Atoma Plate for Lapping, 140 or 400?

[Dave Kinogie]

As of now I have a dished King combo stone, 1000/6000.

Although I'd like to upgrade my stones in the near future, in the present I really need to finally bite the bullet and get a diamond plate to flatten this one back and to keep my better stones flat with regular maintenance once I finally get some.

So my only 2 questions are, do you recommend a 140, or a 400 and why?

Thanks in advance.

[Dave Kinogie]

Actually a 3rd question:

Even if the 140 is better for flattening stones, would the 400 be sufficient or a little better than that as an in general for flattening, but at the same time more versatile for a novice sharpener such as myself for actual knife sharpening, as in minor repairs, thinning and resetting bevels?

I.E., the 140 would be better strictly for flattening, but maybe too aggressive for anything else for someone with my solid, albeit limited skills?

From my gathering of info, the 140 is only for major repairs and for someone with a lot of confidence with such a low grit and diamond plate instead of water stone, where as I can actually get use out of a 400 Atoma other than flattening?

[ken123]

Go for the 140. If you want somerhing coarse get the 46 or 60 grit plate

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Ken

[Dave Kinogie]

Go for the 140. If you want somerhing coarse get the 46 or 60 grit plate

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Ken

So one question... would the 140 be forgiving for flattening? I'm guessing flattening is as mainly straightforward as it seems, but like if I slip or something, is the 400 a lot more forgiving, where as the 140 I might put a big gouge in my stone and have to start over and removed even more stone to fix my error?

Is all this inevitable anyway being as green as I am lol, so just go for the 140 anyway?

[Jason H]

Go for the 140. If you want somerhing coarse get the 46 or 60 grit plate

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Ken

So one question... would the 140 be forgiving for flattening? I'm guessing flattening is as mainly straightforward as it seems, but like if I slip or something, is the 400 a lot more forgiving, where as the 140 I might put a big gouge in my stone and have to start over and removed even more stone to fix my error?

Is all this inevitable anyway being as green as I am lol, so just go for the 140 anyway?

It would be hard to gouge a stone with these plates as they are very flat,it’s almost fool proof. They only thing you could possibly do wrong is remove too much stone but you’d have to work at it to do so.

[Dave Kinogie]

Go for the 140. If you want somerhing coarse get the 46 or 60 grit plate

---
Ken

So one question... would the 140 be forgiving for flattening? I'm guessing flattening is as mainly straightforward as it seems, but like if I slip or something, is the 400 a lot more forgiving, where as the 140 I might put a big gouge in my stone and have to start over and removed even more stone to fix my error?

Is all this inevitable anyway being as green as I am lol, so just go for the 140 anyway?

It would be hard to gouge a stone with these plates as they are very flat,it’s almost fool proof. They only thing you could possibly do wrong is remove too much stone but you’d have to work at it to do so.

Thanks. Probably going to order a 140 tonight.

[Thuja Magus]

For strictly flattening water stone get the CKTG 140, it is plenty capable at the task. I had one for 3 years and would still have it if I wasn’t stupid.

[Radar53]

I got an Atoma 140 & added an Atoma 400 pad to the other side, hopefully for the best of both worlds. I try to use the 400 for stones that are 1k & greater and the 140 for <1k. The exception is if flattening say a 2k & the first strokes with the 400 show that it needs a fair bit of work, I default to the 140 until the cross-hatch pattern is reduced but not gone & then finish with the 400 in an effort to preserve as much stone as possible