Hello. Since recently discovering your channel, i have been delving through your archive of videos and learning so much really useful information and technique tips. I think it needs to be said that your style of presentation is not just appealing but shows a good instinct for what questions might be on a learner's mind - all the while sustaining discussion and delivering both practical and nuanced teachings with the most refreshingly exceptional articulate manner. I am, in short, a big fan and intend to be a devoted follower as i refine and improve my technique. Also always look forward to seeing that gorgeous mushashi blue kiritsuke! The sound it makes is euphoria! Would love to see you show it off more with some dazzling knifework, maybe interspersed between sharpening exercises?? Anyway many thanks, and always looking forward to more.
Really, really appreciate your feedback. And I'm so glad you enjoy it. I'm more skilled with sharpening than regular knifework, I'm by no means a chef 😅 but I will seriously consider it 😁
Hi, your reviews have been excellent! They've really helped me in figuring out how a stone would feel like, hearing the sound they make and seeing the slurry and the feedbacks, your microphone is excellent! After getting my 1st japanese knife, a cheap one, but carbon steel, a teruhide shimomura, 4 years ago I had been using local natural stones (very hard stones, 400-6K) to sharpen it, and some other knives. I them got my 1st japanese whetstone 2.5 months ago, a King KDS 1K/6K, that I reallly like. Then a Shapton Pro 120, to thin the teruhide, that has a zero bevel, I believe. What I think of the Shapton Pro, is that while it's a fast cutting stone, but it needs to be constantly refresh. That 120, if not refresh, would polish so well as if I was using a 3-5K stone. Then a month ago, I started getting the "chosera" line, a Miyabi Toishi Pro 400, and the Aratas, 1K, 5K, and 10K. These are excellent polishers, I think that those 4 cover everything I might need. With loaded balsa strops with 20K, 30K, and 100K powder/paste,as well as a couple of blank leather strops to finish. Anyway, may ask about your spring-loaded holder? How deep is the "lips" on that one? The ones holding down the bottom edgese of the whetstone. I want to get one, it looks pretty thin. I missed out on the Naniwa holder, that looks like it's only 3mm deep, but able to hold down whetstones firmly. The case that comes with the Aratas isn't as tightly fit as the Shapton's. Thanks again for the reviews! Surely made me feel like what I've spent have been worth every penny. Keep 'em coming...
Wow finally a man who appreciates and is capable of grinding a knife by hand! As a toolmaker I approve! First look at this channel, and it looks promising and good!
apart from the excelent technical considerations , "there is never an easy answer without having a context" is by far my takeaway from this, thanks a lot!
anyone worth listening to would say... it depends on what you need them for. knife bros on the net are some of the "smartest" humans alive today. They don't understand for instance that different stones are for different purposes and think any 1000 grit stone is just the same as any other 1000 grit. SG320 imo is a better bet than the 500. But I'd take a 400 chosera over either any day and twice on sunday. The only other stone I'd maybe consider next to the chosera 400 is a 320 grit hard resin diamond stone I have. The chosera is still vastly more enjoyable but diamonds abrade very quickly and work on anything so in some alternative world where you can only have 1, I might choose that. king neo 800. another all time great stone. twice as fast as messy chosera 800 yet it wears much slower. the contrast finishes it's able to achieve on anything from soft iron to stainless is equivalent to the 800 chosera but it's faster and vastly better suited for doing edge work. it will cut any tenacious steel like say 10v or maxamet or whatever other thing edc bros foam over. I think it's a vastly better stone than either the 800 or 1k chosera. the SG4K and 3k chosera are both very nice intermediate stones but the finish they leave is much different. The SG is finer and leaves a much brighter finish also cuts faster, but the chosera finish looks much nicer to the eye. They're otherwise fairly similar in how they wear and release grit 3k ouka is a soaking stone which is is mostly suitable to doing wide bevels and tools like that moreso than secondary bevel edge work. I think it's a really good soaking stone but I mostly use the 5k rika. either the ouka or rika will be a lot finer than similar grit rated cerax stones because cerax is essentially an entire line of medium stones whereas the ouka and rika are finishing stones. These are the kind of details average folks don't know about. etc. I only use stones like these for wide bevels and would rarely if ever consider them if all that's needed is edge work. idk what my favorite finishing stone is. I have a lot of them. an 8k sg costs like $100 whereas you can get a 15 mm 10k chosera for like $60 on amazon japan in the US. I'd have to say the Naniwa super stones are my favorite finishing stones. They are softer than most other stones because they are resin bound. These things can do things other stones cant when it comes to finishing and polishing. anyone would be fine with either the 5k, 8k, 10k, or 12k. I have the 5k and 12k. Again, you can get a 12k ss in 10 mm for like $50-60 on amazon Japan, few dollar more like $60 to $70 for 20 mm version. 400 chosera. 800 neo. 3k chosera. and 12k ss. would be an amazing 4 stone set. total cost off amazon japan? less than $200. but. theres so many other amazing stones available for all kinds of different uses. I love shapton pros. the 120, 320, 1k, 2k, and any of the finishing stones, 5k, 8k and 12k... all excellent choices. Only things you need to know is these are the hardest and slowest wearing stones around, they release very little grit, cut well, don't work great for wide bevels, the 220 and 320 are SIC and much more friable than any of the others like say the very hard white alumina 120. the 1k is actually about 700 grit. and that's about it.
