I didn’t believe it.

[aporigine]

Update: ascending through the grits.

Good news/ bad news.

After stopping at the Shapton 1k earlier, the next stone was Chosera 3k. This put a dark kasumi on the cladding, while leaving the steel fairly bright. The ura side received a light rub as well, then trailing strokes to deal with a small but perceptible burr.

One thing I don’t know how to do is avoid the scuff marks from the stone’s edges that mar the evenness of the finish.

3000 Chosera

Reflection off the post-3k blade road

Next was the Suehiro Cerax 5k. This stone is fast and muddy. It tends to get second billing compared to its Rika gritmate. Since I haven’t handled a Rika, I wonder how they compare. The Cerax is an excellent stone imo. It made for a kasumi even more dramatic than the Chosera made. Same problem though: scuff marks and shallow swirl marks from bits of ? that joined the party.

I’ve learned to be strict about washing everything before polishing! Hygiene seems to be a core condition of laying down a clean grind pattern, much more so than when maintaining an edge.

After the Chosera, the edge went through receipt paper in a satisfactory manner. After the Suehiro, it whispered through.

After the 5k

Next: an hour on the Chosera 10k.
This is not a splash& go stone! It’s a splash&splash&splash&splash&splash&soak for a few&splash&splash&blaspheme sulfurously&splash&soak for a half hour&splash&finally go kind of stone.

Once I had that sorted, I got a mirror finish on the steel and a “Tequila sunrise” bright kasumi on the iron. The uraoshi was duly polished, the edge given a few hundred light strokes — it creamed through receipts. I even got the kissaki sharp enough that it would start cuts in the middle of the paper.

The fine stones showed up two spots where my geometry correction was not complete: one at the heel and edge; one at the shinogi where it handed off to the ridge where it met the flat of the tip. I’d need to go through the full progression to really get those two spots, so I’m calling it Good Enough For Now.

10k polish, with rough area near tip

[aporigine]

Update contd.

Next I pulled out a Shapton M5 12k stone gifted to me by a friend. It has some wicked gouge marks that suggest an otherwise undocumented encounter with great frustration. It gave a streakier finish than the preceding Chosera, even after I’d cleaned it as well as I could.

So I pulled out my almost new M15 12k, cleaned it and raised a slurry with the “terra cotta brick” nagura supplied with the Choseras. A better polish — marred by many fine scratches. I traced it back to the nagura. It seemed to be shedding a few grains of something coarser than the Shapton abrasive. Wash everything down and go without nagura. Obtained a mirror polish as good as the 10k delivered, with a bit more brightness on the iron as well. Edge was as good as, maybe better than off the 10k. A real hair-popper, and (preens) without stropping once!

I plan on threatening some salmon with this monument to sharpness, and fully expect it to fall apart into glossy blocks from simple awe.

12k finish. Next — a felt block and 1 micron diamond? Whadd ya think?

[Jeff B]

Update contd.

Next I pulled out a Shapton M5 12k stone gifted to me by a friend. It has some wicked gouge marks that suggest an otherwise undocumented encounter with great frustration. It gave a streakier finish than the preceding Chosera, even after I’d cleaned it as well as I could.

So I pulled out my almost new M15 12k, cleaned it and raised a slurry with the “terra cotta brick” nagura supplied with the Choseras. A better polish — marred by many fine scratches. I traced it back to the nagura. It seemed to be shedding a few grains of something coarser than the Shapton abrasive. Wash everything down and go without nagura. Obtained a mirror polish as good as the 10k delivered, with a bit more brightness on the iron as well. Edge was as good as, maybe better than off the 10k. A real hair-popper, and (preens) without stropping once!

I plan on threatening some salmon with this monument to sharpness, and fully expect it to fall apart into glossy blocks from simple awe.

IMG_3865.jpeg

Have enjoyed following this journey of yours!

[STPepper9]

Update contd.

Next I pulled out a Shapton M5 12k stone gifted to me by a friend. It has some wicked gouge marks that suggest an otherwise undocumented encounter with great frustration. It gave a streakier finish than the preceding Chosera, even after I’d cleaned it as well as I could.

So I pulled out my almost new M15 12k, cleaned it and raised a slurry with the “terra cotta brick” nagura supplied with the Choseras. A better polish — marred by many fine scratches. I traced it back to the nagura. It seemed to be shedding a few grains of something coarser than the Shapton abrasive. Wash everything down and go without nagura. Obtained a mirror polish as good as the 10k delivered, with a bit more brightness on the iron as well. Edge was as good as, maybe better than off the 10k. A real hair-popper, and (preens) without stropping once!

I plan on threatening some salmon with this monument to sharpness, and fully expect it to fall apart into glossy blocks from simple awe.

IMG_3865.jpeg

Have enjoyed following this journey of yours!

Same

[ex1580]

Update contd.

Next I pulled out a Shapton M5 12k stone gifted to me by a friend. It has some wicked gouge marks that suggest an otherwise undocumented encounter with great frustration. It gave a streakier finish than the preceding Chosera, even after I’d cleaned it as well as I could.

So I pulled out my almost new M15 12k, cleaned it and raised a slurry with the “terra cotta brick” nagura supplied with the Choseras. A better polish — marred by many fine scratches. I traced it back to the nagura. It seemed to be shedding a few grains of something coarser than the Shapton abrasive. Wash everything down and go without nagura. Obtained a mirror polish as good as the 10k delivered, with a bit more brightness on the iron as well. Edge was as good as, maybe better than off the 10k. A real hair-popper, and (preens) without stropping once!

I plan on threatening some salmon with this monument to sharpness, and fully expect it to fall apart into glossy blocks from simple awe.

IMG_3865.jpeg

Have enjoyed following this journey of yours!

+1

A good example of why fit and finish costs extra.

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Wow the finish looks great!

[trancher]

Have enjoyed following this journey of yours!

Ditto!

The excellent work you put in will undoubtably make this blade a little more special than one sans spa treatment.

[Kekoa]

Well it may not be "perfect," but you can color me impressed! That is looking pretty snazzy.

[atang]

Nice!! The amount of time it takes to polish to a very high level is a test of patience. I’m liking that shot after the 5k. Impressive stone!

[Radar53]

[/quote]

Have enjoyed following this journey of yours!
[/quote]

Me too for sure. Unfortunately I don't have the patience to get to this level of "perfection"

[Qapla']

How did you handle the point area?

[aporigine]

How did you handle the point area?

I placed my right (guiding) hand about midway down the blade, and raised/lowered the angle to feel for flat contact. Then I used very short scrubbing motions while occasionally resetting my pressure fingers from tip to corner.

I did not do a complete job with the coarse abrasive. Feedback was not far above my noise floor, and I ran out of courage. I was worried I’d make a mess of the break between blade road and tip bevel.