Ideal traveling kit

[jbart65]

Need some lighter stones that I can take on a plane and don’t take up much space.

Most if not all of the knives I’d be sharpening are not mine. No name brands, Vics, Forchner, Dexter Russell, Chicago, Global, Wusthof, Henckels and an occasional CKTG knife I’ve gifted. Most would need full progressions.

Leaning toward Shapton pros and glass, naturally. Mix and match if suggested. Three stones and a strop-micron combo. I’d also be taking a Yahiko stone tray and Suehiro small plate holder.

[Kalaeb]

I would take a 1k and 6k diamond plate. JkI makes a great set albeit a little on the costly side, or just some DMT. Won't have to worry about them breaking and they do a fine job on the knives you are sharpening.

[salemj]

I've travelled a couple times with SPs. They work well for this, although I've always wished I had a SG 500 to take. My SP 320 isn't the best with gummy stainless, nor is my SP 1500. To be honest, if I were buying a stone specifically for this application, I'd get a cerax 200-300 + 1k combo stone, bring a 140 diamond plate, and make a newspaper strop on location. I have never found anything over 1k that helpful in terms of leading strokes on softer stainless, especially when it is someone else's knife that is immediately going to get hammered on a cutting board.

As for Kalaeb's suggestion: I totally get it, and it helps to avoid the very annoying drying problem while travelling. I have some different concerns, though, based on how I sharpen. Diamond plates are at least as heavy in the luggage, if not more so, and I find they do not feel great nor do they produce as satisfying an edge for me in such cases—leading strokes cut well on a 1-2k, but light trailing strokes on a 1-2k can provide a lot of nice visual refinement and apex refinement, but I don't seem to be able to match this kind of stone double-duty when using a 1k diamond plate. Perhaps that is just me. I'd also definitely go below 1k. When dealing with others' knives of these types, you almost always have to seriously re-establish bevels and it is simply way faster with something 500 or lower when dealing with such gummy stainless.

One note: always remove the stones before going through X-ray (as you would a computer). If you don't, there's an 80% chance (or so) they will pull you aside to go through your bag, but if you do, they usually are comfortable just letting it pass through with a quick glance. TSA actually told me this once time and it has worked since.

[jbart65]

Leaning away from steel plates for the reasons you cited, Joe, though I did consider the plates Matt mentioned. Thanks for the airline tip. Was wondering about that.

While most knives I won’t take above 2k, there a few like CKTG knives that I’ve gifted that could use a 4 to 6k.

My initial thinking was a shapton glass 320 or 500, Shapton pro 1500 or Glass 2000 and a Shapton glass 4000. Finish higher end knives with a leather and 1 micron strop.

[jmcnelly85]

I recently traveled with a 220 glass rubber banded onto a shapton pro 1500. I like the edge the 1500 produces on softer stainless as long as it doesn’t have to do a ton of heavy lifting.

[Radar53]

Hi Jeffry, I started a similar thread on this nearly a couple of years ago here viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5046&hilit=travel

Below is an update of my last post on that thread;

"I have now pretty much got my travel kit together and as I got so many good thoughts & suggestions I thought that I'd update where I've got to and share a couple of photos. I'm really pleased at how it's turned out and I've achieved just about all I was looking for.

Inside the travel kit, I have the following:
a) Left hand compartment;
DMT 6 X 2 duo with 220 & 325 grit diamond plate (update; used for flattening if required and also knives that require more serious attention)
Cerax combo 1k & 3k (update: yes it does require a very short soak, maybe a couple of minutes, and it does need drying)
In a separate pocket is a 60 X 190 bare leather strop (despite having this I generally use newspaper as per Joe's comment above)
Sharpie type marker pen and clutch pencil to grid up stones for flattening

b) Right hand compartment;
Suehiro Small Stoneholders (end to end) (update: I no longer use these for travelling or at home - I just put the stone on a wet folded paper towel)
2 X EP stones (in a separate pocket)
2 (or more) plastic angle guides (I still need my training wheels haha!) (Update I don't take these anymore!!)

