Choosing a sharpening stone while on a budget...

[xX_Blade_Xx]

Hey guys about one year ago my friends dad bought me a sharpening stone. It was priced at five dollars at the army surplus store. Nothing fancy. Plain jane sharpening stone. I was very grateful and spent hours practicing free hand sharpening. I have became pretty good at it and the more I practice the better I become. That being said...I let my fathers friend use the stone to do a trigger job on my dads AR-15. Now along with the usual wear and tear, the stone has a large "cut" on the fine side. The stone is in horrible condition after so much continuous use. I want to purchase another stone but I would like something slightly higher in quality. Was looking on Amazon and I love the looks of the Japanese water stones. Even the cheap ones. I am on a budget so I would like to spend no more than fourty dollars. Is there anything you guys could recommend? Sorry for the incredibly long post. Thanks in advance!

 

[Ben Dover]

For ~ $25 you can get a two sided India Stone. Not a bad stone, but not top end either.

My recommendation would be to save up about $50 and Get a Japanese Shapton Glass Stone in 500 or 1000 grit. A good all around tool that cuts fast, but smooth and will last a life time if maintained.

Shaptons are absolute top of the line, and they come in 220 grit all the way to 30,000 grit.

If you get a 500 or 1000 and get good with it, over the years you will collect others!

 

[HwangJino]

for cheap stones I use king 1000, usually under 30 bucks and will last you years.

When you want to step up to nicer stones, look at gesshin stones.

Shapton quality is good, but they only give you a thin slice of a stone.
I prefer gesshin or kitayama.

and when youre a true master you can try natural stones, ive seen natural bricks go up to $30,000.00

Why anyone pays that im not sure, some claim true katanas have been polished on said stones for actual battle.

 

[Jason B.]

I wouldn't recommend a king stone unless you sharpen kitchen knives, they are slow, dish quickly, and will overall be a bad introduction to waterstones.

For around $50 you have many options in waterstones from shapton pro to bester to Arashiyama and more.

Picking the right stone for your needs can make the difference between liking waterstones and hating them.

 

[jimwalter]

I just bought coarse, fine and extra fine DMT credit card sharpeners for 32 total at that rainforest place...
not ideal by any means but if you intend on upgrading they are a good starting point and can turn into a "travel sharpening kit"
They're no water stones though... you can use water on 'em?

 

[HwangJino]

Makes sense, I mostly sharpen kitchen knives.

however ive never been wronged by the king either.

I still use it.

 

[HeavyHanded]

I hate to say it, but for 40.00 you aren't getting a whole lot of waterstone aside from the Kings. I like them, they work great on carbon steels, but not so good on stainless.

A real good shot for the money would be Razors Edge Systems - they sell their imperfect stones mighty cheap. You can get a coarse and fine stone, shipping included, to your door for 40.00.

You could also take a look at this:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1094680-Washboard-Sharpening-System-for-sale!

 

[Bo T]

A lot depends on where you want to end up. If you are looking for something fast and practical Norton's 2 sided silicon carbide will work well. I keep a DMT credit card sharpener, with some grinding film glued to the back, in my wallet.