# The never ending question...one stone ?



## Jkr (Aug 30, 2022)

I’m looking for my first whetstone. I have never sharpened before, so it may not be for me. 
I have read a lot, and know that some like hard – some like soft stones. 
What I like, no one knows. 
But im seeking the best stone for a guy who is just trying out sharpening, to see if he likes it. And get sharper kitchen knives in the process. 

Money is short and I was thinking a combo-stone, but was advised against it (?). 
Also the Naniwa super stones was not recommended for a beginner (?). 

Info/criteria: 
a good beginner stone. 
If I don’t like sharpening, the stone should not cost much. 
Stone should be usable as a ‘one stone only’. 
If I like sharpening, the stone should be usable the next couple of years (be a part of a set). 
My knives are dull, not round or chipped. 
No need for a flattening block right away. 

My knives: 
German steel 
VG10 
AUS-8 
Outdoor knives 

The list of possible stones 
King combi kw65 - #1000/6000 - price around 35€ 
King deluxe #1000 (or maybe #800) - Price around 28€ 
Naniwa BASE stones – two stones #1000+#3000 - Price around 60€ 
Naniwa pro #800 – Price around 60€ 
Shapton pro #1000, #1500 or #2000 - Price around 46€ 

Due to the Price tag im leaning against the King deluxe or one of the shapton pros. 
The naiwa BASE combination is tempting, but I cant find much about the stones. 

Any feedback and input to the above is highly appreciated.


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## SirCutAlot (Aug 30, 2022)

One stone solution for the knives you mentioned ?

Naniwa Pro 800.

SirCutALot


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## Jkr (Aug 30, 2022)

SirCutAlot said:


> One stone solution for the knives you mentioned ?
> 
> Naniwa Pro 800.
> 
> SirCutALot


Thanks for the reply. I dont like it - thats the most expensive one 
I get that would be the solution for the knive - but what about the other variables?
For the price of Naniwa pro 800 I can buy one of the Shapton pros + a Naniwa flattening stone #160. Would that be a better solution for at starting point?


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## Legion74 (Aug 30, 2022)

Vintage Washita.


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## Legion74 (Aug 30, 2022)

Maybe a Norton India combo, for really budget, but a Washita is a truly versatile one stone option.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Aug 30, 2022)

For the steels you've listed, the lack of a desire for flattening, and the general utility, I'd recommend an Ultra Sharp combination diamond stone.

The diamond isn't necessary for those steels but you also don't have any finer carbon steels that are less attractive for diamonds. The diamond won't need flattening, can handle most any steel you throw at it, and give you a combination for a pretty reasonable cost (at least in the States).

You'll need something to put it on or hold it.

If you go this route, keep in mind, diamonds don't need much pressure.


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## Zyxtmurf (Aug 30, 2022)

Just my personal experience, but I started with a King 1000 and sharpened everything in my kitchen with it for a while (similar stuff at the time, german steel and VG10). The things got sharper and I got better (I think... maybe). I've learned that I enjoy the process of sharpening, and I subsequently added probably too many additional stones. I'm passing the 1000 on to a friend this weekend as his first stone.


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## Benuser (Aug 30, 2022)

The advantage of the Naniwa Pro 800 is in its exceptional versatility. You may find out that by varying pressure and the amount of water and raised mud you may use it for different tasks, from deburring problematic steels to thinning behind the edge with highly abrasion resistant steels. I'd add that it offers a great tactile feedback which is very helpful in the learning process, so you can feel when a burr comes off, or any remaining unevenness. Finally, it's quite fast, which is more important to a novice than to a more experienced user. Learning to keep a steady angle is something you'll learn, but will take some time. To an experienced sharpener having to perform twenty instead of five strokes is no big deal. A beginner though has to do quite an effort to perform just a few consistent ones.


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## SirCutAlot (Aug 30, 2022)

Jkr said:


> For the price of Naniwa pro 800 I can buy one of the Shapton pros + a Naniwa flattening stone #160. Would that be a better solution for at starting point?


