Determining grit approximate rating on an unknown wet stone - where does it fall within my other stones?

RayseM

RayseM

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Does the title ask the question properly? I have a range of water stones from 1,000 to 8,000 grit. KING and SIGMA. I also have the very cool block of natural stone, sold to me many years ago from a Japanese vendor when I was sharpening wood working edges more than knives. I cannot recall at all what the approximate grit range of the natural stone was - coarse, medium, or polishing. I kind of remember that it was a more coarse stone but it does not seem to be, so I don't trust my memory.

Slurries up easily, seems soft compared to a King 2000 but does that tell me anything? Leaves a very fine scratch pattern on carbon blades - cloudy not polished though.

Mystery-water-stone.jpg

Do I just need to take a blade and try out the stone in various sequences? I'm wondering if there is a trick or tip - how I might know without guessing - if it is a stone to use first or in the middle or end of my process.

Thanks for any advice.
 
RayseM said:
Does the title ask the question properly? I have a range of water stones from 1,000 to 8,000 grit. KING and SIGMA. I also have the very cool block of natural stone, sold to me many years ago from a Japanese vendor when I was sharpening wood working edges more than knives. I cannot recall at all what the approximate grit range of the natural stone was - coarse, medium, or polishing. I kind of remember that it was a more coarse stone but it does not seem to be, so I don't trust my memory.

Slurries up easily, seems soft compared to a King 2000 but does that tell me anything? Leaves a very fine scratch pattern on carbon blades - cloudy not polished though.

View attachment 2026490

Do I just need to take a blade and try out the stone in various sequences? I'm wondering if there is a trick or tip - how I might know without guessing - if it is a stone to use first or in the middle or end of my process.

Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's a tough problem. If there's a quick way to do something other than start with your best guess (and 2000 seems like a good starting guess, or maybe 3000), and go from there, I don't know it. Looking under magnification might help.

It took me over a year to realize that my Tsushima stone (yours might be one of those, or an Aoto, or something else) was actually finer than the Ohira Renge Suita I was insisting on using after it in my sequence. Finally caught on that the Suita was making the Tsushima edge less refined.
 
If I do this deliberately I should be able to tell if this gray stone is a jump ahead of the 2,000 or not. You understand my issue U UncleBoots , thanks for the reply.

Bad timing on my part posting this question, as it was on my mind after my weekend sharpening session, BUT PLEASE - IF/WHEN you reply and don't get any response from me it is because I will be offline starting tomorrow AM, for most of the week.

I'll be eager to return and see what you all have for advice. Thanks.
 
Do you have a microscope or other magnifier? If so, I'd use the stone to put a scratch pattern on a blade, and then compare the scratch pattern to those of the known stones you think are closest to it.
 
I use the back of chisel to get an idea of where a stone is at, just look at the scratch pattern.
Soft says it probably won't be real fine and it will depend on clean surface vs slurry, so it will probably have some range depending on how you use it.
 
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