Imanishi Pink Brick 220

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Kit Craft
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Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

Imanishi Pink Brick 220: My perfect compromise.

Background:

The Imanishi Pink 220 grit stone seems to be sold under many, many names and I have tried more than a few of those variations. Some vendors claim to have them made to their specifications being either harder or softer than normal but I’ll be damned if I can tell a difference. This is not a trait unique to the Pink brick either, lots of stones are like this. I have seen this stone marketed as “arato-kun” on Japanese sites and that is a cute but fitting name, I like it. Anyway, this is a coarse stone as the grit would imply and it is a cheap but reliable one. Shall we have a look?

Measurements:

Weight: 1800g
Length: 205mm
Width: 75mm
Thickness: 50mm

Feedback:

Tactile feedback on this one may surprise you as it is quite good. Probably the best of any stone this coarse that I have ever used. The feeling in use is sandy, which is more typical of a 320-500 grit stone. This one you might expect to be gritty or gravel like but it is not. The hand feel, or the surface texture when dry is very, very rough but feels less coarse in use. The actual feedback is immediate. You stick your knife on the stone and you feel the bevel click, simple as that. No searching, no skidding. This stone is straight easy to read and fairly enjoyable to use. It has a sandstone feel and reminds me a lot of a Wakayama Omura, Natsuya or a medium hard Amakusa, just for reference. Oh and I forgot to mention that if you go over your angle it will dig in and come to a stop but not really gouge. If you go under it will skid and slide all over the place.

Audible feedback is not what you might think either. It is abrasive and loud but it is not obnoxious. It has a scraping sound like rocks on pavement (we all tried this as a kid, yeah, using rocks as chalk). When you have hit the apex this sound lessens and becomes more high pitched.

Visual feedback is immediate. You will see metal swarf from the word go, first stroke, even on a narrow double bevel. On a wide bevel you will see your knife shed cladding by the liter! I I swear you will see tons of black/grey swarf in seconds. Easy to see what is going on.

(This is the stone after on a few passes on a narrow bevel. As you can see it is fast and holds water well.)
Image

Management:

Water management is quite easy. This stone is porous but not as bad as others make to seem. It will require a 10 minute soak, 5 will work but 10 is better. After that it will require a splash every now and again. Maybe every pass or two if on narrow bevels. If you are using wide bevels it will mud up and hold water better. The longer you soak this stone the easier it holds water and the less splashing that is required.

Speaking of water management I feel I should mention that this stone takes awhile to dry out. I would say over 24 hours for sure. I use this one a lot and used it yesterday and left it on a rack to dry and it is still noticeably damp to the touch. So that is one thing to consider, this beast of a stone needs somewhere to sit for probably 24-48 hours in the open before you can put it away. Maybe consider soaking at all times. I do not do permanent soaking and do not advise others to do so but I have been told by sources that I believe that it is safe for this stone. However, taking that risk is your call not mine!

Mud management is not hard either. This will make some sandy mud but not lots on narrow bevels however it will make a medium amount of mud on wide bevels. That mud is still sandy but feels finer due to the metal in the slurry and it seems to hold water better. It is more liquidy this way but still sandy and not sticky. I don’t find it to scratch above the blade road even though it rides up the blade table. It can scratch very soft cladding on stainless narrow bevels but normally does not. Even with mud it requires some splashing now and again but less so.

(You can see the stone starting to mud up here. The mud is as I said, sandy.)
Image

(I hope this can give you an idea of the mud texture.)
Image

Speed:

This is a wicked fast stone for its grit. This is faster than some 150-180 grit stones that I have used and much more so than most 220-320 grit stones I have ever used. It is best used for moderate thinning and repairs. It seems to do fine with carbon, stainless, simpler PM steels (R2), and iron. Don’t mistake this for a grinder replacement or even a diamond plate replacement, it is neither of these things.

On basic carbon this thing will raise a burr on an already thinned edge in 5 single trailing strokes. 10-15 on mixed stainless types that I have tried, including R2. Again, it is a fast stone.

