I think so
First ~3 synthetic stones
- Thread starter JPAU
- Start date
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Here is where I have landed, in case it assists anyone, present or future:
Low grit: Atoma 140; Shapton Glass 500
Medium grit: Shapton Rockstar 2000
High(er) grit: Shapton Rockstar 6000; BBW
Other: Kangaroo leather bench strop; Naniwa stone holder
At some stage, I will assess and consider whether stones like a Naniwa Chosera 1000, Shapton Glass / Rockstar 1000, King 1000 etc. are necessary / helpful as part of a sharpening protocol. Will also consider Shapton Rockstar 320 or Naniwa Pro 320 if I get confident enough to try thinning in the future. For now, I am pretty happy with the above selection to get me started.
Thanks again everyone. Has been an extremely useful and informative thread that I have come back to over and over again. Will get lost in sharpening videos, demurring threads etc. now.
Low grit: Atoma 140; Shapton Glass 500
Medium grit: Shapton Rockstar 2000
High(er) grit: Shapton Rockstar 6000; BBW
Other: Kangaroo leather bench strop; Naniwa stone holder
At some stage, I will assess and consider whether stones like a Naniwa Chosera 1000, Shapton Glass / Rockstar 1000, King 1000 etc. are necessary / helpful as part of a sharpening protocol. Will also consider Shapton Rockstar 320 or Naniwa Pro 320 if I get confident enough to try thinning in the future. For now, I am pretty happy with the above selection to get me started.
Thanks again everyone. Has been an extremely useful and informative thread that I have come back to over and over again. Will get lost in sharpening videos, demurring threads etc. now.
Atoma 140 is a must have, my one has got to be 6-7+ years old with no signs of death. Its been through countless washita, charnleys and still flattens, cuts steel effortlessly.
You won't be disappointed on that. I do wish we in the UK have rockstars at some point and I am not talking about the musical kind.
Diamonds are also a man's best friend.
You won't be disappointed on that. I do wish we in the UK have rockstars at some point and I am not talking about the musical kind.
Diamonds are also a man's best friend.
I ordered one, but little did I know that it will take a 5 weeks to deliver!
Can I start sharpening in my Shapton Glass and Rockstar stines (brand new) straight out of the box, or do I need to wait for the Atoma to lap the stones and ensure that they are flat from the outset? I don’t really want to pay for another lapping / flattening stone in the interim… I have all of my sharpening stones and wouldn’t mind getting some practice soon.
I got my 1000 rockstar from eBay for less than £50. He also has some 320 I'm tempted by.
They’re listed in Amazon AU for 49AUD… I’ve had one in my cart but I don’t need one
I didn't lap my Glass stones.
Your lower grits will dish more depending on how much you use them, the higher grits less so. Personally, I'd use them. I might not go crazy until I got my plate but I wouldn't hesitate to do a couple knives. Especially if all you need to do is touch-ups on the higher grits.
Ya'lls are terrible enablers. Friend here wanted 3 stones....
Ends up with 5.... and a strop ....
Ends up with 5.... and a strop ....
That’s precisely all I need to do at this stage - thank you!
Even without using Atoma, you can achieve a completely flat surface by rubbing three whetstones against each other.
Three body problem?
Three body solution!
Three body solution!
Vertigo
Slightly Less Hooligan
I used my Rockstars right out of the box (a lot), tho like I said earlier in the thread, I did spring for an Atoma just to tidy them up a bit.
And yeah, you can always just rub rocks together to make them flat. I'm also a big fan of the $2 tile + $0.50 drywall screen from Lowes approach, if you want a quick and dirty solution while you wait for the Atoma.
Blademaster
Active Member
Or buy a decent, cheap Chinese diamond plate, adds a black acrylic base and strong double tape, and voila!, you have your 'Atoma'!
I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this thread. I just attempted my first sharpening session today. Certainly have a lot to learn but I successfully sharpened a Shindo Nakiri (B2) and an Isamitsu petty (W1) on my first attempt.
Both had their original edges and were unable to cut paper, ie dull. I started on SG500 and (a) for the Shindo, finished on SR2000 and (b) for the Isamitsu, progressed through SR2000, SR6000 and kangaroo leather bench strop. The Isamitsu cuts paper towel easily (straight lines) although not as effortlessly as I’ve seen on the Paper Towel Thread, and the Shindo cuts printing paper easily and but only cuts paper towel for a short distance (a few centimetres at a time, but evenly capable of this along its edge). Both perform wonderfully (by my open standards) on some test tomatoes and peppers - much better than they were out of the box. They both bite without any resistance and cut effortlessly.
To be frank, I’m astonished that I didn’t ruin both knives and leave them duller than when I started. I’m chuffed. That said, I need to improve my sharpening of curved sections and tips, angle and pressure consistency, and apex formation.
I am looking forward to progressing my skills and advancing my knowledge, leveraging the wealth of experience and wisdom floating around KKF. Thank you again.
Both had their original edges and were unable to cut paper, ie dull. I started on SG500 and (a) for the Shindo, finished on SR2000 and (b) for the Isamitsu, progressed through SR2000, SR6000 and kangaroo leather bench strop. The Isamitsu cuts paper towel easily (straight lines) although not as effortlessly as I’ve seen on the Paper Towel Thread, and the Shindo cuts printing paper easily and but only cuts paper towel for a short distance (a few centimetres at a time, but evenly capable of this along its edge). Both perform wonderfully (by my open standards) on some test tomatoes and peppers - much better than they were out of the box. They both bite without any resistance and cut effortlessly.
