Best first stones ?

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Inhuman
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Best first stones ?

Post by Inhuman »

Hey guys , I posted a few weeks ago about my first jknife , leaned towards konosuke HD2, and couldn't bear to wait longer . I purchased a kono Swedish stainless 240 and use it in a pro environment . I love it . I had the sharpening service done and Alton did a great job . Shortly thereafter I purchased the Richmond 4 pc stropping kit. I've gotten the hang of it , and last weekend a friend came from out of town and showed me how to use stones properly , and touched up the kono on a 5k.

I feel it is time to sharpen the kono , and I'm about to buy some more equipment. Damn you CTKG! The rabbit hole goes so deep !!

Some people have already recommended the imanishi 1k/6k to me . Should I get this stone ? If so , should I get some stones to supplement it? Any accessories ?( stone holder , jewelers loupe)
Thanks in advance guys !
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Kit Craft
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Re: Best first stones ?

Post by Kit Craft »

if you go the Imanishi route then I would get the setup that Mark sells that includes the stone holder and diamond flattening plate. There are other sets as well that I would consider such as the 8pc set that Mark also sells. Or many other ways you could go. Again, nothing wrong with a combo stone but it seems you are already quite invested and are not going to lose interest. As such there might be better options out there.
Inhuman
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Re: Best first stones ?

Post by Inhuman »

I was looking at those . I'd like to add I'm willing to spend up to $150 if that helps at all. I like the Rika 5k and the shapton stones look interesting but I'm unsure .

Sharpening a Konosuke swedish stainless 240 . Planning on getting something reactive next , maybe something cladded to help in the kitchen .

I am invested , I have always been into knives of all sorts from a young age. Finding and experiencing these artisan Japanese knives has been transformative to say the least .

I have already changed almost my entire cutting style . Mainly push cutting and light chopping . Bought a huge sani-tuff board as well for work , as I heard they helped with edge retention .
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Kit Craft
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Re: Best first stones ?

Post by Kit Craft »

Wow, looking at the site so many stones are out of stock right now. It seems the 8pc set is a bit above what you are willing to spend but it is a very competent set. You can get by without a stone holder and even a plate for flattening but both things make life easier. You could consider Shapton or Chosera stones if the convenience of splash and go interests you but these are not the most budget friendly of choices.
Lepus
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Re: Best first stones ?

Post by Lepus »

The Imanishi 1k/6k is pretty great, but if you're already planning your next few knives you are indeed heavily invested. Someone who is likely to upgrade in a few years should seriously consider the expensive but excellent Naniwa Professional 1000 here. Pick it up by itself, see how you like it, and then decide where you want to go from there. It is a nearly universally loved stone and does a great job on a lot of knives, certainly including those Konosukes. If you invest a little more to start you will never need to upgrade.

You might also consider some of the Nubatama 1000 grit stones. There are a lot of them and the people who like them really like them.

I'd follow it with a Rika 5k, which I do think is a pretty fantastic finishing stone regardless of price and an insane deal considering the price, and a fairly aggressive coarse stone like the Cerax 320 or Imanishi 220 that can double for thinning. The Pro 400 isn't out of the cards, but I get the impression it's a little hard and releases abrasive too slowly to be a great thinning stone. I haven't used it, though, so that's mostly speculation.

If you do decide the stone is not your cup of tea I think it would be pretty easy to sell a Naniwa 1000 on the secondary market and go elsewhere.

If all my stones broke tomorrow and I had $100 to buy a new sharpening set, I would buy the Naniwa 1k, a block of wood to use as a stone stand, and a balsa strop.
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Kit Craft
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Re: Best first stones ?

Post by Kit Craft »

I wouldn't say that the Pro/Chosera 400 is hard but it IS harder than the Cerax. It is still soft compared to other Chosera stones, which is to be expected at its grit level.

Me, if I could have only one set it would be the CKTG 140 diamond, Suehiro Cerax 320, Cerax 1000, Rika 5000 and Suehiro stone holder.
cwillett
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Re: Best first stones ?

Post by cwillett »

I started sharpening a little over 6 months ago. The Suehiro Cerax 1000 is a nice stone and one that seems pretty forgiving. I can put a good edge on my knives and this is the stone that I spend most of the time on. I spend a lot less time on a Suehiro Rika 5000 and the edge is complete. I'm not sure it especially matters which brand you get as you'll probably adapt your style to the characteristics of the brand since you're starting out. The general advice to master a 1000 grit edge is really good and I become more and more convinced with every knife that I sharpen that low grit stones are more important than the high grit stones.
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