Naniwa Snow White 8k

[Jarrod12345]

Gday guys,

I’m wanting to grab a Snow White 8k as I hear they are the bees knees. Problem is, they crack like a MF I read everywhere. Basically anything naniwa above 5k seems to crack. Is there a way for me to prevent it cracking? Can I permasoak it?

If the naniwa 8k Snow White is too volatile and prone to this issue, are there others that people have tried that are good? Is the Shapton glass 8k decent?

Thanks!

 

[Runner_up]

Can I permasoak it?

This would be about the worst thing you could do.

You could seal the stone on the bottom and sides.

Kitayama 8k is soft, but an excellent finishing stone. Every time I move away from it I end up going back.

 

[Nemo]

Junpaku (snow white) is quite a fine stone. Probably much finer than 8k. Very excessive for kitchen use (unless you are sharpening yanagiba). It is also quite hard. I will warn you that the feedback is quite different to Chosera. To my mind, it's almost 'skatey'. Some people hate this feature. Others can't feel this feedback at all.

Many (most?) of my stones are Naniwa S&G and none have cracked. I have sealed all of them with spray on marine lacquer (Monocel Gold works well- with thanks to @Badgertooth) and I NEVER soak them. AT ALL. Not even for a minute. Magnesia stones such as Chosera are not designed to soak.

What will you be using the stone for? Another S&G 8k (likely also finer than 8K) is Imanishi Kitayama. The feedback is more conventional than Junpaku and it is not quite as hard (although I wouldn't call mine soft). Mine is also sealed and is used exclusively S&G and also has no cracks.

I will say that I rarely use anything finer than Chosera 3k now days. It's not necessary in the kitchen.

 

[Jarrod12345]

This would be about the worst thing you could do.

You could seal the stone on the bottom and sides.

Kitayama 8k is soft, but an excellent finishing stone. Every time I move away from it I end up going back.

Figured I couldn’t permasoak because I read it’s magnesia bonded. I was hoping that info I read was wrong and that it was actually intact resinoid lol.

Sealing stones sounds like a sketchy task. Is there any videos or tutorials people have done? Because I haven’t been able to find them.
Thanks

 

[Runner_up]

A quick search will yield tons of results.

 

[Jarrod12345]

Junpaku (snow white) is quite a fine stone. Probably much finer than 8k. Very excessive for kitchen use (unless you are sharpening yanagiba). It is also quite hard. I will warn you that the feedback is quite different to Chosera. To my mind, it's almost 'skatey'. Some people hate this feature. Others can't feel this feedback at all.

Many (most?) of my stones are Naniwa S&G and none have cracked. I have sealed all of them with spray on marine lacquer (Monocel Gold works well- with thanks to @Badgertooth) and I NEVER soak them. AT ALL. Not even for a minute. Magnesia stones such as Chosera are not designed to soak.

What will you be using the stone for? Another S&G 8k (likely also finer than 8K) is Imanishi Kitayama. The feedback is more conventional than Junpaku and it is not quite as hard (although I wouldn't call mine soft). Mine is also sealed and is used exclusively S&G and also has no cracks.

I will say that I rarely use anything finer than Chosera 3k now days. It's not necessary in the kitchen.

Long story short, I have a synth stone obsession and I just have an insatiable need to buy stones

 

[Nemo]

Sealing is easy.

Making tape over the top (sharpening surface) of the stone. Place the stone upside down on some scrap cardboard or similar. Spray lacquer over sides and bottom. Let dry. Repeat once or twice. Remove masking tape. Chamfer corners of the Sharpening surface.

 

[Jarrod12345]

T

Sealing is easy.

Making tape over the top (sharpening surface) of the stone. Place the stone upside down on some scrap cardboard or similar. Spray lacquer over sides and bottom. Let dry. Repeat once or twice. Remove masking tape. Chamfer corners of the Sharpening surface.

Thankyou!! Very helpful. The stone won’t absorb the lacquer inside and destroy the stone will it? Does it absorb any lacquer or none at all? Thanks

 

[inferno]

shapton pro 8/12k
superstone 12k and whetever more they have.
cerax/traditional 8k
kouseki 10k
gokumyo 10/15/20k
imanishi 10k
morihei 12k
karasu 9k

could be alternatives

 

[Jarrod12345]

shapton pro 8/12k
superstone 12k and whetever more they have.
cerax/traditional 8k
kouseki 10k
gokumyo 10/15/20k
imanishi 10k
morihei 12k

could be alternatives

I was reading some of your thread posts earlier and I saw you absolutely love the SP12k

 

[Nemo]

I can't say if it absorbs any lacquer. I would guess that chamfering the edges would deal with any microscopic absorbtion. I can say that sealing it doesn't affect the stone's performance in a meaningful way. Except that very thirsty stones become less thirsty.

 

[Jarrod12345]

I can't say if it absorbs any lacquer. I would guess that chamfering the edges would deal with any microscopic absorbtion. I can say that sealing it doesn't affect the stone's performance in a meaningful way. Except that were thirsty stones become less thirsty.

Thankyou. Do you use marine lacquer?

 

[Runner_up]

Many (most?) of my stones are Naniwa S&G and none have cracked. I have sealed all of them with spray on marine lacquer (Monocel Gold works well- with thanks to @Badgertooth) and I NEVER soak them. AT ALL. Not even for a minute. Magnesia stones such as Chosera are not designed to soak.

Emphasis added but the answer was already given to you.

 

[Jarrod12345]

Emphasis added but the answer was already given to you.

