Hi I am struggling. What stones do you recommend. I started looking at shapton and then naniwa and also suehiro. I just have a king 1k and a 6k stone. Also what grit do you consider repair medium grit and finishing stones? Thanks so much for your input and sharing knowledge
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Man, give JKI a call I am sure they can help(Would love to try their stone but I am from Sydney and can't justify the freight charge of 3+ stones from the US...)
*In my opinion* - Repair is sub 500, mid is 500-3000, finishing is above 3000
*In my opinion* - Repair is sub 500, mid is 500-3000, finishing is above 3000
What is jki?
I believe they mean "Japanese knife imports". They sell the gesshin stones.
Personally I just stick with naniwa pro stones and atoma plates for major stuff.
For biggest repairs and flattening stones I would recommend an Atoma 140. Then you ideally want something for thinning in the 220-320 range. A 400-500 is useful for getting rid of some big scratches left by the previous stones. 800-1000 for the medium stone (the one you will likely use the most) and 3000-6000 for a finishing stone.
Walla
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All the suggestions in terms of grit are definitely spot on...
IMO...as long as you purchase well known brands... King, Shapton, Suehiro, Naniwa, jki etc. You can't go to wrong...every brand has its fans and its detractors...and as with much in this world the truth lies somewhere in the middle...
Some are better at some things than others... figure out what you need/want...be it polishing, speed, soaking or splash and go there are many threads on here that can help you figure out which stones will be the best match...
Take care
Jeff
IMO...as long as you purchase well known brands... King, Shapton, Suehiro, Naniwa, jki etc. You can't go to wrong...every brand has its fans and its detractors...and as with much in this world the truth lies somewhere in the middle...
Some are better at some things than others... figure out what you need/want...be it polishing, speed, soaking or splash and go there are many threads on here that can help you figure out which stones will be the best match...
Take care
Jeff
Just don't buy a king 6000. Only synthetic stone I've found where the juice isn't worth the squeeze.
M1k3
Senior Member
Agree 1,000%!
I'm guessing OP has a King 1/6K combi (?)
Also guessing that this is probably the best selling Japanese waterstone in the world (?)
(Oh bollocks... now I want a King 1/6K to see what all the fuss is about!
)
Grayswandir
Senior Member
The Shapton Kuromaku stones are great for the price (Amazon $38-$62 not including tax), I'd recommend those. I'd also recommend Japanese natural stones, depending on what you're needs are, they're amazing stones. For stone maintenance, Atoma diamond plates are the way to go. The #140 (10"x4") with the handle is really nice, but you can buy one without the handle and slap a replacement plate on the other side (say a #400 or #600 grit plate) and have one plate with two different grits on either side.
What are you trying to do and what are you struggling with? Where do you feel better/different stones would help?
M1k3
Senior Member
Yes.I'm guessing OP has a King 1/6K combi (?)
Also guessing that this is probably the best selling Japanese waterstone in the world (?)
(Oh bollocks... now I want a King 1/6K to see what all the fuss is about!
Wouldn't be surprised.
It is cheap so..... good luck!
If hard, quick-glazing, fast-loading, toothless, ugly brown synthetics are your game, then boy have I got a grenade you can jump on for the rest of us.(Oh bollocks... now I want a King 1/6K to see what all the fuss is about!
The 1k side is pretty good though. Nothing special, but rock solid.
ModRQC
Just shutup n' grabbit!
For a cheap roundup and not so far from your King experience, a #320 Cerax and #3000/Ouka would fit what you have well.
If you're tired of all the mud and don't want to permasoak, it's time for a turnaroud. SG500 and SG4K could do you well.
There's just so many good stones. It's not just a question of covering grits, but of what do you want or wish for exactly? What are those knives you repair, and on what steels are you expecting what kind of "finish"? And would you like them more splash and go, would that fit your sharpening needs and environment better?
If you're tired of all the mud and don't want to permasoak, it's time for a turnaroud. SG500 and SG4K could do you well.
There's just so many good stones. It's not just a question of covering grits, but of what do you want or wish for exactly? What are those knives you repair, and on what steels are you expecting what kind of "finish"? And would you like them more splash and go, would that fit your sharpening needs and environment better?
