Chosera 3000 vs Aizu pros and cons...Discuss

[Brandon Wicks]

I am looking to replace my Aoto because it broke in half length wise down the middle. I managed to salvage half of it by flattening it but it's just not the same. It also has had some more pieces flake off of it. Anyway.

I've been thinking of replacing it with an Aizu mostly but the Chosera 3k is intriguing as well. I do plan on getting the Chosera 3k for home use eventually to replace some older worn out stones but I'm not in any rush. This purchase would be for work. I'm a sushi chef and use pretty much exclusively single bevel knives. My current set up is


Shapton Kuromaku 120
Chosera 800
Aoto 2500ish
Aiiwatani

DMT xc for flattening
DMT 1200 for slurry
Natural nagura for slurry

Work Kit:

Kitaoka Suminagashi 300mm Shiroko #2 Yanagi

Gesshin Uraku 270mm Kiritsuke Aoko #2 (on it’s way)

FuRinKaZan 240mm Mioroshi Deba Aoko #2

Tadafusa 180mm Hon Deba Shiroko #2

Kitaoka 180mm Funayuki Aoko #2

Watanabe 120mm Shiroko #2 Ajikiri

Fujiwara FKM 300mm Gyuto

Sakai Takayuki 210mm "honyaki" Shiroko #2 Gyuto

Most knives are only sharpened up to the Aoto. Occasionally I'll even stop at the 800 chosera for my debas if I'm pressed for time. My yanagi and new kiritsuke will finish on the Aiiwatani.
I'm open to other suggestions too. FYI I'm not interested in soakers just splash and go stones.

 

[labor of love]

Oh yes. I’d like to hear more about this comparison myself.
I doubt this helps you very much but lately I’ve been enjoying finishing my suji and Petty w shapton Pro 2k which is a pretty cheap and fast cutting splash and go.

 

[Brandon Wicks]

Yeah I can see how for double bevel knives the Shapton Pros are really solid choice. I had some glass stones when they first came out and liked them for my double bevel knives. It had crossed my mind to just get a set of the Pros for home.

 

[madelinez]

What Aoto did you have? I've never actually had the chance to use an Aizu but there are a lot of Aono Aoto stones floating about that are very consistent, they seem to be around 2k - 2.5k and are very muddy/soft. I love using mine as the finishing stone for gyutos with a more acute secondary bevel, nice toothy edge that lasts a while. I can't compare it to anything other than an SG 3000 which is much faster and probably just as good.

 

[Brandon Wicks]

It's from Epicurean Edge. I don't know the mine. I've had it for about 10 years.

 

[Benuser]

Can't compare but am familiar with Choseras and Naniwa Pros, as their prices were far more reasonable in Europe when I bought them. For most applications with double bevelled knives, the 3k will do as a final one as it leaves a 4k JIS pattern. Very fast, almost immune to dishing.
If it won't be your final stone, you may consider the 2k as well. Far more aggressive, but leaving a 3k JIS finish. With both, I like the feedback but that will sound familiar if you're a 800 user.

 

[panda]

Both are great, aizu is better and a bit finer grit. But if all.you cut is raw fish, then go with a rika 5k and finish on hakka. Rika is a soaker but they're cheap and you can keep it permasoaked.

 

[ob-gym]

Chosera 3k (closer to 4k)
- Very easy to use (fast cutting, slow fishing, no loading)
- Prone to cracking (must be dried slowly)

Aizu (mine is harder than usual, won’t self slurry)
- Slow cutting vs. Chosera
- Better contrast on wide bevels
- Toothy and very cleanly deburred edges

If you’re finishing on a finer Awasedo like your Aiiwatani, do you really need to worry about the edge quality coming off an intermediate stone?

If not I’d get the faster cutting Chosera, or even just go straight from 1k to finisher

 

[labor of love]

Yeah, personally speaking if you’re using this stone as part of a work set up I’d prefer speed(chosera) over aizu. And ob-gym makes a good point if you’re not planning on using Aizu as a finisher anyway might as well grab the chosera.
Then again I don’t take polishing into consideration.

 

[Brandon Wicks]

I would be finishing most of my knives on the Aizu or Chosera. Only the Yanagi and Kiritsuke would be finished on the Aiiwatani.

 

[HRC_64]

Keep in mind AFAIK Aizu and Chosera are NOT like Aoto in terms of feel or forgiveness.

I remeber somone saying they didn't care for Choseras on single bevels
because they were too hard/unforgiving.