Which multi-purpose stones to buy?

[Nuke]

LOCATION
USA

STONE TYPE
What type of stone are you interested in:
Either

Splash and go or soaker?
Either

What grit range are you looking for?
Course, Medium, Fine, Polish

What stone are you replacing if any?
None. (I borrowed my grandfathers stones in the past)

What stones do you currently use in your lineup?
Course/medium (unknown grit for knife/tool repair)

Any previous experience with water stones? beginner, novice, skilled? Or other sharpening systems?
Novice - I have used course and medium stones to repair knives/axes

What is your absolute maximum budget for your stone?
$400 for the entire setup.

STONE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this stone at home or a professional environment?
Home - kitchen knives/pocket knives
Outdoor - skinning/hunting knives and axes

What type of knives will you be sharpening?
Western and Japanese along with pocket knives and axes.

What type of steel will you be sharpening?
Various

STONE MAINTENANCE
Do you use or have a flattening plate
No....I am open to suggestions.

If not, are you interested in learning how to flatten your stone?
Yes.

SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I have been perusing this forum for the past week and trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. My fiance is buying me multiple Tojiro DP knives as an entry level introduction to Japanese style cutlery (gyuto, nakiri, petty, bread). I am looking for a set of stones that can be used to sharpen a wide variety of cutlery ranging from axes and pocket-knives to (eventually) higher-end Japanese style blades.

Based on my research I believe I would be best suited with the following: a course stone (sub 1k and maybe around 1k), a medium (2k-3k), a fine (5k-6k), and a polish (8k).

I have seen these recommended multiple times but wanted to ask the consensus of the forum members prior to making the purchase.
http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com...s-and-combo-stones/products/gesshin-stone-set

In summary I am looking to buy multiple stones that will allow me to cover the above listed sharpening needs and am hoping you guys could make some suggestions.

 

[psfred]

That set will work very well. Or you get the other "beginner set" of a Beston 500, Bester 1200, and Suehiro Rika 5000, all very nice stones and very inexpensive.

In any case, you will need something to flatten stones with, best is an Atoma 140, but any coarse diamond plate will work OK, and if you aren't able to cough up $100 for the diamone, a piece of drywall sanding screen on something flat will well enough.

For axes, if they are hard enough a file won't work, I would use a Norton India stone with water rather than oil. You don't need a fine polished edge on an axe, and it won't last long even if you put on on it in most cases, unless you have a very expensive felling axe with a hardened inserted edge.

Peter

 

[Castalia]

lus1: on the Beston 500, Bester 1200, and Suehiro Rika 5000 recommendation to get you started. I use a coarse DMT Diamond plate for flattening. Besides our sponsoring vendors like JKI, there is a site called sharpeningsupplies.com that has plenty of gear you may be looking for.

 

[Newbflat]

That is the same set up I have been using for years. I'm refuring to the Beston 500, Bester 1200, Rika 5000. You might be able to nitpick that there are better stones but I'm amazed that over the last 5-7 years these three stoned have held strong threw the test of time and seem to be recomended more than any other stones, and for good reason. They are not finicky, have super feedback, don't dish badly for there grit, all leave a nice finish and are reasonably priced. Strop if you need a finer edge. My Bester 1200 has been my go to stone for 20+ years and If could only have one stone that would be it. It can cut fast but leave a very workable edge. The Beston is about as good as it gets in a corse stone which isn't saying much. A dimond plate is a good (better?) alternative. The Rika just feels so good to use and leaves to me what seems a perfect edge for the kitchen, sharp but toothy. You can't go wrong with these stones.