Nano hone

Find deals on amazon
Shop Knives and stones on ebay
Miura knives
Japanese Knives - by Tokushu Knife
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
megapuff5

megapuff5

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
111
Reaction score
23
I was even at Starchefs international chefs Congress and the guy who uses to sell Sharpton stones was now selling his own brand and a device he created called nano hone. It seemed pretty cool, was wondering if anyone had any experience or thoughts with the nano hone?
 
I've used two of them.

Absolutely love the NL-5. It was easily the fastest grinding plate I've ever used. Used it to resurface a stone that came to me unflattened, and I was floored at how fast it worked.

I'm a fan.
 
If you flatten dozens of stones a day as part you a professional task sure they are nice and probably durable.

But when you think about their use, flattening your tools, it is what their are intended to. I’m not sure they represent good value when comparable tools cost less and are reasonably durable. I used a Chinese 140 plate (40$) for years and it has been abused a lot. Now I have a DMT XXC been using it for 2 years and it shows absolutely no signs of wear when lapping my stones. Plus he sticking is way less severe than what most people seems to say on forums.

Anyway I guess some people are into premium stuff and the sake of it.
 
I was digging for some info on Nano Hone and came across this old thread.

(Aside from the lapping plate briefly referenced)

Anybody using these stones and willing to share some impressions?

If not, I may succumb to my desires and test (buy) the 1k and 6k. If I do, I will likely share some impressions here once I get to grinding.
 
SilverSwarfer said:
I was digging for some info on Nano Hone and came across this old thread.

(Aside from the lapping plate briefly referenced)

Anybody using these stones and willing to share some impressions?

If not, I may succumb to my desires and test (buy) the 1k and 6k. If I do, I will likely share some impressions here once I get to grinding.
Click to expand...

I used the 400, 1k and 6k for a week. Apparently I used the old formulation so they may be different now. They were hard, like Shapton, but, still somewhat soft to gouge (don't let Barclid know how I know). They would load up with swarf, but, not to the point of not cutting (a little extra water and some pressure cleared it up, mostly). But when it started loading up, it would polish much finer (the 400 looked more like 1-2Kish). All grits cut fast on stainless and carbon (core and cladding).

I also used the nl-4 or whatever plate, the cheapest one. It worked great on Norton Crystolon coarse and medium, India fine, Naniwa SS 220, Shapton Glass 500, King 1k and 6k. It was a little awkward rounding the edges, but, worked.

The pond and holder are useless if you don't go all in on the products or mount your stones to the $25 plates.
 
M1k3 said:
I used the 400, 1k and 6k for a week. Apparently I used the old formulation so they may be different now. They were hard, like Shapton, but, still somewhat soft to gouge (don't let Barclid know how I know). They would load up with swarf, but, not to the point of not cutting (a little extra water and some pressure cleared it up, mostly). But when it started loading up, it would polish much finer (the 400 looked more like 1-2Kish). All grits cut fast on stainless and carbon (core and cladding).

I also used the nl-4 or whatever plate, the cheapest one. It worked great on Norton Crystolon coarse and medium, India fine, Naniwa SS 220, Shapton Glass 500, King 1k and 6k. It was a little awkward rounding the edges, but, worked.

The pond and holder are useless if you don't go all in on the products or mount your stones to the $25 plates.
Click to expand...
Oh, how do you know?

Anyway I'd say @M1k3 gave a pretty good description of the stones. He was using the old formulation, yes. They had this chemical smell that I absolutely hated -- that's gone on the new ones. The 6k is largely unchanged while the 400 and 1000 have seen improvements that helped a bit with the loading but not 100%. The 400 has a less "mushy" feel to it now and it's a touch more friable. Ditto the 1k. Personally I'm really not a fan of the way the 6k feels but it leaves a nice edge and polish.
 
Barclid said:
Oh, how do you know?

Anyway I'd say @M1k3 gave a pretty good description of the stones. He was using the old formulation, yes. They had this chemical smell that I absolutely hated -- that's gone on the new ones. The 6k is largely unchanged while the 400 and 1000 have seen improvements that helped a bit with the loading but not 100%. The 400 has a less "mushy" feel to it now and it's a touch more friable. Ditto the 1k. Personally I'm really not a fan of the way the 6k feels but it leaves a nice edge and polish.
Click to expand...

