First ~3 synthetic stones

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JPAU said:
Are any stone holders / features (eg relating to depth or size) preferable?
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I have both the Naniwa holder and the “field holder” Shapton includes with the 50408 kit.

Speaking of which, that kit embodies the discussion above, resolving in favour of 500+2000. (And 16000.)

You can always save the 1000 purchase for a future occasion – a little present to your future self, to answer the question “what’s all the fuss about?” Here, one of the most experienced sharpeners on KKF shares his delight at discovering the SP1000 after having mastered pretty much every other stone in the shop:

cotedupy said:
the best 1k sharpening stone I’ve used
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Even so, it’s superfluous as part of a starter kit.
M1k3 said:
If you're wondering if the SP1k would be a good match for SG500, I'd skip it and go 2k or higher.
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I did eventually collect
  • the SG1k
  • an Arashiyama 1k
  • an SP1k
  • a Rockstar 1k
  • a King 1000/6000
mostly to satisfy my curiosity, but the 1k stone I actually use the most is
  • the green diamond resin 1K from JKI,
which differs materially from the AlOx Shaptons.

Now, that 1k+6k set would nicely complement your 500+2000 Shaptons. But it doesn’t have to happen today.

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/diamond-1k-6k-stone-set

Note: everything I said above applies to using the stones for edge sharpening. Polishing is a different kettle of wax.
 
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Surprised to hear that have not been into sharpening before!
I ve seen you quite active on BST and with most knives i buy used, first thing i do is give them a proper sharpening!
I would not think a 500 is necessary for pure sharpening, only to remove small chips or gi back to a zero edge.
I have SG 500, naniwa pro1k and 3k.
Normally i do Touch ups on3k and go to 1k to start for a full sharpening.
I would advice to buy the better more expensive stuff as you will upgrade anyway over time. So for sure an atoma.
I have a cerax 1k and would not recommend. Nice and soft and hides scratches well, but for me a soaker is just a pain. One thing is the soaking in perpetration, but that it needs 3 days to dry before you can store it away is even more annoying.
 
If you don’t mind splurging I really like the Kasfly sink bridge but it’s really excessive admittedly. The cheaper $40 Amazon one is fairly comparable though.
 
I really want to sincerely thank everyone who has posted - I have found this immensely helpful and will place my orders today when I take a break from work.

I am absolutely certain that I will never require another stone and will never even think about delving more deeply into the deep, dark sharpening and polishing chasm. I am so glad that we got that stones business settled for good.
 
flow_the_pro said:
Surprised to hear that have not been into sharpening before!
I ve seen you quite active on BST and with most knives i buy used, first thing i do is give them a proper sharpening!
I would not think a 500 is necessary for pure sharpening, only to remove small chips or gi back to a zero edge.
I have SG 500, naniwa pro1k and 3k.
Normally i do Touch ups on3k and go to 1k to start for a full sharpening.
I would advice to buy the better more expensive stuff as you will upgrade anyway over time. So for sure an atoma.
I have a cerax 1k and would not recommend. Nice and soft and hides scratches well, but for me a soaker is just a pain. One thing is the soaking in perpetration, but that it needs 3 days to dry before you can store it away is even more annoying.
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That’s a fair comment. I got my first Japanese knife in December 2023 and have only bought one knife that has been used (ie not BNIB), so just haven’t needed to worry about sharpening yet. It’s imminent and I have seen a few good deals on stones lately, so I thought I’d get some basics in anticipation of dulling and to get some practice. Of course OOTB edges can be good but not awe inspiring, so I probably haven’t experienced a really sharp knife yet.
 
HumbleHomeCook said:
Mostly personal preference really. I have Shapton Pro's/Kuromaku's and they are indeed very good stones, no disparagement there. I just like the performance of my Glasss stones a little more. I think it wears nicely and provides a really nice edge across a lot of different knives. But if there's a compelling reason for you to get a Pro, by all means, go for it.

If you're okay on budget then I'm going to adjust my original suggestion a bit:

1. Diamond stone flattener
2. Shapton Kuromaku 220 or 320
2. SG500
3. SG2k (or Kuromaku if you prefer)
4. Belgian Blue Whetstone with small slurry stone

The finished edge off a BBW is really nice. You'll find they are a forum favorite and for good reason. I keep one out right by my cutting board for edge touch-ups.
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Do you know where I could get a a Belgian Blue Whetstone with a small slurry stone? I haven’t had much luck so far. What ~ grit are we talking? Are they for higher finishing / polishing / stropping?
 