(Here is a before picture of my Tojiro Shirogami santoku to give you some contrast to the "finished" product after the pink brick.)
Image

Finesse:

This thing leaves fairly large scratches but they are much more shallow than a diamond plate leaves, which is one reason I like this stone. Well, that and the fact that it feels a hell of a lot better in use as well! This thing is a 220 and cuts like a 220 but it finishes closer to a 320. The edge left will catch hair but pulls it out. It will cut paper fairly clean and can push cut 90 degrees on printer paper about 1 inch out in either grain direction. However, you will need to strop to remove the burr 100% or at least I do, you may be a better sharpener than me though. Regardless, I don’t think you would leave an edge at this level.

Oh, and it is totally fine to apex the edge with this stone. I see no micro chipping like I do with a 140 grit plate. Or at least it is my opinion that it is fine. And speaking of plates, it cleans up scratches from my CKTG plate fairly quickly. Much quicker than my Latte 400, Chosera 400 or shapton glass 500. A great tweener stone.

(The scratch pattern after finishing on this stone is actually fairly fine. As I said before I would say it is closer to 400 grit in this sense and you will see that with my next review. The scratches are large and concentrated but not too deep.)
Image

(This stone actually leaves fair contrast for how coarse it is. The cladding is quite dark but you would never want to leave this finish! It is rough and will cause so very much drag.)

Image
Hardness:

I actually feel that this stone is on par with a low grit shapton stone. It is not too hard and not too soft. It has the perfect balance of hardness and elasticity to use on all edge types and I know that contradicts what a few others have said in the past. Sorry but I simply don’t agree with those who say that this stone is not suitable for use with narrow bevels, it is just fine for that. If I had to compare I would say it is a wee bit softer than the Latte 400 or Chosera 400. You might like this stone, hardness wise, if you like a SP320.

Dishing:

This thing dishes but it does so surprisingly slowly for what it is. Slower than my Cerax 320. About on par with a Latte 400, SG500, SP320 etc. So it dishing closer to the rate of a 320-500 grit stone than a 150-220 grit stone. However, there is a caveat and that is pressure. This stone does not require much pressure to abrade steel quickly but if you do so anyway it will dish faster. Maybe this is why there are inconsistent reports of wear rates. Pressure does make a difference, with all stones or at least in my experience.

Vanity:

Well, I figured this is not really needed for synthetic stones but my wife said to add it anyway because she like this stone as it reminds her of old time string bubble gum. It is a nice pink stone that looks like congealed pepto bismo.

Value:

This thing is a good value. It is a large stone that wears slowly and cuts quickly and can be had for under $60. If you are not a pro then this stone might last you a lifetime because how often are you going to have to use it? However, maybe that does hurt the value factor a bit. You may never need this stone. If you buy a lot of knives that need thinning from out of the box such as wide bevels or single bevels then you might find this a big value or if you sharpen for friends!

Bottom line:

Fast cutting, good feedback, fair price and a short soak what more can you ask for? For me this is the perfect compromise in a coarse stone. I like this stone enough that I have tried it under four names and am on my second one branded as Imanishi. No, I did not use those stones up. I traded, sold or gave them away along my journey only to come back full circle and buy them again. This is a stone that I will not be without in my lineup, period. It is part of my staple set.

So, I like the stone but does that mean the stone is for you. I have no idea. As I started to say before, I can not speak for anyone else and I do not know how this would hold up under the pressure of a pro sharpener. They sharpen a ton. As a hobbyist I think this stone is more than I will ever need for basic to moderate thinning and I think you might feel the same. This might make a good stone for someone who likes to buy budget knives that need cleaned up, likes to sharpen for friends and family or likes project knives from places like ebay. It works well for clad or mono knives. Good for single bevels, wide bevels and narrow bevels. It is a versatile stone but maybe coarser than most need. However, it is a great, and I mean great stone to put between something like an Atoma 140 and a chosera 400 or any other 400(ish) grit stone!