Slipping once with the haku? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
M1k3 said:
Slipping once with the haku? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Click to expand...

Yeah, that'll do it. Those stones require a little more care to finish on with edge-leading strokes as well. It suits his style of sharpening though, since he likes to finish edge-trailing after "jointing" the edge. Really nothing wrong with it, but not my style since I tend to sharpen with more pressure and plenty of edge-leading strokes before settling down in the finishing stages.
 
Barclid said:
Yeah, that'll do it. Those stones require a little more care to finish on with edge-leading strokes as well. It suits his style of sharpening though, since he likes to finish edge-trailing after "jointing" the edge. Really nothing wrong with it, but not my style since I tend to sharpen with more pressure and plenty of edge-leading strokes before settling down in the finishing stages.
Click to expand...

I liked them. That one slip was all it took to figure them out in that regard.
 
Extremely well made stuff.
I have the 200, 400, 1k and a lapping plate.

While I think they were all good, the 200 was what knocked my socks off.
 
Elliot said:
Extremely well made stuff.
I have the 200, 400, 1k and a lapping plate.

While I think they were all good, the 200 was what knocked my socks off.
Click to expand...

I've been mulling that 200 over. What can you say about it? And what stones are you comparing it to?
 
M1k3 said:
I've been mulling that 200 over. What can you say about it? And what stones are you comparing it to?
Click to expand...

Overall, loosely comparing to Gesshin Pink Brick, SG 220, SG320 and JNS 300.

I don’t use this stone for edge sharpening or repairs. It’s simply the stone I use first in the long process of trying to even out a bevel toward an eventual kasumi finish.

I’ll preface with I am not a great polisher. That being said, it’s my favorite coarse stone for that work. Ridiculously violent (fingertips be damned), pretty slow to dish considering the grit and wears pretty slowly as well.

It’s basically replaced all the above for that use case. I use the pink brick for repairs and the JNS to sharpen crap knives for friends. SG below 500, just in my opinion, is hot garbage.
 
My intrigue having been bolstered by previous comments, I bought the Nano Hone 1k & 6k last week.

They were delivered Friday and I’ve been using them daily since then, on the blades I brought on my current road trip. <My weekend lineup is 1) Ikeda Honyaki Yanagiba 2) Heiji Carbon Yanagiba 3) Mazaki stainless suji 4) Masakage Koishi suji, 5) Mazaki W2 gyuto, Nenohi W2 Deba>

I am an instant fan. They’re reminiscent of the Shapton Glass stones I also have with me in 500, 2k. But I like these more. So far. Maybe because they’re new. But maybe also because they’re awesome.

The stones feel really lovely in use. All the previous comments make sense to me and also apply to my experience (see Barclid & M1k3 above). If anything, maybe the stones are lacking in feedback: mainly audible. They have that hard to explain soft feel on a hard stone. They can’t be as hard as the SG though because as mentioned, they are easy to gouge. I have the impression after gently lapping each, that these stones will be in service for a very long time.

Notably, the Nano Hone Stones seem to be very well made and based on my experience so far, fairly priced.

The 1k stone seems much more versatile than others I have experienced. Also 15 micron, my sharpening sessions were quick and consolidated. I achieved small burrs quickly and with progressively lighter pressure could finish out some exciting utility edges. Acts like a finer stone. Could be a one-and-done stone with adapted techniques.

The 6k also acts like a finer stone. I’m seeing polishes similar to 8k and edges are super smooth (toothless), which works for my applications. This is an awesome Yanagiba stone for me because along with excellent performance, it’s also relatively compact, light, and splash-go-dry. Only downside so far is maybe lack of feedback again.

I did my first lapping with Atoma 140 after working through 4 knives on the 1k and 5 in the 6k. All light sharpening sessions, just refreshing one shift’s worth of use. The 1k showed very slight dishing. Both stones astonishingly revealed convexity through the first lapping. I mean to say the depth of wear was less than the height of the short edges of the stones. The point is I got a lot of sharpening done with very little wear on the stones. I’m impressed. I used Atoma 600 to recondition surfaces. Definitely helpful for stones like this.
 