To be frank, I’m astonished that I didn’t ruin both knives and leave them duller than when I started. I’m chuffed. That said, I need to improve my sharpening of curved sections and tips, angle and pressure consistency, and apex formation.
I am looking forward to progressing my skills and advancing my knowledge, leveraging the wealth of experience and wisdom floating around KKF. Thank you again.
Hell yeah! Nice job dude, just remember there’s nothing you can really do that’s not repairable. Practice and have fun
Very cool. A marker on the edge will help you with each of the things you mentioned. I prefer red to black as it is easier to see.
Outside of actual techniques, some of the best advice I can give is...
- Failure happens. Don't get discouraged when it does. Sometimes you may need to walkaway but eventually, be sure to always come back. It's just temporary.
- Speed comes from repetition, not forcing things. Take your time and get consistent.
- Always, always be honest with yourself about results. It's okay if an edge isn't splitting atoms just so long as you understand how it is cutting and why. Don't try to trick yourself into believing you like a certain edge or have fully deburred or whatever. But it also means embracing the good and great edges you do achieve. Try to understand what went into it.
Sharpening does not have to be a deep, dark, bottomless hole. It surely can be if you want it to be, but it can also be very utilitarian. But whatever the case, it is a very rewarding skill.
Have fun!
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I just want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread as I got a lot of out of too, as someone starting their dive into the sharpening rabbit hole.
Thanks from me as well.
New to Japanese knives, but I am fortunate to have acquired a Toyama (B2) and a Christian Dam (B1) gyuto (thanks KKF). Looking to learn how to keep them sharp. Generally cutting beef, chicken, shrimp, and veggies (including tomatoes), rarely fish. I have an old Zwilling for lemons and limes (at this point). Home cooking only, 4-5 nights per week.
I took a knife sharpening class with Josh Donald at Bernal Cutlery last night which was very informative. We did quite a bit of sharpening with their knives, and I learned I have a long way to go to make it look pretty (and not screw up a kurouchi finish, as a few times my angle control went to 0 degrees on the off-hand side – yikes), but that I could get something that would cut newspaper cleanly. Josh recommended a Takarazukushi 1200 blue marble and an Arashiyama 6000, along with what seems the mandatory Atoma 140, and some type of stone holder. We discussed for any major work, that at this point I’ll just let Josh do that, so I am really interested in more routine maintenance – at least until I get better skills. Thoughts on these two stones for that requirement.
Also, going to try and pick up a really cheap carbon core knife off of BST to practice with first.
Funny I wound up in a thread with JPAU asking similar questions, as I just ordered some beautiful handles from him. Quickly on my way down the rabbit hole…………
Your input is much appreciated. Thanks, and happy holidays!
New to Japanese knives, but I am fortunate to have acquired a Toyama (B2) and a Christian Dam (B1) gyuto (thanks KKF). Looking to learn how to keep them sharp. Generally cutting beef, chicken, shrimp, and veggies (including tomatoes), rarely fish. I have an old Zwilling for lemons and limes (at this point). Home cooking only, 4-5 nights per week.
I took a knife sharpening class with Josh Donald at Bernal Cutlery last night which was very informative. We did quite a bit of sharpening with their knives, and I learned I have a long way to go to make it look pretty (and not screw up a kurouchi finish, as a few times my angle control went to 0 degrees on the off-hand side – yikes), but that I could get something that would cut newspaper cleanly. Josh recommended a Takarazukushi 1200 blue marble and an Arashiyama 6000, along with what seems the mandatory Atoma 140, and some type of stone holder. We discussed for any major work, that at this point I’ll just let Josh do that, so I am really interested in more routine maintenance – at least until I get better skills. Thoughts on these two stones for that requirement.
Also, going to try and pick up a really cheap carbon core knife off of BST to practice with first.
Funny I wound up in a thread with JPAU asking similar questions, as I just ordered some beautiful handles from him. Quickly on my way down the rabbit hole…………
Your input is much appreciated. Thanks, and happy holidays!
For both quality and price, can’t go wrong with SG500 / SR500 > SR2000 > (optional) SR4000/6000 and an atoma 140. That’s what was recommended to me above and has worked a charm.
I think if you plan on sticking with soaking I would swap the 6k stone with an ouka. Suehiros usually have a option to have a stand attached so I do usually gift these as its kind of all in one (comes with maintenance stone too)
Splash and go the shaptons are all good and fine.
Splash and go the shaptons are all good and fine.
The 3000 grit Ouka?
Thanks!
Thanks!
@JPAU If you’re trying to cut paper towel but it keeps “stopping”, you either have a wire burr or small microchips still present.
When I check for Microchips, I CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY run the knife edge along the edge of my nail (where you would normally clip your nails). Any microchips will snag on your nail
When I check for Microchips, I CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY run the knife edge along the edge of my nail (where you would normally clip your nails). Any microchips will snag on your nail
T
hanks! I haven’t had any issues with stopping, it cuts cleanly all along the edge, but perhaps because of the curl of the paper towel or how I hold it, I run the whole edge through and I only get half way through the square. Or could just be sharp, but not that sharp? Idk
I also appreciate the capitalised caution… but my only knife related injury this year was one going through my foot as it fell off a bench. Knife was fine. Almost painless injury. Just some throbbing when it became inflamed.