For sure. But flattening stones are not worth anything. Just buy one flat Granite tile and Silicon Carbide powder, this is way cheaper.#

SirCutALot


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## Se1ryu (Aug 30, 2022)

Get a king KDS 1000/3000 or 1000/6000. Don't buy king KW-65 HOME USE whetstone (1000/6000), grit 1000 very slow and the 6000 finish is bad. Get tye KDS one if you looking for a King Stones. 

Or just get Suehiro cerax combo stone.


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## M1k3 (Aug 30, 2022)

Shapton Pro/Kuromaku 1k (comes with a stone holder. Not the best but is definitely usable) and some diamond plate to get rid of the crappy top layer and flatten as necessary.


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## Marcelo Amaral (Aug 30, 2022)

You will need something coarse if you want the sharpening of german steel to be productive. Something minimum 500 grain, in my mind.
I would get something like a coarse stone plus the JKI diamond 1k + 6k combo.


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## MowgFace (Aug 30, 2022)

1 Stone selections can be difficult. You may get a number of recommendations that are out of your price range. Here at KKF a "1 stone solution" would need to cover a lot of sharpening bases (Edge sharpening, thinning, wide bevel finishing, touching up, etc) , and more expensive stones do this more effectively.

My honest suggestion would be Gesshin 2K, but as the OP mentioned cost, this may be cost prohibitive.

For a 1 Stone solution on the _CHEAP_ end, i would say any 800-1200 stone _could_ work but certain stones work better for certain types of sharpening. As you mentioned you dont love sharpening, i would stop at that one stone. Usually you get what you pay for, but there are great stones that can be found for $50US


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## tostadas (Aug 30, 2022)

Shapton 1k is excellent. Easy to use, easy to maintain, and will easily grind the steels you mentioned. It was my first stone but still gets use, especially when family members bring me knives to sharpen


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## esoo (Aug 30, 2022)

I haven't used one of these, but this seems like it would be a good choice 





The Greatest Sharpening Stone in the World


Right, now that I have your attention... I am not going to disappoint. Here is a picture of it: And another: Doesn't look like much does it? But those in the know, will know. This is an 8x2" vitrified Aluminium Oxide combination stone rolling at around 140 grit on one side and 600-800...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


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## BarryMM (Aug 30, 2022)

Naniwa 800, it is a very nice stone. I know, i bit expensive from your list but as a one stone solution it is very good.


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## Kawa (Aug 30, 2022)

Shapton pro 1000.
Can do a bit of everything. Just not the most exclusive sharpness: it a rather coarse stone.
Cheap.


And a cheap flattening stone. You don't want it, but you simply need something to flatten.


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## Ochazuke (Aug 30, 2022)

This is the most BOH whack job thing I've ever written on this forum, but in a pinch I used to use a flatiron griddle screen on top of a stainless steel table to flatten my stones. It was $2.00 USD for a pack of 20. You gotta have something to flatten with. 

I'm going to second the opinions on the Shapton and the Naniwa. Either will do you just fine.


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## Jkr (Aug 30, 2022)

MowgFace said:


> 1 Stone selections can be difficult. You may get a number of recommendations that are out of your price range. Here at KKF a "1 stone solution" would need to cover a lot of sharpening bases (Edge sharpening, thinning, wide bevel finishing, touching up, etc) , and more expensive stones do this more effectively.
> 
> My honest suggestion would be Gesshin 2K, but as the OP mentioned cost, this may be cost prohibitive.
> 
> For a 1 Stone solution on the _CHEAP_ end, i would say any 800-1200 stone _could_ work but certain stones work better for certain types of sharpening. As you mentioned you dont love sharpening, i would stop at that one stone. Usually you get what you pay for, but there are great stones that can be found for $50US


Thank you for the reply. Lots of good info and thoughts.
I dont know if i love sharpening yet. So, if it becomes a hobby, the stone should be usable in a setup. If sharpening just becomes a necessity, the stone should be a decent one in the kitchen.

