differance between Nagura stones?

[Matthew N. Masail]

I've been having some issues with my SP1200, it clogged very badly and quickly.


the other night a friend brought by a Naniwa chosera nagura and it clear the stone many time faster than a diamond plate and allowed me to actually
use it without much clogging, I'm impressed. thought I'm not sure why this made the stone more clog resistant?


So I'd like to buy a Nagura, but I'm not sure which, the Naniwa worked great on the coarse stone, but will it's own grit be too coarse for a finishing stone?


LV state to only use the nagura they sell with fine stones 4000+.


any recommendation on what to get?




also about the SP1200, I thought of maybe lapping it to remove maybe 2-3mm from the top... do you think that would help? it's an amazing stone when it's not clogged.

[Chris Griggs]

The Naniwas Chosera Nagura's are 600 grit so to some extent the improvement might have come from adding a bunch of coarser particles in a soft mud binder to the stone. Are you soaking your 1200? Its been a while since I've used that stone, but I don't remember it clogging easily.

Also, yes stones do tend to improve a bit once you get into the softer chewier inside. I wouldn't deliberately wear it in though. I would just continue to use it and it will get there fast enough on its own.

[David Weaver]

I wouldn't lap off the top of the stone. It's a hard stone that needs to stay wet to stay unclogged. That and the bester 1200 can both get totally clogged looking if they're wet, but still continue to cut, so I'm assuming that it must've gotten dry to be like that.

If you like the chosera nagura, use it on the SP 1200 - nothing bad is going to happen to either, though the stone may wear a little faster (not really an issue, it's still going to wear very slowly) and rolling nagura grit should keep the surface conditioned.

I'd avoid any type of nagura on a finish stone, except literally for a piece of another finish stone of similar grit. For japanese stones, you've probably seen the word tomonagura. I have no idea what its translation is, but it refers to using a stone of the same type as a nagura. From time to time, you'll see natural stones that have had an inch of their length cut off to be used as a tomonagura. It's just as practical for stuff like a norton 8k, though, to just generate a little bit of slurry with a diamond plate.

[Matthew N. Masail]

That's the thing, it clogs so badly I don't use it at all. I keep it in water all the time and try to play with it once in a while. Good point about the nagura grit..


a friend came to visit me the other day (first time we meet in person),
he has the SP1200 and said his doesn't clog like mine.


based on all the great review on it I can't help but wonder if I got an over baked one or something.. .

[Matthew N. Masail]

I wouldn't lap off the top of the stone. It's a hard stone that needs to stay wet to stay unclogged. That and the bester 1200 can both get totally clogged looking if they're wet, but still continue to cut, so I'm assuming that it must've gotten dry to be like that.

If you like the chosera nagura, use it on the SP 1200 - nothing bad is going to happen to either, though the stone may wear a little faster (not really an issue, it's still going to wear very slowly) and rolling nagura grit should keep the surface conditioned.

I'd avoid any type of nagura on a finish stone, except literally for a piece of another finish stone of similar grit. For japanese stones, you've probably seen the word tomonagura. I have no idea what its translation is, but it refers to using a stone of the same type as a nagura. From time to time, you'll see natural stones that have had an inch of their length cut off to be used as a tomonagura. It's just as practical for stuff like a norton 8k, though, to just generate a little bit of slurry with a diamond plate.

Maybe that is what is happening. it doesn't stop cutting but becomes black and quite a bit finer. so that's normal?
I have never used it anything but soaked.


I'm a little confused about getting clogged looking when wet? why is that? are you saying it will stay cleaner if I let it dry more?

[Winton Applegate]

I use this one
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy298/noydb1/IMG_0215_zpsf2582981.jpg (http://s801.photobucket.com/user/noydb1/media/IMG_0215_zpsf2582981.jpg.html)
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy298/noydb1/IMG_0216_zps1a68c914.jpg (http://s801.photobucket.com/user/noydb1/media/IMG_0216_zps1a68c914.jpg.html)


Works well and lasts a long time.
I went looking for a link to the one I have but this is the closest I could find

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product/156737/Nagura-G1-Gold-Stone.aspx

I am perplexed
If these guys don't have one I don't know where to send you
http://www.hidatool.com/woodworking/sharpening-stones-and-tools/stone-maintenance-tools

Maybe the syntho is just fine.

[Winton Applegate]

lapping it to remove maybe 2-3mm from the top

That sounds like way tooooooo much to remove. Maybe a fraction of a mm.
What blade are you using on the stone ?
If 01 then maybe that is the prob. Use oil stones for that.
Rinse the stone often.

I don't use the nagura on stones coarser than say 4000 or so.
A 1200 stone clogging ?
Here are two that don't
http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/html_p/Q!0P0000.htm

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product/11H21/1000-grit-Red-Deluxe-Water-Stone.aspx

[Winton Applegate]

Inch of a stone cut off
Hey I am right up town. That is what I did with my old Nortons after I bought all the Shaptons.
I use them for polishing knives and for sharpening pocket knives etc.
Only problem is I wish they were Shapton.

http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy298/noydb1/IMG_1650_zpsc3bc71a2.jpg (http://s801.photobucket.com/user/noydb1/media/IMG_1650_zpsc3bc71a2.jpg.html)