Notes:

Knives used for testing over the past months/years have changed but this particular stone was tested on White # 2, 1074, SK-4, Aus8, VG-10 and R2. Cladding tested was only iron. I don't own many stainless clad knives. I had two and now only one...Also note that the outcome of how this stone works for you will depend on how much pressure you use as I mentioned before. Also, if you under soak it or let it dry out it will change its characteristics in use as well. Keep an open mind with these review as I do realize there is subjectivity built into them but I try to be as honest as possible as opposed to pushing my own bias.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by gladius »

Nice review! I like using 220 PA (I have the Watanabe 220) often in place of my Chosera 400 to set bevels - with light pressure it is fast and leaves a scratch pattern that is easily removed with a medium grit stone.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by timos »

great review Kit. You are really helping me up my game just by reading these. I recently got some shapton Pros, the 2K and 5K are nice but the 320 I got is dishing way too fast for a thinner stone. Lots of mud , so maybe this pink imanishi will be a nice upgrade/replacement for me.
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“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by gladius »

timos wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:15 am I recently got some shapton Pros, the 2K and 5K are nice but the 320 I got is dishing way too fast for a thinner stone. Lots of mud , so maybe this pink imanishi will be a nice upgrade/replacement for me.
---
Also consider the SP220, a very good stone itself.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

gladius wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:09 am Nice review! I like using 220 PA (I have the Watanabe 220) often in place of my Chosera 400 to set bevels - with light pressure it is fast and leaves a scratch pattern that is easily removed with a medium grit stone.
Thank you.

I had the Watanabe and the Gesshin but none of the at the same time. I swear there is no difference from recollection but I guess if I did a side by side there might be some, idk. I have noticed this with a lot of stones out there.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

timos wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:15 am great review Kit. You are really helping me up my game just by reading these. I recently got some shapton Pros, the 2K and 5K are nice but the 320 I got is dishing way too fast for a thinner stone. Lots of mud , so maybe this pink imanishi will be a nice upgrade/replacement for me.
Thank you, I am glad it is of some help to someone, that is why I write them. This pink brick will dish similarly to the 320 but it is about 3x as thick. However, the 220 pro is a good stone as pointed out by gladius. Faster and harder than the 320 If memory serves but I no longer have that stone. However, I do recall it being quite muddy when thinning. Well, sandy and pasty.

One thing I did forget to mention, I think, is that the pink brick does stain with metal. Even after flattening it stays tinted. You can get that out of there with a bottle brush but I don't bother.

What do you use before the pro 2k (one of my favorite stones btw)?
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kalaeb »

I decided I don't like low grit stones at all. The sound makes my skin crawl like nails on a chalk board. When I have to use it I use a small submersible pump that continuously pours water on the top.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

Kalaeb wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 5:16 pm I decided I don't like low grit stones at all. The sound makes my skin crawl like nails on a chalk board. When I have to use it I use a small submersible pump that continuously pours water on the top.
I love low and medium grit stones particularly natural ones. The sound from diamond plates, and the feel on the other hand is something that I do not like. Even if we are talking the 1200 grit level I just don't like them one bit! However, they are still useful even if they are not my preferred media.

As for a pump, I use a lunch try to sharpen on so that would not work for me but it is a good idea. I find the big tub of water thing to be very cumbersome as I have to fill it and empty it all of them time and then clean out the grit and store it etc. With the lunch tray I just dump the contents outside and let the mud dry on it. :lol: Yeah, I am selectively lazy. I do clean it now and again though.

I can understand what you mean, though. If all coarse stones were like a Beston 500, for example, I wouldn't use them either. Or like a Norton crystalon stone...yuck.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

Kit Craft wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:17 pm
timos wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:15 am great review Kit. You are really helping me up my game just by reading these. I recently got some shapton Pros, the 2K and 5K are nice but the 320 I got is dishing way too fast for a thinner stone. Lots of mud , so maybe this pink imanishi will be a nice upgrade/replacement for me.
Thank you, I am glad it is of some help to someone, that is why I write them. This pink brick will dish similarly to the 320 but it is about 3x as thick. However, the 220 pro is a good stone as pointed out by gladius. Faster and harder than the 320 If memory serves but I no longer have that stone. However, I do recall it being quite muddy when thinning. Well, sandy and pasty.

One thing I did forget to mention, I think, is that the pink brick does stain with metal. Even after flattening it stays tinted. You can get that out of there with a bottle brush but I don't bother.

What do you use before the pro 2k (one of my favorite stones btw)?
Since I asked the question I'll add my info too. I have been trying to find that perfect progression from the very beginning but I don't think that will happen but I have been perfecting my progression over time. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want even though I just added a new stone. I ask about the Pro 2k because there are two stones I like to use before it. Either in conjunction or on their own.

