What would improve my setup?

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coffeelover191919

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So this is what i currently have to sharpen my Yoshihiro AS 210 Gyuto, Aritsugu Blue 150 Petty, Masamoto SW 240 Gyuto, Shun Premier Kiritsuke, VG10 Heavy Duty Cleaver, bunch of Wusthof Classics

Stainless Spring Loaded Stone Holder from Yoshihiro
Shapton 1000
Shapton 5000
Homemade Strop w/ Sepici Veg Tan Leather (have green compound also)
Tsukiji Masamoto Stone Fixer.

Sharpening Setup.jpg
 
Maybe a lower grit stone like an SG500 for small repairs. Or a diamond flattening plate if you dont like the stone fixer.
 
Maybe a lower grit stone like an SG500 for small repairs. Or a diamond flattening plate if you dont like the stone fixer.
I actually haven't even touched the stone fixer yet.. the Shapton 1k has sharpened about 10 knives and is still flat as far as i can tell.

I'd get the Shapton pro 2000 for the VG10 and Masamoto.
I'd consider getting a Shapton glass 500 for chip repair and for getting rid of fatigued steel or sharpening really dull knives.
So i can be schooled, whats your reasoning of progressing from the 1k to the 2k for VG10 + Masamoto SW (swedish stainless steel)
 
I actually haven't even touched the stone fixer yet.. the Shapton 1k has sharpened about 10 knives and is still flat as far as i can tell.


So i can be schooled, whats your reasoning of progressing from the 1k to the 2k for VG10 + Masamoto SW (swedish stainless steel)
The vg 10 and Masamoto stainless can take and hold a more refined edge than the 1000 which is more like 800 grit, I think you would like the 2000 which is more like 2000+ grit, it will still be toothy but much more refined.
 
The vg 10 and Masamoto stainless can take and hold a more refined edge than the 1000 which is more like 800 grit, I think you would like the 2000 which is more like 2000+ grit, it will still be toothy but much more refined.
And you'll wish the 1k felt like the 2k.
 
I second the suggestion to get a ~2K stone, because some knives/steels perform better with a toothier edge. Personally I'd try to find a nice aoto or other mid-range natural, just because they're fun and a nice change in pace from the Shaptons
 
I have a very similar setup with SP 1k, 2k, 5k. I find myself often preferring the finish of the 2k over the 5k, even for harder Japanese knives. It definitely feels much better than a SP 1k finish on all of my knives.
 
Would I also use the shapton 2k for my Yoshihiro Aogami Super 210 gyuto and Blue #2 single bevel petty knife?
 
Totally second the shapton pro 2k suggestion for the stainless. AS/Aoniko will happily go up to 5k (I finish both of these on a Rika 5k, and I have both a shapton pro 2k and naniwa 3k SS). But, of course, this might depend on your preference, technique, or particular knife - the beauty is, it doesn't cost anything to try it out and then form your own subjective opinion. You can usefully use the 2k in progression in any case.
 
I think the Shapton costs (stones in general) are up right now due to shipping restrictions from suppliers. I was looking into a cheap $25 king stone for thinning that's now $50+
 
Stones right now, directly from Japan to Europe, are just crazy.

Since you have so many Shaptons, you might be interested in the Pro 2000 first, maybe Glass 3000. Other options would be Naniwa Professional 3000, Kramer 3000 if you find it at a decent price, Morihei 3000.
 
Practice. Practice will improve your setup.
ok, i've sharpened over 25 knives. i dont have anything else to sharpen and my sharpening is good enough to slice paper nicely. its not like i'm buying products and making a dull knife worse.
 
except the $60 it cost to buy the Shapton 2000... !!!
I kind of meant if you have it already...! Was assuming that, given you have a few stainless knives that would benefit from more than a shapton 1k, but that don't from a 5k, something in between is almost a no brainer. And the shapton pro 2k happens to be a very nice stone in any case.
 
