Perm-asoaker alternatives to Naniwa SS 10k?

[Steel_Drake]

Note: I'm aware there is no practical purpose to ultra high grit finishes on kitchen or pocket knives, but as sharpening is a hobby of mine, I don't mind spending a couple extra minutes to get a 10k edge on occasion.

I'm currently using a Naniwa Specialty Stone 10k (i.e. new Super Stone) as my finisher, and while I really like the mirror polish it leaves, I don't like how it feels to use, nor how time consuming I find it to use.

Ideally, I would like something that leaves a similar mirror type finish, but is a perma-soaker that doesn't require as much water added in use and is ideally fairly muddy. My current progression to this stone is a Bester 1200 -> Suehiro Rika 5k -> Naniwa Junpaku 8k. I don't even know if any viable alternatives exist, but it gets annoying having to constantly add water to the SS 10k, so it would be nice if there was one.

 

[Adrian]

I know some people use nats but I have no experience with them. I have a Naniwa 10k (light blue) and an 8k snow white. For most high grit finishing purposes I tend to prefer the snow white, which is also a splash and go. This is because it is faster and develops a slurry better and has better feel. It can easily deliver a mirror polish, though the 10k seems to suit certain knives for some reason.

An off the wall suggestion ....I wet my stones by keeping a small stainless steel indoor watering can with a long thin spout next to me on my bench. This is very quick and easy to control how much water I apply. I used to use a home made sink bridge but we have just moved and it doesn't fit any more. Try the watering can idea - it is super convenient.

 

[daveb]

Note: I'm aware there is no practical purpose to ultra high grit finishes on kitchen or pocket knives, but as sharpening is a hobby of mine, I don't mind spending a couple extra minutes to get a 10k edge on occasion.

That's allowed. If you like that end of the spectrum you would prob like a Jnat to finish. Wet it slightly, you get to buy/use a nagura, get just the right amount of mud, taste it of course to make sure it's just right, then put the finishing touch on the edge. They may not provide the mirror finish you want but I find them much more responsive and enjoyable than synthetics. And you can get really stupid buying them if you're so inclined.

Can't provide anything on a 10K synthetic, G8K is as far as I've been.