Kitayama discussion

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I was under the impression the Kitayama was a resinoid based stone. I got that idea from this thread a long time and book marked it some time back.

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/sharpening-stones-soaking-vs-splashngo-some-info.17461/

That aside, my experience with the Kitayama is that it likes about a 1 minute soak under running water and I also find that I prefer the feeling of the stone if I flatten it before each use, which seems to allow it to soak in the water faster and gets rid of that goofy rubbery/skin like feel the stone gets after sitting. I guess that could be my imagination though. Regardless I like the edges I get from this stone.
 
K813zra said:
I was under the impression the Kitayama was a resinoid based stone. I got that idea from this thread a long time and book marked it some time back.

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/sharpening-stones-soaking-vs-splashngo-some-info.17461/

That aside, my experience with the Kitayama is that it likes about a 1 minute soak under running water and I also find that I prefer the feeling of the stone if I flatten it before each use, which seems to allow it to soak in the water faster and gets rid of that goofy rubbery/skin like feel the stone gets after sitting. I guess that could be my imagination though. Regardless I like the edges I get from this stone.
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Kit,
I must say that I stand corrected then.In fact,I thought that I had gotten that info from Jon so in the case it is a Resinoid stone it can be permasoaked then and if not and is used as splash and go should be dried slowly and as Jon may suggest,wrapping a damp towel around it to aid in slow drying to try and prevent cracks.
My experience is much like yours so I flatten the stone before each use,but then I do that with all my stones.I find all of them feel better after doing that.I do like the Kitty quite a bit.
I appreciate you catching me on the type of stone it is.I hate to give out false information.
 
K813zra said:
I was under the impression the Kitayama was a resinoid based stone. I got that idea from this thread a long time and book marked it some time back.

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/sharpening-stones-soaking-vs-splashngo-some-info.17461/

That aside, my experience with the Kitayama is that it likes about a 1 minute soak under running water and I also find that I prefer the feeling of the stone if I flatten it before each use, which seems to allow it to soak in the water faster and gets rid of that goofy rubbery/skin like feel the stone gets after sitting. I guess that could be my imagination though. Regardless I like the edges I get from this stone.
Click to expand...
Kit,I looked into the Kitty and just did a search is all and it led me to Korin and in their description of the stone,it does have magnesium salts in it. So are we confused yet?:rolleyes:
https://www.korin.com/Kitayama-Fine-Stone-8000_2
 
Hey guys... I happen to know the people that actually make them and have spent time in that workshop and seen it with my own two eyes... resinoid based. That’s all those guys do there.
 
JBroida said:
Hey guys... I happen to know the people that actually make them and have spent time in that workshop and seen it with my own two eyes... resinoid based. That’s all those guys do there.
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Relief! Many thanks Jon. I was hoping you would come along.
 
JBroida said:
Hey guys... I happen to know the people that actually make them and have spent time in that workshop and seen it with my own two eyes... resinoid based. That’s all those guys do there.
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Someone stole the like button so it is back to "+1".
 
I haven't tried kitayama, but I have tried the jump from lower grits with many other stones and I haven't had any issues so far.
 
Knife2meatu said:
Well, seeing as how the "Kitayama discussion" thread has been called forth from its grave... I may as well ask this here:

Is it safe to soak the Kit 8k for prolonged periods of time? Barring any issues which may arise from drying, I've read that the stone partially dissolves in water. But I'm not sure how reliable those accounts were.

As for:

I can only speak to its effect on the kind of common stainless steel I own, but the Kitayama 8k leaves a quite bright polish. Not as bright as the Snow White, but nowhere near what I've seen people refer to as kasumi.
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i agree snow white is high polishing stone , but will lose the kasumi look if up to snow white...
 
Marek07 said:
Not that I have lots of experience, but speaking specifically about non-carbon knives, moving from a 1k Chosera or a 1k Watanabe to a Kitayama is very good. I was pleasantly surprised when I first tried it without using the Chosera 3k in between. Like @valgard, I'm not discussing polishing.
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How long will you keep that edge between sharpening?
What kind of knives are you sharpening that way?
 