From the list of stones i wrote, would you recommend one of the cheaper options?


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## mpier (Aug 30, 2022)

+1,2,3 for the Naniwa 800, and if you don’t like it just sell it on BST.


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## daveb (Aug 30, 2022)

Another fan of the SP1000 and a year ago it would be my rec for "one stone".

Now my first choice would be the SG500. It will produce a serviceable edge on anything. 2nd choice is SP.


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## Jkr (Aug 30, 2022)

Kawa said:


> Shapton pro 1000.
> Can do a bit of everything. Just not the most exclusive sharpness: it a rather coarse stone.
> Cheap.
> 
> ...


yes, I really dont want a flattening stone. But I can buy the shapton pro #1000 + naniwa flattening stone QA-0160
for around 60€. The same as a Naniwa #800. So stone + flattening would be tha better option here i guess.
Any opinion on why the Shapton #1000 and not the #1500 ?


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## Jkr (Aug 30, 2022)

mpier said:


> +1,2,3 for the Naniwa 800, and if you don’t like it just sell it on BST.


what is BST ?


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## MowgFace (Aug 30, 2022)

Jkr said:


> Thank you for the reply. Lots of good info and thoughts.
> I dont know if i love sharpening yet. So, if it becomes a hobby, the stone should be usable in a setup. If sharpening just becomes a necessity, the stone should be a decent one in the kitchen.
> 
> From the list of stones i wrote, would you recommend one of the cheaper options?



I completely understand where you're coming from.

As far as recommendations go, I LOVE my Shapton Pro 2K, and I keep it and a Shapton Pro 320 in my trunk as my "Sharpening GO Kit." Though as a one stone set up, you will be sacrificing sharpening speed for a higher grit edge. That is why i have a 320 as its partner, so i can get through the majority of my sharpening fast, then refine on the 2K.

I have only used the Shapton Pro 1K a couple times, but thought it was a good stone. I think if 1 stone is all you will start with, this would be a good choice. I have never used the Naniwa Pro 800 since they were rebranded from Chosera, but i liked that stone just fine as well.

You need a flattening stone. Though i might have the unpopular opinion that you dont need it right away. Just know, as long as you dont have one your stone is not flat.


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## tostadas (Aug 30, 2022)

If money is tight, skip the flattening stone and buy some 60-80grit silicon carbide (SiC) powder and a flat piece of stone tile from the hardware store. When your stone gets dished, pour some powder on the tile and rub the stone on it til it's flat. It's fast and cheap, though a bit messy.

I'd also say that you dont NEED the flattening solution right away. For occasional sharpening, I'd argue that you could even put it off for a fairly long time.


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## Kawa (Aug 30, 2022)

Jkr said:


> yes, I really dont want a flattening stone. But I can buy the shapton pro #1000 + naniwa flattening stone QA-0160
> for around 60€. The same as a Naniwa #800. So stone + flattening would be tha better option here i guess.
> Any opinion on why the Shapton #1000 and not the #1500 ?



Not really. I guess the 1500 will be fine for 'one stone' aswell_, because _you say your knives are in dull, but good condition. Maybe even better, since it produces a bit of a finer edge which can be/feel sharper. I would not go for the 2000 as one stone, since real sharpening takes a lot longer on that one. For me personally: I guess the 1500 will do a lot more honor to your aus8 and vg10 then the pro1000 will.

If you want to do some chipped knives or really dull stuff, the 1000 will be better, since it is on the coarse side of a 1000. Many call it around 800 gritt, where the naniwa professional 800 (which is mentioned a lot here) is finer in use then the shapton 1000. So think about that if you also want to start practising on friends and families cheap knives (they are often chipped and actually need a 200ish stone to start with). With patience the 1000 will get you there aswell, the 2000 not so.


1000 seems to be a good allround gritt: can do some real sharpener (although slow) and you _could_ finish on it and have a good sharp kitchen knive. Personally for the better steels (and to me thats anything thats not nameless crap-stainless) I would finish a bit higher for the sharper feel.


