Sharpening stone question

H

HikoIto

Joined
Oct 28, 2013
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Hi. I've been using Japanese ceramic stone (Chocera) to put the final edge on my knives. I like Chocera 400 because it removes metal very quickly. But the stone wares off rather quickly and the surface becomes uneven. I'm looking for a good stone that cuts as well as, if not better than, Chosera 400 and keeps a flat surface. Diamond stone will stay flat but I've never used diamond and not sure of the performance... Any recommendations for a good stone will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
youre looking for a shapton pro. Shaptons are on par with choceras, and the glass are generally held in higher regard, but the pros will wear more slowly. People say they prefer the feedback from the glass stones, and theyre what I have, so I can say that they are great, but I havent handled the pros. I hear they're more "plasticky" in use, but they have no shortage of fans. You can't really go wrong with anything from shapton, as I understand it.

400 is a very low grit to finish on, but choceras tend to leave an edge like a higher grit stone, so you may find a higher grit count shapton to be more like a 400 grit chocera. I refer you to this extremely informative thread on that subject.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/856708-The-Grand-Unified-Grit-Chart
 
I have a set of DMT diamond stones and I like them a lot. They are perfectly flat and diamond cuts very quickly. The problem is that the scratches they leave are deeper than other types of stones at the same grit. I use the DMTs for rough sharpening and switch to ceramic for final sharpening. The ceramic stones that I use (spyderco) leave great finishes but they are not very flat. Some day I will get around to flattening them with the DMTs.

- Chris
 
400 grit is in general considered a grit suitable for repairing edges, for finishing work you need to consider 1k stone.
By the way GIS #400 is not the same size abrasive as the american rating (ANSI). #400 JIS is equivalent to #280 ANSI, #400 ANSI is ~#800 JIS. Your 400-600 grit finish (say from Edge Pro) is 800-1000 grit Chosera stone.
 
As knives need to be sharpened, stones need to be flattened. For a 400 grit stone I would get a cast iron lapping plate and some silicone carbide grit.
 
HikoIto said:
Hi. I've been using Japanese ceramic stone (Chocera) to put the final edge on my knives. I like Chocera 400 because it removes metal very quickly. But the stone wares off rather quickly and the surface becomes uneven. I'm looking for a good stone that cuts as well as, if not better than, Chosera 400 and keeps a flat surface. Diamond stone will stay flat but I've never used diamond and not sure of the performance... Any recommendations for a good stone will be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
There are various diamond etc 'truing' stones out there (none of them cheap) but a high school shop teacher showed me a neat, cheap and practical trick quite a few years ago. Lay coarse sandpaper or emory cloth on a true surface (table saw top or a piece of thick glass) and rub your stone over it until it's flat again. Works for me, and I'm still using the same Japanese water stones (400/1000/6000) that I started with when they first came out (in n. America) 25 years ago.
Or, you could do the modern consumer thing and look for many more ways to spend your money!
 
I agree with the flat surface/paper method. Cheap and repeatable.

Heck, you could even use that method to sharpen you knives. Get some quality wet/dry paper (I like Rhynowet) in various grits and a 9x12 granite surface block.

I've seen guys take edges to a mirror polish with this technique, and it's much cheaper than almost anything else. Not to mention, it STAYS flat. Guaranteed. When the paper tears or wears, toss it, and put another sheet down.
 
I used to flatten a Belgian waterstone on a cement tyle in the sidewalk.
It worked (looked strange but worked)
Belgian waterstones are on the soft side
 
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