# Favorite Touch Up Stone for Work



## JanusInTheGarden (Jul 11, 2012)

This question is a bit biased towards the pro crowd but it should be an enlightening informal poll for everyone.

What have been your favorite touch up stones to use in the workplace? Do you value an aggressive stone or something of an extremely high grit? Do you go for good value stones so if it gets broken you don't have to cry over the shattered remnants (stories welcome), or do you find its worth the risk for a better stone? Any particular brands/styles? Limit yourself to just one? Portability?


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## kalaeb (Jul 11, 2012)

Just touch up, gesshin splash and go 5k, not aggressive enough that I have to buy a new knife every year, but still brings the life back to the edge, and I dont have to worry about soaking.


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## EdipisReks (Jul 11, 2012)

kalaeb said:


> Just touch up, gesshin splash and go 5k, not aggressive enough that I have to buy a new knife every year, but still brings the life back to the edge, and I dont have to worry about soaking.



that sounds like my Rika, too. i'm just a home cook, though.


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## chinacats (Jul 11, 2012)

kalaeb said:


> Just touch up, gesshin splash and go 5k, not aggressive enough that I have to buy a new knife every year, but still brings the life back to the edge, and I dont have to worry about soaking.



Love to hear that, mine shipped today!


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## Crothcipt (Jul 11, 2012)

I have been thinking of taking a stone to work just to see if anyone other than me would use it.


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 11, 2012)

Shapton Pro 2k at work, Rika 5k at home. I'd probably switch to the Rika even for work these days too.


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## K-Fed (Jul 11, 2012)

Lately I've just been stropping on a dry king 6k if the edge just needs a little breath of life. Works well for me.


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## Sarge (Jul 12, 2012)

Kitayama or currently a Natural stone that I found in the local mountains. More so the natural lately, I would say the finish from it is from 3k-6k depending, my only beef with it is it doesn't really develop much mud. But the edge results are great and aesthetics aren't terrible either. Probably not on par with a J-nat, but gets the job done so no reason to complain.


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## obtuse (Jul 12, 2012)

DMT extra fine, no hassle no mess. Puts a working edge back on my spyderco folders for work.


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## macmiddlebrooks (Jul 12, 2012)

I do touch-ups on a leather strop glued to a piece of scrap wood or, if I'm in a hurry, a dickoron sapphire steel. If I need to put a fresh edge on, honestly any 1000 or 1200 grit Japanese waterstone will work fine. I have a 1000 grit shapton that looks cool and a $40 (I forget the name) 1000 grit for work, but I the edge i get on both is the same. Your stone-flattener is really the key piece. Many of my co-workers can't seem to be bothered to get one and keep asking me why their edge sucks so hard :viking:.


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## aser (Jul 12, 2012)

my touchups are w/ a strop usually, but sometimes I'll dip into the arashiyama 6000.


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## chuck239 (Jul 12, 2012)

Gesshin 5000 splash and go stays at work and I keep the 1000 splash and go to touch up a few of my employees knives. They both do a great job at what I need from them.

-Chuck


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## Cutty Sharp (Jul 13, 2012)

aser said:


> my touchups are w/ a strop usually, but sometimes I'll dip into the arashiyama 6000.



Ditto with the Arashiyama, which I'll also use for light strops


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## JanusInTheGarden (Jul 13, 2012)

What compound do you guys like on the strops for touching up at work? 

What is it you like about the arashiyama?

Somewhat off topic, has anyone tried the $20 stone flattener available on the dishonorable website (speaking of dishonorable, can we get a seppuku emoticon--would be awesome, unless its culturally offensive).


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## Cutty Sharp (Jul 13, 2012)

JanusInTheGarden said:


> What is it you like about the arashiyama?



The Arashiyama is available on the dubious asterisk website ********** and I don't know where else. But luckily I got mine in Tokyo, not too long ago, and recommended by a shopkeeper and so I'm free to like it. After purchase, I was happy to find out it's fairly well-known and well-regarded. 

Hmm... I'm no sharpening scientist like many here (yet) but I'd say somehow this stone felt comfortable right away - smooth of course and a bit gentle and forgiving, which is good for learners like myself. I remember a bit from what I read about it after, and my experience has been consistent. It does its work pretty quickly and builds up a healthy slurry which I think then breaks down a bit and so if you continue it seems to go from 6000 to a higher grit, finer finish - somewhat like natural stones work, I believe.

As I don't have any stopping stuff I've used this, just with a bit of water. Has worked fine.


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## richinva (Jul 13, 2012)

dishonorable? what do you mean?



