Bico Doce
aka Big Dice / Bocce Ballz / Big Douche
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!
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'!
@JPAU is dead set on spending money on this. We gave them all the warnings.
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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