Recommendation for intermediate skill level stones

[paranoid123]

After I got my first Japanese guyto knife some 15 years ago, I slowly built up a collection of various carbon steel, stainless steel; single bevel, double bevel; chefs knives, deba, and yanagiba. I've added more and more tools to sharpening these knives. But my workhorse stone has always been a cheapo 1000/3000 combination stone with rubber base. I'm ready to give the stone away to my sister and find myself something more "intermediate" level. I don't want to bother with chip repairs, and I don't have any interest in natural stones. I just want to sharpen and maintain what I have. I already have an Arashiyama #6000, and that's as fine as I'll take it. So I want something to fill out below it. Say a 1000 and 3000 grit stone

I do live in a tiny apartment in Manhattan, my entire home is the size of some people's kitchens, so space is a consideration. I don't have room to permanently soak, or storing fancy mounting rigs. I have an Atoma 400 to flatten stones, not to use on knives.

What would you recommend?

 

[Michi]

Chosera 800 for splash and go, or Cerax 1000 for a soaking stone. Both have a really good reputation. I own the Cerax 1000, and I'm really happy with it. Great feel and cuts fast.

 

[rickbern]

If you want to permasoak, if you have a toilet with a tank you can leave your stones in there. Splash and go actually take up more space than the toilet tank trick.

I went to mtc kitchen on third and 45th to pick something up yesterday and was very favorably impressed with the quality of the advice I got there. Worth a trip.

 

[Elliot]

Best in class 1k, imo, is JNS.
Best in class 3k - Chosera.

Honorable mention:

Morihei 3k
Chosera 800

 

[Ivang]

Shapton glass 500
Shapton pro 2k.

Inexpensive, fast, minimal upkeep, compact, slow wearing.

 

[HRC_64]

I do live in a tiny apartment in Manhattan...

Buy a chosera 800+3000. if you need something special (like polishing stone, or softer hardness) then buy extr stones.

choseras ... buy the 800+3K and don't look back
could also look at Shapton Glass 1k+3k or 500+2k for the same reasons ...

IMHO you want the perfect minimalist stones because they cut everything,are fast, splash and go, and relatively compact.
There are reasons to own other stones, but if you live in a tiny apartment...other stones are a luxury

Only if you need to deal with Kasumi and single bevels would I then look for fundamentally different stones
mostly for lower hardnesses and polishing consistency with the single bevels, but if you're not a sushi chef
none of that really matters...ie, its not for "intermediate" stage

 

[rickbern]

One more thing. You may consider just getting one top quality 2000 grit stone. 1000-3000-6000 is maybe a little tighter than I’d think you need. Down the line you could get something 400-800. Seems more versatile to me. Thinning with a 1000 is a fair bit of work.

Hrc’s recommendation is also a good way to go.

 

[galvaude]

Shapton glass 500 + 2000 : Splash and go, Compact set and works well

Naniwa Pro 800 + 3000 : also splash and go, feels nicer but more expensive and prone to cracking