Alrighty folks, I'm going to revert to a rather "newbie" type question and fully acknowledge the "it depends factor" right up front. But I still want to ask...
I tend to lean to "courser" finishes and rarely go above 2k. I have the SG4k that, admittedly, I haven't experimented with enough yet but somehow told myself it is too fine. For reference, I spent about forty years using knives that came off a Norton Fine India or soft Arkansas. So maybe, I tend to lean into those courser finishes as much because it is familiar as it is performance based.
While I have some very nice performing knives (Yoshikane, Kurosaki, etc.), I haven't yet really felt like my sharpening approach (skills are still debatable) has been lacking.
Enter the Watanabe Pro nakiri. I'm totally and unapologetically infatuated with this beautiful tool!
In the accompanying pamphlet, Shinichi mentions finishing on an 8k Kitayama. He doesn't necessarily suggest that's what he does or we should do, but it is in there mentioning polished and extremely sharp edges. I don't care much about polish, but I do want to do my best to maintain/recreate this edge.
I know we should be creating very sharp edges off courser stones. I've preached that myself so may times. But...
If I do decide to indulge, I'm pondering the Kitayama vs. the SG8k. I like S-n-G but I'm not necessarily married to it for a finisher. Anyone have a preference between the two? Other stones you'd recommend? A nigara recommendation if I go soaker?
Thanks in advance KKF.
I tend to lean to "courser" finishes and rarely go above 2k. I have the SG4k that, admittedly, I haven't experimented with enough yet but somehow told myself it is too fine. For reference, I spent about forty years using knives that came off a Norton Fine India or soft Arkansas. So maybe, I tend to lean into those courser finishes as much because it is familiar as it is performance based.
While I have some very nice performing knives (Yoshikane, Kurosaki, etc.), I haven't yet really felt like my sharpening approach (skills are still debatable) has been lacking.
Enter the Watanabe Pro nakiri. I'm totally and unapologetically infatuated with this beautiful tool!
In the accompanying pamphlet, Shinichi mentions finishing on an 8k Kitayama. He doesn't necessarily suggest that's what he does or we should do, but it is in there mentioning polished and extremely sharp edges. I don't care much about polish, but I do want to do my best to maintain/recreate this edge.
I know we should be creating very sharp edges off courser stones. I've preached that myself so may times. But...
If I do decide to indulge, I'm pondering the Kitayama vs. the SG8k. I like S-n-G but I'm not necessarily married to it for a finisher. Anyone have a preference between the two? Other stones you'd recommend? A nigara recommendation if I go soaker?
Thanks in advance KKF.
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