coffeelover191919
Senior Member
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.
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.
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.
Holy crap! I checked my old Amazon order. I bought the stone for $43. Now it's $81!
If you aren't in a hurry to get it, check out this site Shapton Professional Series J Model #2000 Green - JPY4,375 : Japan-Tool Online Shopping Cart
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.
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.
FWIW, this is where I just got mine: Shapton Kuromaku Professional Ceramic Whetstone Green, 2000 Grit
ssible 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. Depen
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.
Sorry that was a lot of quotes, but due to the overwhelming rec for the 2k stones and @OnionSlicer for the recommendation, just ordered the Shapton 2K.
I know everyone has their own technique, but for those who have a similar setup, whats your progression / instruction on getting your gyutos your perfect sharpness for food prep?