Best Super Fine Stone for Lansky?

[Random Dan]

Greetings! I have the regular 3 stone sharpening system from Lansky right now. I'm looking to get super fine stone for touching my nicer knives and I can't decide between the yellow ultra fine stone, the blue super sapphire stone, and the white hard Arkansas stone. Thoughts? Please say which you think is best and why.

Thanks for your help!:thumbup:

 

[plainjoe]

I have been using a Lansky for years. Always used the 1000gr. yellow holder/white stone. I take my time and go from shorter strokes to very long strokes, just sliding the stone over the whole edge( or as much as poss.) at the end. I gradually decreace pressure till I am just using the weight of the stone at the end. I use this procedure with all grits as I progress up. Takes some time and patience, but I end up with a very nice polish. I have balsa in a couple of old holders that I charge with bl. emery and al.ox. powder mixed with a little, ( as little as possible), mineral oil. I use them with a stropping motion. Works very well to get at that last little bit af a burr.
Right now I am thinking about getting the 2000gr. blue sapphire stone, and some 9,6,3,1,+1/2 mic. diamond paste for the strops. I will need 2 more stone holders though. Mabey I can find a used kit at a rummage sale/second hand store, or on ebay.
Sorry for ramblin' on.
Scott

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

My only reservation about the Arkansas stones is, if you're planning on sharpening many of the newer high-alloy 'super steels' with very hard carbides (S30V, for example), an Arkansas hone might not be as effective as you'd like, especially hones this small. And, being that it's a natural stone, there's a lot of variability in those, in terms of how they perform.

My first instinct would be to stay with the ceramics in sequence (600/1000/2000), especially if you're looking to put a high polish on your edge, with any steel. Ceramics won't wear out or get dished either, as compared to natural hones. Ceramics are very easy to clean up also, to minimize the effects of loading. Having said that, there's obviously no harm in trying out the Arkansas; you might find it excels for finishing certain specific steels, like carbon steels (1095, CV) and some of the simpler stainless varieties (420HC/440A/AUS-6/AUS-8/etc.).