# Lets see your sharpening stations



## Jmadams13

I'm tiered of my set up, not my stones, just how I set them up for sharpening sessions. So I'm looking for ideas. I sharpen at home, in the kitchen (small apartment.) I'm a visual learner, so a picture speaks loudest to me. So lets see 'em guys

Joe


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## WiscoNole

some stones not pictured


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## eto

Whipped up this set up the other day.

Cost nothing, so a great economical choice. Used what I found.




[/IMG]


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## mr drinky

This is mine (during the summer). The stones are now soaking in my basement, and I just ordered some hotel pans and Jon's stone bridge. I am trying to come up with a better winter set-up.

k.


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## kalaeb

Dang, thats intense. I just use the kitchen sink.


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## K-Fed

kalaeb said:


> Dang, thats intense. I just use the kitchen sink.


+1 and a suehiro stone holder. The stones that I use the most stay piled up on the kitchen counter.


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## mr drinky

kalaeb said:


> I just use the kitchen sink.



The wife hates me getting that stone residue everywhere. It is my concession to her, and in return she ignores what I buy. 

k.


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## mc2442

The fatigue mat definitely lends a lot of thought into the station.


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## turbochef422

I put this together last night I wanted to try something new. 
Cost $7 total


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## EdipisReks

my stone station is a silpat on top of one of my cutting boards. i usually just use a chunk i cut out of a thick outdoor rubber stair tread, instead of a stone holder. the sink next to the cutting board is adequate most of the time, as only three of my stones stay soaked (and they live under my kitchen island). i do stand on an anti-fatigue mat, though.


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## jackslimpson

I made a simple sink bringe out of scrap lumber from my garage. I'ts strong and stable. I've got good light above, another sink to the right, a drying matt and towels to the left. Not pictured is a spray bottle with water, and other stones that may be soaking nearby. Pictured is a Yoshihiro yanagiba, 270mm, and a Bester 1200. As much as I love my JNats, I'm increasingly amazed with the edges I can get from this one Bester, and my Arashiyama 6000. 

Cheers,

Jack


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## SpikeC

I worry about using the sink as stone residue could accumulate in the drain. Before my kitchen was redone the drain was easily clogged and was a b!tch to clear, so I am a bit gunshy about that.


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## Lucretia

I have a glass-topped coffee table, and if I'm watching tv, I throw a towel on top of the table, slap down a stone, sit on the floor, and have at it. The stones live in a plastic bin of water that sits next to me and I can dip out of it as needed to wet the stone.


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## Jmadams13

turbochef422 said:


> I put this together last night I wanted to try something new.
> Cost $7 total
> View attachment 12564



Kinda what I was thinking about. I just can't see myself paying for a sink bridge when I could make one. Now it's a towel on the edge of a cuttin board for clearance, with a bath towel under that to catch all the water. Still messy as hell tho.


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## mainaman




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## Patatas Bravas

Haha I notice this stone more than the sharpening set up. Very nice. Mainaman, which stone is this one?


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## mainaman

Patatas Bravas said:


> Haha I notice this stone more than the sharpening set up. Very nice. Mainaman, which stone is this one?


Ohira suita
I found a better pic of the set up, it is simple set up and works great for me


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## Cadillac J

Mine is permanently setup around the sink in my laundry room. This is the cleanest it has been in a while...normally the whole counter, walls and washer are covered with slurry.


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## Dave Martell

There's some nice setups here. :doublethumbsup:


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## Dave Martell

SpikeC said:


> I worry about using the sink as stone residue could accumulate in the drain. Before my kitchen was redone the drain was easily clogged and was a b!tch to clear, so I am a bit gunshy about that.




Take it from me - stone sludge can and will clog up drains.


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## azchef

eto said:


> Whipped up this set up the other day.
> 
> Cost nothing, so a great economical choice. Used what I found.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/IMG]



Hey could you give me a run down of your set up? I really like the towel.

John


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## Zwiefel

Dave Martell said:


> Take it from me - stone sludge can and will clog up drains.




It will also scratch porcelain sinks if you don't rinse thoroughly before putting dishes back in. :curse:


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## Blobby

Dave Martell said:


> Take it from me - stone sludge can and will clog up drains.



I have no doubt. It's got the consistency of cement dust. Use lots of water to flush it down is the answer I guess.


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## eto

azchef said:


> Hey could you give me a run down of your set up? I really like the towel.
> 
> John



I got the blue bin from the dominos pizza place on my block. Cost 9 bucks but the manager I know there gave it to me for free. sometimes it pays to eat **** food.

Found a piece of wood which I cut two pieces, one smaller which I cut to fit tightly in the bin. The larger piece I cut just enough to hang over the lip of the bin. Nailed them both together.

Friend of mine gave me two bottles of beer from Okinawa as a token for sharpening there knives which came in the cloth that I now use on my base.


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## 454Casull

I don't think you guys need to see pics of a slack belt sander.


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## Blobby

pffff


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## stevenStefano

Not exactly the height of opulence, I sharpen in my dining room


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## Lefty

I need to get more committed. Mine is either the countertop, with a 2x4 and one of those mats servers put on their trays wrapped around it. Underneath I put a damp towel and on top, whichever stone I'm using. I soak the stones in a Rubbermaid container.... But my shop is pretty cool!


