I was left with the impression if that I was "keeping my knife sharp" that I can easily use an Arkansas stone because the
silicone quartz is hard enough to cut it, but certainly not fast. OK, I don't really know if it is hard enough to cut the carbides in the super metals, but S30V and S35VN is designed to be "easy-ish" to sharpen.
According to Norton, due to their unique composition, Arkansas stones polish as they sharpen, imparting an extremely fine, smooth edge. Because of this, they are typically used as the final sharpening step after an India or Crystolon stone is used, or to maintain an already sharpened edge. (see
https://www.nortonabrasives.com/en-u...arpening-stone).
For sure I am not an expert, but, it is my understanding that the Crystolon (Silicon Carbide) is coarser grained than the India stones. If you want to cut fast, it should be diamond or Crystolon. There is a reason that Norton uses the standard sharpener in their three set series to be either:
- Coarse Crystolon (P120 = 127 Micron)
- Medium Crystolon (P180 = 78 Micron)
- Fine India (P400 = 35 Micron)
or slightly more expensive:
- Coarse Crystolon (P120 = 127 Micron)
- medium India (P280 = 52.5 Micron)
- Soft Arkansas (P800 = 22 micron)
I set the "grits" based on
https://www.qualitymill.com/ASSETS/D...50_Catalog.pdf
- Coarse Crystolon (P120 = 127 Micron)
- Coarse India (P150 = 97 Micron)
- Medium Crystolon (P180 = 78 Micron)
- Medium India (P280 = 52.5 Micron)
- Fine Crystolon (45 Micron) [my guess is 340 ish]
- Fine India (P400 = 35 Micron)
- Soft Arkansas (P800 = 22 micron)
- Hard Translucent Arkansas (6 micron)
If you are using the Crystolon stones, the combination stone is a coarse / fine (127 micron / 45 micron) stone. I had no problem going from the medium Crystolon to the Washita with the knife.
For some reason, in my head, I think that the India stones are more uniform in size and will provide a better edge off the stone.
The India combination stone is also coarse / fine (97 micron / 35 micron)
If the blade is a really hard steel, Crystolon. If the blade needs serious work and I want to do it by hand, Crystolon. If I want a more refined edge and it aint that bad, India. If I am not going to then jump to say the Washita, I want an India stone after the Crystolon. That said, a custom knife maker by the name of Joe Calton claims that he uses the Norton Crystolon Combination stone because the cost is so good and the performance is very high. I kind of like this video of his:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT4VGTHrenY
For certain I was cutting news print off the medium crystolon stone. I assume that the Fine Crystolon will do even better. The question is where do you want to stop? I saw a very clear difference with the knife and how it handled the news print from each stone. I used: Coarse Crystolon, Medium Crystolon, Washita, Hard Arkansas, Hard Black, Strop. I think that it was David Weaver who did a video with a Washita then a strop on a plane blade and then took whisper thin shavings. Now they are doing something kind of like that with the Unicorn method with chisels.
Can I get by without the Washita? Yeah, probably. I can probably go from a Fine India directly to a Soft Arkansas. I have not tried the India stones yet, I do know, however, that I am tickled pink with the Norton Washita and I think that you will really like the stones that you ordered. If you ever find yourself near Columbus Ohio, give me a holler and you can try some of my stones.
Andrew