Need some advice on a stone...

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Grayswandir

Grayswandir

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Hello,

I want a stone to bridge the gap between 1000 and 6000 and I'm a little shy on cash at the moment, so I'm looking at the Naniwa 3000K Lobster (soaking stone). Is this a good stone for the price ($30)? I don't want to buy something and then regret my purchase, so I'm hoping someone who's used one of these stones can tell me a little bit about them, and whether or not they like them

Thanks,

-grayswandir.
 
I may not be much use as I haven't used one... but fwiw I can tell you the Naniwa SS 3k is pants, and the Lobster 4k got a dishonourable mention as @stringer 's worst stone recently.

(Probably more $, but I love my Cerax 3k, and I'll be getting the same again soon once it wears out.)
 
Lobsters do not have a good rep. You also do not need to bridge the gap, jump from 1K to 6K is totally fine. Its best you save a bit more and get a good 3-4K stone if you want one, but not because you necessary need one.
 
Ruso said:
Lobsters do not have a good rep. You also do not need to bridge the gap, jump from 1K to 6K is totally fine. Its best you save a bit more and get a good 3-4K stone if you want one, but not because you necessary need one.
Click to expand...

This isn't just for sharpening knives, I'm sharpening straight razors and want a stone in the middle, between the 1K and the 6K stones that I have. It sounds like chinching out on a cheap stone is a bad idea, I appreciate the advice both of you have given me, thank you.

I knew $30 dollars sounded too good to be true.!

What are your opinions on the Naniwa traditional stones? I might be able to pick up a 3K Naniwa at a reasonable price. If you don't mind, throw in a few other recommendations if you have any (like the Suehiro).


Is the Suehiro "Ouka" #3000 Whetstone any good?

Thanks.
 
You can grab mini Naniwa Pros. Big enough to work on with a knife, although with some additional skills involved, perfect for razors. Guess there's a 3K somewhere, saw these on Tosho Knife Arts. Still expensive.

Suehiro Ouka sells as a smaller (not mini) version for about 45-50$ CAD. Won't last forever, but not so dishy, good sharpener and polisher though.
 
ModRQC said:
You can grab mini Naniwa Pros. Big enough to work on with a knife, although with some additional skills involved, perfect for razors. Guess there's a 3K somewhere, saw these on Tosho Knife Arts. Still expensive.

Suehiro Ouka sells as a smaller (not mini) version for about 45-50$ CAD. Won't last forever, but not so dishy, good sharpener and polisher though.

So you think that would be a a nice stone to bridge the gap then?
Click to expand...
 
Grayswandir said:
This isn't just for sharpening knives, I'm sharpening straight razors and want a stone in the middle, between the 1K and the 6K stones that I have. It sounds like chinching out on a cheap stone is a bad idea, I appreciate the advice both of you have given me, thank you.

I knew $30 dollars sounded too good to be true.!

What are your opinions on the Naniwa traditional stones? I might be able to pick up a 3K Naniwa at a reasonable price. If you don't mind, throw in a few other recommendations if you have any (like the Suehiro).


Is the Suehiro "Ouka" #3000 Whetstone any good?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

KingShapton told me in this thread that Ouka = Cerax = probably the stone I have. In which case - yes, strongly recommend. c. 3k stone recommendations

Another thread that might be of use for slightly different style stones - 3K / 5K Stone. Looking for....
 
I think the hardness gets important once you get past 6K and transition to a Jnat or a harder synthetic, but don't quote me on that, I'm an amateur.
 
Grayswandir said:
I think the hardness gets important once you get past 6K and transition to a Jnat or a harder synthetic, but don't quote me on that, I'm an amateur.
Click to expand...

I’m a « never done it » guy so your knowledge there surpasses what I can say, just pointing out since I had a notion that razor guys preferred hard stones.

BTW what are your 1K and 6K?
 
No, I appreciate it, you never know when a little bit of advice might save your bacon. If I hadn't have asked about the Lobster stones I would have thrown my money down the drain.
 
Grayswandir said:
Is this a good stone for the price ($30)?
Click to expand...

King Icebear 4K is $29.00 and in my opinion, one of the better finishers out there, and I know people will laugh, but at any price.
Its a splash and go, fast, decent feedback, works great without slurry, better with, and best of all, the edge it leaves is both very keen and has good bite.
 
ModRQC said:
You can grab mini Naniwa Pros. Big enough to work on with a knife, although with some additional skills involved, perfect for razors. Guess there's a 3K somewhere, saw these on Tosho Knife Arts. Still expensive.

Suehiro Ouka sells as a smaller (not mini) version for about 45-50$ CAD. Won't last forever, but not so dishy, good sharpener and polisher though.
Click to expand...

+1 for the minis, there's someone on eBay selling cut up SPs and Choseras. Not really big enough for heavy sharpening, but totally useable for razors and deburring.
 
branwell said:
King Icebear 4K is $29.00 and in my opinion, one of the better finishers out there, and I know people will laugh, but at any price.
Its a splash and go, fast, decent feedback, works great without slurry, better with, and best of all, the edge it leaves is both very keen and has good bite.
Click to expand...
:Iagree:
 
battlecry501 said:
+1 for the minis, there's someone on eBay selling cut up SPs and Choseras. Not really big enough for heavy sharpening, but totally useable for razors and deburring.
Click to expand...

Thanks Branwell. You know, I think I saw this very stone earlier today, but was looking for a 3K stone moreso then a 4K, though the difference is probably not all that great between the two. I've also never seen a King stone like that before, it looks pretty sweet, and was apparently designed to mimic a natural stone. If I would have read the fine print I might have purchased it over the Suehiro. Unfortunately I already ordered the Suehiro about two or three hours ago, but I appreciate you tracking down a good deal for me.

I wound up getting the Suehiro for $40 including tax + shipping.
 
Since it is a transitional grit do you need a bench stone for this task? If you can use a 1"x6" stone there are a lot of options from the guided sharpening world.
 
Grayswandir said:
Thanks Branwell. You know, I think I saw this very stone earlier today, but was looking for a 3K stone moreso then a 4K, though the difference is probably not all that great between the two. I've also never seen a King stone like that before, it looks pretty sweet, and was apparently designed to mimic a natural stone. If I would have read the fine print I might have purchased it over the Suehiro. Unfortunately I already ordered the Suehiro about two or three hours ago, but I appreciate you tracking down a good deal for me.
Click to expand...
The Suehiro is also a good stone. Nevertheless, I would suggest that you maybe save the King 4000 for later - it is really a very good and underrated stone.
 
Mr.Wizard said:
Since it is a transitional grit do you need a bench stone for this task? If you can use a 1"x6" stone there are a lot of options from the guided sharpening world.
Click to expand...

I already gave up a little real estate with this Suehiro. While I was willing to sacrifice some length, I wanted to keep as much width as possible.
 
battlecry501 said:
+1 for the minis, there's someone on eBay selling cut up SPs and Choseras. Not really big enough for heavy sharpening, but totally useable for razors and deburring.
Click to expand...

They look really cool but they're expensive for so little real estate. If they last a long time then I'm sure it's worth it.
 
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