I kind of meant if you have it already...! Was assuming that, given you have a few stainless knives that would benefit from more than a shapton 1k, but that don't from a 5k, something in between is almost a no brainer. And the shapton pro 2k happens to be a very nice stone in any case.
Can u please tell me why a shapton 5k isn't effective on stainless knives? I have a VG-Max Shun Premier Kiritsuke, a VG-10 Cleaver, and my prized (just cuz its sentimental to me that i got it from Sohonten) Masamoto SW 240 Gyuto (Swedish Stainless)

Never heard of this site, is it reputable?
 
The 5K is not ineffective. But the 2K is more effective. That you have a 5K already should be in the equation though.

As others have notedthe single most important thing you can do to improve your setup is to gain more experience.

Why does it seem you've had this conversation several times lately?
 
The 5K is not ineffective. But the 2K is more effective. That you have a 5K already should be in the equation though.

As others have notedthe single most important thing you can do to improve your setup is to gain more experience.

Why does it seem you've had this conversation several times lately?
lately... about improving technique? I believe only from the above poster who mentioned it, or if someone else also mentioned it in the past.

considering the Shapton 2000 from Fendrihan
 
Speaking for myself, I’m not trying to evaluate your qualities as a sharpener, nor am I claiming to be a sharpening expert myself. I’m just trying to be helpful and answer your original question. Do you need more stuff? I don’t think you do. What would improve the setup the most? - More experience and improved technique. Though it’s true that different steels (treated differently) interact in particular ways with different stones (there’s a lot of information and opinions about that here on KKF) such considerations are rather small in comparison to the importance of technique. If you’re not already doing it, I would work on Burr removal, pressure control and improving the way you make use of edge leading and edge trailing strokes.
 
speaking of technique, i guess i struggle most with knives with a big belly. On a folding pocket knife (brand was Buck), it had a large round belly and it was very very dull (never sharpened in 10 years, went camping 3x with it) Spent 45-1hr on it and by the time i realized, i lost the belly and the knife was much more straight (like a sabatier) than what it looked like originally. Where'd i go wrong?
 
ok, i've sharpened over 25 knives. i dont have anything else to sharpen and my sharpening is good enough to slice paper nicely. its not like i'm buying products and making a dull knife worse.
Just to be clear, I was not having a go at your sharpening ability. I was more trying to encourage you to invest in developing what is a very complex skill, even if the basics are straightforward.

To that end, I was making the twin points that:
1) Your sharpening skill is much more important than which stones you are using. Regardless of brand or even grit.
2) sharpening is not hard to learn but takes decades to master. There are greater and greater levels of ability that you will only be able to appreciate exist once you have spent a fair bit of time sharpening.

Making your knives slice copy paper is certainly an achievement. But is a poor test of deburring and you will need greater sharpness to slice things like cigarette paper or paper towel.
 
speaking of technique, i guess i struggle most with knives with a big belly. On a folding pocket knife (brand was Buck), it had a large round belly and it was very very dull (never sharpened in 10 years, went camping 3x with it) Spent 45-1hr on it and by the time i realized, i lost the belly and the knife was much more straight (like a sabatier) than what it looked like originally. Where'd i go wrong?
It's hard to say what the exact cause is. Pictures may help. Perhaps in a new thread.

Possible causes include:
1) Raising an uneven burr, so removing more metal from one part of the blade than another. Having said that if you have removed enough metal to change the profile, you may have not recognised that you had a burr and kept going far beyond what was needed.
2) Not following the curve of the blade. There are a few ways to do this but the way that Jon teaches in the JKI vids is a good one. It involes lifting the handle end of the knife up slightly at the same time as dropping the spine of the knife slightly as you approach the tip of the knife. Note that these 2 movements are in different planes. The more curve, the less sublte the movement.
Another way invloves setting the heel of the knife to your desired angle against the stone then maintaining that angle whilst you slide the edge of knife on the stone until the part of the knife that you want to sharpen (belly or tip) is on the stone. Depending on the knife's profile, this will often end up in you raising the handle end and dropping the spine slightly as outlined above.
 
In terms of sharpening and edge refinement, I think it's good enough. Maybe add 1 stone between 2/3K stone, like Naniwa Hayabusa or SP2K.

In terms of going to polish or contrast on Cladding knife.... well, you might need to buy a softer stone that creates contrast or go to JNats rabbit hole.
 
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