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## Nemo (Aug 30, 2022)

tostadas said:


> If money is tight, skip the flattening stone and buy some 60-80grit silicon carbide (SiC) powder and a flat piece of stone tile from the hardware store. When your stone gets dished, pour some powder on the tile and rub the stone on it til it's flat. It's fast and cheap, though a bit messy.


 If you do go down this path, make sure that you have removed all of the SiC grit from your stone before using it to sharpen or you will contaminate your stone with a coarser, harder grit.


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## Kawa (Aug 30, 2022)

O, may I suggest you get the 220 gritt version of the naniwa flattening stone of the same series? I find it under the name A102.

The 60 gritt (your QA-0160 is actually a 60 gritt stone) will scratch and leave grooves and is very slow. It's almost as it has too little contact with the stone to actually grind. You see that also because it will not produce mud. For me, it was a stone ruiner.

The 220 is a very nice and cheap flattening stone. I've been using it for years. Its fast, cheap and last a long time. It is way quicker then the 60 gritt version (really) and can be used on almost all stones. Even my kitayama 8000 likes it.
The only drawback: it can glaze some really coarse stones, which is none of your concerns at this point. Thats why I use SiC powder for the really coarse stones


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## mpier (Aug 30, 2022)

Jkr said:


> what is BST ?


Buy, sell, trade here on the forum, Naniwa 800 will sell quickly here.


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## cotedupy (Aug 30, 2022)

The King 800 is an extremely good stone. Really, really good. Though it is a soaking stone, and it needs a reasonable amount of time.

[I haven't used the NP800 I don't think.]

---

However if choosing just one stone I would 100% go for a combi. And if I can suggest a couple of things not on your list... Coarse x Fine India. Or I believe Suehiro make a Cerax 280 x 1500, which would be an awesome stone.


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## Se1ryu (Aug 30, 2022)

Suehiro RE 153 (true splash and go) 300/1500 combo


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## Se1ryu (Aug 30, 2022)

Suehiro RE 153 (True splash and go) 300/1500 whetstone. This is a good stone if you are looking for a coarse & medium combo. But if your knives doesn't have any chip than I recommend getting 1000/3000 one


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## daveb (Aug 30, 2022)

Jkr said:


> Any opinion on why the Shapton #1000 and not the #1500 ?



The SP1000 gets more "press" than the SP1500. I've not used the latter and don't know if not as many people use it or if it does not earn the accolades the SP1000 does. It's could almost be considered obscure in this community.

Do know the SP1000 is very good for establishing that first burr when sharpening. If I'm sharpening on my Gesshin 1000 and 6000 diamond plates and not getting a burr I'll simply put in the SP1000, get the burr and get back to business.

Also know that the SP1000 pairs very well with the SP2000 as a finisher for gyuto and petty. If / when you want to build your rock collection, the SP1000 is a good first stone, the SP2000 is a good 2nd one.

It's worth noting that stones are even more subjective than knives. You can make any one of the above your own and learn to use it - there are few bad choices.


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## stringer (Aug 30, 2022)

daveb said:


> The SP1000 gets more "press" than the SP1500. I've not used the latter and don't know if not as many people use it or if it does not earn the accolades the SP1000 does. It's could almost be considered obscure in this community.
> 
> Do know the SP1000 is very good for establishing that first burr when sharpening. If I'm sharpening on my Gesshin 1000 and 6000 diamond plates and not getting a burr I'll simply put in the SP1000, get the burr and get back to business.
> 
> ...


There's nothing wrong with the sp1500. I have one. I've never used it with knives because I use it as my straight razor bevel setter. It is slightly slower but dishes slightly slower. 

I second Norton India stones, washita, and I will throw in my usual random ass vote for the naniwa superstone 2k. Glazes like hell. And got to be careful not to to gouge it. This is a plus as a beginner because it helps a lot with angle control. If you clean it frequently (you can use any other stone or even a scotch Brite pad to flatten it). It is surprisingly fast and the final edge is surprisingly sharp. True splash and go.

