Buying Sharpening Stuff for the First Time

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ams

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Alright my Wustohf Chef's knife is now not fully responding to honing so it's time to sharpen. My other knives will need sharpening too soon. Below is a list of things I'm going to buy please let me know if I've missed anything:

Chosera 1K
Chosera 5K
Flattening Stone (Any recommendations? Is there any flattening stone that will work on all grits of waterstones? I don't want to have to buy more than one if possible)
Deburring felt block
Angle Guide because I'm not too confident (Thinking about the angle cube, any suggestions?)
Pocket Magnifer

Will get a Chosera 10k and a Stropping kit in the future when money allows. Also, will I need a flattening stone right away or can that be put on hold for a while?
 
The pro's will be along shortly, but I would throw out the idea that you likely will want to flatten before you first use your stones...and skip the angle guide because all it will do is slow the learning curve--confidence will come in due time. Also might want to figure out if you will need a base or have something you can use to keep the stones from moving as you use them. If you are sharpening a Wustof you will not need anything above maybe 1-2k.

Cheers and good luck!
 
For the flattening stone, people usually buy a DMT XXC/XC or the atoma 140x. I would get it immediately as you won't be able to get a really sharp edge unless your stone is dead flat.
 
I love my Choseras a lot, and especially the 5k, but it won't help you with your Wuesthof. Better have the 800 and 2k, and the last one just for stropping.
 
The pro's will be along shortly, but I would throw out the idea that you likely will want to flatten before you first use your stones...and skip the angle guide because all it will do is slow the learning curve--confidence will come in due time. Also might want to figure out if you will need a base or have something you can use to keep the stones from moving as you use them. If you are sharpening a Wustof you will not need anything above maybe 1-2k.

Cheers and good luck!

i agree... skip everything except a middle grit stone (around 1-2k ish), something to flatten with, and something to deburr with. The magnifier may help, but is not necessary by any means. Not only will your knife not benifit from the higher grits, but as this is the beginning of your sharpening education, you wont really be able to get anything worthwhile out of the higher grits. Focus on technique on the middle grit stone first and then, later on, add other things.
 
If you aren't buying new knives, get a Naniwa Aotoshi, any coarse grit diamond plate from a hardware store, and a ceramic honing rod.
 
If you aren't buying new knives, get a Naniwa Aotoshi, any coarse grit diamond plate from a hardware store, and a ceramic honing rod.

I think he has a honing rod already. At least what I got form his first sentence. If not what Eamon said.

If you are really scared of angles I would go with a sharpie, and look after each stroke. Also start on a knife you don't care if you mess up on first, you will make mistakes. But if you are paying attention you won't mind them. stay relaxed, it doesn't take much to get a sharp edge.
 
Thanks everyone.

I do have a MAC ceramic honing rod but my wustohf doesn't easily cut through tomatoes and I need it sharper for certain things at work.

So basically all I need for this knife is a 2k stone, a flattening stone and something to debur with? I don't need multiple stones?
 
I would go with a combo maybe 500/1k. 1-2k would be the highest you would go to. But anything higher will be a wast for what you have. You will want something lower for taking off and creating a burr, then finishing with the higher grit. If you get more into knives and harder ones you will have to add some stones.
 
I would go with a combo maybe 500/1k. 1-2k would be the highest you would go to. But anything higher will be a wast for what you have. You will want something lower for taking off and creating a burr, then finishing with the higher grit. If you get more into knives and harder ones you will have to add some stones.

Thanks. So with German steels they're not capable of taking a super sharp edge (unlike Japanese steels) thus making high grit stones worthless?
 
If it takes it, it won't last long enough to make it worth it. Plus starting out the less steps in the process the better, until you can get a good edge off a 1k stone anything in the 4k plus range won't do anything but make it shinier, not sharper.
 
Thanks everyone.

I do have a MAC ceramic honing rod but my wustohf doesn't easily cut through tomatoes and I need it sharper for certain things at work.

Cutting through tomatoes is something that actually benefits from a 'toothier' edge. Sounds like you just need a good sharpening and then you will be able to go back to using your honing rod--until you need another sharpening. If you get a 1-2k stone and get pretty comfortable with it, you can hone on it as well. And when you get good at sharpening, then you can think about the benefit of delving into the world of Japanese knives.:bliss:

Cheers
 
China, I found out on softer steel (which he is looking to sharpen) you want a lower grit stone befor 1k first. Other wise he isn't removing steel, well not enough to start there and end there anyway.

ams what happened is you created a wire edge with your mac rod. Having the edge fold over to one side then to the other when you were using the rod. Going from a low stone on both sides and then deburring. You will notice a new edge there that you wouldn't have thought possible with your rod. When you deburr you are taking all the fatigued metal off the edge. If you don't get anything, do it again. When you notice the difference move to the higher stone, and follow the same procedure. You can use your rod after this as much as needed until the edge gets to fatigued again and need to be resharpened.

With a softer edge you want a toothier edge, which you will get at about 1-2k. Any higher you will just polish the edge, which is good for shaving hair but not good for slicing through tomato's. Eamon has some great video's on this on the forum.
 
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