# Binsui stone review and how to maintain polish on single bevels.



## bieniek (Oct 27, 2012)

So lately I got a few questions from few people from this forum, but also from totally different country how would I rate and whats my general opinion on white binsui Maksim is selling. 

My answer is the same. Its not perfect, cause it doesnt stand on its own - I always use it with nagura, yet with right amount of mud and water this stone is excellent. 

Now, I dont want to sound like its this way cause it came from Maksim, but this is my only binsui and only that level grit stone, both in naturals and synthetics. 

So I wanted to show all you guys something. 
Below is my trusty Yoshihiro Deba 21cm, which went through halibut-hell and salmon-hell and lately through turbot-hell with me and helped me a great deal. 

Now for everydays sharpening reality I dont polish my knives all the way. Obviously. But I still want my knives to look decent and for the contrast between jigane and hagane to be nice and visible. 

I tried to apply nagura mud on JNS 1K but this stone just suck at this particular job. 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So basically my regular maintaining-sharpening setup is of two stones: JNS 1K, but place here any decent 1K stone for burr forming and that can remove DMTs scratches easily, and the binsui, and a natural stone nagura.

For double bevel knives it gives me great toothy yet polished edge, I would call it very similar to what suehiro leaves, yet the business end lives lot longer than from synthetics. 

For single bevels very usable edge without too long time invested. 
Note on the side that I still do back side with finer stone[ohira]. I dont touch back side with any other stone, haha until im very lazy but shhhhh!

And here are the pics.

















Doesnt look all that bad, for the price?

I cannot really stress it enough, all you need it two stones, even if you want to have decent polish on your Shig. Buy some fingerstones and from here you could have even better result in 20 minutes.

I noticed that Jon sells now binsui also, maybe it will work same way?


----------



## maxim (Oct 27, 2012)

There is different kinds of Binsui, i cary the ones woodworkers and knife people dont want, Hard type so they can also be used for razors  
I believe Jon have the soft type witch is best to produce Kasumi finish and dont have to be used with Nagura


----------



## bieniek (Oct 27, 2012)

I dont really think its about the stone, just the fact. 

Technique, not equipment 

Damn, did I just sound like the airborne bodybuilder-sniper that happens to be 17th generation bladesmith also??


----------



## JBroida (Oct 27, 2012)

haha


----------



## maxim (Oct 27, 2012)

Are you talking about me i do bodybuilding only in my free time :nunchucks:

:justkidding:



bieniek said:


> I dont really think its about the stone, just the fact.
> 
> Technique, not equipment
> 
> Damn, did I just sound like the airborne bodybuilder-sniper that happens to be 17th generation bladesmith also??


----------



## schanop (Oct 27, 2012)

Too funny, you guys are :jumpy:

I, for one, also discussed this stone with bieniek (as well as Maxim, of course) whether to get it to try for fun or not. But it seems that some of the features bieniek is using is similar to how I use another stone I inherited from Chris, so haven't gave in to buy this stone yet.

Q for Mike, is this macro micro bevel going all the way along the edge, or just around the heel? Including other pictures, it seems to run all along the edge, right?

And very nice polished deba, BTW.


----------



## bieniek (Oct 27, 2012)

Thanks, not that I tried expecially hard for the photo. 

It is my primary bevel youre seeing there. Its quite thick cause I dont bother thinning and my angle is quite low. 
I also dont blend bevels together for workhorses. I might be very wrong but I think it makes no difference if I only cut fish flesh.

I dont want to spend more than 10 minutes on maintenance each time I do it.


----------



## schanop (Oct 27, 2012)

Roger ... I have found that once a knife is well set up, then it doesn't take long nor have to try very hard to get a decent polish again.


----------



## bieniek (Oct 28, 2012)

Same here


----------



## gentlecook (Dec 26, 2012)

you really dont use any 2-3k synth stones ?
binsui replaces them ?

thx


----------



## bieniek (Dec 26, 2012)

Yes sir. 

I think you bought all of mine? Synthetics? 
Only left is JNS 1k


----------