the shapton pro is actually about a 700 grit stone iirc. even shapton will tell you this if you ask. its equivalent in the glass line is the 500. I think the closest chosera to this is the 600 grit, by far.
Nice layout for your sharpening bench, very practical. Mine’s a work in progress. Enjoyed the video, glad you posted again. Have you gotten anymore JNATs? How would you compare your Morihei Hishiboshi stones to natural stones for feel and cutting/polishing ability?
Ive tried loads of different setups. But then i just figured i should try to make my own. Im quite pleased with the result if i may say so myself :) No more Jnats unfortunately. As for morihei vs jnats, Its a very hard comparison to make, the morihei has a very soft comfortable feedback though and its a very nice stone to work on. i would guess that a natural stone of similar properties would cost you quite a bit more :)
have you try it with nagura that comes with the naniwa? i find it works amazing. cuts twice faster. wash the slur after to remove the burr. i also perma soak the nagura
Great video and point taken. Although the differences in #1000 grit rage are already known and tested. It would be great if You managed to compare lower grits, that's something I am struggling to find deeper info about. Cerax 320 vs Shapton Pro 320 vs Chosera 400. And does it make sense to jump to Shapton 1k, since it's around #750. Shapton Pro 2k seems to cut almost as fast and with its true grit around 1,5k it may be perfect mid stone before 3k/4k finish. Keep up the great work!
you can't just compare SNG stones to soaking stones. or stones from entirely different lines intended for entirely different uses. they are not equivalent nor interchangeable. Chosera stones are intended to be hybrids. They're supposed to look and feel like traditional stones while actually being modern SNG stones. They are quite unique which is why I think so many folks like them. There is no info and no where to find it. you have to do what anyone else had to do which is buy them all and learn for yourself. 99% of the things i hear and read about them online is obvious nonsense. most folks have no clue what they're talking about. the 2k "cuts almost as fast" because they're both medium aka sharpening stones. you don't "need" both. you're "supposed" to get 1 stone from each category to make a "set." but also know what you're getting and why. the 120 to 320 are the course aka grinding stones. the 220 and 320 are SIC and different from all the other stones in the line. the 1k, 1.5k and 2k are the sharpening stones. The 5k, 8k and 12k are the finishing stones. and you are right about the actual grit of the 1k. The 8k shapton claims was developed for finishing knives whereas the 12k was developed for finishing woodworking tools but does it really matter? no. I have the 5k and 12k, but you could easily just the 8k and be just fine and happy. I have all of the rest of them minus the 1.5k. I think they're great. If I knew then what I know now, I'd likely get, 120, 320, 1k, 2k and 8k. I like SG finishing stones much more. but naniwa super stones are prob my favorite finishers of all. cerax stones are entirely different from chosera or any shapton. they are more like the naniwa traditional stones, except that they are actually modern stones and suitable for stainless steels. I also find the naniwa traditional stones to be harder and less friable than cerax stones which tend to be quite friable, they release grit readily and wear very fast with high pressure. They're suited for wide bevel work... and a light touch. basically modern versions of a traditional waterstone.
Shapton 1000 is 14.7μ and Chosera 1000 is 11.5μ, this is why. The Shapton 1500 is 9.8μ and so is closer to Chosera 1000. Chosera 800 at 14μ is finer than Shapton 1000. If we pay attention to the microns μ rather than the grit # we get far more accurate information.
Hello. Since recently discovering your channel, i have been delving through your archive of videos and learning so much really useful information and technique tips. I think it needs to be said that your style of presentation is not just appealing but shows a good instinct for what questions might be on a learner's mind - all the while sustaining discussion and delivering both practical and nuanced teachings with the most refreshingly exceptional articulate manner.