JPAU said:
Do you know where I could get a a Belgian Blue Whetstone with a small slurry stone? I haven’t had much luck so far. What ~ grit are we talking? Are they for higher finishing / polishing / stropping?
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Not sure of the best option in Aus. Maybe @cotedupy or @bsfsu has a lead...?

This is a source in the states: https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/category_details.php?category_id=74

These are natural stones so there will be some variation but the general consensus is they are around 4k. But the grit rating is only a part of it. The abrasives in these leaves a really nice edge that is blend of aggressive and polished. I'm not an expert, but there's a lot of info here on the forum if you look for it.

I don't polish. I use mine for a finishing edge and routine touch-ups.
 
SG500 and SR2000 purchased. I also jagged a SR6000 on a whim when I was frustrated about something else - the dopamine hit did wonders. Too late for ’its unnecessary’. Holder also purchased. Hunting for an Atoma 400 (140 better?) - will try and get the best price (hate the feeling of purchasing at full price only to see the same thing massively discounted elsewhere). I got some pretty attractive prices by hunting around.

Have not yet located a Belgian Blue Whetstone but am interested in trying one. Perhaps I’ll put up a BST in case an Aussie has one. Will wait to get some experience before I explore other options and ‘in between grits’. If you know where to get one or have one that you don’t need, please message me!

Future purchases might include something in the SP range, a Chosera, and/or a lower grit for repairs (not necessary for now, as most of my knives are new (and I am only using one new knife per month as I get to know what I like and really experience each one). If something really dreadful happened, Protooling, Chef’s Armoury and KNS are ~15 minutes away). Also considering a kangaroo (or cow) leather bench strop, but perhaps that is overkill and I am getting to excited?

Thanks everyone, for your help! I really, sincerely appreciate it. I had fun and learned a great deal very quickly.
 
HumbleHomeCook said:
Not sure of the best option in Aus. Maybe @cotedupy or @bsfsu has a lead...?

This is a source in the states: https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/category_details.php?category_id=74

These are natural stones so there will be some variation but the general consensus is they are around 4k. But the grit rating is only a part of it. The abrasives in these leaves a really nice edge that is blend of aggressive and polished. I'm not an expert, but there's a lot of info here on the forum if you look for it.

I don't polish. I use mine for a finishing edge and routine touch-ups.
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Thank you! I was just on that site! So the 4k one and not the coticule / 8k one. I’ll see how much they want for shipping.

Looking forward to giving this a go when the goods arrive in a couple of weeks!
 
JPAU said:
SG500 and SR2000 purchased. I also jagged a SR6000 on a whim when I was frustrated about something else - the dopamine hit did wonders. Too late for ’its unnecessary’. Holder also purchased. Hunting for an Atoma 400 (140 better?) - will try and get the best price (hate the feeling of purchasing at full price only to see the same thing massively discounted elsewhere). I got some pretty attractive prices by hunting around.

Have not yet located a Belgian Blue Whetstone but am interested in trying one. Perhaps I’ll put up a BST in case an Aussie has one. Will wait to get some experience before I explore other options and ‘in between grits’. If you know where to get one or have one that you don’t need, please message me!

Future purchases might include something in the SP range, a Chosera, and/or a lower grit for repairs (not necessary for now, as most of my knives are new (and I am only using one new knife per month as I get to know what I like and really experience each one). If something really dreadful happened, Protooling, Chef’s Armoury and KNS are ~15 minutes away). Also considering a kangaroo (or cow) leather bench strop, but perhaps that is overkill and I am getting to excited?

Thanks everyone, for your help! I really, sincerely appreciate it. I had fun and learned a great deal very quickly.
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I'd go with an Atoma 140 not a 400. You can get a 400 later if you want.
 
JPAU said:
Thank you! I was just on that site! So the 4k one and not the coticule / 8k one. I’ll see how much they want for shipping.

Looking forward to giving this a go when the goods arrive in a couple of weeks!
Click to expand...

I haven't used a coticule but I they're more refined and sought after more by razor guys.
 
JPAU said:
SG500 and SR2000 purchased. I also jagged a SR6000 on a whim when I was frustrated about something else - the dopamine hit did wonders. Too late for ’its unnecessary’. Holder also purchased. Hunting for an Atoma 400 (140 better?) - will try and get the best price (hate the feeling of purchasing at full price only to see the same thing massively discounted elsewhere). I got some pretty attractive prices by hunting around.

Have not yet located a Belgian Blue Whetstone but am interested in trying one. Perhaps I’ll put up a BST in case an Aussie has one. Will wait to get some experience before I explore other options and ‘in between grits’. If you know where to get one or have one that you don’t need, please message me!