Honorable mention to Shapton pro 1000, 1500, and Shapton glass 500 and 2000. They have no soul but damn you can't beat their performance. Just depends where you want to hit on the grit spectrum.


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## HumbleHomeCook (Aug 30, 2022)

An Arkansas Soft will handle all those steels like a charm. It's absolutely one of my favorite stones and I'm also a big fan of India's. The reason I didn't recommend them, is that for me, I just can't get used to using them with water vs. oil. I'm always worried about clogging or glazing and I just can't make the adjustment. But, that is no doubt influenced by decades of using them strictly with oil.


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## Ruso (Aug 31, 2022)

While I agree that Naniwa Pro/Chosera 800 is the greatest one stone solution, I do not think its best for the beginner.
I think something a bit more universally aggressive and with coarser feedback is better, like SP 1000 that was mentioned several times.


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## deltaplex (Aug 31, 2022)

HumbleHomeCook said:


> An Arkansas Soft will handle all those steels like a charm. It's absolutely one of my favorite stones and I'm also a big fan of India's. The reason I didn't recommend them, is that for me, I just can't get used to using them with water vs. oil. I'm always worried about clogging or glazing and I just can't make the adjustment. But, that is no doubt influenced by decades of using them strictly with oil.


I'm going to mess with my washitas using water and some dish soap to see if I can have it be a contender for the "in the kitchen" stone.


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## Delat (Aug 31, 2022)

I’m not a stone or sharpening fanatic like most here, but I have a set of Shapton Glass from 220 through 4k. If I could only keep one, it would be the SG1000. But if I was starting from scratch and could only buy one stone, I’d buy the SP1000 just because it includes a holder (which would otherwise be $20 for a cheap holder). Then I’d buy a granite tile from Home Depot for $5-$10 and a pack of 60-100 grit sandpaper for $10 and use those for flattening. All set for around $60. Use an old spray bottle to mist the stone while sharpening. Add a small rubber pet food mat for $10 to work on if you want to simplify cleanup, otherwise a quick swipe with a rag is pretty easy.

Now this is assuming I didn’t care about thinning for now, and wasn’t overly concerned about taking off metal when sharpening.


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## Legion74 (Aug 31, 2022)

deltaplex said:


> I'm going to mess with my washitas using water and some dish soap to see if I can have it be a contender for the "in the kitchen" stone.


I use oil stones in the kitchen. In fact, the food grade mineral oil I use for honing is the same stuff I use on cutting boards, and on carbon steel to prevent rust, so I have a squirt bottle on hand. After a quick hone the paper towels for wiping the knife and stone off are already there handy.


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## Hanmak17 (Sep 2, 2022)

MowgFace said:


> My honest suggestion would be Gesshin 2K, but as the OP mentioned cost, this may be cost prohibitive.


Ok, a used Gesshin 2k...

In reality, probably a King super 800, its fast enough to fix on (with some extra work) and clean enough to use for pretty much everything else. There are a number of combo stones out there that would do the trick as well.


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## Rameka (Sep 2, 2022)

My first stone was a 220/1000 King combo. It's not very sexy, but it got the job done for me for many years, and it was just fine for my german beaters before I started dabbling in Japanese knives. For pure cutting sharpness, I've never needed anything higher than 1k.
I eventually replaced my King stone with a Naniwa Pro (Chosera) 800, which felt like a tangible but not huge upgrade. I like that the binder makes it feel slightly waxier and the feedback is a little nicer. I know that's sort of vague and subjective, it's the kind of thing where you really need to try some stones before you figure out what works for you.
I've rarely needed to do any serious repair work/regrinding, so I haven't missed the 220...
When I do occasionally need a lower grit, I find wet/dry sandpaper stuck to the back of a flat bench slab (I have a 12x18" granite slab I use) to be a cost effective solution. I also prefer this because the 220 side of my King tended to dish quite fast, as lower grit stones will do.
Sandpaper or SiC powder (as SirCutALot mentioned) can also be used to flatten your stones, rather than having a dedicated flattening stone. I prefer this approach personally, because all flattening stones eventually wear down themselves. Sandpaper and SiC powder are both relatively cheap as well. Some (smarter/more talented) folks swear by diamond plates, but I've always been nervous about diamond shards breaking off into slurry and ruining my finish, so I haven't experimented with them.