Photo 1 here https://www.dropbox.com/s/lvptu7mt9qfu4 ... 1.jpg?dl=0 This is the kit all zipped up - it's compact as you can see by the ruler. Just something else I've been working on was something to sharpen my new Takeda 210 gyuto using Takeda-san's technique, so I've cut down a spare EdgePro stone arm and can then choose stones from my collection of EP stones. While the cut-down arm itself wont fit in the kit, I can easily rubber band it to the outside, however the kit contains two EP stones.

Photo 2 here https://www.dropbox.com/s/0clvndzl3ceme ... 2.jpg?dl=0 Opened out to give you some idea of how it's packed. This should now cover most bases for me."

I hope something here helps with your thinking

[ken123]

Personally I like the 150/1200 Nubatama stone. I would skip the lapping plate - just flatten before packing.

I do have another suggestion. I have shapton pro stones cut down to 2*3" sizes. You can pack 3 in a Shapton pro box, so you could carry say a 120 1k 5k sequence however you may find maybe a 220 2k might meet your needs. Of course this requires you being comfortable with smaller stones which saves weight.

---
Ken

[Jeff B]

I have a SG 500, 2k, 4k and a loaded leather strop in a travel kit. Light and compact and it's all I ever seem to need. I just stack the stones while using with a wet paper towel in between each and dont need a stone holder. Use the 500 and 2k on cheaper knives and add the 4k and strop on better knives.

[jbart65]

Most of my travel is by car, though I might fly to see family once or twice a year. Since I normally travel light, I can afford to take three stones, a Yahiko holder and Suehiro small stone holder. Plus strop.

The hard part is I need a lower grit stone than 500k. Some of these knives take too long to get an edge with a SG 500. I have one. My 320 Cerax is too big and heavy and too soft for German stuff.


Thinking maybe something along the lines of Jeff b. Maybe a 220, 1000/1500 and 3/4 k with 1 micron loaded leather strop for the few good knives I encounter.

I thought about the Nubatama combo, Ken, but I usually don’t have much time for soaking or drying.

Grant, thanks for the link. I flipped thru more than a dozen pages and didn’t find anything. Did a search too. Maybe because you spelled it "travelling." (-:

[Jeff B]

I think 220, 1k, 4k and loaded strop would be fine. Think the 1k will follow the 220 fine on the Shaptons and you can strop the 1k if you want the edge a little finer on the cheap stuff and strop after the 4k if you want it finer.

[ken123]

Well I guess smaller stones isn't a popular choice I've found it useful and usually have a few with me in my car. I've seen Takeda use this approach with stones used either freehand or glued to a stick. I also use smaller natural stones this way as well - some just not available in other sizes.

So this thread highlights a few things. These reflect the logic behind the 150/1200 stone and why it was conceived.

You need a coarse grit. The 500 GRIT stones aren't fast enough because these knives arrive DULL. This is common. They also arrive with chips and busted tips. You need a fast stone. I found the 120 Shapton pro wears fast, so the 150 Nubatama is a better alternative. The full size 150 is 2 inches thick so not for portability. The combo stone is thinner with the 150 side thicker than the 1200 side.

The 150 absorbs water so it is not a splash and go stone. The 1200 IS a splash and go. The total width of the 150/1200 is less than most 2 or 3 stone solutions. I use the 150 after wetting it for a couple minutes without soaking it. It will retain some water so this isnt a perfect choice for travel. I just wrap it in a towel.

Another point is the final grit. For these house knife type knives a 1000 grit edge will exceed the initial factory grinds. Is this good enough? This is not something answered here. For 'better' blades you can go finer and this option is still open ( with added weight).

---
Ken

[Radar53]

Grant, thanks for the link. I flipped thru more than a dozen pages and didn’t find anything. Did a search too. Maybe because you spelled it "travelling." (-:

Hi Jeffry. Unfortunately, just one of the many "variations" of the English language & I hadn't thought about that at all given that this is an American forum. Thanks for pointing it out to me.