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## Lars

Here is a crappy pic of my station -->


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## gentlecook

nice and comfortabe place, if you r righthanded =)


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## Twistington

Something like this.


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## Salty dog

A little dated but........................


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## stevenStefano

Did you sharpen all those at once Salty? No way I could do that, I get kinda fed up just doing 4


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## turbochef422

I can only don2 at a time otherwise I get sloppy.


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## Salty dog

I have sessions with mutiple knives. I find with each knife I'm a little more in the groove. But I'm a 5-6 minute guy. (Pun intended)


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## kalaeb

My set up at work also consists of a 6 inch 1/3 pan, although I don't have one of those rocking covenant stones.


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## Zwiefel

Here's mine...pretty basic I'm afraid...also my primary prep area when cooking.


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## Salty dog

My thought is basic is good.


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## cwrightthruya

My wife quickly tired of me sharpening on our white kitchen counter . So, for $15 and about 2 hours of work I made this. It works decently and is lacquered so I can just wipe it dry.


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## Johnny.B.Good

Twistington said:


> Something like this.



I like this.


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## Blobby

cwrightthruya said:


> My wife quickly tired of me sharpening on our white kitchen counter . So, for $15 and about 2 hours of work I made this. It works decently and is lacquered so I can just wipe it dry.



Wow, with a stone that size you need all that timber to span the sink safely! Which stone is that?


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## cwrightthruya

It's an Atagoyama. It is actually one of my medium sized stones. I have a 9lb Atagoyama as well that dwarfs this one.
I actually snapped my first attempt at a sink bridge with one of my larger stones. That area where I cut out the trench for water is actually quite weak.


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## JBroida

you might want to switch it so that it tilts down away from you... much easier to sharpen that way


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## K-Fed

Nothing fancy, but get's the job done


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## bieniek

Twistington said:


> Something like this.



Dan isnt it amazing ?  IKEA producing special sharpening trolleys :wink:


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## cclin

stainless paint tray work nicely!!


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## marc4pt0

I also use that Kramer sink bridge, it's actually a pretty good deal. And works well on the steel counters when the sinks are ocupado.But what I'd like to know, and I can't quite tell from the picture, what are the make of the 2 knives you have working there?



cclin said:


> stainless paint tray work nicely!!


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## marc4pt0

dig that groovy red chair. that Does scream for a "drink break"



mr drinky said:


> This is mine (during the summer). The stones are now soaking in my basement, and I just ordered some hotel pans and Jon's stone bridge. I am trying to come up with a better winter set-up.
> 
> k.


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## cclin

marc4pt0 said:


> I also use that Kramer sink bridge, it's actually a pretty good deal. And works well on the steel counters when the sinks are ocupado.But what I'd like to know, and I can't quite tell from the picture, what are the make of the 2 knives you have working there?



Yoshikane SLD Kurouchi Damascus 240 mm Gyuto & Watanabe pro gyuto with Stefan Keller Handle


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## Yoni Lang

Johnny.B.Good said:


> I like this.



yup


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## bieniek

working on my Shig.


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## Mike9

Mine is pretty simple - an old dark room tray and some plywood.


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## Chefdog

Really easy and cheap setup for me. A 1/2 sheet tray, Rubbermaid to hold stones, stone holder, diamond plate, champagne cork, water bottle, and some non-slip mats that double to wrap and protect the stones in the box. New stones and a new knife, so I was playing around a bit today at work.


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## Beohbe

I use a double bucket with a bridge I made from scrap wood laying around. The bridge just slides over the raised divider in the middle, and can be angled however.


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## Dave Martell

Beohbe said:


> I use a double bucket with a bridge I made from scrap wood laying around. The bridge just slides over the raised divider in the middle, and can be angled however.




That's a nice set up.


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## Beohbe

Dave Martell said:


> That's a nice set up.



Thanks!
I got the idea from the setups at Korin:





I realized that I had a bucket that could replicate the setup, yet be mobile. Works really well.

Double bucket for anyone interested:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AMSQ30/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Chef Niloc

Dave Martell said:


> That's a nice set up.



Dave have you gotten this sharpening position down yet? And what about the outfit, RaRa was sewing you one, right?







O and BTW did you ever get those Togioke. Polishing bucket made?


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## pkjames

this is what i made  not really for my kitchen knives but rather a dedicated place for my tormek T7, which often used to sharpen drill bits, turning tools, etc. and occasionally for repairing chipped knife blade.

This pic of the station is still without any draws, etc. 





this is the completed one





draws are for various jigs, and of course, a set of stones 

this is the sink bridge i use for knives, assembled using scrap decking timber.


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## slowtyper

Nice work guys...I just put a stone on a flat stainless work surface...


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## Chef Niloc

Beohbe said:


> Thanks!
> I got the idea from the setups at Korin:
> 
> I realized that I had a bucket that could replicate the setup, yet be mobile. Works really well.
> 
> Double bucket for anyone interested:
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AMSQ30/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Thanks for the idea and link, I just made this. Truly a great set up you found.


