To go for a 4k or 6k

[steelcrimp]

Hey guys, I'm finally upgrading my 6k amazon piece of $#@$ stone to something nicer. I have a 1k I bought from a local knife store, It's decent, nothing amazing. I think it was along the lines of a naniwa.

I guess I just want something that'll put a good long lasting edge on my knives. I'm using two aogami super steel knives, but possibly gonna pick up an sld or something stain-less. I like the idea of a S&G stone, but have never used one. The gesshin 6k S&G from JKI looks tempting.

Any recommendations? The cheaper the better.

 

[Mute-on]

Suehiro Rika 5k
Done

 

[masibu]

Which stone is your naniwa 1k? Is it the 'sharpening stone' series or 'professional'? I ask because you may actually be interested in the naniwa 5k stone from the "sharpening" line up which is supposed to be from the older super stone line up.

Its splash and go and leaves a killer finish and polish on knives but might be a little slow depending on the 1k stone you got. If its from the same series I'd recommend that but it is a very fine stone which is great for carbon but maybe a little lacking for tooth and possibly too slow for stainless/sld.

If you want a stone that you can use for both carbon and stainless then you wont want something much finer than the 1k you have (which in all honesty you could just finish your stainless knives on that and be happy with). I would say something in the realm of 2-3k although 4k is still acceptable.

The naniwa superstone/sharpening stone 2k is probably my favourite splash and go. I actually preferred it to a chosera/professional 3k and used to use it as my primary work stone (I left it with an apprentice when I moved a few years ago). It still leaves a pretty polish on the bevel unlike a lot of stones in that grit range but manages to keep a decent level of tooth at the same time so its both pretty and functional.

I prefer soaking stones overall so I cant really talk about a splash n go 6k although I have used my sigma power in that regard before. Finish is pretty good although im not sure if im a fan of it for stainless yet as I'm still working out the best way to get it to hold that polished edge long term. It's been dawning on me that I think that I still prefer the naniwa 2k as I seemed to get more performance out of it for less effort and still had the shiny bevel. I will probably go back to microbevelling on a coarser stone in the future (atm its a sigma power 2/3k but I have a few stones in this range im playing around with) but it really was much simpler with the superstone.

Ive also just picked up a dirt cheap suehiro 3k which is marketed towards the household as opposed to the professional market and have been pleasantly surprised with it so far. It gets muddy fairly quickly but still seems to leave a decent polish. This is based on literally a day's use though so I can't really recommend it yet (although it is promising). Its funny really...I started out buying expensive waterstones and even a few naturals but I think I have more of an affinity to the budget workhorses these days.

 

[steelcrimp]

Which stone is your naniwa 1k? Is it the 'sharpening stone' series or 'professional'? I ask because you may actually be interested in the naniwa 5k stone from the "sharpening" line up which is supposed to be from the older super stone line up.

Its splash and go and leaves a killer finish and polish on knives but might be a little slow depending on the 1k stone you got. If its from the same series I'd recommend that but it is a very fine stone which is great for carbon but maybe a little lacking for tooth and possibly too slow for stainless/sld.

If you want a stone that you can use for both carbon and stainless then you wont want something much finer than the 1k you have (which in all honesty you could just finish your stainless knives on that and be happy with). I would say something in the realm of 2-3k although 4k is still acceptable.

The naniwa superstone/sharpening stone 2k is probably my favourite splash and go. I actually preferred it to a chosera/professional 3k and used to use it as my primary work stone (I left it with an apprentice when I moved a few years ago). It still leaves a pretty polish on the bevel unlike a lot of stones in that grit range but manages to keep a decent level of tooth at the same time so its both pretty and functional.

I prefer soaking stones overall so I cant really talk about a splash n go 6k although I have used my sigma power in that regard before. Finish is pretty good although im not sure if im a fan of it for stainless yet as I'm still working out the best way to get it to hold that polished edge long term. It's been dawning on me that I think that I still prefer the naniwa 2k as I seemed to get more performance out of it for less effort and still had the shiny bevel. I will probably go back to microbevelling on a coarser stone in the future (atm its a sigma power 2/3k but I have a few stones in this range im playing around with) but it really was much simpler with the superstone.

Ive also just picked up a dirt cheap suehiro 3k which is marketed towards the household as opposed to the professional market and have been pleasantly surprised with it so far. It gets muddy fairly quickly but still seems to leave a decent polish. This is based on literally a day's use though so I can't really recommend it yet (although it is promising). Its funny really...I started out buying expensive waterstones and even a few naturals but I think I have more of an affinity to the budget workhorses these days.

