Boker and Woodcraft water stones?

[vtvman]

I did some researching but couldn't find any answers. I'm trying to learn how to freehand and I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive option that can get me the best results. My budget is around $50 dollars or less and what I had in mind was the boker 600 grit as my coarse stone and a woodcraft 1000/6000 combo waterstone.

Would this be good for the money or are there better options out there? None of my knives are that dull to need a coarser stone and I will mainly be sharpening fixed blade camp and bushcraft knives that have scandi grinds so the edge doesn't need to whittle hair but I'd like it as close to a mirror polish as possible just because it looks good

Also, I plan on purchasing a dmt in coarse grit and am wondering if the jump from that to the boker 600 would be ideal.

 

[HeavyHanded]

If the combo stone is a King, I've heard their combo stones separate sometimes. A better option might be to get the full size 800 grit and use a 4000 grit for a finish stone. The 4000 can still put on a nice polish, won't be mirror without some compound and strop (I just use newspaper, use it wet with the slurry that builds up on your waterstone, follow with plain dry newspaper - wrap it around your stone). The 800 can do most of what a 600 grit stone can accomplish, the 4000 has no problem following it, and the two stones should come in around 50 bucks. Anything lower than that in grit value and you might want a DMT extra coarse instead of the coarse. Norton and King both make a 220 grit waterstone, the Norton is cheaper (also about half the size) of the King brand. On my hard use stuff like you're describing I only use the 220 and go straight to a King 1200 grit which is something of a hybrid between a grinding stone and a finishing stone. Not quite polished, but hair popping anyway.

Make sure you use the entire stone surface area and even then be prepared to lap the stones flat from time to time. Check out some of Murray Carter's videos.

Have fun!
HH

 

[Robs92XJ]

That sounds very similar to what I use. It works well for me:

-Extra Course DMT Diasharp: ~220 grit
-Course DMT Diasharp: ~320 grit
-800 grit King Waterstone
-1200/6000 King Combo Waterstone

The course DMT will readily handle any reprofiling tasks. The 800 grit stone will easily clean up the Course DMT scratches, and its aggressive enough that I often start with this grit unless I need to significantly reprofile. The only thing I feel I am missing is something between 1200 and 6000. That jump is too big to get a perfect mirror, although it does get close. I would need a 3000 grit waterstone, or maybe 1500 grit sandpaper as an intermediary grit. Still, even with the grit jump the edge gets scary sharp.

That's a good system for the money.

 

[Jason B.]

1k & 6k Arashiyama

It's like a turbo charged 1k 6k king and will handle harder/wear resistant metals better.

Add a quality coarse waterstone around 220 grit and you will have a well rounded set.

 

[HeavyHanded]

1k & 6k Arashiyama

It's like a turbo charged 1k 6k king and will handle harder/wear resistant metals better.

Add a quality coarse waterstone around 220 grit and you will have a well rounded set.

YOU and your constant recommendation of those Arashiyama stones!

Hmmm, Father's Day is coming up, I may have to make an early request...

 

[vtvman]

1k & 6k Arashiyama

It's like a turbo charged 1k 6k king and will handle harder/wear resistant metals better.

Add a quality coarse waterstone around 220 grit and you will have a well rounded set.

I would love some arashiyama stones but I'm strictly locked at the 50 dollar range.

 

[Jason B.]

Then buy a Norton combo India and make a strop, total cost maybe $30. Save money and buy good stones later.

 

[Jason B.]

YOU and your constant recommendation of those Arashiyama stones!

Hmmm, Father's Day is coming up, I may have to make an early request...

They are some of the very best stones I have used, you will not be disappointed.

 

[HeavyHanded]

Then buy a Norton combo India and make a strop, total cost maybe $30. Save money and buy good stones later.

Practically speaking the Kings will work very well on all common steels, including stainless - much better results than an India stone (not bashing it, I have and use one, but the waterstones are just plain better). Only on the really wear-resistant alloys would you get into trouble, and quite frankly the India stone is going to run mighty slow on those as well. With a 50 dollar limit, the Kings make a lot of sense.

 

[Jason B.]

Not doubting that at all I've just spent the money on cheaper waterstones or stones in general to now understand you end up wasting a lot of money buying stones that way.

 

[HeavyHanded]

Not doubting that at all I've just spent the money on cheaper waterstones or stones in general to now understand you end up wasting a lot of money buying stones that way.

Hah, this is too true! Then again, lately I've come back to my King 1200 grit stone for a ton of my sharpening - on a stone that sat wrapped in a rag for close to a decade - bought it and couldn't get the hang of it. Same thing with my Norton waterstones bought around the same time and also found themselves gathering dust. Between the two brands they do 90% of all my work and all the DMT, Smith's, Arkansas, AlumOx, wet/dry sandpaper etc purchased since, are packed in a box.