SilverSwarfer said:
My intrigue having been bolstered by previous comments, I bought the Nano Hone 1k & 6k last week.

They were delivered Friday and I’ve been using them daily since then, on the blades I brought on my current road trip. <My weekend lineup is 1) Ikeda Honyaki Yanagiba 2) Heiji Carbon Yanagiba 3) Mazaki stainless suji 4) Masakage Koishi suji, 5) Mazaki W2 gyuto, Nenohi W2 Deba>

I am an instant fan. They’re reminiscent of the Shapton Glass stones I also have with me in 500, 2k. But I like these more. So far. Maybe because they’re new. But maybe also because they’re awesome.

The stones feel really lovely in use. All the previous comments make sense to me and also apply to my experience (see Barclid & M1k3 above). If anything, maybe the stones are lacking in feedback: mainly audible. They have that hard to explain soft feel on a hard stone. They can’t be as hard as the SG though because as mentioned, they are easy to gouge. I have the impression after gently lapping each, that these stones will be in service for a very long time.

Notably, the Nano Hone Stones seem to be very well made and based on my experience so far, fairly priced.

The 1k stone seems much more versatile than others I have experienced. Also 15 micron, my sharpening sessions were quick and consolidated. I achieved small burrs quickly and with progressively lighter pressure could finish out some exciting utility edges. Acts like a finer stone. Could be a one-and-done stone with adapted techniques.

The 6k also acts like a finer stone. I’m seeing polishes similar to 8k and edges are super smooth (toothless), which works for my applications. This is an awesome Yanagiba stone for me because along with excellent performance, it’s also relatively compact, light, and splash-go-dry. Only downside so far is maybe lack of feedback again.

I did my first lapping with Atoma 140 after working through 4 knives on the 1k and 5 in the 6k. All light sharpening sessions, just refreshing one shift’s worth of use. The 1k showed very slight dishing. Both stones astonishingly revealed convexity through the first lapping. I mean to say the depth of wear was less than the height of the short edges of the stones. The point is I got a lot of sharpening done with very little wear on the stones. I’m impressed. I used Atoma 600 to recondition surfaces. Definitely helpful for stones like this.
Click to expand...

Good review. You should tag Hap on Instagram @Nanohone. He likes seeing this stuff.
 
I totally geeked out on these Nano Hone stones. Since last month, I’ve picked up the #200, #400, and the ridiculously expensive NL8.

I also have Shapton Glass 220; side by side, the NH is a more pleasant feeling stone. It’s hard to characterize but the SG220 feels more “gritty,” which sounds ridiculous for a coarse stone comparison. Still it’s relatively more gritty feeling than the NH200. This matters re: single bevels mainly. I can’t tell if it’s faster so I’m saying they’re equally effective. Given thickness of NH usable stone is probably double that of the Shapton. Dishing rate is not discernibly better. Whenever I have to replace a 200 class coarse stone, I’ll buy another Nano Hone. I have used both for thinning projects for iron clad and stainless clad with Shiro2, Blue2, SG2, ginsanko, super blue, and AEB-L. Seems like they’re both appropriate for the full spectrum of mainstream steel configurations (can’t speak to the “exotics,” with super wear resistance / high carbides).

The NH400 is a great stone. I do believe it’s worth the investment to get both the 200 and 400 if you’re in need of coarse stones. Saves time. Stretches life of the stones. Compared to my SG500, I can’t honestly say I prefer one or the other. SG500 is a really good stone! The SG500 feels smoother (of course!) and it shows more black swarf so SG500 might actually be faster, I don’t know. Either way, stepping from here to the NH1000 works nicely. I should mention my NH1k has been used a LOT. It’s getting smaller. Although it still has a lot of miles ahead, it is not miraculous in terms of wear rate.


Of the 4 NH stones I have, my experience with them is that they do carry the same characteristics across their respective grit classes. There is a Nano Hone Experience and I think they make an effective, convenient, versatile, relatively compact set. Comparable but different than Shapton Glass. Biggest advantage for SG is portability. Biggest advantage for NH is overall experience (effectiveness, quality of construction).

