Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

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Kit Craft
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Kit Craft »

Radar53 wrote: Tue May 22, 2018 9:57 pm Jeff. For me it's about just wanting to go to the garage when the time allows and get sharpening without having to faff about trying to time everything around the soaking times of individual stones. I have the space & perma soaking effectively turns my soakers into grab & go stones ie immediately ready for use and they don't need careful drying afterwards.

I'm aware of the associated risks to the longevity of the stones that Ken & others talk about, but it's a risk that so has worked out OK.
You know, I don't much like perma soaking rather soaking at all simply because of the upkeep. I have loads of hobbies that I juggle and changing water and or simply drying out stones etc is another thing to worry about. However, I do like what perma soaking does to some stones and that it allows me to pick them out of the bucket and go. After playing with some of my soakers that I have been neglecting for quite some time I realize just how much I miss some of these stones in the sense of them being a joy to use.

Having said that, loads of people perma soak set stones without issue over years or at least so some have said. Not like I monitor their water bin... :lol:

Whatever works, works.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Radar53 »

Kit - I've got it to be pretty minimal input for me. I give the stones & containers a clean-up & change the water at the beginning of every month. No dramas about growth or contamination & who knows that might just be down to good luck & / or good water quality?? For my four stones & containers that's about 5 - 10 minutes per month and I can live with that.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Jeff B »

I have no problem with and am not dogging anyone that perma soaks. Like everything else in the knife world it's about personal preference and convenience. I don't have a decent place to keep a bucket of soaking stones and can grab a splash-n-go as easily as a perma soaked stone. It's much easier for me to leave a stone out for and hour or so and let it dry then put it away as to leave a bucket of soaking stones sitting around somewhere.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Radar53 »

hey Jeff, my apologies if my earlier post came across as a criticism, not my intention at all. I was trying to detail what works for me.
I love the great variety of views that pop up on the forum and I have learnt so much from what other people do. One of the things that's become very clear to me is that there are a multitude of ways to skin petty much any cat. 8-)
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Jeff B »

No problems here Grant, I just wanted to make sure those, like you, knew that I'm not judging other methods that differ from my own. I know you were just giving an account of your ways and preferences. Sometimes my post and responses are too straight to the point without much explanation that might tend to sound like "my way is the right way". Just making sure I'm not rubbing anyone the wrong way. Wait...not sure that came out right...or that either...nevermind. :?
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Radar53 »

Ten - four Jeff, all good from my end :D
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Kit Craft »

Radar53 wrote: Tue May 22, 2018 10:31 pm Kit - I've got it to be pretty minimal input for me. I give the stones & containers a clean-up & change the water at the beginning of every month. No dramas about growth or contamination & who knows that might just be down to good luck & / or good water quality?? For my four stones & containers that's about 5 - 10 minutes per month and I can live with that.
Yeah, my head is just totally all over the place. I might sink 'em in a pail and never see them again! :oops: That and no storage. :( (Plan to fix that soon as I will have a sharpening room.)
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Horizonson »

New to hand sharpening, on stones...

This is the library that I am building:

220 pink brick for reprofiling...
325 cerax for rebuilding edge...
800 chosera for sharpening edge...
2k GBofJoy for refining edge...
5k rika for polishing edge...
Green loaded strop for final edge of stainless cutlery...
8k kitayama and bare equine strop for final on carbon cutlery.

I know the 800 chosera and 8k kitayama are splash & go stones only.

Reading through the threads it would have me believe the others can be permasoaked (or at least over-night soaked)???

TIA, for any and all feedback 😊
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by jacko9 »

I have the Kitayama and it doesn't need a soaking it wets pretty easily and doesn't need a lot of water when I use it. For years I permasoaked my King and Bester stones but, I don't use them any longer.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Leopang »

Never used kohetsu stones
How is the 800 and 2000 anyone?
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by lsboogy »

jacko9 wrote: Sat Sep 15, 2018 4:22 pm I have the Kitayama and it doesn't need a soaking it wets pretty easily and doesn't need a lot of water when I use it. For years I permasoaked my King and Bester stones but, I don't use them any longer.
Been using a Kitayama for 30 years - I soak it for 15-30 minutes before use. How I was taught by an old guy in Japan when I bought the stone. I think that we overthink a lot of this stuff - soak your stones until no more bubbles and use them - keep the working side wet (even muddy) and they seem to do fine. The whole thing seems to be a bunch of voodoo to me - stones need to be able to shed metal and not clog - spray bottle will help check it out, but I don't use one any more - just drop a bit of water on a stone when it starts to clog.