Why shouldn't I take SLD to a 6k stone? Will it just take too long to form a burr? Would even 5k be too much?

Sorry, my stone is an ohishi not a naniwa.

 

[labor of love]

I don’t think he’s saying you shouldn’t use a 6k for sld, rather just telling you what he likes to do. Today I sharpened 2 sld knives, one with chosera 400>gesh 6k soaker, the other shapton 1k> rika 5k. Results were fine for both.

 

[galvaude]

Masibu is right, if your 1k is already a super stone (sharpening series nowadays) you would be well set with the 2k or the 5k. I have the 5k (had the 400 and 1k, used them all down), those stones polish at a way higher grit than their actual rating.

I kinda wish I still had those stones, when I was beginning I hated them but with more experience I feel they are a fun alternative. They offer awesome feel and feedback but gouge easily, no longer a problem for me.

I the 1k is the Akamonzen (brown brick), you could get a Naniwa Hayabusa 4k (splash) or a Suehiro Rika 5k (soaking). If it is a Chosera (professional line), the Hayabusa for cheap or the Professional 3k (expensive), both splash and go.

 

[masibu]

Why shouldn't I take SLD to a 6k stone? Will it just take too long to form a burr? Would even 5k be too much?

Sorry, my stone is an ohishi not a naniwa.

Its not to say that sld can't take a 6k polish (it can do it better than most stainless) its just more efficient to keep it at a lower grit as it seems to maintain aggression for a bit longer. I find that for higher grits on stainless you tend to need to use slightly higher angles to increase push cutting performance and you may need to touch up more regularly.

Another benefit of going with a 3kish stone is that it gives you a stone that you can use before an ultra fine (if you decide to go down that route) and it's going to be considerably different to the 6k stone you already have. If you figured out how to get the 6k stone you have to work for you and you already bought a different 6k one of them is going to end up redundant (unless the amazon 6k stone you bought is another leveled grit entirely). If you're not having a good time sharpening carbon on a 6k a stainless knife is even more frustrating.

If sharpening is something you really enjoy (which to be honest most people here do) you might not mind spending more time on a 6k stone so by all means try. Ive got over 20 stones at home so I can understand wanting to try other stones similar to what you already have

 

[masibu]

I kinda wish I still had those stones, when I was beginning I hated them but with more experience I feel they are a fun alternative. They offer awesome feel and feedback but gouge easily, no longer a problem for me.

I was exactly the same when I got mine. I hated them at first but they made me more conscious of my technique. The feedback on them is second to none (so far) and produce the best finishes consistently and the tiniest of burrs. It almost feels like cheating

 

[steelcrimp]

I was exactly the same when I got mine. I hated them at first but they made me more conscious of my technique. The feedback on them is second to none (so far) and produce the best finishes consistently and the tiniest of burrs. It almost feels like cheating

Okay, that sounds good. I'll get a medium grit stone and contrast it to the 6k that I already have. Something thats 3k grit.

 

[masibu]

There are many useful 3k stones out there and everyone has their preferences depending on the subtle aspects of how they sharpen. Some people might not like the super stone because its a little on the soft side and complain about gouging it out by going ham on the pressure or that they load a lot as I did initially. I found for that particular stone a brief soak (even 5-10 minutes) reduced loading considerably and by concentrating on technique instead of speed it made a massive difference to how I was sharpening.

They are very easy stones to use that leave clean edges fairly trivially and aren't super muddy unless you soak them for ages and lap them aggressively without rinsing it. If you soak it and give it a good lap with something coarse (even the 1k stone you have should be enough if you dont have anything else) and rinse it before each use to ensure you always have fresh grit exposed you should be golden. You can use it as a splash and go as well however a brief soaking helps to avoid any potential loading that can occur. If you do use it in this way you just need to use a bit of extra water when youre sharpening.

The 2k is not a super fast stone but it doesnt need to be as it is following a 1k anyway. That said, I never found the stone to be too slow for touching up a maintained edge. A couple of stropping (edge trailing) strokes even on a dry stone brings back a considerable level of sharpness if you don't have the time to do a proper sharpening and just want to kiss the very apex a little.

 

[Ilia]

with 1000 to 6000 too sharp a jump...

 

[Ilia]

If you want to save, then at 3K and you can keep going, especially for a knife...

 

[Ilia]

You can't sharpen razors...

 

[Ruso]

with 1000 to 6000 too sharp a jump...

Unless you are polishing, it’s not, really