Future purchases might include something in the SP range, a Chosera, and/or a lower grit for repairs (not necessary for now, as most of my knives are new (and I am only using one new knife per month as I get to know what I like and really experience each one). If something really dreadful happened, Protooling, Chef’s Armoury and KNS are ~15 minutes away). Also considering a kangaroo (or cow) leather bench strop, but perhaps that is overkill and I am getting to excited?

Thanks everyone, for your help! I really, sincerely appreciate it. I had fun and learned a great deal very quickly.
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Curious to hear how you like the 6k since I was contemplating making the jump to that after my 2k unless I end up just settling on the Belgian blue.
HumbleHomeCook said:
Not sure of the best option in Aus. Maybe @cotedupy or @bsfsu has a lead...?

This is a source in the states: https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/category_details.php?category_id=74

These are natural stones so there will be some variation but the general consensus is they are around 4k. But the grit rating is only a part of it. The abrasives in these leaves a really nice edge that is blend of aggressive and polished. I'm not an expert, but there's a lot of info here on the forum if you look for it.

I don't polish. I use mine for a finishing edge and routine touch-ups.
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is it worth coughing up for the larger Belgian Blue stone? Since it is only longer and not necessarily wider.
 
JPAU said:
Do you know where I could get a a Belgian Blue Whetstone with a small slurry stone? I haven’t had much luck so far. What ~ grit are we talking? Are they for higher finishing / polishing / stropping?
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Just go straight to the source. The website it is a bit weird to navigate at first but you'll figure it out shortly.

https://www.ardennes-coticule.be/en/producten


Oli will chime in with a more eloquent love letter but basically BBW are harder and not as fast as coticules. They are great for deburring since they don't remove much steel, though I can still form a burr on shirogami/aogami/ginsan/AEB-L with the several BBW that I have.

Coticules tend to have a more variance between individual stones, but they're softer and feel soooo nice. They're actually faster cutting than BBW but not quite as easy to deburr on.
 
Hualicopter said:
Curious to hear how you like the 6k since I was contemplating making the jump to that after my 2k unless I end up just settling on the Belgian blue.

is it worth coughing up for the larger Belgian Blue stone? Since it is only longer and not necessarily wider.
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I mean, more stone is always nice but I do fine with an 8x2. I prefer not to drop down to 6in stones but that's just me.
 
HumbleHomeCook said:
I mean, more stone is always nice but I do fine with an 8x2. I prefer not to drop down to 6in stones but that's just me.
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That’s useful to know. I thought everyone here would be convertees given that everything knife related is measured in milligrams and millimetres 😂
SwampDonkey said:
Just go straight to the source. The website it is a bit weird to navigate at first but you'll figure it out shortly.

https://www.ardennes-coticule.be/en/producten


Oli will chime in with a more eloquent love letter but basically BBW are harder and not as fast as coticules. They are great for deburring since they don't remove much steel, though I can still form a burr on shirogami/aogami/ginsan/AEB-L with the several BBW that I have.

Coticules tend to have a more variance between individual stones, but they're softer and feel soooo nice. They're actually faster cutting than BBW but not quite as easy to deburr on.
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That’s helpful. They don’t recognise Sydney shipping addresses on the website. I might email them. If anyone knows an Australian importer, let me know. No rush, I have the basics en route!
 
HumbleHomeCook said:
Not sure of the best option in Aus. Maybe @cotedupy or @bsfsu has a lead...?

This is a source in the states: https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/category_details.php?category_id=74

These are natural stones so there will be some variation but the general consensus is they are around 4k. But the grit rating is only a part of it. The abrasives in these leaves a really nice edge that is blend of aggressive and polished. I'm not an expert, but there's a lot of info here on the forum if you look for it.

I don't polish. I use mine for a finishing edge and routine touch-ups.
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This shop based in Australia, has a good range of vintage stones.

https://vintagetoolshop.com.au/collections/sharpening-stones.

I have a stone from Ardennes, nice guy to deal with but shipping to the underside of the world is painful.
IMG20240423103339.jpg
Amasuka/Ardennes (I think, can't remember.....)
 
JPAU said:
That’s useful to know. I thought everyone here would be convertees given that everything knife related is measured in milligrams and millimetres 😂

That’s helpful. They don’t recognise Sydney shipping addresses on the website. I might email them. If anyone knows an Australian importer, let me know. No rush, I have the basics en route!
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I'm pretty sure it's a one-man operation (like myself), give them a message.
 
JPAU said:
Hmmm…have to ship with armed security guards to protect against native Australian snake, spider and wombat bandits while goods in transit?
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Fair enough. Australia is on different level. For that price, just buy a jnat from a local fellow collector .
 
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