touch ups: long/skinny stone vs. ceramic rod?

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I've been using a ~4k grit ceramic for touch ups, and it does the job okay, but it doesn't feel fantastic: angle setting / hold, wary of too much pressure on the single point, result ... better but meh.

Since that I've seen a couple vids of people ( @stringer ?) using a narrow long-enough (15cm / 6"?) stone for touch ups... and this feels like a far superior option, especially keeping the stone feel and movements.


Are there others out there using a small stone as main touch up? Suggestions on stones?

I am in the Netherlands, and getting a BBW and/or coti seems intuitive, but thought I'd check here before clicking that dreaded/loved Buy button.
 
Curious about that 4k ceramic rod. That's quite a high grit.
Well, I use a small BBW for daily maintenance of all my knives, except with German soft stainless, who don't hold a somewhat polished edge. The fun about BBW is that their garnets do abrade a burr, without raising a new one.
 
Curious about that 4k ceramic rod. That's quite a high grit.
This was the claim at meesterslijpers... I was/am also skeptical, but it definitely feels quite fine.
I haven't compared enough yet to stropping either but that seems likely to be far finer and thus at a different level.

Basically I want a quick in-hand option for when an onion or tomato just isn't cutting right. The BBW is sounding more an more attractive.
 
A have BBW in different sizes, but a 15 x 4cm in the kitchen, for in-hand reviving an edge. It's by far my most used BBW.
Do you strop with the bbw or raise a bit of mud for quick sharpening?
 
Do you strop with the bbw or raise a bit of mud for quick sharpening?
Neither! Only edge leading, as with deburring, but starting a bit behind the edge. All my edges are convexed. Once a year or so I deglaze with a worn-in Atoma, or in the rare cases I want indeed to rase more mud. I should add I use — very old school — saliva instead of water.
 
Long narrow stone ftw. Actually whatever shape, but stone for sure. Infinitely more fun.

I’m currently using a mystery coarse suita or a marou shiro if I want to get smoother.
 
Neither! Only edge leading, as with deburring, but starting a bit behind the edge. All my edges are convexed. Once a year or so I deglaze with a worn-in Atoma, or in the rare cases I want indeed to rase more mud. I should add I use — very old school — saliva instead of water.
Do you not find bbw is quite slow without mud tho?
 
I keep an 8x2 BBW and stone holder right at my workspace. It serves duty as both my general finishing stone and for my maintenance touchups. For touchups, meaning just a couple strop type passes, I use it as is and you could easily do it in hand. For an edge refresh or sharpening finish, I raise mud.
 
Do you not find bbw is quite slow without mud tho?
Not exactly, at least not for my use of it. If I start behind the edge I do raise a bit of mud. Anyway, with this kind of maintenance the art is in performing it in time, and not insisting if you're too late. If I can't easily get a smooth edge with a few BBW strokes I go to a coarser stone, a Chosera 2k. If I can't get it OK with a few Chosera strokes, there must be a more serious trouble. Perhaps time for a full sharpening, starting by thinning behind the edge with a SG500.
 
Have you looked at the Nanostrop from Nanohone? I havent tried one but they come in multiple grits and hit the "long narrow" stone you are asking about.
Interesting, I hadn't! I have a pref for a stone over sprays, but it definitely targets what I'm doing!


I'm being sold quickly on the BBW though, may just have to go for it and move on :)
 
Interesting, I hadn't! I have a pref for a stone over sprays, but it definitely targets what I'm doing!


I'm being sold quickly on the BBW though, may just have to go for it and move on :)
I'm going to second the Nano Strop. Not that I've used it? But I've settled on similar design principles for apexing and touchups. Width is important for wider bevels, thinning/polishing, and push/pull but don't do anything for me with the sweeping strokes I use for light edge work. Enough surface to not be point-wise is enough. Can be more convenient, too, but maybe not.
 
Long narrow touch up stones. Don’t get used nearly as much as they should.
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Just found a 10 x 3cm BBW I'd never used before. Works just as fine for in-hand touching–up as longer ones. My edge leading strokes are short — some 1cm, 3/8".
 
Just found a 10 x 3cm BBW I'd never used before. Works just as fine for in-hand touching–up as longer ones. My edge leading strokes are short — some 1cm, 3/8".
Nice! Mine arrived yesterday so I'll beer trying it after the long pentecost weekend. I figured since i was ordering I'd go for the 20cm even though I suspect 15 or 10 would also work fine.
 
Nice! Mine arrived yesterday so I'll beer trying it after the long pentecost weekend. I figured since i was ordering I'd go for the 20cm even though I suspect 15 or 10 would also work fine.
Much more fun: more versatile. Not just for deburring or touching-up. Have fun exploring its possibilities!
 
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