Venev / JKI diamond question (yes, another diamond thread!)

[Choppin]

Couldn't find the answer in the other posts so here we are, another diamond stone thread!

I'm looking for (1 or 2?) diamond stones for the following applications:

1. A "universal" ˜1k stone for sharpening all my good knives (carbon, stainless, whatever).
This one seems easier, any decent diamond stone would do I guess. I'm thinking JKI 1k or Venev 400.

2. A coarse stone (#300-400?) for crappy stainless. My SG500 feels too slow for this.
Maybe Venev 240? Or even JKI 1k? Its website description says it's "fast enough to take over most of your coarse stone duties (aside from major repairs)". Does that include quickly raising a burr on crappy stainless? I'm also looking at the JKI 800 vitrified. Saw a guy on Instagram sharpening a cheap parer with it and it seemed to cut really fast.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[JBroida]

my 800 is crazy fast, but there are things it doesn't work well on, and therefore can not be universal (soft stainless is a good example). But its faster than most coarse stones in the 400 grit range that I've tried (not all of them but many). The 1k is fast, but not as fast. It works well on everything though. Cant speak to the others, but if you have questions that would benefit others as well, I'm happy to answer them publically here.

 

[Choppin]

my 800 is crazy fast, but there are things it doesn't work well on, and therefore can not be universal (soft stainless is a good example). But its faster than most coarse stones in the 400 grit range that I've tried (not all of them but many). The 1k is fast, but not as fast. It works well on everything though. Cant speak to the others, but if you have questions that would benefit others as well, I'm happy to answer them publically here.

thanks Jon! I was about to email you but its even better that you saw this.

my "good steel knives" are pretty straightforward (shirogami, aogami, 52100, SKD, etc). and then I have the soft stainless (beaters, knives at my parents place, etc). if I understood correctly, the JKI 1k would be a better option (more versatile) in my case, even though the 800 cuts faster (in general)?

Ps: before someone says I don't need diamond stone for these knives, I'm looking at them for practical reasons other than dealing with exotic steels: less dishing / lapping, less mud, easier to carry around, versatile, possibly faster on soft stainless, etc...

 

[Illyria]

Jki 800 is the best stone I've ever used. Super fast and can jump straight to a finisher from it.

I've set bevels on hundreds of knives and sharpened thousands of times on my stone and still has tons of life left.

Soft stainless warning is more for cladding, I believe.

 

[Choppin]

my 800 is crazy fast, but there are things it doesn't work well on, and therefore can not be universal (soft stainless is a good example). But its faster than most coarse stones in the 400 grit range that I've tried (not all of them but many). The 1k is fast, but not as fast. It works well on everything though. Cant speak to the others, but if you have questions that would benefit others as well, I'm happy to answer them publically here.

Jon, another question - do you use them for thinning / polishing, or only sharpening? if so, how does their performance differ?

@JBroida

 

[Blank Blades.]

I've heard on all accounts that the jki stones, are great stones.

I don't have experience with those however.

The venev 400 is my go to stone though. It needs surface conditioning every so often, and even when it looks and feels loaded. It usually still cuts decently enough. If you get that one, get the combo with the 240, both of those together work very well in my experience. (I will ad, i used that stone as much or more than any other, and it still outlasted my shapton 1k, and chosera 800, while sharpening knives for people, both are worn to nothing basically, and my venev is still going ).

 

[Choppin]

I've heard on all accounts that the jki stones, are great stones.

I don't have experience with those however.

The venev 400 is my go to stone though. It needs surface conditioning every so often, and even when it looks and feels loaded. It usually still cuts decently enough. If you get that one, get the combo with the 240, both of those together work very well in my experience. (I will ad, i used that stone as much or more than any other, and it still outlasted my shapton 1k, and chosera 800, while sharpening knives for people, both are worn to nothing basically, and my venev is still going ).

thanks!

how fast would you say the 400 and 240 Venev are? say, comparing to shapton 1k and chosera 800

 

[daveb]

+1 on JKI 800 on wide variety of steel. Luv it.

When I go to mom's or friends and know I'll volunteer to sharpen, I like a couple of SG with me. SG500 and 2000 turns the trick. I've been playing with the nanohone low grits (100 - 1000) and like them a lot - couple of them may get the nod next time. I keep the G1000 an 6000 diamonds for my good stuff.

 

[Blank Blades.]

thanks!

how fast would you say the 400 and 240 Venev are? say, comparing to shapton 1k and chosera 800

Its hard to say. Just because it depends what youre doing, and what steels you are sharpening.

But i can say, the 240 is for sure faster than both the chosera, and shapton, the 400 might be around the same speed for normal steels. Ive never tried really testing how fast it is against them though.

Either one will certainly get a high carbide steel sharp faster than if you were trying to use a chosera or shapton. Id say they pretty much cut at a similar speed no matter what the steel is.

 

[M1k3]

I would definitely say Venev aren't faster than other stones. But they are consistent in speed, whether you're sharpening simple carbon steels, stainless, soft stainless or high carbide steels. No slowing down (unless the stone is loaded up with swarf).