# Shapton Pro 1000 or Bester 1200



## sac36555 (Dec 3, 2017)

Im new to sharpening and have decided to go with an intermediate stone (1000-1500) and a polishing stone (Suehiro Rika 5000) to start out with after much advise. My last decision is between a Shapton Pro 1000 or a Bester 1200. They are within $5 of each other, so price isnt a determining factor. Which one do you guys like better and why?


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## daveb (Dec 3, 2017)

Bestor. Cause it's the best!


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## Chicagohawkie (Dec 3, 2017)

Neither!


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## Matus (Dec 3, 2017)

I have not used the Bester. But Shapton Pro 1000 is crazy fast and has a very usable feedback. Dishes slowly. I use it mainly to clean up bevels when I make knives as I use Gesshin 2000 as a medium grit stone for sharpening. But that is just because I really really like the Gesshin so I decided to divide the tasks this way.


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## sac36555 (Dec 3, 2017)

Chicagohawkie said:


> Neither!



I love these kind of comments. Absolutely useless, lol. I dont mind the feedback, but at least give logical, first hand experience why you wouldnt choose either stone.


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## Chicagohawkie (Dec 3, 2017)

sac36555 said:


> I love these kind of comments. Absolutely useless, lol. I dont mind the feedback, but at least give logical, first hand experience why you wouldnt choose either stone.



Ha Ha! First off Besten or bestor stones ive owned were horrible and I think I just threw one away. The shapton 1k is ok, but much better out there. I personally like my shapton glass 1k better and generally prefer the glass over pro.


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## hmansion (Dec 3, 2017)

Ive not used either stone mentioned, but in this grit range I do enjoy the King 1200, which is generally well regarded if you dont mind a soaker stone.

I also have had some positive results with both the JNS Matukusuyama 1000 (splash & go) and the King Hyper 1000 (soak for 15 minutes), but dont have enough time with either to strongly endorse, though, again, they both are generally well received. Not sure what stones youve researched and thought Id mention a few contenders...


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## K813zra (Dec 3, 2017)

I prefer the shapton pro 1000 in this case. It is a convenient stone with fair feedback and it removes metal quickly. It is not an expensive stone either. The bester is okay too but it is a thirsty, thirsty stone like most Imanishi stones I have owned.


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## sac36555 (Dec 4, 2017)

Chicagohawkie said:


> Ha Ha! First off Besten or bestor stones ive owned were horrible and I think I just threw one away. The shapton 1k is ok, but much better out there. I personally like my shapton glass 1k better and generally prefer the glass over pro.



My budget is $50 max per stone. I cant afford Shapton glass, JNS, Naniwa, etc.


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## Lars (Dec 4, 2017)

The Bester 1200 is awesome imo. Really nice stone if you soak it.

Lars


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## tripleq (Dec 5, 2017)

OP - You've made a good choice with the Rika. As for the other two you could just flip a coin. Sometimes with stones you'll get two that work equally well but you'll gravitate to one just for the feel. I prefer stones with a slick feeling so many of my coarse/dry feeling stones sit unused for long periods. Is there any particular quality that you prefer in the stones you've tried?


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## sac36555 (Dec 6, 2017)

tripleq said:


> OP - You've made a good choice with the Rika. As for the other two you could just flip a coin. Sometimes with stones you'll get two that work equally well but you'll gravitate to one just for the feel. I prefer stones with a slick feeling so many of my coarse/dry feeling stones sit unused for long periods. Is there any particular quality that you prefer in the stones you've tried?



Tripleq- I am brand new to sharpening and have NO experience! I just got my first J-knife after buying and using my moms Tojiro DP. I realized with j-knives that I needed to get into sharpening to maximize the benefit of my J-knives.


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## tripleq (Dec 6, 2017)

sac36555 said:


> Tripleq- I am brand new to sharpening and have NO experience! I just got my first J-knife after buying and using my moms Tojiro DP. I realized with j-knives that I needed to get into sharpening to maximize the benefit of my J-knives.



In that case the two stones you've mentioned are both good choices. In a side-by-side you might prefer one over the other but neither stone is a slouch. Personally I lean a little toward the Bester but they'll both get the job done. You could try a WTB ad if you are trying to save a few dollars. People tend to accumulate a lot of medium-fine/medium grit stones. I'm sure there are a few folks willing to part with some at a discount. One other stone to consider that has already been mentioned in this thread is the JNS 1000. Good luck with the search.


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