Rotem Shoshani said:
How long will you keep that edge between sharpening?
What kind of knives are you sharpening that way?
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Funny you should ask. I was doing this on friends' cheap stainless. I soon heard back that edges weren't lasting very long. Not only do they mistreat their knives, an 8k is way too high for stainless. I now finish on Chosera 3k. The Kitayama is reserved for my own knives and usually without the jump from 1k unless I'm in a hurry. A gradual progression is usually more durable.
 
labor of love said:
I’ve tried watanabes progression recommendation shapton pro 1k>kitayama and I liked it quite a bit.
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So will you refine the 1k on the Kitayama using light pressure? Or do you go full blown scrubbing motions? I'm trying to visualize the edge after the aforementioned progression. Guessing it isn't refined as it would with a 3-4k in between..?
 
It hardly feels like an 8k edge to me. Youre polishing 800 grit micro serrations with an 8k stone. So it comes out like really polished toothiness I guess you could say? I dunno, it’s pretty interesting.
 
The Kitayama is sort of an enigma, definitely not like other stones. I find it's more of a finisher than an 8k. It makes whatever stone you use it after work to better effect. Meaning if you follow a 1k stone it gives you a better more refined 1k edge and this is true for anything up through Shapton's 30k stone, etc. But for sure it's not a true 8k stone as it won't give you an 8k edge like other labeled 8k stones do.
 
Dave Martell said:
The Kitayama is sort of an enigma, definitely not like other stones. I find it's more of a finisher than an 8k. It makes whatever stone you use it after work to better effect. Meaning if you follow a 1k stone it gives you a better more refined 1k edge and this is true for anything up through Shapton's 30k stone, etc. But for sure it's not a true 8k stone as it won't give you an 8k edge like other labeled 8k stones do.
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As in, lower than other 8k stones?
If I'm ever in the market for another 8k, what would you recommend?
 
labor of love said:
Ill be curious to hear about the results.
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Grits are a funny thing. It's very hard to establish what a true 8k edge is. Stones like Kitayama 8k or Sigma Select 10k, in the razor realm, do have a scratch pattern on top of true polishers like Super Stone 8k, but compared to other 4-6k they also improve and refine. Alongside this, the behaviour is not a constant in itself. Give that Kitayama a carbon edge and you get a clean mirror edge.
Even more, for razor guys there's almost nothing to distinguish between Naniwa Fuji 8000 and Naniwa Super Stone 12000, under microscope magnification.
 
I have, I love it. Never had problem with the drying. I use it splash and go. I go with little pressure. Here is how i use it:
- full sharpening: 1k -> Kitayama. DONE
- Sometimes for carbon, 1k -> Kitayama -> natural finisher
- 5 pass each side on Kitayama for edge refreshing
- I do not use it on ****** knives of my neighborhoods or relative. It is just to refined for not top quality steels.
- For polishing: I sometimes go to kitayama in the process as a step toward quasi-mirror hagane: it is faster than natural. Then I go back to a natural because this stone make a not nice jigane, imo.
 
I have only been soaking the top quarter of my stone in water for three minutes. It has an attached base. Maybe that's a bad idea for uneven drying but I haven't had trouble with it cracking. I think if I soaked it longer, I would want to soak the whole stone.

The difference in cutting performance on a 5k edge is more noticeable on arm hair than on potatoes, but it does work awesome for stropping and seems to give the edge a bit more high performance longevity rather than weakening the edge. That might be from me holding back some so that it doesnt bite into the board but this is certainly worth experimenting with. I have a 30 dollar phone microscope. Maybe some pictures are in order.

Edit: Here are photos of rika5k, then kity8k, finally stropped on green compound and inside of cereal box. It would he interesting to see how jumps from 1k to 8k turn out.
 

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Guys I have some questions. I'm in market for a high grit finishing stone (I have Chosera 800 + 3k) and in between Kitayama 8k and Imanishi 10k. What would your suggestions about them? And I thought Kitayama 8k is splash and go. is It need to be soaked first?
 
labor of love said:
I’ve tried watanabes progression recommendation shapton pro 1k>kitayama and I liked it quite a bit.
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To add onto this, I've had a lot of success with this set up as well. It's really simple and easy and leaves a very nice working edge on anything that isn't crappy house knives. Those get Shapton pro 1k>2k strops and done. Been doing the Shapton Pro 1k>12K progression as well and that is very nice. The Kitayama is a bit cheaper and definitely feels nicer to sharpen on but does load a bit and wears a bit more.

That said both make killer edges.
 
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