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## samuelpeter

I'd bet that is far more functional, and stable, than it looks from here. I like it.


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## Chef Niloc

samuelpeter said:


> I'd bet that is far more functional, and stable, than it looks from here. I like it.



The things solid! Its like The bucket was made to hold a Todai-makura Block.


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## Sambal

What's the advantage of a sloping-away-from-you platform? Wouldn't a level platform give a more neutral feedback on hand/arm movements? How are the ergonomics of a tilting platform better?


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## stereo.pete

Sambal said:


> What's the advantage of a sloping-away-from-you platform? Wouldn't a level platform give a more neutral feedback on hand/arm movements? How are the ergonomics of a tilting platform better?



Ditto on the above questions, I almost feel if the sharpening surface was tilting away from me that it would cause my wrists to lift the blade knife up on the way down almost like a bad stropping motion.


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## Patatas Bravas

Sambal said:


> What's the advantage of a sloping-away-from-you platform? Wouldn't a level platform give a more neutral feedback on hand/arm movements? How are the ergonomics of a tilting platform better?



No special reason for this personally. Just feels better. However, I also reason that especially if you're standing and looking down on what you do it's easier to be consistent if the stone has an angle making it slightly more parallel to your line of sight. Easier to keep an eye on the angle this way.


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## JBroida

i sharpen with the stone on a tilt away from me... it helps out with a few things including water control and ergonomics. Oddly enough it turns out that on a flat plane, your wrists have more of a tendency to turn up as you move away from yourself, so the angle helps a bit with that. Try it one day and see.


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## labor of love

jon, this tilting the stone away from the sharpener can be achieved with the stone bridge(you carry)/cambro set up correct?


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## JBroida

thats what i use, but there are many ways to make it happen


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## GlassEye

I made my own stone holder with an optional tilt, but once I tried the tilt I haven't gone back.


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## tk59

I use Jon's Suehiro set-up with the tray on a flat countertop. I've tried playing with the different tilts and in the end, I decided it doesn't matter and no tilt is easier to do since I sharpen wherever I happen to be, it's easier to take a stone or plate along and find a flat place to work. Maybe if I was sharpening all day, it would make a difference... :dontknow:


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## Patatas Bravas

Yes, although I disagree on the water control point, which also makes me think of 'slurry control' too. (All this lingo we come up with here...) The stones tend to dry out at the higher end, obviously, and the slurry collects at the lower so I find I have to even things out, spread some slurry back up, and I add water at the top part as some will run down. This seems less convenient than if the stone were flat, but as I said for me the incline makes the sharpening motions and angle control easier.


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## panda

love jki's stone bridge thing, it's adjustable and fits perfectly in a hotel pan. interestingly enough, all my metal pans are warped on bottom and dont sit flat where as the plastic ones are nice and flat. i too use it on a tilt. would have been nice if it came with a non slip mat to put over the surface though.


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## panda

my latest setup: 
converted to splash n go from 
naniwa 150 - bester 1200 - rika 5000
to
chosera 400 - jns 1000 - jns synthetic aoto






freaking loving the chosera.


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## K-Fed

panda said:


> my latest setup:
> converted to splash n go from
> naniwa 150 - bester 1200 - rika 5000
> to
> chosera 400 - jns 1000 - jns synthetic aoto
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> freaking loving the chosera.



+1 on that chocera. Glad you like it. Pretty sure I may have recommended it. I love the choseras that I've got.


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## panda

Yeah you lead me to go chosera over gesshin, glad. I love this stone. The jns 1000 is awesome too, not loving the synthetic aoto as much but it gets the job done. jks 3000 feels nicer feedback wise, but the edge is better from the aoto.


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## Patatas Bravas

I noticed all those 'want to buy ...' stone messages of yours. Were these 3 an upgrade for you, or more just a change? Glad to hear about the Chosera as I plan on replacing my current 400 with a Chosera at some point.


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## panda

chosera was a huge upgrade, the 1k and aoto were more side steps (funny i got them both from mainaman who has a gazillion natural stones). honestly i think the rika feels best on stones and leaves the best edge, but i am glad i made the moves that i did.


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## Ruso

This is my ghetto setup that I build based on videos/pics of other users.
It's a plastic paint pan. The holder for the big stones has 2 legs at that bottom that match the pan width (not appreciated in the pic). And the stone is locked with the wedge at the top.
The smaller holder fits perfectly in to the groves somehow and I use for the low height or narrow stones like Naniwa SS in the pic.
Also, with time I added 2 magnets at each side and equipped my handmade strops with 2 metal something at the bottom so it would not glide back and forth on the pan.
So far it has been working


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## Asteger

Just found this thread, thought I'd post. 

Recently moved most of my stone & mantenance stuff to this cosy top shelf in our living room adjoining the kitchen, too high for my daughter to grab. Never had enough room in the kitchen and so most of the stuff had been in my office. I'd sharpen and thin either at my desk (messy) or over in the kitchen.

Sorry as it's hard to make out details - things are compact - but you get the idea.


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