# Shapton glass stones- best combo of grits?



## macmiddlebrooks (Jul 24, 2011)

I'm relatively new to stones (I have a 1200 grit Suehiro that I've been using for a couple months) and would like a more comprehensive system to use. After doing some reserch, the Shapton glass stones look like a good bet, but what grit combo works (+ DMT x-course for flattening)? There's a good deal to be had for a 1000 + 4000 bundle or should I get a 4000 + 8000 since I have a 1200 grit already? Any help is very much appreciated.


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## Seb (Jul 24, 2011)

Just get the 1K and 4K bundle, that's all you need really. If you want to add another one, then get the 10K or 16K later. I have the 16K, it's outstanding.


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## ptolemy (Jul 24, 2011)

8000 grit is likely your last stone for a mirror finish. I would probably get the 2nd combo since your 1200 suehiro is like very close to 1000 Shapton. It would also depend on your knives/what kind of finish do you want on them. Generally, 4000 would be enough to finish but many owners go for 6000/8000 and some even higher finish.


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## mainaman (Jul 24, 2011)

I really like the 1/4k stone set up.


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## NO ChoP! (Jul 24, 2011)

I go up to 4k with gyutos and 6k with sujis....personal pref (anything higher, to me is really for cosmetics/ mirror; doesn't add to retention at all). I think your 1200 is fine, no need for a 1k.


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## macmiddlebrooks (Jul 24, 2011)

Thanks for the help. I'll get the 4 k and the flattener to start as per your suggestions.


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## jaybett (Jul 24, 2011)

A word or caution, if you are new to stones, I'd assume then, you are new to sharpening. Glass stones, are hard, and provide little feed back. If the knife is held at the wrong angle, they could roll or take off an edge in a few swipes. When I switched from glass stones to softer stones, my sharpening improved dramatically. 

The glass stones are good stones. There are forum members who like the ease of a splash and go stone, and a harder stone fits their style. I don't think they are a good choice for new sharpeners. 

Jay


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## SpikeC (Jul 24, 2011)

The Shaptons are really best at things like chisels and plane blades where a jig can be employed, I think.


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## iceman01 (Jul 24, 2011)

I have GS .5k, 1k, 2k, 4k and 8k, use them in the gizmo, but I have to admit that the 3k is redundant. Really great stones, but they suck on wide bevels like traditional blades. For the beginning, I suggest getting the King 1k/6k combo or as single stones, really great stones to learn on and later on you can use them for your single bevels (which will inevitably get in focus sooner or later)


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## macmiddlebrooks (Jul 24, 2011)

Moohoohaha, your words of restraint come too late! I somehow ended up clicking the purchase button on the 1000/4000/8000 combo from CKTG.

....but thanks for trying to talk some sense into me (for the record I'm not new to using stones but not a Honemiester either )
Mmmmmm...single bevels did you say?


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## JBroida (Jul 24, 2011)

not my favorites, but not bad stones by any means. I agree with other posters in that they work well on smaller double bevels than other things.


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 25, 2011)

Problem is all double-bevel knives will eventually require thinning behind the edge, which is essentially sharpening a very wide bevel... Hard stones aren't inherently "good for double-bevel knives," they're just adequate for sharpening small bevels.


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## iceman01 (Jul 25, 2011)

spaceconvoy said:


> Problem is all double-bevel knives will eventually require thinning behind the edge, which is essentially sharpening a very wide bevel... Hard stones aren't inherently "good for double-bevel knives," they're just adequate for sharpening small bevels.



I have to contradict. Having thinned a G-2 and many other knives to 5-10° per side the GS never caused any problems. The bevels are of even polish and wideness. Unless you are going to sharpen/thin KCMA style you don't have to worry about the GS not being adequate.


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 25, 2011)

They are pretty low feedback. I do like Shaptons, I learned to sharpen on a Shapton Pro 2k. Very long learning curve.


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 25, 2011)

iceman01 said:


> I have to contradict. Having thinned a G-2 and many other knives to 5-10° per side the GS never caused any problems. The bevels are of even polish and wideness. Unless you are going to sharpen/thin KCMA style you don't have to worry about the GS not being adequate.


 
If you're happy with flat bevels, then yes, GS and other hard stones are perfectly fine... but all the knives I have are convex, and I want to keep them that way. You just can't do a proper convex bevel on a hard stone.


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## iceman01 (Jul 26, 2011)

spaceconvoy said:


> If you're happy with flat bevels, then yes, GS and other hard stones are perfectly fine... but all the knives I have are convex, and I want to keep them that way. You just can't do a proper convex bevel on a hard stone.



That's true. How do you keep your bevels convex? Soft stones or the mouse pad sandpaper trick?


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 26, 2011)

My guess is a belt sander, which is a very viable option. No stone is soft enough to convex an edge in it's own right.


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## JBroida (Jul 26, 2011)

i convex on stones... its a compound bevel and some rolling action. I can do it on hard stones, but softer stones make it A LOT easier and better.


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## macmiddlebrooks (Jul 26, 2011)

Doesn't stropping on a semi-slack leather belt/strop put a micro convex edge on the blade? This is my understanding, but I may be wrong?


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## JBroida (Jul 26, 2011)

yeah.... but thats not the kind of edge spaceconvoy or i are talking about


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 26, 2011)

johndoughy said:


> My guess is a belt sander, which is a very viable option. No stone is soft enough to convex an edge in it's own right.



Yeahh... it's not a _true_ convex bevel, more like several compound bevels blended together, like Jon said. And honestly, it's more about aesthetics than performance  

You can use the same motions and cut the same compound bevel with a hard stone, and you won't notice any difference in performance blindfolded. But it'll look jacked up, like a diamond with irregular facets.


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 26, 2011)

You can definitely put a convex edge on by hand on stones. You actually have no choice if you are freehanding.

As far as the irregular bevels, it's all muscle memory, and though you will still have some faceting going on, stropping will blend them together(one of the reasons I think some amount of stropping is not optional for proper freehanding).


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