I am, in short, a big fan and intend to be a devoted follower as i refine and improve my technique. Also always look forward to seeing that gorgeous mushashi blue kiritsuke! The sound it makes is euphoria! Would love to see you show it off more with some dazzling knifework, maybe interspersed between sharpening exercises??
Anyway many thanks, and always looking forward to more.
Really, really appreciate your feedback. And I'm so glad you enjoy it. I'm more skilled with sharpening than regular knifework, I'm by no means a chef 😅 but I will seriously consider it 😁
Great video. Definitely shows the point you are making.
Thanks :)
Can't you do more videos like this one? More 1k grit shapton glass cerax 1k and etc. Great video
Hi, your reviews have been excellent! They've really helped me in figuring out how a stone would feel like, hearing the sound they make and seeing the slurry and the feedbacks, your microphone is excellent!
After getting my 1st japanese knife, a cheap one, but carbon steel, a teruhide shimomura, 4 years ago I had been using local natural stones (very hard stones, 400-6K) to sharpen it, and some other knives. I them got my 1st japanese whetstone 2.5 months ago, a King KDS 1K/6K, that I reallly like. Then a Shapton Pro 120, to thin the teruhide, that has a zero bevel, I believe. What I think of the Shapton Pro, is that while it's a fast cutting stone, but it needs to be constantly refresh. That 120, if not refresh, would polish so well as if I was using a 3-5K stone. Then a month ago, I started getting the "chosera" line, a Miyabi Toishi Pro 400, and the Aratas, 1K, 5K, and 10K. These are excellent polishers, I think that those 4 cover everything I might need. With loaded balsa strops with 20K, 30K, and 100K powder/paste,as well as a couple of blank leather strops to finish.
Anyway, may ask about your spring-loaded holder? How deep is the "lips" on that one? The ones holding down the bottom edgese of the whetstone. I want to get one, it looks pretty thin. I missed out on the Naniwa holder, that looks like it's only 3mm deep, but able to hold down whetstones firmly. The case that comes with the Aratas isn't as tightly fit as the Shapton's.
Thanks again for the reviews! Surely made me feel like what I've spent have been worth every penny. Keep 'em coming...
Wow finally a man who appreciates and is capable of grinding a knife by hand! As a toolmaker I approve!
First look at this channel, and it looks promising and good!
Really appretiate you taking the time to comment :) Welcome to the gang
apart from the excelent technical considerations , "there is never an easy answer without having a context" is by far my takeaway from this, thanks a lot!
hello if you have to choose only 4 whetstone what will you take? thank you
anyone worth listening to would say... it depends on what you need them for. knife bros on the net are some of the "smartest" humans alive today. They don't understand for instance that different stones are for different purposes and think any 1000 grit stone is just the same as any other 1000 grit.
SG320 imo is a better bet than the 500. But I'd take a 400 chosera over either any day and twice on sunday. The only other stone I'd maybe consider next to the chosera 400 is a 320 grit hard resin diamond stone I have. The chosera is still vastly more enjoyable but diamonds abrade very quickly and work on anything so in some alternative world where you can only have 1, I might choose that.
king neo 800. another all time great stone. twice as fast as messy chosera 800 yet it wears much slower. the contrast finishes it's able to achieve on anything from soft iron to stainless is equivalent to the 800 chosera but it's faster and vastly better suited for doing edge work. it will cut any tenacious steel like say 10v or maxamet or whatever other thing edc bros foam over. I think it's a vastly better stone than either the 800 or 1k chosera.
the SG4K and 3k chosera are both very nice intermediate stones but the finish they leave is much different. The SG is finer and leaves a much brighter finish also cuts faster, but the chosera finish looks much nicer to the eye. They're otherwise fairly similar in how they wear and release grit
3k ouka is a soaking stone which is is mostly suitable to doing wide bevels and tools like that moreso than secondary bevel edge work. I think it's a really good soaking stone but I mostly use the 5k rika. either the ouka or rika will be a lot finer than similar grit rated cerax stones because cerax is essentially an entire line of medium stones whereas the ouka and rika are finishing stones. These are the kind of details average folks don't know about. etc. I only use stones like these for wide bevels and would rarely if ever consider them if all that's needed is edge work.
idk what my favorite finishing stone is. I have a lot of them. an 8k sg costs like $100 whereas you can get a 15 mm 10k chosera for like $60 on amazon japan in the US. I'd have to say the Naniwa super stones are my favorite finishing stones. They are softer than most other stones because they are resin bound. These things can do things other stones cant when it comes to finishing and polishing. anyone would be fine with either the 5k, 8k, 10k, or 12k. I have the 5k and 12k. Again, you can get a 12k ss in 10 mm for like $50-60 on amazon Japan, few dollar more like $60 to $70 for 20 mm version.