JanusInTheGarden said:


> What compound do you guys like on the strops for touching up at work?
> 
> What is it you like about the arashiyama?
> 
> Somewhat off topic, has anyone tried the $20 stone flattener available on the dishonorable website (speaking of dishonorable, can we get a seppuku emoticon--would be awesome, unless its culturally offensive).


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## chinacats (Jul 13, 2012)

:whistling:

here we go again...


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## Salty dog (Jul 15, 2012)

Mizuyama 6K (SP?)


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## bieniek (Jul 17, 2012)

what is a touch up?


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 17, 2012)

It means minor maintenance, to correct small imperfections. Comes from putting some paint on a finger and skipping the brush, just dabbing it where it needs it, thus "touching up" the paint.

So a touch up stone would be what you would use to repair an edge that has not failed, but has somewhat dulled.


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## Cadillac J (Jul 17, 2012)

Don't work in a kitchen, but I just touched up all of my knives on my 5K SS as usual by just light stropping...in a few strokes they are back to ridiculous razors. 

A polishing stone works so much better than a loaded felt/leather strop, in my opinion.


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## GlassEye (Jul 17, 2012)

Cadillac J said:


> Don't work in a kitchen, but I just touched up all of my knives on my 5K SS as usual by just light stropping...in a few strokes they are back to ridiculous razors.
> 
> A polishing stone works so much better than a loaded felt/leather strop, in my opinion.



Did you do this wet or dry?


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## Cadillac J (Jul 17, 2012)

Spray it down and get it wet.


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## AMP01 (Jul 17, 2012)

Cadilac J,

What is a 5K SS? I try to learn something new every day : )


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## bluntcut (Jul 17, 2012)

SS = Naniwa Super Stone


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## aser (Jul 18, 2012)

Arashiyama to me is a pretty forgiving stone. It stays very flat, hardly needs flattening, builds up a decent slurry, and hard to gouge. Basically, the definition of a low maintenance stone.

Especially on poly boards at work I find it's kinda pointless to go beyond this stone and a strop.


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## bieniek (Jul 18, 2012)

BurkeCutlery said:


> It means minor maintenance, to correct small imperfections. Comes from putting some paint on a finger and skipping the brush, just dabbing it where it needs it, thus "touching up" the paint.
> 
> So a touch up stone would be what you would use to repair an edge that has not failed, but has somewhat dulled.




 

I still dont understand what touch up means. 
My knives are either ******** dull or sharp. There is no in-between.

But anyway, with the right choice of nagura you could achieve perfectly usable edge for any kitchen knife with one natural stone.


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 18, 2012)

bieniek said:


> But anyway, with the right choice of nagura you could achieve perfectly usable edge for any kitchen knife with one natural stone.



Yep, I'm working on testing that theory out right now.


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## jgraeff (Jul 18, 2012)

Touch up to me is when they start feeling "less sharp" I will take a couple passes on my finishing stone or strop to receive the edge for another day or two rather than repeating the entire sharpening process.


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## bieniek (Jul 18, 2012)

BurkeCutlery said:


> Yep, I'm working on testing that theory out right now.



That is not a theory. But you might test out which stone/nagura works best/fastest for you

So if I have one stone, which is the one for touch ups?


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## EdipisReks (Jul 18, 2012)

bieniek said:


> I still dont understand what touch up means.
> My knives are either ******** dull or sharp. There is no in-between.



sounds like a bad case of wire edge.


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## Sarge (Jul 20, 2012)

Or some very seriously and stringent standards. I view my edges as sharp or dull. Although some times I deal with the dull and allow it to linger depending on the food that is going to be cut, then dull becomes passable or sharp enough.


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## bieniek (Jul 20, 2012)

Thanks Sarge, sir.


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## Keith Sinclair (Jul 20, 2012)

Touchup is good word for already fairly sharp blades that need to be brought back to razor edges.Japan SB,Yanagi 5K Rika.Already trained blades don't need much esp. Yanagi's

The 2K Gesshin soaker puts a great working edge on Gyuto & Cleavers.I prefer a med. grit edge for most prep work,fish knives polished edge.


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## EdipisReks (Jul 20, 2012)

Sarge said:


> Or some very seriously and stringent standards. I view my edges as sharp or dull. Although some times I deal with the dull and allow it to linger depending on the food that is going to be cut, then dull becomes passable or sharp enough.



i consider my knives as sharp enough (they never get sharp enough, even when they cut tomatoes with weight) or in need of sharpening. dull is something is else entirely. my mother in law's knives are dull.


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## bieniek (Jul 21, 2012)

EdipisReks said:


> i consider my knives as sharp enough [...] or in need of sharpening.



NOW that sounds like a bad case of wire edge.


