Sharpening Stone Advice

[Jessica de Boer]

I was actually thinking about purchasing the 13000 grit stone as well but then I received a wonderful natural stone from Japan from a friend. My experience with natural stones is limited but he told me it's most likely a Nakayama asagi. I will have to take his word for it. He also told me the edge from this stone will be more durable but since I never purchased the 13000 grit stone I cannot make a comparison.

I do have to say I've found the edge the 6000 grit stone produces to be very durable which is most likely the result of how smooth it is. My husband tried it on one of his kitchen knives and he thought the edge was completely useless precisely because of that reason.

[ken hatch]

I posted a video on youtube some time ago and it shows it, but basically half the edge is hanging off of the stone sometimes when I'm working more camber into an iron. I'm then applying pressure to the side that is still on the stone and working as I normally due to maintain the bevel.

I reduce camber by running the middle of the blade off the corners of the stone, also, if need be. Whatever is needed for the blade, is all.

Brian,

Thanks, Warren answered as well. I'll take a look at your video but it sounds as if we are doing/using our stones pretty much the same way.

ken

[Brian Holcombe]

I was actually thinking about purchasing the 13000 grit stone as well but then I received a wonderful natural stone from Japan from a friend. My experience with natural stones is limited but he told me it's most likely a Nakayama asagi. I will have to take his word for it. He also told me the edge from this stone will be more durable but since I never purchased the 13000 grit stone I cannot make a comparison.

I do have to say I've found the edge the 6000 grit stone produces to be very durable which is most likely the result of how smooth it is. My husband tried it on one of his kitchen knives and he thought the edge was completely useless precisely because of that reason.

If you are using white steel the Nakayama will be very hard to top. Personally I prefer the edge off a natural stone over that of the synthetic even though a 13k is technically a finer stone. For the really hard steels sometimes ill do the cutting with the sigma then finish the edge on a Nakayama.

[Luke Dupont]

I was actually thinking about purchasing the 13000 grit stone as well but then I received a wonderful natural stone from Japan from a friend. My experience with natural stones is limited but he told me it's most likely a Nakayama asagi. I will have to take his word for it. He also told me the edge from this stone will be more durable but since I never purchased the 13000 grit stone I cannot make a comparison.

I do have to say I've found the edge the 6000 grit stone produces to be very durable which is most likely the result of how smooth it is. My husband tried it on one of his kitchen knives and he thought the edge was completely useless precisely because of that reason.

In my experience, natural stones will produce a slightly inconsistent, and shallower scratch pattern which may enhance edge retention and "slicing" cuts. They tend to give a hazy finish rather than a super smooth mirror finish. But, this is considered a positive thing: It's kind of like how hand-made rasps, or hand sharpened saws cut smoother because of their slight imperfections. The edge from a natural stone also tends to be easier to refine on finer mediums like a strop. But this depends heavily on the characteristics of the particular stone you have. Of course, the trade-off is that they generally cut slower*

I'm starting to think that maybe I should try more synthetic stones just so that I can speak more knowledgeably of them, but I really like natural stones -- both Jnats and Arks, and the edge I get from them.

*There are actually some natural stones that are quite fast cutting, and some of them can even be fast and fine in a way that synthetics tend not to be. Such stones tend to be rare / expensive though, especially in the world of Jnats,

[Blair Swanson]

I posted a video on youtube some time ago and it shows it, but basically half the edge is hanging off of the stone sometimes when I'm working more camber into an iron. I'm then applying pressure to the side that is still on the stone and working as I normally due to maintain the bevel.

I reduce camber by running the middle of the blade off the corners of the stone, also, if need be. Whatever is needed for the blade, is all.

Could you please post a link to that video. I can't find it on your channel. Thanks.
B.

[Jessica de Boer]

I would describe the Nakayama I have as a gentle stone. It's quite fast but at the same time not aggressive and my friend explained to me it does indeed produce a shallow and uneven scratch pattern. It also produces a frosty and very bright polish and he explained that because the scratch pattern is shallow and uneven, the light reflects differently compared to an artificial stone, and that's one of the reasons for this frosty and bright polish. Another reason for this type of finish he said, is that at the same time minerals in the stone react with the steel. All I know is I really like how it finishes and the edge it produces.