Oil vs Water: IB8 vs. King 250/1000?

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wvdavidr

Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
370
Hello everybody,
Which stone do you think would be better for general-purpose sharpening: Norton IB8 or King 250/1000 waterstone? I know waterstones require flattening (which is o.k.) and tend to wear quicker (also o.k., they're cheap enough). I'm trying to decide which to buy and install on the EZESharp and would appreciate advice from anybody who has used both (freehand opinions as well).

Thanks,
David
 
I think there both good options. But I'm not a fan of water stones. I think oil and Arkansas are the best imo
 
from just looking at a stone can you tell if it is water or oil stone I have many stones I know nothing about some cheapy two grit and others are smooth like glass etc.
 
I have not used either of them but it seems that the Norton India stone is the way to go if you had to choose between those two. It is suited for most steels and although not the fastest stone in the universe, it leaves a very fine edge off the fine side and it will last for ever. If you go for the waterstones I would probably invest a bit more and buy a higher quality waterstone. Again, I don't know the King stones and the respected ABS Mastersmith and experienced sharpener Murray Carter uses them for all his blades. However, I would go for the trusted Naniwa Chosera stone, now called Naniwa Professional stones. They constantly get the best reviews here on BF.
 
The King stones get a bit of a bashing on the forums but retain a level of respect due to their quality. They are slower than a higher class of waterstone but faster than most oil stones by a good margin. The edge from a 1k King will be significantly finer than the fine side of a IB8 though not as easy to obtain sharpness.

The higher hardness of the IB8 allows for more instant gratification of sharpness. Basically, you can make the edge sharp directly off the stone with little effort. The waterstones on the other hand will require a bit more technique to yield sharpness but it will be sharper.

I perfer waterstones because of the vast options in grit available and because my edges have never been better with anything else.

If you want to go the waterstone route I would recommend a higher quality of a stone. The Shapton pro is my recommendation to most new users because they show results quickly and are priced a bit better. Stones like the Naniwa Chosera/professional are IMO the best but you have to want to make that investment.
 
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