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## JDA_NC (Aug 23, 2013)

--BUMP--

I'm looking for a house stone for the restaurant I work at. I'm trying to get out of the habit of using a steel and feel like this will be a good solution. I (and another cook as well) have my own stones and sharpen on them regularly, so I'm just looking for something I and other cooks, can break out for a quick minute or two, to bring the edge back. A true splash or go (I have some Shapton GS but am not the biggest fan) or something that I can permasoak - not a big deal to me, just as long as it's quick.

I own a Suehira Rika 5k and really like the feel of the stone - and use it for my own touch ups at home - but am not sure if it'd cut fast enough for this situation. Most of the knives that will be used on it will be stainless steel... and some of the fairly dull.

I'm thinking somewhere between the 1k - 2k range. Inexpensive is best. I plan on getting some Gesshin stones in the future but I'm not trying to drop that amount of dough on a stone that's going to be thrown around at my work.

So far I'm debating between a King 1200 or a Naniwa 2k Green Brick. Both are ideal price points but I have no experience with either (or any synthetic aotos) - any advice would be appreciated.

Edit: Just to clarify, I sharpen my knives regularly so personally I'm just looking for a stone that I can do a few quick passes/strops to bring my edge back to life. But I'd also like something that other cooks - who don't sharpen their knives often or at all - can use to get a decent working edge from. How fast the stone dishes is not really an issue to me because I can and will flatten the stone. Thanks!


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## Keith Sinclair (Aug 23, 2013)

Welcome JDA,fairly dull Stainless needs an aggressive Med. stone.Bester 1200 is a great stone that is not much more than the ones you are considering.Another option is a big King brick 1000 esp. if others are using the stone.Save your nice stones for your own use.


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## bahamaroot (Aug 23, 2013)

The Naniwa 2k Green Brick would make a great house stone. It's the size of a brick, splash-n-go, cuts fast and can give you a 2-4k finish depending on how long you work it. Great for reviving an edge.


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## Justin0505 (Aug 23, 2013)

I just could never get to like the feeling of a really coarse edge for general work. It just feels gritty to me: like blowing your nose in burlap. 

If I had to take a stone into a pro-kitchen (I don't work in one, so take this FWIW), I'd want it to be as break-resistant, low maintenance / mess, and fast cutting as possible. Marko's special order 8k mesh (3micron) DMT is, IMO, perfect for this. Edge is plenty aggressive for tomatoes and peppers, but fine enough to not shred the cuts on herbs. He makes a diamond loaded magnetic-backed felt strop that sticks to it and is also really good. 
Plus it's nice and long, but thin and narrow enough to fit in a knife folio or roll. It's nice to use it in a base or stone holder, but a damp cloth at the corner of a table works just fine.

http://www.tsourkanknives.com/index.php/store/category/16-sharpening-supplies


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## joetbn (Aug 24, 2013)

For at work, I would probably go splash and go, maybe Dave's new 3K, or the Gesshin 1200


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## NO ChoP! (Aug 24, 2013)

I too like the SS, but i usually go more aggressive for touch ups at work, like 3k...


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## Chef Niloc (Aug 24, 2013)

macmiddlebrooks said:


> I do touch-ups on a leather strop glued to a piece of scrap wood or, if I'm in a hurry, a dickoron sapphire steel. If I need to put a fresh edge on, honestly any 1000 or 1200 grit Japanese waterstone will work fine. I have a 1000 grit shapton that looks cool and a $40 (I forget the name) 1000 grit for work, but I the edge i get on both is the same. Your stone-flattener is really the key piece. Many of my co-workers can't seem to be bothered to get one and keep asking me why their edge sucks so hard :viking:.


Holy $h1+ me to exactly


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## K-Fed (Aug 24, 2013)

As long as the edge hasn't gotten too far away from me I'll use a small-ish nakayama karasu that I keep in my knife bag. Works pretty well and leaves a very refined edge that's still got great bite.


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## JDA_NC (Aug 26, 2013)

keithsaltydog said:


> Welcome JDA,fairly dull Stainless needs an aggressive Med. stone.Bester 1200 is a great stone that is not much more than the ones you are considering.Another option is a big King brick 1000 esp. if others are using the stone.Save your nice stones for your own use.



Thanks for the response! Good options. I'm worried I might like the Bester 1200 too much and take it for myself... and I already have two 1k stones.

The King 1k brick looks very attractive for this purpose. I like the idea of theNaniwa 2k being able to remove steel fast and also providing a more refined edge if you play with it, but I worry about folks gouging the heck out of it. I don't want to spend more time flattening it @ work than actually using it.


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