**** off with your passive aggressive comments. It’s a forum for people who know things and don’t know things. I’m asking questions and you’re being mouthy. Get out of my thread with your attitude. If You don’t like my questions, then leave.

 

[Runner_up]

**** off with your passive aggressive comments. It’s a forum for people who know things and don’t know things. I’m asking questions and you’re being mouthy. Get out of my thread with your attitude. If You don’t like my questions, then leave.

Wow, very impolite response considering that everyone has spoon fed you answers.

 

[Jarrod12345]

Wow, very impolite response considering that everyone has spoon fed you answers.

Its a forum. People ask questions and answer questions. You have been passive aggressive and arrogant the entire time. Go away.

 

[Runner_up]

You're absolutely correct. You asked a question, and it's been answered several times. You're the only one with an attitude "being mouthy"

 

[inferno]

I was reading some of your thread posts earlier and I saw you absolutely love the SP12k

i like it as a general purpose high grit. it just works. it has very few weak sides.

if i buy another high grit it would be the new kouseki. and i also have feeling its the one most similar to the snow white.
i think i have reviewed a lot of the stones on that list in different threads.

 

[Jarrod12345]

i like it as a general purpose high grit. it just works. it has very few weak sides.

if i buy another high grit it would be the new kouseki. and i also have feeling its the one most similar to the snow white.
i think i have reviewed a lot of the stones on that list in different threads.

I’ve never owned or used a Shapton stone, but am yet to try them. I hear a lot of good things. People seem to swear by them

 

[Nemo]

Thankyou. Do you use marine lacquer?

Yes. Monocel Gold. Got it at the green hardware shop.

 

[Lezza]

For knives, I find it pointless to go above 5k. Best stones for the buck would be Chosera 3k and 5k. Shapton Glass and Kuromaku ceramics are also great. After 3k or max 5k, I proceed to leather strops with diamond sprays or Chromium Oxides.

 

[M1k3]

For knives, I find it pointless to go above 5k.

I proceed to leather strops with diamond sprays or Chromium Oxides.

 

[Lezza]

Make sure you have sabitoru erasers, snow white loads pretty quickly.

 

[adam92]

Wow, very impolite response considering that everyone has spoon fed you answers.

Totally agree with you & I’m with you l. I don’t think your reply showing any bad impolite to me, but only the author seems don’t know how to appreciate forum member try to gave him the best answer based on our experience, this kind of people doesn’t worth anyone to waste 1 second to tell him our feedback.

 

[Benuser]

Only because others than the OP might be interested:
I'm quite aware that my point of view isn't shared my most members, but from what I've seen with Choseras, Naniwa Pros and the Snow-White, sealing is no good idea. The problem with magnesia bound stones is in incomplete or uneven drying. When the inner part has got into contact with water, and remains wet for some time, its structure will change, while the outer layers have dried. That's what creates the tension resulting in superficial spider web cracking, or complete cracks in the worst case.
Obviously, this occurs more often with thicker versions of the stone, and very much after soaking, when water reaches the inner part.
A base, supposed to hold the parts together, does prevent even drying a bit more. So would lacquer do in the same way. My idea would be to have the thinnest version you may get, allow free air around the stone for even drying, and refrain from a base or lacquer.
By the way: a very similar result as with the Snow-White can be obtained with the Shapton Pro 12k. Don't get impressed by the numbers. Both stones offer a remarkable fine bite, due to the relative wide grit range of abrasives they contain, similar to naturals. Very different in that respect from some other fine stones, like a Shapton Glass 4k, with a very narrow tolerance in its grit size. The Shapton 12k is a stone that hasn't to be babied, and can be got for relatively little money.

 

[Benuser]

Best stones for the buck would be Chosera 3k and 5k.

Chosera 5k amongst the best stones for the buck? Really? Softer than any other Chosera, you may like it or not. But I've noticed a total absence of both tactile and auditory feedback, which is one of the Choseras' great qualities. Absorbs more water than the other ones, which might have its nasty consequences: reports about cracks involve often the 5k.
And about value: I can get two Shapton Pro 12k for the same money.

 

[Jarrod12345]

Only because others than the OP might be interested:
I'm quite aware that my point of view isn't shared my most members, but from what I've seen with Choseras, Naniwa Pros and the Snow-White, sealing is no good idea. The problem with magnesia bound stones is in incomplete or uneven drying. When the inner part has got into contact with water, and remains wet for some time, its structure will change, while the outer layers have dried. That's what creates the tension resulting in superficial spider web cracking, or complete cracks in the worst case.
Obviously, this occurs more often with thicker versions of the stone, and very much after soaking, when water reaches the inner part.
A base, supposed to hold the parts together, does prevent even drying a bit more. So would lacquer do in the same way. My idea would be to have the thinnest version you may get, allow free air around the stone for even drying, and refrain from a base or lacquer.
By the way: a very similar result as with the Snow-White can be obtained with the Shapton Pro 12k. Don't get impressed by the numbers. Both stones offer a remarkable fine bite, due to the relative wide grit range of abrasives they contain, similar to naturals. Very different in that respect from some other fine stones, like a Shapton Glass 4k, with a very narrow tolerance in its grit size. The Shapton 12k is a stone that hasn't to be babied, and can be got for relatively little money.

I have heard very good things about the Shapton 12k. It is very well priced

 

[madmotts]

And about value: I can get two Shapton Pro 12k for the same money.

whoa. Not that I need one, but I just checked the price on amzn and it’s really inexpensive