problem hand sharpening

[EDCeeker]

A 6000 or 8000 Japanese water stone, known as a "king stone," is not used like coarser Japanese water stones. The coarser stones are meant to be used soaking wet. (I keep mine in water-filled Tupperware containers when not in use.) King stones, OTOH, are meant to be used with a wet slurry on top, most-easily quickly created by lightly wetting the top and rubbing with a Nagura stone. King stones should be stored dry. Too much wetness will destroy a king stone.

King stones aren't really "sharpening stones," per se. They're more a polishing stone.

Personally, unless you want/need your edges mirror-smooth, I wouldn't go to the trouble. And I do mean "mirror-smooth." I used to finish-up my wood-working tools with an 8000 king stone, then a charged leather strop (to knock off what little wire-edge the king stone would leave). Except that it wasn't big enough, that would leave a bevel well-enough polished to use for a shaving mirror. (Not-to-mention an edge sharper than a new razor blade .)

 

[HoB]

A 6000 or 8000 Japanese water stone, known as a "king stone," is not used like coarser Japanese water stones. The coarser stones are meant to be used soaking wet. (I keep mine in water-filled Tupperware containers when not in use.) King stones, OTOH, are meant to be used with a wet slurry on top, most-easily quickly created by lightly wetting the top and rubbing with a Nagura stone. King stones should be stored dry. Too much wetness will destroy a king stone.

King stones aren't really "sharpening stones," per se. They're more a polishing stone.

"King" is a company, a maker of Japanese waterstones, somehow connected with "Icebear", it has absolutely nothing to do with the grit of the stone. You can buy an 800 grit King stone. 6000+ grit stones are usually referred to as "finishing" stones and that is more of a historical term coming from natural waterstones, which do not have a well defined (or easily measured) grit. It will NOT harm a high grit waterstone keeping it water logged, as long as it doesn't freeze, but the high grit waterstones do not absorb as much water as the coarse grit, so it is simply not needed to do so, as the soak times are much shorter.

Where does sharpening stop and polishing start?

To the orignial problem: Try using the stone like a strop.

 

[EDCeeker]

"King" is a company, a maker of Japanese waterstones, somehow connected with "Icebear", it has absolutely nothing to do with the grit of the stone.

It's been quite a while since I first studied sharpening with Japanese waterstones. I guess I was either misled or I misunderstood.

It will NOT harm a high grit waterstone keeping it water logged, as long as it doesn't freeze,

That is one thing I definitely recall reading: That water-soaking a 6000/8000 Japanese waterstone will ruin it. There was an explanation given as to why, but I no longer recall it.

Where does sharpening stop and polishing start?

Good question. I suppose it's arbitrary .

When I first started sharpening woodworking tools I went the whole nine yards. I soon found out that the 6000/8000 step and the stropping really didn't seem to add much, if anything, performance-wise, to the tools' performance--thus my feeling those steps were more a "polishing" then a "sharpening." I also found such highly-refined edges tended to be more fragile. Does that mean they were "sharper?" I suppose so.