My full progression when I go that far is CKTG140, Pink 220, Latte 400, SP1k, SP2k, Tamago 4k, Kitayama 8k and 1 micron CBN on balsa. However many times I will make a jump directly from the 1k to the 8k or from the 400 to the 2k which I find nice for stainless! The SP2k leaves a nice dark finish for Kasumi and a fine enough edge, with some bite, to finish on stainless and it is aggressive enough to remove 500 grit scratches. :) Just curious what you put before yours or if you use it a starting point.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by gladius »

Kit Craft wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:17 pm One thing I did forget to mention, I think, is that the pink brick does stain with metal. Even after flattening it stays tinted. You can get that out of there with a bottle brush but I don't bother.
-------
This is where the Watanabe 220 differs, it rinses clean - binder most likely.
Kit Craft wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:18 am My full progression when I go that far is CKTG140, Pink 220, Latte 400, SP1k, SP2k, Tamago 4k, Kitayama 8k and 1 micron CBN on balsa. However many times I will make a jump directly from the 1k to the 8k or from the 400 to the 2k which I find nice for stainless! The SP2k leaves a nice dark finish for Kasumi and a fine enough edge, with some bite, to finish on stainless and it is aggressive enough to remove 500 grit scratches. :) Just curious what you put before yours or if you use it a starting point.
----
For carbons when I am targeting a 1 micron finish...
Watanabe 220 -> 1k -> Naniwa 5k Superstone -> Ohira Tomae -> Okuza Asagi -> bare leather

Stainless:
Watanabe 220 -> 1k -> 2k -> bare leather
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

gladius wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 1:32 pm
Kit Craft wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:17 pm One thing I did forget to mention, I think, is that the pink brick does stain with metal. Even after flattening it stays tinted. You can get that out of there with a bottle brush but I don't bother.
-------
This is where the Watanabe 220 differs, it rinses clean - binder most likely.
Kit Craft wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:18 am My full progression when I go that far is CKTG140, Pink 220, Latte 400, SP1k, SP2k, Tamago 4k, Kitayama 8k and 1 micron CBN on balsa. However many times I will make a jump directly from the 1k to the 8k or from the 400 to the 2k which I find nice for stainless! The SP2k leaves a nice dark finish for Kasumi and a fine enough edge, with some bite, to finish on stainless and it is aggressive enough to remove 500 grit scratches. :) Just curious what you put before yours or if you use it a starting point.
----
For carbons when I am targeting a 1 micron finish...
Watanabe 220 -> 1k -> Naniwa 5k Superstone -> Ohira Tomae -> Okuza Asagi -> bare leather

Stainless:
Watanabe 220 -> 1k -> 2k -> bare leather
Mine rinses clean in the sense that I don't think there is any actual swarf but it is like it is very, very lightly tinted. Maybe I just don't clean it well enough. I flatten before use not after. Honestly, I can not remember noticing this with the Gesshin nor the Nubatama either but I can't recall a difference in use when it comes to its physical attributes. However, as I said above, it has been awhile and I pawned them off at different times and have not done a head to head. From memory though, they are similar enough.

I've not used the Super stones. I don't know why but something about them just turns me off. Weird because I like splash and go and soft stones. I think it is that they are known to finish well above their stated grit and I like bite. I could be totally off base though!
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by gladius »

Kit Craft wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:06 pm I've not used the Super stones. I don't know why but something about them just turns me off. Weird because I like splash and go and soft stones. I think it is that they are known to finish well above their stated grit and I like bite. I could be totally off base though!
------
Highly recommended! I get the cleanest edges off the SS5k (very noticeable) and I prefer it to the Kitayama before using the naturals.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

gladius wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:27 pm
Kit Craft wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:06 pm I've not used the Super stones. I don't know why but something about them just turns me off. Weird because I like splash and go and soft stones. I think it is that they are known to finish well above their stated grit and I like bite. I could be totally off base though!
------
Highly recommended! I get the cleanest edges off the SS5k (very noticeable) and I prefer it to the Kitayama before using the naturals.
Might pick one up but clean makes me think smooth which I don't like. :lol:
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by gladius »

