Morihei 4k or Kensho Kei/Ken-Syou 3k for kasumi progression?

[Thpp9]

Hello,

I am looking for a synthetic stone to replace my NP3K in my kasumi progression. NP3K can produce decent results, but I find it too unforgiving for a new polisher like myself and I end up spending much more time than needed to remove shinny spots and streaks.

My current line up is:

Imanishi 220

King Deluxe 1000

Naniwa professional 3000

Rika 5000

Imanishi Arashiyama 6000

Morihei Karasu 9000

I totally need another stone between 220 and 1k, but I don't think I will have a use of it anytime soon, since I don't plan on thinning any of my knives. Probably I would go for Morihei 500, SG 500 or Naniwa Pro 400 in this category.

Do you have any input about about Morihei 4k and Kensho-Kei 3k or maybe some other recommendation? I am somewhat interested in Kensho-Kei, but I couldn't find much info about it, just one picture on Reddit, which seemed really nice. Dark cladding and shinny hagane.

Thank you in advance!

 

[ModRQC]

Morihei 4K is not bad, but streaky by nature. Recommend generating a lot of slurry, and using very low pressure. What you don't want to happen with it essentially is the point where it starts clogging - it easily goes there. A bit difficult with water management in that regard.

I have to believe better stones exist, but so far none was really convincing much.

Don't expect the Morihei to mirror the core much.

 

[Thpp9]

Morihei 4K is not bad, but streaky by nature. Recommend generating a lot of slurry, and using very low pressure. What you don't want to happen with it essentially is the point where it starts clogging - it easily goes there. A bit difficult with water management in that regard.

I have to believe better stones exist, but so far none was really convincing much.

Don't expect the Morihei to mirror the core much.

Thank you for your reply. Well, being just "not bad" and streaky, doesn't make me really wanna buy it. Considering the price point, I might pass then.

Do you maybe have some other recommendation in mind?

 

[ModRQC]

Lol... yeah absolutely: lower grit kasumi from stone, some 800-1200 sand pads, and some finer grit stone powder. If you want the mirror polish core, go up there first and try to kasumi the cladding afterwards. If like me you don't really care especially with carbon knives where the core will be full blown patina, then don't. Also will avoid your bevel getting all sucky/sticky from too fine a polish.

Higher grit stone I know is rather easy to work with is Ouka. Scratchy finish, but fine well behaved scratches. It's not that the rest of them don't work. It just depends on pressure and slurry and what cladding/mono you're actually working on. You have to experiment with a few stones and a few different knives to get to know which is really good on different claddings. And even there, no two SS/iron cladding are always the same.

 

[Thpp9]

Lol... yeah absolutely: lower grit kasumi from stone, some 800-1200 sand pads, and some finer grit stone powder. If you want the mirror polish core, go up there first and try to kasumi the cladding afterwards. If like me you don't really care especially with carbon knives where the core will be full blown patina, then don't. Also will avoid your bevel getting all sucky/sticky from too fine a polish.

Higher grit stone I know is rather easy to work with is Ouka. Scratchy finish, but fine well behaved scratches. It's not that the rest of them don't work. It just depends on pressure and slurry and what cladding/mono you're actually working on. You have to experiment with a few stones and a few different knives to get to know which is really good on different claddings. And even there, no two SS/iron cladding are always the same.

That first part kinda caught me off guard lol. I haven't experimented with pads and powder, but I think it's worth it giving it a try.

For the moment, I am working on iron clad. The powder and then kasumi should work nicely.

I've been seen Ouka 3k a lot here, but as you said the finish it leaves it's scratchy. Are those scratches deep enough that could give me a problem if I jump to 6k Arashiyama afterwards?

 

[user 16756]

@inferno

yes you do need a SG500 or similar btw, but ok. anyway if your budget allows, I really think JNats are better in this grit range, while synths are my preference 2k and below

 

[ModRQC]

That first part kinda caught me off guard lol. I haven't experimented with pads and powder, but I think it's worth it giving it a try.

For the moment, I am working on iron clad. The powder and then kasumi should work nicely.

I've been seen Ouka 3k a lot here, but as you said the finish it leaves it's scratchy. Are those scratches deep enough that could give me a problem if I jump to 6k Arashiyama afterwards?

No problem I’d think. I like to use Ouka before any higher grit. It’s usually the upper grits mirror streaks tendency that’s not to my liking. What Ouka leaves of scratches takes well to further polishing. Not long ago I jumped from Imanishi 1K to Imanishi 8K and it was quite doable - so from Ouka even easier. From what I heard the Arashiyama 6K is better of a polisher so I don’t foresee much problems. Ouka with low pressure can even get you a quite respectable final result. It also takes well to the sandpad and finer powder trick.

BTW the sandpad is just a step I do after a Kasumi. Sort of a final conditionner before I use metal polish to clean the whole job. Almost no pressure, use the pad wet, even mineral oil if you want to, the goal is really just to blend. You’ll get to raise a comparable of stone mud and rub it everywhere paying particular heed to worse spots. 800 works well with coarser kasumi finishes like 1K, 1200 with finer finishes. It blends scratches well, but doesn’t help much with mirror streaks. These need to go back to the stones. What I mostly like out of the trick though is to eliminate suction from finer polishes without killing your stone work if used well.

 

[zizirex]

i would recommend an Ouka 3K as well. It's a nice stone for kasumi progress. pretty soft and nice to polish your knife.
it's a soaking stone and pretty soft so easy to dish.

 

[ReiHamono]

Get a shapton pro 2k