...

I keep missing the questionnaire. I'm sorry, it's been a while since I've been part of a forum.

Pensacola Tiger said:
You don't say how much your budget is, nor have you shared where you are located, so I'll assume your budget is less than $75 USD and your location is the US.

At minimum you should get a medium grit (1000-1500) and fine grit (4000-6000) stone. Given your budget constraints, a two-sided combination stone is probably your best bet. Some recommendations:

Togiharu 1000/4000. The 4000 grit will leave a little "tooth" which many prefer: http://www.korin.com/Togiharu-1000-4000-Two-Sided-Stone_2?sc=27&category=280108

Mizuyama 1000/6000. A wider stone that makes sharpening a little more efficient. The 6000 grit leaves a more highly polished edge than the 4000 grit. http://www.korin.com/Mizuyama-1000-6000-Two-side-Stone_3?sc=27&category=280108

King 1000/6000. A little smaller than the other stones, but it will get the job done: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DT1X9O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Click to expand...

I'm in the USA. Budget is around $50-75. I am learning how to sharpen, and the knives are not blunt. The two-sided stones look good. Do I need a coarse stone?
 
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Do you plan on thinning or just sharpening? If not thinning and you aren't in need of any repair work then you won't need a coarse stone. You'll need something to flatten with before you need a coarse stone but if on a budget you can use a piece of drywall screen and a flat surface like glass or tile.
 
chinacats said:
Do you plan on thinning or just sharpening? If not thinning and you aren't in need of any repair work then you won't need a coarse stone. You'll need something to flatten with before you need a coarse stone but if on a budget you can use a piece of drywall screen and a flat surface like glass or tile.
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A friend just told me he could get me the King KDS 1k/6k. I wouldn't be thinning, just sharpening I think. Can I flatten with a sandpaper?
 
Sandpaper will work but you'll still want a flat surface to back it. You can grab a piece of glass or tile from a hardware store on the cheap. Not sure what the kds is but the king 1k/6k I know will need constant flattening...but will work just fine.
 
I have a tojiro 180mm gyoto and I use the king 1000/6000. In my opinion (as a noob as I just got my first stones three months ago, but have sharpened about 40 knives on them), the 1000 side is OK, but not great especially for the Tojiro VG10, I have a Suehiro 1000/3000 that I personally find works better for the VG. Maybr the guru/demi gods will explain why [emoji14]
 
Xenif said:
I have a tojiro 180mm gyoto and I use the king 1000/6000. In my opinion (as a noob as I just got my first stones three months ago, but have sharpened about 40 knives on them), the 1000 side is OK, but not great especially for the Tojiro VG10, I have a Suehiro 1000/3000 that I personally find works better for the VG. Maybr the guru/demi gods will explain why [emoji14]
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That's good to know. I'll see what others say.
 
Im no professional but in my experience, the Tojiro DP VG10 steel benefits from having the burr or wire edge abraded away with progressively finer stones until the apex at the edge is clean enough. It seems to be a steel that creates a stubborn burr. I've found the key to achieving that hair raising sharpness is to make sure there is as little of the burr or wire edge left as possible before moving on to the next stone. Some final stopping also works well. I personally find it to be on the more challenging side of things sharpening-wise.
 
StonedEdge said:
Im no professional but in my experience, the Tojiro DP VG10 steel benefits from having the burr or wire edge abraded away with progressively finer stones until the apex at the edge is clean enough. It seems to be a steel that creates a stubborn burr. I've found the key to achieving that hair raising sharpness is to make sure there is as little of the burr or wire edge left as possible before moving on to the next stone. Some final stopping also works well. I personally find it to be on the more challenging side of things sharpening-wise.
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+1

So you will need a full progression.
 
I start even lower like 600/700 because I find 1k to be too slow as the initial stone
Mind you last time I sharpened a Tojiro DP was to remove small nicks and chips so maybe for you that won't be necessary. But definitely see the sharpness improve as you polish beyond 2/3k
 
I assume the steel and HT in the DP is the same as in my single bevel ZENs?

If it is: Forget anything (thinning, other geometry improvement) but sharpening the edge with a king. That steel will make a chosera 400 work HARD.
 
abepaniagua said:
Hey guys,

I have 2 Tojiro DPs: a Santoku 7", and a pairing knife. They came sharp, but not razor sharp like you see on the videos...after 1 year an a half, they are still a bit sharp but they need sharpening for sure. Which stones would you recommend me? I got a low to medium budget right now.
Click to expand...

You went 1.5 years without sharpening? :eek2:
 
I've done Tojiros with 1/6K combos and everything was fine. But.

Like the 1/4K suggestion. Priced right and will work well. The Tojiro will realize no discernible benefit from going to a 6K finish rather than 4K
 
I could imagine a home cook getting by 1.5 years with a good VG10, IF

-they aren't into cutting-intense food (Wok dishes etc.) much
-they use either a ceramic rod or strops expertly
-the knife was perfectly sharpened (not: your usual OOTB edge ...) at the start.
 
harlock0083 said:
You went 1.5 years without sharpening? :eek2:
Click to expand...

Yeah :/ - I used a ceramic honing device or sharpener called Minosharp 3, but that's for global knives. The "fine" grit on one of the wheels actually helped the Tojiros but I don't think I should use it for the DPs metal.
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
I could imagine a home cook getting by 1.5 years with a good VG10, IF

-they aren't into cutting-intense food (Wok dishes etc.) much
-they use either a ceramic rod or strops expertly
-the knife was perfectly sharpened (not: your usual OOTB edge ...) at the start.
Click to expand...

I used them for vegetables and meat mainly. And have a Minosharp 3 (which has 3 different ceramic stones) which helped.
 
abepaniagua said:
I used them for vegetables and meat mainly. And have a Minosharp 3 (which has 3 different ceramic stones) which helped.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. I'm guessing your knife needs to thinned. Maybe a bester 1200 and a Rika 3 or 5k to start. They're budgety but get the job done. Oh and something to flatten your stones with. Welcome to the rabbit hole.
 
A 1200 for undoing the non-thinning that using a minosharp-like device on a knife it is not designed for will create after 1.5 years?

Warning: Thinning is likely to mess up the blade finish, and restoring it is hard to do with stones alone (unless you want to go all beta-togi on this one - would not recommend it...). Sandpaper and patience necessary.
 
It's a Tojiro DP.... thin it, sharpen it, nevermind the finish, focus on its cutting ability.
 
After thinning, removing the burr the rude way and then going for the actual sharpening progression might be helpful...
 
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