400 chosera. 800 neo. 3k chosera. and 12k ss. would be an amazing 4 stone set. total cost off amazon japan? less than $200.
but. theres so many other amazing stones available for all kinds of different uses. I love shapton pros. the 120, 320, 1k, 2k, and any of the finishing stones, 5k, 8k and 12k... all excellent choices. Only things you need to know is these are the hardest and slowest wearing stones around, they release very little grit, cut well, don't work great for wide bevels, the 220 and 320 are SIC and much more friable than any of the others like say the very hard white alumina 120. the 1k is actually about 700 grit. and that's about it.
the shapton pro is actually about a 700 grit stone iirc. even shapton will tell you this if you ask. its equivalent in the glass line is the 500. I think the closest chosera to this is the 600 grit, by far.
Great videos. Would love to see comparisons between the following: Chosera 1k vs Arashiyama 1000 vs King 1200 vs. Bestor 1200
Nice layout for your sharpening bench, very practical. Mine’s a work in progress. Enjoyed the video, glad you posted again. Have you gotten anymore JNATs? How would you compare your Morihei Hishiboshi stones to natural stones for feel and cutting/polishing ability?
Ive tried loads of different setups. But then i just figured i should try to make my own. Im quite pleased with the result if i may say so myself :) No more Jnats unfortunately. As for morihei vs jnats, Its a very hard comparison to make, the morihei has a very soft comfortable feedback though and its a very nice stone to work on. i would guess that a natural stone of similar properties would cost you quite a bit more :)
have you try it with nagura that comes with the naniwa? i find it works amazing. cuts twice faster. wash the slur after to remove the burr. i also perma soak the nagura
Great video and point taken. Although the differences in #1000 grit rage are already known and tested.
It would be great if You managed to compare lower grits, that's something I am struggling to find deeper info about. Cerax 320 vs Shapton Pro 320 vs Chosera 400. And does it make sense to jump to Shapton 1k, since it's around #750. Shapton Pro 2k seems to cut almost as fast and with its true grit around 1,5k it may be perfect mid stone before 3k/4k finish.
Keep up the great work!
you can't just compare SNG stones to soaking stones. or stones from entirely different lines intended for entirely different uses. they are not equivalent nor interchangeable. Chosera stones are intended to be hybrids. They're supposed to look and feel like traditional stones while actually being modern SNG stones. They are quite unique which is why I think so many folks like them. There is no info and no where to find it. you have to do what anyone else had to do which is buy them all and learn for yourself. 99% of the things i hear and read about them online is obvious nonsense. most folks have no clue what they're talking about.
the 2k "cuts almost as fast" because they're both medium aka sharpening stones. you don't "need" both. you're "supposed" to get 1 stone from each category to make a "set." but also know what you're getting and why. the 120 to 320 are the course aka grinding stones. the 220 and 320 are SIC and different from all the other stones in the line. the 1k, 1.5k and 2k are the sharpening stones. The 5k, 8k and 12k are the finishing stones. and you are right about the actual grit of the 1k. The 8k shapton claims was developed for finishing knives whereas the 12k was developed for finishing woodworking tools but does it really matter? no. I have the 5k and 12k, but you could easily just the 8k and be just fine and happy. I have all of the rest of them minus the 1.5k. I think they're great. If I knew then what I know now, I'd likely get, 120, 320, 1k, 2k and 8k. I like SG finishing stones much more. but naniwa super stones are prob my favorite finishers of all.
cerax stones are entirely different from chosera or any shapton. they are more like the naniwa traditional stones, except that they are actually modern stones and suitable for stainless steels. I also find the naniwa traditional stones to be harder and less friable than cerax stones which tend to be quite friable, they release grit readily and wear very fast with high pressure. They're suited for wide bevel work... and a light touch. basically modern versions of a traditional waterstone.
Could you please give me advice for three stones were I get the most for my money. One of them can be a professional, a little more expensive. Thx
Hello! May I ask where you get that paddle diamond nagura? Thanks!
Shapton 1000 is 14.7μ and Chosera 1000 is 11.5μ, this is why. The Shapton 1500 is 9.8μ and so is closer to Chosera 1000.
Chosera 800 at 14μ is finer than Shapton 1000.
If we pay attention to the microns μ rather than the grit # we get far more accurate information.