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Water Stones
- Thread starter Kevin McGovern
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All you have to do is send your wife the Amazon link, and say, "I want this for my birthday" and success! I showed her how it cut newspaper and she failed to geek out with me.
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Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk
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Women in general seem extremely unimpressed by our paper cutting prowess. Especially when we leave all of the tiny pieces all over the shop floor.
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- Jul 31, 2015
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Oddly enough, I have twin 8yo girls and an 11 yo boy. The most princess of the girls is the most interested.
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Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Water stones are a bit of a learning curve, but as you say - Oh My God! they can get a blade sharp.
You want to get a flattening stone from Norton or one of the makers. They aren't expensive. When a stone gets dished out, flatten it. The better the grade of fine stone, the finer the edge. While a lot of purists will say only a natural stone is any good above 1000 grit, the Norton and other synthetic stones today are quite good. A good nagura helps get a better polish from your King stone. A few drops of dish soap and a teaspoon of washing soda in the tub hold down the flash rust and reduce surface tension.
The biggest issue is contamination. After flattening, scrub hard with bon-ami and wash well with running water. You don't want a 100 grit diamond particle to get embedded. Some folks only use the ceramic flattening blocks for that reason.
ALWAYS remove the stone after a grit is done, rinse it off, and set it on a CLEAN paper towel. Dump and rinse out the tub, then WASH YOUR HANDS, before even picking up the next stone.
Store every stone in a sealed box, plastic storage container, or zip-lock bag. Label them and keep closed when not in use. It isn't a requirement, but wrapping the stones with those yellow micro-fiber shop cloths from the auto parts store of Costco/Sams is a good idea.
You want to get a flattening stone from Norton or one of the makers. They aren't expensive. When a stone gets dished out, flatten it. The better the grade of fine stone, the finer the edge. While a lot of purists will say only a natural stone is any good above 1000 grit, the Norton and other synthetic stones today are quite good. A good nagura helps get a better polish from your King stone. A few drops of dish soap and a teaspoon of washing soda in the tub hold down the flash rust and reduce surface tension.
The biggest issue is contamination. After flattening, scrub hard with bon-ami and wash well with running water. You don't want a 100 grit diamond particle to get embedded. Some folks only use the ceramic flattening blocks for that reason.
ALWAYS remove the stone after a grit is done, rinse it off, and set it on a CLEAN paper towel. Dump and rinse out the tub, then WASH YOUR HANDS, before even picking up the next stone.
Store every stone in a sealed box, plastic storage container, or zip-lock bag. Label them and keep closed when not in use. It isn't a requirement, but wrapping the stones with those yellow micro-fiber shop cloths from the auto parts store of Costco/Sams is a good idea.
Ian, you need a trash can
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