# Which Chosera? 800 or the 1k?



## labor of love (Mar 26, 2015)

Has anybody here used both stones and developed a preference? Do they offer similar feedback and cut about the same, with a slightly different grit rating being the only difference, or are they very different stones? Thanks.


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## dmccurtis (Mar 26, 2015)

The 800 is a bit softer, faster, has better feedback, and performs more like a nominal 1000 grit stone. The 1000 is a bit harder than I prefer for a medium grit stone for knives, though is excellent for tools, and performs more like a nominal 1500-2000 grit stone.


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## panda (Mar 26, 2015)

What about the 600, I would like more aggressive than a 'nominal 1k'


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## dmccurtis (Mar 27, 2015)

I'd call the 800 a fast 1000. The 600 scratches may be a bit deep for following up with a finisher.


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## labor of love (Mar 27, 2015)

dmccurtis said:


> The 800 is a bit softer, faster, has better feedback, and performs more like a nominal 1000 grit stone. The 1000 is a bit harder than I prefer for a medium grit stone for knives, though is excellent for tools, and performs more like a nominal 1500-2000 grit stone.



thanks. I picked up an 800, they sound nice.


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## panda (Mar 28, 2015)

Anyone else? Dave you care to chime in?


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## wphill (Mar 31, 2015)

I have the 400 and 800. Chosera is such a good stone that if you were considering a 600 I would want to ask if the scratches are deep.
Makes sense that this would be a consideration. I can say that the 800 works well for me as a starter stone for knives that don't need
attention to the bevel. I've been trained to thin as I go and the 800 works well. Many follow with the 3k and do very nicely betting both
bite and polish. I go with the 2k.


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## panda (Apr 2, 2015)

when i had the 400 the scratches were not that deep, i felt it finished more like 600, so i figure 600 would leave an 800-like scratch which is fine as i plan to jump to 3k and call it a day.


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## wphill (Apr 3, 2015)

Lately, I'm trying to jump from the 800 to a beglium blue whetsone /bbw with slurry from a coti stone to help with the transition. More like trial and error
since I don't have a good grip, at all, on the underlying science. I suppose that mud by a slurry stone (or diamond finger) on a 3k would do the same..if necessary.
What I like about using sub 1k chosera as the starter stone is better action for minor thinning.


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## chinacats (Apr 3, 2015)

Belgium blue/coticule must be super slow on a knife?


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## Steampunk (Apr 3, 2015)

chinacats said:


> Belgium blue/coticule must be super slow on a knife?



Coming from the perspective of a long-time Arkansas stone user, it's surprising, but actually, they aren't... I've been using my Belgian Blue as my finishing stone on my Hiromoto AS gyuto (60-62hrc), and to do the heavy lifting between Shapton 1-2K stones and finishing on 1-0.5 micron pastes on my Masakage Yuki Petty (62-63hrc), as well as on quite a bit of harder stainless (VG-10 @ 60-61, AUS-8 @ 58-59, Ginsanko @ 60, etc.) with quite efficient results. The slurry is the key... With a thick mud, I actually find it quite capable of being a one-stone solution to light-medium thinning. As long as you start with a milky slurry on the stone, generated with the matching slurry stone, I have actually found finishing any higher than my 1K Shapton Pro (Which some estimate at closer to 800 grit than it is to 1K) before moving onto the BBW as being a waste of time. On softer knives, I have even started as low as my - admittedly, well broken-in - DMT Fine (25-micron, 600-mesh) diamond plate, and the Belgian Blue has handled it just fine. I find this quite ironic, as razor-honers always complain about the Blue being 'slower' than the finer, but more abrasive-dense Coticule stones, but compared with Arks they are very fast. On plain water, they're a little slower than a synthetic stone, but with slurry they are actually fairly versatile. 

Hopefully this helps...

- Steampunk


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## chinacats (Apr 3, 2015)

Compared to Arks, a fleece towel is fast...once I discovered waterstones I realized how ****** the Arks actually are...I used them for 30 years before switching and laughed at myself for this after the fact...to each his own though and I do find them to be really nice with a razor.

Cheers


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## wphill (Apr 3, 2015)

Steampunk,
We may have had this conversation before. ?To some extent we're on the same page...only difference is the initial stone...and there is always a difference
in the user. As for speed, I don't doubt that the synthetic stones are faster, per se. Then again, I suspect that someone with a BBW is out there that also has an uncanny
ability whereby both speed and performance will be superior to the average user of synthetics only. As you say, it's in the mud... and how one uses it. For me, I am speculating
that the BBW with the coti slurry yields an edge that last longer (the downside is that I don't get to practice as much), is nicely polished, and has more teeth. All very
subjective, granted. As for the arkie's..I returned mine to the seller. I did try that route. Wouldn't mind having a quality Black to experiment with stropping...adding a water
soluble diamond spray to the surface.


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## labor of love (Apr 3, 2015)

Can we try to stay on topic please?


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## Salty dog (Apr 3, 2015)

I don't go below 1000 unless it's for "repair". So I can follow the 400 with the 1000. Don't have an eight.


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## panda (Apr 4, 2015)

seriously how did this turn into scallops? 
any other user input about the cho 600 and 800 would be greatly appreciated.


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## wphill (Apr 4, 2015)

All depends on your purpose. I don't think one can wrong with either a 600 or 800. But, it
helps to take into consideration your follow up stone.


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## panda (May 19, 2015)

has anyone tried jumping from the chosera 400 straight to 3k? i'm currently using 600-3k but not liking how the 600 feels, loved the 400 when i had one.


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## psfred (May 19, 2015)

I personally would never go from a 400 to a 3k, but then again I don't use low grit stones for regular sharpening either, just to repair or re-condition abused knives. If you want a real 3k edge, it's going to take a very long time with that jump to get rid of the scratches from the 400 grit stone and clean up the edge.

I find 1200 grit works just fine to restore a dull edge, usually very quickly. Some people like that edge and stop there, particularly with softer stainless, but I like a finer edge, so got to my synthetic aoto for stainless and a 6 or 8k stone for carbon and my cheapo Korean knife which is probably 52100 spring steel. 

You can give it a try, but you may be disappointed.

Peter


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## panda (May 22, 2015)

600 is pushing it for burr removal but i can get it to work, i had a feeling 400 would be asking too much of the 3k to follow.


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## Duckfat (May 23, 2015)

I don't use the 800 but I can't say I've ever felt the 1K is as fine as others often feel it is. It is a hard stone but I find it just about perfect for touch ups and thinning.


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## stevenn21 (Aug 8, 2015)

i think you should get the 1k


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