Haha, noted! TBH I don't have much interest in a 6k synth of any merit, I'm very happy with my ouka + silly collection of weird old rocks. So on second thought - perhaps I'll dodge that grenade of yours CC!
.I do have a soft spot for the mid range Kings though; I don't own the 1k, but do use the 800 and 1.2 a lot.
M1k3
Senior Member
In fairness, the King 6k seems to be the flunky of their 4k+ range.
The 6k is a usable stone. There's just so many other stones that are so much better. Like for example, some newspaper wrapped over the 6k.
The 6k is a usable stone. There's just so many other stones that are so much better. Like for example, some newspaper wrapped over the 6k.
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I really like my SG320. It feels closer to 400 though. (Compared to high grade sandpaper of 300ish grit it feels smoother, is the SG 500 similar that it feels like a slightly higher grit stone?)
The reason I like it is because I repair/resharpen beater knives for my family and friends - which are just your run of the mill cheaper stainless knives…
The reason I like it is because I repair/resharpen beater knives for my family and friends - which are just your run of the mill cheaper stainless knives…
M1k3
Senior Member
The SG 500 feels nice for a 500 grit. Not really finer though, just consistent without random deeper streaks.
For random, messed up knives, the SG 220 and SG 500 (cheap stainless and butchery finisher) would be a good combination. The 2k (OKish stainless finisher) and 4k (good stainless and carbon finisher) ones would be good additions also.
ModRQC
Just shutup n' grabbit!
I do not agree on that. Sorry to say. But a SP1K or Cerax 1K are consistently as fast as SG500 or in the nearby. I'd call to Cerax 700 for a comparison of how close grits to the Cerax 1K it can be, but still I agree it'll eat more steel than the 1Ks and about as much as SG500. To me SG500 is sly that way. That's why it's such a good stone. That time you're not sure... that time you want some speed but not "mud speed" sratches. That time you need to test a new steel or perhaps start a mirror on the core or carefully ease a too thick V-grind/wide bevel. It's fast but not so fast, or rather, it depends much on steels and the job at hand.... and to be clear it still can undertake many if not most.
Yet 500 grits fast effective... no. It deburrs like 1K and depending on steel might be more civilized than that IF NOT slow as north 1K. But more prominent is dishing with steels it doesn't like. Feel at it compared to other stones with either a soft SS or a PM steel. Thank me later when you'll waste it only in due times.
Yet 500 grits fast effective... no. It deburrs like 1K and depending on steel might be more civilized than that IF NOT slow as north 1K. But more prominent is dishing with steels it doesn't like. Feel at it compared to other stones with either a soft SS or a PM steel. Thank me later when you'll waste it only in due times.
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ModRQC
Just shutup n' grabbit!
And BTW it's no voodoo thing. It's a matter of carbides and hardness. If I want to verify a soft SS bevel it's the only stone as fast and comprehensive. Cause it's surface work and SG500 excels at that or at any fine grain steel into ANY job. But any deep job on softer steels or high carbides, you're wasting its abarasives big way for no gain in speed if not going slower.
Sure if all you've tried so far is one cheap 320 and one regular 1K you'll be like "WTF this guy is talking about". But try a SP1K sharpening or polishinng... Cerax 1K as well... and then try Arashiyama 1K in polishing and see a world's difference. Now try all four on sharpening soft SS or PMs... Talk to me only after you've really paid attention to how things go each step and idea of the way. SG500 is either 500 or north 1K depending how you look at things.
Sure if all you've tried so far is one cheap 320 and one regular 1K you'll be like "WTF this guy is talking about". But try a SP1K sharpening or polishinng... Cerax 1K as well... and then try Arashiyama 1K in polishing and see a world's difference. Now try all four on sharpening soft SS or PMs... Talk to me only after you've really paid attention to how things go each step and idea of the way. SG500 is either 500 or north 1K depending how you look at things.
ModRQC
Just shutup n' grabbit!
For those interested and since my initial review of SG500 I've pegged it an "effective" more or less Cerax 700. Closest comparison for color and behavior as a well soaked Cerax 1K. Speed depends on steel and application. Possibly but the latter, all of this already told in SP500 review or since I tried it a good while later, C1K review.