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## inferno (Sep 3, 2022)

gonna go against the grain here and suggest the shapton pro 2k.

why?

its much finer than any 1k stone. it actually feels like a finisher. the 1k stones are too coarse i think. 

and is almost as fast as some 1k stones.

between the 1k naniwa pro and the 2k shapton pro the 2k is only very marginally slower. but it creates a much finer finish, now it feels sharp for real. the 1k naniwa is not finisher material imo.

the 1k shapton pro is a very fast stone. quite coarse. very good stone though. probably the best/most allround 1k there is. but its too coarse for a finishing stone.

same with the naniwa 800 and 1k.


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## Kawa (Sep 3, 2022)

inferno said:


> gonna go against the grain here and suggest the shapton pro 2k.
> 
> why?
> 
> ...



I can agree with what you say here. For me the shapton pro2k is the coarest of what I call a finisher too. Below that and knives just don't feel as sharp as they could be. And with the TS knives in dull-but-good condition and with some quality steel he can certainly just go with this one stone.

I only thing why I would suggest a stone around 1000 gritt: If he likes sharpening and starts to sharpen more knives, like friends and families, the shapton2k is too fine to remove real chips.
A 1000 is aswell speedwise, but with some patience you can remove them.

To be honest, I'd go with a combination stone as a first tryout stone. You simply dont want your knives finished at 1000 gritt, but you dont want to do some actual bigger sharpening jobs on a (lets say) 4000 finisher. So you want (need) both. With just one stone, you can buy a stone in the middle gritt thats just not very good at either sharpening or finishing. But some other would call it 'best of both worlds'


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## inferno (Sep 3, 2022)

i glued to my shapton 1k to my 2k  
its the best combo stone. now i have a coarse-fine combo. the best kind.


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## daveb (Sep 3, 2022)

Let's solve this.






WTS - SP1000, SP2000 BNIB


Bought these from MTC as second pair, do not need them after all. $80 shipped priority in the states.




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


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## panda (Sep 3, 2022)

I have been using nothing but chosera 400 for a few years now


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## jwthaparc (Sep 4, 2022)

So, did you buy a stone or what?


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## Kawa (Sep 4, 2022)

inferno said:


> i glued to my shapton 1k to my 2k
> its the best combo stone. now i have a coarse-fine combo. the best kind.
> 
> View attachment 197074



How did you glue it? What glue?

Might be handy in the future if a stone gets too thin and might want to crack soon. Just put in on whatever other stone...

A well, I don't think i'll wear any stone in this live (ok, maybe the superstones), but who knows..


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## Jkr (Sep 6, 2022)

cotedupy said:


> The King 800 is an extremely good stone. Really, really good. Though it is a soaking stone, and it needs a reasonable amount of time.
> 
> [I haven't used the NP800 I don't think.]
> 
> ...


is this the 'coarse x Fine India' you are referring to ? Norton India Oilstone, Combination Stone, Coarse/Fine | Norton | Dictum


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## Jkr (Sep 6, 2022)

jwthaparc said:


> So, did you buy a stone or what?


I got a lot of new tips and ideers. But think i'll go for a Shapton #1000 and a flattening or the coarse x fine india. haven't pulled the trigger yet.


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## cotedupy (Sep 6, 2022)

Jkr said:


> is this the 'coarse x Fine India' you are referring to ? Norton India Oilstone, Combination Stone, Coarse/Fine | Norton | Dictum




It is yep. A pretty much unbeatable stone for the money.

(In fact pretty much unbeatable regardless of the price.


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## jwthaparc (Sep 7, 2022)

Jkr said:


> I got a lot of new tips and ideers. But think i'll go for a Shapton #1000 and a flattening or the coarse x fine india. haven't pulled the trigger yet.


