# Softer splash and go stones



## spaceconvoy (Jul 14, 2011)

I keep running up against the same problem with stones - I like softer stones, but I want a stone I can use splash and go.

This seems to be a paradox, since most splash and go stones are on the hard side (Shapton Pro, Glass Stones, Gesshin and Chosera might be slightly softer but not enough for me). Super Stones seem like the obvious choice, but they aren't really splash and go, IMO, since my 2k needed to soak a few minutes before use or it would clog. 

The main contender seems to be the Naniwa green brick, but it's been sold out for what seems like months now. Would a King work splash and go? I had one a long time ago but I don't remember... Anything else out there?


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 14, 2011)

Why don't you just use permasoakers? It's like a splash and go...


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## 99Limited (Jul 14, 2011)

Seems like the only real splash n go stones are J-nats, but they're, uh kind of hard as a rock.


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## l r harner (Jul 14, 2011)

i like the put in water have a tea (orr beer for all you heathen beer drinkers) when you are dont with you drink of choice then your stone is ready for you too 

i hav enever been in a rush to hone a blade and can always wait a few min to soak


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 14, 2011)

l r harner said:


> i like the put in water have a tea (orr beer for all you heathen beer drinkers) when you are dont with you drink of choice then your stone is ready for you too
> 
> i hav enever been in a rush to hone a blade and can always wait a few min to soak


 
Spoken like a self-employee. What's this I hear about enjoying your life before you die?? YOU ARE ON MY CLOCK!! GET BACK TO WORK!!! :theline:


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## Dave Martell (Jul 14, 2011)

spaceconvoy said:


> The main contender seems to be the Naniwa green brick, but it's been sold out for what seems like months now. Would a King work splash and go? I had one a long time ago but I don't remember... Anything else out there?




I don't think these perfect stones exist. 

Also, I have to soak the Naniwa green thing before it does what little it does. Can you tell that I'm not a big fan of this one?


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## JBroida (Jul 15, 2011)

yeah... green brick needs a couple of minutes to soak too. Other than shapton glass stones, there are very few splash and go stones that are truly splash and go, and of those, all of them are super hard. Most splash and go stones just work better with a short soak... thats just the way it is for some reason.


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 15, 2011)

Oh well, that's what I was afraid of.



johndoughy said:


> Why don't you just use permasoakers? It's like a splash and go...


 
I don't want to deal with storing it and changing the water, basically (plus, I'm in FL where mold is a bigger issue). But it sounds like I might have to... maybe a soft splash and go is physically impossible based on the laws of nature.


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 15, 2011)

spaceconvoy said:


> maybe a soft splash and go is physically impossible based on the laws of nature.


 
Indeed. It would have to be, in it's dry state, a very fragile rock.


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## tk59 (Jul 15, 2011)

How about just generating a little slurry on the SS?


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 15, 2011)

Hmmm... interesting theory, too bad I just sold mine  Anyone care to try and report the results?


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## Citizen Snips (Jul 15, 2011)

maybe the blue aoto 2k would be acceptable. i have permasoaked mine and it just made feel a little softer. i think you could probably use it as a splash and go so long as you keep splashing. there was a point where i was in love with this stone but after one swipe where it dug into the stone and i almost cut my finger off, i have put it back in the water and left it there. i dont care about the gouge, i only care about my finger. after that i am a believer that soft stones are no good. 

i prefer the hard permasoakers. they have better feedback and generally fit my sharpening needs much better. its kinda like having a boning knife or a petty. boning knives are dangerous and belong in the bin, not my knife bag. you cannot get a feel or control the tip of a knife that is overly flexible and its kinda the same as a soft stone. its muddy and you dont get the firm feedback you would on something harder. 

sorry about the rant, these are just my opinions. my suggestion would be to try a blue aoto 2k.


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## mainaman (Jul 15, 2011)

99Limited said:


> Seems like the only real splash n go stones are J-nats, but they're, uh kind of hard as a rock.


 Aoto releases slurry pretty easy, and there is others that can do the same.


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 15, 2011)

Dave Martell said:


> Also, I have to soak the Naniwa green thing before it does what little it does. Can you tell that I'm not a big fan of this one?


 
If the green brick had only a few supporters, I would definitely defer to your wisdom, Dave. But I've read so many glowing reviews of this stone by a good number of people, so I don't know what to think.


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## Dave Martell (Jul 15, 2011)

I'll agree with you, lots of people like it, this keeps me trying it every so often over the years to see if I change my mind on it but I still come to the same conclusions. For me the stone wears faster than it cuts and that's a no-go in my book, then I look at what advantage it would have even if it didn't wear this fast and I come up with nothing because there's so many other stones in that range. I'll never understand the love people have for this one but diversity is what makes the world go round.


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## Seb (Jul 16, 2011)

The GB is a fun stone to have and I see it as a medium coarse finishing stone - dragged mine out today for a spin and then stropped with 2.0u silicon carbide on balsa. As Dave said, it's slooooooow and needs a short soak (thirsty brick) and it is not the best choice for harder stainless steel, for example.


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## Cadillac J (Jul 16, 2011)

tk59 said:


> How about just generating a little slurry on the SS?


 
That is the only way to get the true value from the SS stones IMO. The 5K SS will ALWAYS be in my arsenal. I just run under water for a minute before use, then raise a slurry and go to town.


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