Id like to try some waterstones for sharpening

C

CBennett

Joined
Oct 14, 2008
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86
I already have a generic coarse/fine Silicone Carbide stone that does "ok" but I think id like to get a bit more into this and try out some waterstones.

Nothing exotic or super pricey just ones that work well/have good reputation. do I want 2 or 3 of them? if the blade gets real dinged up im assuming I can just use the SC stone I have coarse side to get it in shape..or would I want a waterstone for that too so do I want

1. 3 stones Coarse/medium/fine

OR

2. 2 stones Medium and fine

and what grits do I want on them? or do you recommend? general sharpening of things like my Leek, Ritter Mini Grip,that Cataraugus 225Q,small pocket knives(tool steel),nothing too exotic. I think I will try to turn one of my old belts from work into a strop to finish things off.

Thanks guys just got some Birthday money and I figured a set of stones would be a good investment.
 
The Arashiyama 1000 and 6000 grit stones come highly recommended by knifenut1013. I have a set of Kings and a set of Nortons, the Nortons can handle a greater variety of steels and work very quickly on most stuff. The Kings are more user friendly (shorter learning curve) but have a tough time on some stainless and high wear-resistant steels. Hopefully some other reviews will come in from others. In my limited experience the different brands will all behave a little differently, especially on various metals. I highly recommend checking out some of Murray Carter's video showing how he uses them. Knifenut has a bunch of good videos on youtube as well, under 'MrEdgy81'.

You can certainly use your coarse SiC stone for rough work and just get a medium and fine stone (roughly 1k=medium and 4k-8k= fine, depending on brand and preferred edge). The waterstones have a learning curve but well worth the effort.

HH
 
I use the the Shapton glass stones. I think there is less of a learning curve with these, and they are easier to maintain. The toughtest challenge for me was figuring out that just becasue they're called glass stones doesn't mean you use the glass side. Yes, I'm a little slower than most. I like HH's idea of focusing on the higher grits and using your existing coarse stone for the rough work.
 
+1 to HH

What stones to get and how many depends on budget. Really good stones can be had without breaking the bank it just depends on the type of experience your looking for.

The sic stone can replace a low grit grinding stone but make sure to clean the blade well, don't want to get oil on a waterstone.
 
Wow guys that was the exact info I was looking for thanks. I just figured id like to try something a little bit different. But I was at a loss to what grits in the water stones id need and if you could mix oil and water stones(and yes id be SURE to readily wipe down the blade going from oil to water if I needed the coarse) without problems. I just didnt want to get too small a grit or too high but you guys gave me good options/info thanks!
 
Gesshin 400
Chosera 1000
Suehiro Rika 5000
Naniwa SuperStone 12k
Suehiro Gokumyo 20k
 
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+1 on the Shaptons. They don't fulfil your ideal "Nothing exotic or super pricey" but if you buy once you cry once. They're definitely closer to the pinnacle than the bottom of the pyramid, though they do demand a little more skill and precision.

1k will reset a bevel quite nicely, and a 4-5k will polish that right up. If you get addicted, you can burn over a thousand dollars on a full set of these, up to the 30k finishing stone.

Keep your SiC for reprofiling, unless you want to invest in a King or Norton - those are affordable and of good quality.

Naniwa Chosera stones and Shapton Pro stones are good stones in a slightly lower price range than the glasstones.

Good luck on your journey! I'd recommend starting on a 1095 or equivalent blade, the steel is easy to sharpen and amazing sharpness is easily achievable.
 
Always heard that shapton pro was their top-tier line.
Wonder why shapton glass 30k costs around 350 and shapton pro costs around 550.
 
Yeah im not trying to spend THAT much whe I say inexpensive I guess I should say $35 a stone or there abouts tops.
 
For fairly cheap but getting a good value the Norton 1k/8k combo will work and very well. I've also seen a combination Ohishi 1k/6k stone thats about 50 bucks for a good sized combination stone, and as low as 35 bucks for the next size down. They get good reviews but I've never used them - if anyone can vouch for them, they might be one of the better deals going. To get your feet wet, a King 800 and 4k will be very inexpensive and still get you used to waterstones. Can always buy a better set down the road if necessary.

You can get a 1k or lower for about your price range, but finer stones will definitely be more than 35 bucks.
 
Slow cutting, worse than a king. The 6k is not bad but below that the stones are not aggressive at all.
 
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