Kit Craft wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:38 pm Might pick one up but clean makes me think smooth which I don't like. :lol:
---
In this case it means keen as in very sharp and polished: a great setup pre-polisher for a natural stone finish.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

gladius wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:00 pm
Kit Craft wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:38 pm Might pick one up but clean makes me think smooth which I don't like. :lol:
---
In this case it means keen as in very sharp and polished: a great setup pre-polisher for a natural stone finish.
Understood, thanks.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by cedarhouse »

Very nice review! Thank you for taking the time.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

cedarhouse wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:22 pm Very nice review! Thank you for taking the time.
Thank you and no problem at all, I enjoy doing these reviews. If I could review every stone out there I probably would. I like waterstones. :lol:
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by salemj »

Loved it. Especially your wife's contribution. I've always wanted to try chewing it. !!!

Also, whenever you talk about knives, no matter what the brand, all I can imagine in your kitchen is that damn Tojiro. Haha.

I keep wondering if I'd use a stone like this. I've dished my SP 320, but that has happened almost exclusively while trying to fix other peoples' knives and when abusing the stone. It is my first coarse stone (besides a cheap diamond plate). My sense is that I can probably do everything I need with the 320 unless I continue what you refer to as hobby activities with other knives (not my primary collection, but "lesser" knives that need more work routinely). And then, I'm not sure this 220 would be the right solution. You make an excellent case, though.

The pressure factor is an interesting one. One reason I've always wanted to try a SG500 was that I find lower grits (let's say below 500) to be coarse enough to actually cause so much feedback as to disturb my stroke when using very light pressure; I've always assumed that the SG would probably be the best of both worlds in providing a smoother surface with tactile feedback and fast cutting, but not so tactile that it feels "resistant" or too "sandy" and inconsistent. I think the SP320 is pretty good in this sense, but I have to admit that even if can feel a bit sandy for really precise work on a narrow bevel edge. Do you have any comments on the Pink 220 along these lines? Just curious.
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
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Re: Imanishi Pink Brick 220

Post by Kit Craft »

salemj wrote: Mon Nov 20, 2017 12:00 am Loved it. Especially your wife's contribution. I've always wanted to try chewing it. !!!

Also, whenever you talk about knives, no matter what the brand, all I can imagine in your kitchen is that damn Tojiro. Haha.

I keep wondering if I'd use a stone like this. I've dished my SP 320, but that has happened almost exclusively while trying to fix other peoples' knives and when abusing the stone. It is my first coarse stone (besides a cheap diamond plate). My sense is that I can probably do everything I need with the 320 unless I continue what you refer to as hobby activities with other knives (not my primary collection, but "lesser" knives that need more work routinely). And then, I'm not sure this 220 would be the right solution. You make an excellent case, though.

The pressure factor is an interesting one. One reason I've always wanted to try a SG500 was that I find lower grits (let's say below 500) to be coarse enough to actually cause so much feedback as to disturb my stroke when using very light pressure; I've always assumed that the SG would probably be the best of both worlds in providing a smoother surface with tactile feedback and fast cutting, but not so tactile that it feels "resistant" or too "sandy" and inconsistent. I think the SP320 is pretty good in this sense, but I have to admit that even if can feel a bit sandy for really precise work on a narrow bevel edge. Do you have any comments on the Pink 220 along these lines? Just curious.
Thank you and I would advise against chewing on the Pink brick. :lol:

That Tojiro is always within arms reach.

Not really anything to add about the pink brick but I do think you would prefer the SG500 in your case. It is slightly gritty in feel but in a much smoother sense. It is coarse but feels like a coarse stone in use. I used mine as a 1k replacement honestly. I'd review it but I actually used it down to the glass and toss it! I still have a small one left from my edge pro days that I use as a travel stone and it is down to the metal too. I will most likely buy another at some point.

To make a comparison, I have the latte 400 now and I like it just as much as the SG500 but the SG500 has the advantage of being S&G. The chosera 400 fits in the middle of these two stones, imo. Can't go wrong with any of these but I would go with your gut.

The Pink brick, for me is a great stone, but I don't think most people need something this coarse. You can see how much life mine has left. I don't use it tons. I like it a lot though.
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