Best Large Benchstones?

rover

rover

Joined
Jul 9, 2004
Messages
1,364
What large benchstones are you guys using? My Norton oilstone is probably 60 years, too small, and too coarse. It's been fun making due, but I want an upgrade. What's good for those big carbon blades? I was going to buy a big Arkansas soft stone but thought I'd ask here first to make sure I'm not missing anything.

I know there's other areas for this question but thought I might find what I'm looking for here.

Thanks! And Happy New Year :)
 
I’m using the “tri-hone” setup from Dan’s Whetstone and like it. Someday I’ll prob buy one or two of their larger bench stones as well.
 
I've got an old Norton Tri-Hone and it's been a real workhorse for MANY years....still available in numerous stone configurations.
 
The ~11"x3" EZ-Laps.

I had a "big" arkansas at work that I liked for touch-up work, but it was weak for anything with significant carbide content (good for honing, terrible for shaping).
 
Check out Japanese water stones. They often come double sided in 1000/6000 grit.
 
I purchased this 8" DMT Duo Sharp hard coat stone and I'm very happy with the results.
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daizee said:
The ~11"x3" EZ-Laps.

I had a "big" arkansas at work that I liked for touch-up work, but it was weak for anything with significant carbide content (good for honing, terrible for shaping).
Click to expand...

I think Tony Bose used EZLap biguns.
 
Atoma diamond sheets mounted to their aluminium plate. I have four grits, mounted double sided to a pair of plates.
140, 400, 600 and 1200 grit. Not only will they eat steel, but do nicely for flattening chisel backs, truing water stones, Arkansas stones, even ceramic stones.

I have a collection of water stones, mostly King brand, but one very nice Sigma Select II 1000grit. Have both fine and ultra fine Spyderco ceramic bench stones, and a nice old translucent hard Arkansas.

The Atomas are amazing. FLAT! and so much real estate to work with.
The Fine Spyderco isn't flat (they aren't really meant to be, not machined) but is okay for low-mess knife finishing
Ultra fine Spyderco is flat and does a nice polish.

King stones are nice for simple carbon and stainless, but need soaking and flattening. Got the Sigma for higher abrasion steel, works on S90V, although I am now thinking 1000 is too fine for that steel. The thing I didn't like about the water stones was the mess. I don't have room for a sharpening station and don't have water piped to my work area. Cleaning mud off the kitchen counter tops gets old!
 
Another Norton user.
I’m honestly thinking about getting a couple diamond plates to spice things up a little.
20F2D4F2-A54E-4EE6-9FBF-3CFE0DDF87D4.jpeg
 
3fifty7 said:
Another Norton user.
I’m honestly thinking about getting a couple diamond plates to spice things up a little.
Click to expand...

I put probably ~125 edges on new knives by hand on my EZ-Lap "medium" before retiring it to the house for domestic touch-up use. Went to a coarse/fine combo for the shop to speed things up. That doesn't count general sharpening use, but complete edge-bevel setting. Then I ground down one long edge by about 1/16" where I'd warn the abrasive off with uneven pressure. Still FLAT and I can't imagine I'll ever wear it out for household use.
 
I have all oil stones, silicon carbide course 100 grit, three India stones 150,240,400 grits, and Arkansas stones from soft Arkansas through translucent. I keep them in an unheated shop year round so any water stones would freeze and crack in the winter. They have been up to any honing task I could throw at them and have had just about any knife good and sharp in just a few minutes.
 
My primary bench stones are all 11.5 " long, in coarse sic, fine alox, soft, hard and black hard Ark, plus a 12" long extra-coarse sic for gross bevel/point shaping and chip repair.
Secondary stones are 11.5 " vitrified water stones in 220, 1000 and 6000 grits.
Finally, for small pocket knives and folders, a smaller tri-hone and a double-sided water stone.
 
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