I don’t have any proof yet whether getting the NL8 is totally crazy. It seems like as long as it lasts about 2yrs (for me and my heavy usage) then it would actually begin being more economical than replacing Atoma 140’s. It’s very clear that compared to an A140, the NL8 performs much much better. Laps faster, zero stick/suck! And the really really huge advantage of NL8 is the finish left on the stone. It’s a very nicely conditioned surface across every stone I’ve lapped (already I’ve tested quite a few). I don’t regret purchasing this item.

Overall I’ve had awesome experiences with Nano Hone, Shapton Glass, and Gesshin Stones. Better than several other options we currently use or have used in the past. In my opinion, these 3 embody the best synthetic sharpening stones currently available.
 
I'm going to say, without proof just based on my experience, that Nanohones use a resin binder. Sort of like Hap Stanley decided to marry the Glass stones with Naniwa Super Stones.

And I used an older formulation that had a bit of a, brake cleaner, cutting fluid, can't quite place my finger on the smell. I know I've smelled it before.
 
We have some Mizuyama stones that have that chemical stink smell I think you’re mentioning. I’ve not noticed any such smell in my NH stones but also haven’t specifically checked.

Your thought makes logical sense to me though.
 
SilverSwarfer said:
I totally geeked out on these Nano Hone stones. Since last month, I’ve picked up the #200, #400, and the ridiculously expensive NL8.

I also have Shapton Glass 220; side by side, the NH is a more pleasant feeling stone. It’s hard to characterize but the SG220 feels more “gritty,” which sounds ridiculous for a coarse stone comparison. Still it’s relatively more gritty feeling than the NH200. This matters re: single bevels mainly. I can’t tell if it’s faster so I’m saying they’re equally effective. Given thickness of NH usable stone is probably double that of the Shapton. Dishing rate is not discernibly better. Whenever I have to replace a 200 class coarse stone, I’ll buy another Nano Hone. I have used both for thinning projects for iron clad and stainless clad with Shiro2, Blue2, SG2, ginsanko, super blue, and AEB-L. Seems like they’re both appropriate for the full spectrum of mainstream steel configurations (can’t speak to the “exotics,” with super wear resistance / high carbides).

The NH400 is a great stone. I do believe it’s worth the investment to get both the 200 and 400 if you’re in need of coarse stones. Saves time. Stretches life of the stones. Compared to my SG500, I can’t honestly say I prefer one or the other. SG500 is a really good stone! The SG500 feels smoother (of course!) and it shows more black swarf so SG500 might actually be faster, I don’t know. Either way, stepping from here to the NH1000 works nicely. I should mention my NH1k has been used a LOT. It’s getting smaller. Although it still has a lot of miles ahead, it is not miraculous in terms of wear rate.


Of the 4 NH stones I have, my experience with them is that they do carry the same characteristics across their respective grit classes. There is a Nano Hone Experience and I think they make an effective, convenient, versatile, relatively compact set. Comparable but different than Shapton Glass. Biggest advantage for SG is portability. Biggest advantage for NH is overall experience (effectiveness, quality of construction).

I don’t have any proof yet whether getting the NL8 is totally crazy. It seems like as long as it lasts about 2yrs (for me and my heavy usage) then it would actually begin being more economical than replacing Atoma 140’s. It’s very clear that compared to an A140, the NL8 performs much much better. Laps faster, zero stick/suck! And the really really huge advantage of NL8 is the finish left on the stone. It’s a very nicely conditioned surface across every stone I’ve lapped (already I’ve tested quite a few). I don’t regret purchasing this item.

Overall I’ve had awesome experiences with Nano Hone, Shapton Glass, and Gesshin Stones. Better than several other options we currently use or have used in the past. In my opinion, these 3 embody the best synthetic sharpening stones currently available.
Click to expand...

You pretty much confirmed what others have told me about what I never used, but wanted and what I've seen myself with some.
 
SilverSwarfer said:
We have some Mizuyama stones that have that chemical stink smell I think you’re mentioning. I’ve not noticed any such smell in my NH stones but also haven’t specifically checked.

Your thought makes logical sense to me though.
Click to expand...

I used an older formulation. What's being sold now doesn't smell.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top