Honestly for maintenance you're better off with the shapton, and flattening stone. 

The india is a great stone, but they wear, and need refreshing just like any other stone, and unless you have a way to address that, you're out of luck. For those, I've had the best experience using loose sic powder, and a flat surface (I use a piece of tile, it wears slower than plate glass).

Keep that in mind. Also you can use water with the shapton, if you intend on using water with the india, you're going to have some trouble unless you extract the oil out of it. I've found windex works well if you want something water like for it, or the old water, dish soap, and (oil? I cant remember) method, I havent tried it, but some sweat by it. Mainly I just used wd40 now days though. Its low viscosity, and works well. But it's still oily.


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## Matus (Sep 7, 2022)

I would just add my voice for SP1000. The thing is - once you either save up a little more money and/or get some kniies where you want a finer edge - you just add some 3k - 6k stone and will be pretty much done (and eventually a coarse stone for thinning, but SP1000 can get you quite far). It really is hard to beat the price/performance ratio of the SP1000.


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## Jkr (Sep 17, 2022)

Hi all,
Just wanted to say thanks for all the input and good advice.

I went with the SP1000. It was more accessible and I even found it on sale. It seems like a solid choice and I can’t wait to start learning.


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## mengwong (Sep 17, 2022)

Good choice, agrees Reddit.


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## Atso_J (Sep 17, 2022)

Shapton Kuromaku 1k. And when you want to get into polishing, add Kuromaku 5k. For bad chips and other heavy duty reprofiling, Kuromaku 120 (you're gonna want some proper lapping equipment like Atoma 140 or the Suehiro Dada with that though).

The Kuromaku series stones last pretty much forever. Except for the 120 as the kind of work it sees eats a lot of stone.


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## Benuser (Sep 17, 2022)

You will need a finer stone for abrading the burr of your VG-10, though. A small piece of Belgian Blue may do the job.


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## Jkr (Sep 18, 2022)

mengwong said:


> Good choice, agrees Reddit.
> 
> 
> View attachment 199026


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## jwthaparc (Sep 18, 2022)

Atso_J said:


> Shapton Kuromaku 1k. And when you want to get into polishing, add Kuromaku 5k. For bad chips and other heavy duty reprofiling, Kuromaku 120 (you're gonna want some proper lapping equipment like Atoma 140 or the Suehiro Dada with that though).
> 
> The Kuromaku series stones last pretty much forever. Except for the 120 as the kind of work it sees eats a lot of stone.


Eh I recommend staying away from flattening the 120 with an atoma. It just leads to a glazed surface.


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## Atso_J (Sep 18, 2022)

jwthaparc said:


> Eh I recommend staying away from flattening the 120 with an atoma. It just leads to a glazed surface.


Good point. It's just pretty much the only thing I've managed to get the job done with. The 120 seems to get glazed from just working on single bevels though. I've circumnavigated the issue by dressing frequently. If there's a killer way of maintaining the 120 any tip is welcome!


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## jwthaparc (Sep 18, 2022)

Atso_J said:


> Good point. It's just pretty much the only thing I've managed to get the job done with. The 120 seems to get glazed from just working on single bevels though. I've circumnavigated the issue by dressing frequently. If there's a killer way of maintaining the 120 any tip is welcome!


You're best bet is loose sic powder. That's the only way I've found to get a decent surface on it. The 60 grit flattening stones can work, but those can also glaze, then they glaze your coarse stones, so they need refreshing themselves (and also get out of flat). So I just think why not just skip the middle man. 

It's a little messier, but it works much better.


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## Lezza (Sep 18, 2022)

Atso_J said:


> Good point. It's just pretty much the only thing I've managed to get the job done with. The 120 seems to get glazed from just working on single bevels though. I've circumnavigated the issue by dressing frequently. If there's a killer way of maintaining the 120 any tip is welcome!


Try 2-3gms Carbide powder (#60 or lower) on piece of glass, rub your 120. Should come out nice, clean and flat.


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