SLT Kramer sharpening Kit

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I think you can get the Rika stone with or without the base. IIRC Dave mentioned that he prefers the version with the base so that is what he sells?
 
I think someone could do a lot worse for $300.

Can you get the same or better quality for less? Probably.

Does the average chef/housewife/hobby cook hang out on knife forums? Probably not.

Do the aforementioend types of people share our aesthetic? Doubtful except for some chef's, maybe.

If SLT is popularizing good quality knives (Zwilling Kramer's are good) and proper knife maintenance then all the better. Branding is part of the game. Do I feel bad for people who spend $300 on items that I know they could acquire for less? I do, but I am also aware of the fact that certain people, despite what I would have to say about the matter, would simply not listen and buy it anyways--that's the power of marketing*

*I'm reminded of a time when a family member asked me for a "good knife block set" as a gift. She knew I was "into" kitchen cutlery and that I could sharpen knives really well. Despite my efforts to try and convince her that 1-2 high end functional knives would be better, I could tell that she had her heart set on a block. In the end I got her what she wanted and she was happy.
 
Go to Japanese Knife Sharpening Store . com or Japanes Knife Imports . com Look for a Beston, Bester, Rika combo. $150

Don't forget to add a stone holder, nagura, instructional video, stone flattener, and some type of sink bridge, that will get you close to $300. If the stones are Chosera, then a 400, 1k and 5k, are roughly $300 without any extra equipment. Three hundred dollars is a reasonable amount for a good stone setup. It can be done cheaper. Murray Carter uses King stones, a 600 and 6000, if memory serves. Which are inexpensive stones. It's possible to get by without a stone holder, nagura, use a 2x4 as a sink bridge, and watch youtube for instructions. The extras do make sharpening easier.

The Edge Pro is some what controversial. There are people who are quite happy with them. They get good results and post videos on youtube showing their results. There is more to maintaining a knife, then just getting it sharp. Over time, a knife will need to be thinned. Accidents happen, and a knife will lose a tip or get chipped, and need to be repaired. These actions are easier to do free handing then with a jig. It's also easier to follow the bevel of a knife, by free hand. The jig users will say that they can do all these thing, and so we have a controversy.

Jay
 
Thanks Jay I appreciate yours and everyone's insight. The Edge Pro looks good, but I like the flexibility you describe and think I'll take my chances on the stones and learn to do it freehand . I have some old knives my Dad gave me I can learn on .

I don't know what makes one stone better or worse than another so Chosera means nothing to me. Is it a respected name for stones or is it specific to certain stones within the company, as in some are good and some not so good?
 
I got to handle the Kramer stones this week and I'd swear that they're Shapton Glasstones but I've been wrong before. Now the nagura is Naniwa for sure.
 
Dave Martell said:
I got to handle the Kramer stones this week and I'd swear that they're Shapton Glasstones but I've been wrong before. Now the nagura is Naniwa for sure.
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I stopped at SLT on my way home last night just to see and touch some stones. I pulled apart a Kramer kit as well as a couple of others. I was wondering why the Kramer stones were glass backed?

I ended up buying a King K-80 combo stone for $29 so that I could practice on a relatively inexpensive stone with some old knives. I really just wanted to get my feet wet but got my countertops pretty wet too. I broke out an "Old Homestead" ( made in Japan of all places :) ) which was either my dad's or my ex wife's . This knife is stainless , extremely dull, full of nicks all along the edge along with some gouges.... in other words a great practice knife . I think I'm in trouble because I loved it, I loved the way it felt to sharpen I loved seeing this crappy old knife come back to have a sharper edge and I loved seeing all the things you guys talk about on here .. the slurry , the burr, all in all very gratifying. I'm glad I bought this stone for $29 because I can see I have a lot to learn and I'll feel better if I make mistakes on this than on a nicer more costly one.

I do have some questions:

1. The K-80 didn't have any English instructions so I wasn't sure if it needed to soak for an extended time but it seemed to work with a good soaking as I worked though it did seem thirsty. Does anyone know if this needs a prolonged soaking or just Wet N Go ?

2. I assume this knife needs more passes because it is stainless is that true? all it has for markings are " lifetime cutlery- Old Homestaed- made in Japan"

3. How do I post pics on this forum ? is there a t6hread showing how?

Many thanks , Mark
 
There are several posts on inserting pictures in the "support" forum. None of them work. One part that does is the preview post button. If you click it and don't see your pic - no one else will either. I can usually beat Dropbox into submission.

$T2eC16NHJHgFFl7nrl9UBSFZvil78!~~60_57.jpg
 
Thanks for posting the Ebay pic....I found a thread saying you need to be a supporting member to upload from a PC.
Just a note this is not my knife just a similar one on Ebay.

daveb said:
There are several posts on inserting pictures in the "support" forum. None of them work. One part that does is the preview post button. If you click it and don't see your pic - no one else will either. I can usually beat Dropbox into submission.
Click to expand...
 
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