The Rika was actually available long before the Cerax line came along. The Cerax 5k may well be a renamed or rebranded Rika, I wouldn't know.Rika is the nickname for Suehiro Cerax 5K.
Great stone though!
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The Rika was actually available long before the Cerax line came along. The Cerax 5k may well be a renamed or rebranded Rika, I wouldn't know.Rika is the nickname for Suehiro Cerax 5K.
I'm not sure that's correct. Suehiro offer the 5000-grit Cerax and the 5000-grit Rika. The Rika has a softer feel. They are not the same stone.Rika is the nickname for Suehiro Cerax 5K.
That is not correct. Rika 5000 belongs to the suehiro traditional line, like the Ouka 3000 and the Shiramine 6000.Rika is the nickname for Suehiro Cerax 5K.
Is it? I believe this are two different stones.Rika is the nickname for Suehiro Cerax 5K.
Sorry OP.
On Suehiro’s website the actual Cerax 5K is described as one that had gained a lot of traction among professionals. That and my vendor putting all of the stones under the Cerax name put me off track.
And about the actual, true Rika, it tends to come with a base that I think sucks very much. It’s cheap, slippery, and hard to integrate with the usual stone holder. I had seen on Amazon that the Rika is supposedly also sold without the base. I thought that was the Cerax as on the website. I wouldn’t know if the standalone version exists, and if it is truly without base at all or just have a plastic plate like the Cerax. If you go for it I advise trying to find the Rika without the base.
Rika without Base - Suehiro PN 5000-DN. Readily available on Amazon - the one I got matches the picture from the Suehiro website perfectly.
All white surface too for the single stone, no inscription? And does it have a plastic plate or is it truly just the stone?
In my case the Rika with base was on a deal I couldn't refuse. But I hate the base.
I've had good experiences with JNS, Cleancut and feinewerkseuge.I'm noticing that the world of stones is a tricky world, especially on amazon/ebay.
If I decide to buy, Im ordering from a European vendor, who has a normal '2020 style' webshop (not the kind of 1995 windows 95 websites...).
But there arent many.
Knivesandtools.nl (.com) dont have Suehiro (5000) or Kitayama.
Meesterslijpers.nl neither...
There aren't many google hits for this subject... seems like a small world. Lo'ts of brandless stones or stones from knifemakers (Kai, Wusthof).. Im not willing to try those.
Gladly I found some vendors in Germany via old topics...
- Maksim (JNS.com / Denmark)
- Cleancut (Sweden)
- feinewerkzeuge.de (Dieter Schmid / Germany)
- Dictum
Anyone who has anything to add maybe?
Advice for or advice against one of those vendors?
The listed vendors are all good.Gladly I found some vendors in Germany via old topics...
- Maksim (JNS.com / Denmark)
- Cleancut (Sweden)
- feinewerkzeuge.de (Dieter Schmid / Germany)
- Dictum
Anyone who has anything to add maybe?
Advice for or advice against one of those vendors?
I'm noticing that the world of stones is a tricky world, especially on amazon/ebay.
Will I be dissapointed when I buy a chosera/Shaptonpro/glass in those finishing range compared to a superstone 5000?
I expect them to mirror finish higher and give me an even smoother edge, because of the gritt number. But will they? Since I read superstones finish really high.
Totally agree!!!!!!It is difficult if you want to find the 'best' stone. It doesn't exist. The discussion is based on preference and perceived value which differs for everyone. You could end up with 50 stones trying to find the 'best' one. And if that is your hobby... there is nothing wrong with that either!
I'll start by acknowledging you are enjoying the process of sharpening. Thats great! To that end, do what makes you happy.
I'll echo the comment that sharpening above ~4K is not necessary for kitchen knives. It is just a case of diminishing returns. A high grit edge will be taken back down a notch after every contact with the cutting board. In only a few contacts you will be back to something like a 4K finish. That is why people here generally dont bother. But if you enjoy the process of sharpening... sure... chase after it.
I have said this in the past. I'll say it again. Abrasives companies manufacture stones for different target markets. Naturally KKF tends to gravitate towards stones that are 'better' for kitchen knives. In the end all stones are just abrasives in some binding medium - so you can use any stone but may find some aspects of the stone suboptimal. And this brings us to the Naniwa Super Stones.
I use them for razors (1k, 5k, 8k, 12k). From memory, they cut well when fresh but clog up very quickly. They can also feel 'gummy' - I think this is because they have a resin binding medium, not a ceramic one? As a result they don't self-slurry particularly well. Perhaps this is part of the mechanism that provides a high polish? Without refreshing the surface, perhaps at some point they start to burnish rather than cut? Anyway, if you are finding your super stone slow, try refreshing the surface more often. Since the super stones are soft and load up quickly, I dont think they are as nice to use as other stones for kitchen knives. But you can still use them!
Yes and no...
If you follow the "learn to use the tools you have" paradigm it is easy. Choose the grit you need from a reliable brand like Naniwa or Shapton. If you want to support local business buy it from a nearby store or go the other route and find the lowest price online.
It is difficult if you want to find the 'best' stone. It doesn't exist. The discussion is based on preference and perceived value which differs for everyone. You could end up with 50 stones trying to find the 'best' one. And if that is your hobby... there is nothing wrong with that either!
I hate to say it... but most likely; yes. To me, the jump from blunt to a 2-4K edge is perceptually far far greater than the jump from a 2-4K edge to a 20K edge. As you go higher and higher.... our ability to detect the difference drops off. Unless you do objective tests with something like a Bess tester, it is hard to definitively say you got the best out of your 12k stone.
So you seen or know of the Kramer 10000 cracking too like the Chosera. I love the Chosera line up and loved my 10K stone until it spider cracked then cracked, 5K also cracked. I am looking for a new set of stones.While Chosera 10k performs great, ........
Very expensive problematic stone, with some serious usage problems (same goes for Kramer 10000, even with the base thing going on). It's just prone to shatter.
At that price point, my choice would be, without thinking twice, one of Suehiro 10k stones.
Fired instead of magnesium binder, it is why I want to find more about the Gokumyo series, especially lower grits the 10K plus plenty of info on the straight razor users, its luxury all the way but it priced like a rolls royce. The lower grit stones in the series are better priced. Just not much user feedback on them at all.Suehiro made some changes to prevent this, but I don't know how successful. Not that many stones around.
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