[I know there are different kinds of sharp, and different tests, but humour me here ]
Earlier this evening I sharpened (ootb) a good, but relatively inexpensive A#2 Tosa k-tip 210mm Gyuto, and got it sharper than any knife I've ever sharpened before. It took about 10 mins total, maybe less. What interested me was the stones I used. Normally I'd use synthetics, because they're easier, faster &c. but this evening I thought I'd experiment:
On the right is a slate I picked up from the side of the road this week, it turned out to have some fairly large particles in it. I tried it for a couple of passes and then decided to use it to raise some slurry on the second...
In the middle is also a local slate. This is my favourite of the stones I've found - it's incredibly hard, but quite fine and even. Genuinely a really good stone, if you can raise mud somehow.
I finished on the left with my only J-nat, a Maruoyama Shiro Suita. Finer, and easier to get slurry, than the previous slate. I have feck-all experience with Japanese natural stones, but I really quite like this FWIW.
I found the results from these incredibly interesting, so was wondering... what's your favourite/best progression...?
Earlier this evening I sharpened (ootb) a good, but relatively inexpensive A#2 Tosa k-tip 210mm Gyuto, and got it sharper than any knife I've ever sharpened before. It took about 10 mins total, maybe less. What interested me was the stones I used. Normally I'd use synthetics, because they're easier, faster &c. but this evening I thought I'd experiment:
On the right is a slate I picked up from the side of the road this week, it turned out to have some fairly large particles in it. I tried it for a couple of passes and then decided to use it to raise some slurry on the second...
In the middle is also a local slate. This is my favourite of the stones I've found - it's incredibly hard, but quite fine and even. Genuinely a really good stone, if you can raise mud somehow.
I finished on the left with my only J-nat, a Maruoyama Shiro Suita. Finer, and easier to get slurry, than the previous slate. I have feck-all experience with Japanese natural stones, but I really quite like this FWIW.
I found the results from these incredibly interesting, so was wondering... what's your favourite/best progression...?