I love talking to Ken - if you have not yet, bite the bullet and do it - he will steer you right. I don't permasoak any stones - sharpen stuff 10-12 times a year (home cook moving into a line cook role as prep for retirement) and what I see is too much unknown here - they have been using this method of sharpening for hundreds of years in Japan, and I don't think most of them give any of this much thought
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by jacko9 »

lsboogy wrote: Fri Nov 30, 2018 11:35 pm
jacko9 wrote: Sat Sep 15, 2018 4:22 pm I have the Kitayama and it doesn't need a soaking it wets pretty easily and doesn't need a lot of water when I use it. For years I permasoaked my King and Bester stones but, I don't use them any longer.
Been using a Kitayama for 30 years - I soak it for 15-30 minutes before use. How I was taught by an old guy in Japan when I bought the stone. I think that we overthink a lot of this stuff - soak your stones until no more bubbles and use them - keep the working side wet (even muddy) and they seem to do fine. The whole thing seems to be a bunch of voodoo to me - stones need to be able to shed metal and not clog - spray bottle will help check it out, but I don't use one any more - just drop a bit of water on a stone when it starts to clog.

I love talking to Ken - if you have not yet, bite the bullet and do it - he will steer you right. I don't permasoak any stones - sharpen stuff 10-12 times a year (home cook moving into a line cook role as prep for retirement) and what I see is too much unknown here - they have been using this method of sharpening for hundreds of years in Japan, and I don't think most of them give any of this much thought
I live 10 miles away from Ken so yes we talk and I have a lot of his products.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by ken123 »

Jeff B wrote: Wed May 23, 2018 11:36 am I have no problem with and am not dogging anyone that perma soaks. Like everything else in the knife world it's about personal preference and convenience. I don't have a decent place to keep a bucket of soaking stones and can grab a splash-n-go as easily as a perma soaked stone. It's much easier for me to leave a stone out for and hour or so and let it dry then put it away as to leave a bucket of soaking stones sitting around somewhere.
I agree with Jeff's perspective. For me I think of lining up what stones I expect to use and just use them. A bit like a chef setting up mise en place for his next dish. I don't like stones floating around in buckets, cross-contamination issues, growth in the water, etc. I've dealt with this and don't like moldy cross-contaminated stones. Again this is just my preference. I soak stones individually in their own buckets if necessary. I take my time letting stones dry out. I do appreciate the info regarding Nubatama stones perma soaked for long times but just don't have the need myself. Knock wood, not perma soaking stones has left me with NO cracked stones among my personal collection including Naniwa, Shapton Nubatama and Japanese natural stones. It is quite rare that I take more than a couple of minutes to soak a stone before using it. You can see this looking over my Youtube videos ( as kenneths123). Even the 150 Bamboo. If you think that's porous, try the 24 grit Nubatama - water literally runs thorough it.

Anecdotally, I did soak a Hugh King 800 stone permanently. It turned into a moldy mess. I could smell it. I ground out all 6 sides of the stone and let it dry out. Not something I'll repeat.

For these reasons, I'm hardly an encyclopedic reference for perma soaking stones :)

---
Ken
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Papou »

lsboogy wrote: Fri Nov 30, 2018 11:35 pm
jacko9 wrote: Sat Sep 15, 2018 4:22 pm I have the Kitayama and it doesn't need a soaking it wets pretty easily and doesn't need a lot of water when I use it. For years I permasoaked my King and Bester stones but, I don't use them any longer.
Been using a Kitayama for 30 years - I soak it for 15-30 minutes before use. How I was taught by an old guy in Japan when I bought the stone. I think that we overthink a lot of this stuff - soak your stones until no more bubbles and use them - keep the working side wet (even muddy) and they seem to do fine. The whole thing seems to be a bunch of voodoo to me - stones need to be able to shed metal and not clog - spray bottle will help check it out, but I don't use one any more - just drop a bit of water on a stone when it starts to clog.

I love talking to Ken - if you have not yet, bite the bullet and do it - he will steer you right. I don't permasoak any stones - sharpen stuff 10-12 times a year (home cook moving into a line cook role as prep for retirement) and what I see is too much unknown here - they have been using this method of sharpening for hundreds of years in Japan, and I don't think most of them give any of this much thought
Agree totally :)..
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Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Timothywoomb »

I completely agree with the suggestion and the list of items to take care for a new baby are listed to be taken care by a New mother.So better take care of it.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by old onion »

I just got lost. ^
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by willc68 »

I have been perma soaking the King 300 on and off for about 2 years now with great results.

Just recently I got a Naniwa Traditional 6000 from CKTG and that has been soaking for 2 weeks now.
It is pretty hard and dense so I probably could keep out and just do a quick soak but so far it works great being submerged.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Rob L »

Most of my stones are splash and go. I do however keep my imanishi 1k/6k stone perma soaked. In a small tub by itself. Water changed daily. I use this stone often at work. It’s ready to go when I need it to be. Haven’t had any problems so far. I like the stone but if something did happen to it, I wouldn’t be heart broken or anything.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Byphy »

I have an Ohishi 3000 , the vendor I got it from says it works best soaking for several hours.
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Re: Master List of Perma Soaking Stones

Post by Xuanfusion »

I did perms soaking on my
King 1k
Arashiyama 1k & 6k,

For over 2 months now , ok on both 1k , but not for the 6k , will taking it out !
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