[jbart65]

[quote=ken123 post_id=99892 time=1574620020 user_id=51]
You need a coarse grit. The 500 GRIT stones aren't fast enough because these knives arrive DULL. This is common. They also arrive with chips and busted tips. You need a fast stone. I found the 120 Shapton pro wears fast, so the 150 Nubatama is a better alternative. The full size 150 is 2 inches thick so not for portability. The combo stone is thinner with the 150 side thicker than the 1200 side.

The 150 absorbs water so it is not a splash and go stone. The 1200 IS a splash and go. The total width of the 150/1200 is less than most 2 or 3 stone solutions. I use the 150 after wetting it for a couple minutes without soaking it. It will retain some water so this isnt a perfect choice for travel. I just wrap it in a towel.

Another point is the final grit. For these house knife type knives a 1000 grit edge will exceed the initial factory grinds. Is this good enough? This is not something answered here. For 'better' blades you can go finer and this option is still open ( with added weight).

---
Ken

[/quote]

Good point. Ken. The 120 makes sense given some of the knives I sharpen. Yet most I have been sharpening awhile now, so I don’t always need to go that low. The killers are knives I’ve never sharpened and have never before been sharpened adequately. They kill my Cerax 320 and take way too long.

Most German knives I usually take to 2k. They can handle it. I’d only need a higher grit than that occasionally for CKTG knives I’ve gifted.

Perhaps I’ll get a Nuba combo as part of a mix and match travel kit that I can switch up, depending on whose knives I know I will sharpen.

[easilver]

Here's my current travel kit that's working well for me (put together with lots of guidance from Mark and Ken)

Shapton Glass Stone Field Holder
320 and 2000 Glass stones
Third one is 4μ CBN on Nano-cloth on a glass plate custom sized by Ken to fit the Field Holder.

The 3-step process is quick and produces a great edge.

[jbart65]

Thanks for chiming in, Ed. I have a double thick SG500, but I think a 220 0r 320 would work best for the kind of knives I am going to be sharpening on the road.

Why the nano glass instead of, say, the SG 4000? I was thinking three stones with the Shapton holder.

[easilver]

Thanks for chiming in, Ed. I have a double thick SG500, but I think a 220 0r 320 would work best for the kind of knives I am going to shopping on the road.

Why the nano glass instead of, say, the SG 4000? I was thinking three stones with the Shapton holder.

Mark recommended the 320 and it sets a fast edge. I was worried about jumping from 320 to 2k, but it works great.

I like the edge refinement from adding flexible nano cloth to the hard stone progression (learned from the scienceofsharp website). Ken recommended the 4µ paste (~5k) as a good follow-up from the 2k stone.

[lsboogy]

Gotta love Ken - he sent me a couple nano cloths on glass - have them loaded with his compounds and I can get edges that test the steel with them. Best final strop setup in my book.

[nakneker]

For a travel kit those Shapton Glass stones are hard to beat. They work great an a variety is steel, they are easier to store than any other stone I’ve used, true splash and gos, work quick and you could buy Shaptons stone holder that also works as a storage compartment. 500, 1k, 3k should get abused knives back in shape and leave an edge far better than most people are use to.

[jbart65]

Think I’ve settled on the Shapton holder, the 220 or 320 SG, 2000 SG and 4000 SG. Plus a 3x8 leather strop loaded with 1 micron paste. Should all fit the holder.

In some cases I’ll need a 4000 for CKTG knives I’ve gifted. If not I might add a 1000 and do a 220/320–1000-2000 routine.

I’ll get some glass-backed nano at some point and give it a try.

I also picked up a 120/1200 Nuba from Ken. That will go with me on car trips, but not plane rides.

[nakneker]

Think I’ve settled on the Shapton holder, the 220 or 320 SG, 2000 SG and 4000 SG. Plus a 3x8 leather strop loaded with 1 micron paste. Should all fit the holder.

In some cases I’ll need a 4000 for CKTG knives I’ve gifted. If not I might add a 1000 and do a 220/320–1000-2000 routine.

I’ll get some glass-backed nano at some point and give it a try.

I also picked up a 120/1200 Nuba from Ken. That will go with me on car trips, but not plane rides.

That’s a hell of kit!