I just got a King Deluxe 1000 to be my bevel setter. It behaves differently than the Norton 4000/8000 I have - I find this King is unquenchable as far as water. Soak it but it still absorbs whatever I spray on it in short order, pretty much have to re-spray it after a couple of passes. Is that just the way it is? *Is* it supposed to be used wet?
Got a King Deluxe 1000 - seems unquenchable
- Thread starter Brassplyer
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They are a thirsty stone. Some people like to perma-soak them. That was one gripe I had with my king, it took a long time to soak, or forever to dry out.
This.
I have the King 1k/6k. Got tired of the water soak, got a chosera 1k and I am a happy man. I think its too porous and cant hold water in, hence the surface dries up fast.
If you can, try to keep the king 1k sitting in a shallow pool of water or on a damp rag while using it, that will help the water from seeping out. Also when I used the king I did not spray the stone, I kept a cup of water nearby and just flooded the entire stone every few minutes. Trying to keep a king stone wet via spray bottle sounds tiresome.
I usually soak my King medium stones in a rectangular, plastic bucket for 20+ minutes before use and then dip my fingertips in as needed.
Another thing with the King red bricks is their glazing process leaves them with a protective outer layer that needs to be lapped away. Dave Martel mentioned that once and my King 800 didn’t care either way, but the King 1,200 said “that d00d in Pennsylvania is right!” A little more lapping may reduce the thirst trap properties of your bevel setter.
Another thing with the King red bricks is their glazing process leaves them with a protective outer layer that needs to be lapped away. Dave Martel mentioned that once and my King 800 didn’t care either way, but the King 1,200 said “that d00d in Pennsylvania is right!” A little more lapping may reduce the thirst trap properties of your bevel setter.
Yup, they are thirsty. A quick couple minute soak, I keep a plastic shoe box in my shop sink filled with clean water.
Do not use a spray bottle, use a plastic squeeze lab wash bottle and a plastic food tray to catch any runoff and swarf.
With a lab bottle you can add a drop or flood and the bent nozzle make it easier to direct you water After a few squirts, that clean the swarf off the stone it will fill up.
I just picked up a NOS boxed, 800 King S-1, the big 8X3 stone, at a flea market. It is much larger than the 1000 on the plastic base I have used for years. I can still get away with a couple minute soak and a squirt bottle.
The 800-1200 brown King stones are nice quick cutting stones. Just give them a quick lap prior to use. The King is much faster than the Chosera. I especially see the speed difference with Stainless razors and with knives and tools.
Do not use a spray bottle, use a plastic squeeze lab wash bottle and a plastic food tray to catch any runoff and swarf.
With a lab bottle you can add a drop or flood and the bent nozzle make it easier to direct you water After a few squirts, that clean the swarf off the stone it will fill up.
I just picked up a NOS boxed, 800 King S-1, the big 8X3 stone, at a flea market. It is much larger than the 1000 on the plastic base I have used for years. I can still get away with a couple minute soak and a squirt bottle.
The 800-1200 brown King stones are nice quick cutting stones. Just give them a quick lap prior to use. The King is much faster than the Chosera. I especially see the speed difference with Stainless razors and with knives and tools.
Permasoak!
This range of Kings is improved notably with either super-long, or constant, soaking.
This range of Kings is improved notably with either super-long, or constant, soaking.
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I know that David Charlesworth swore by the King 800 and permasoaked his, use them for years. He would use his stones completely, gluing old thin stones together until they were gone.
Charlesworth ran a Fine Furniture Making School and was meticulous about honing tools, so he went through more stones than most. When you routinely are wearing out 800 grit stones, you are doing a lot of honing. He probably knew a thing or two about it.
His honing technique for tools was much more precise and conscientious than most folks are about honing razors.
He has several excellent videos on-line demonstrating his precision honing and the result he achieved, effortless plaining and paring, worth watching.
He passed away recently after a long illness.
Charlesworth ran a Fine Furniture Making School and was meticulous about honing tools, so he went through more stones than most. When you routinely are wearing out 800 grit stones, you are doing a lot of honing. He probably knew a thing or two about it.
His honing technique for tools was much more precise and conscientious than most folks are about honing razors.
He has several excellent videos on-line demonstrating his precision honing and the result he achieved, effortless plaining and paring, worth watching.
He passed away recently after a long illness.
They are also good for holding doors open in a breeze. The 6k is especially good at it.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
When I use king 800 - 1200 grit stones, I usually do the following. I immersed it underwater for several minutes and then either had it in water with the top of the stone just above the water, or I did it fit on a stone bridge across a sink with water dripping constantly on the stone.
So I'd say either a large pan sevral inches deep with the appropriate amount of water and appropriate clearance for your fingers or a stone bridge with a faucet dripping water. None of the cutesy hold the stone with one hand and the razor with the other as the coti guys sometimes do.
So I'd say either a large pan sevral inches deep with the appropriate amount of water and appropriate clearance for your fingers or a stone bridge with a faucet dripping water. None of the cutesy hold the stone with one hand and the razor with the other as the coti guys sometimes do.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
I like the Kings a lot in the 800-1200 range for knife sharpening. I carve wood so waterstones are not really an option for gouge sharpening - to easy to end up with grooves and so on due to the small surface area. For knives and chisels they are nice. For my carving tools, Diamond and then Arkansas.
I didn't know about David. He was knowledgeable and I learned a few things watching his videos. RIP David.
I bought a King combo, did not like it, gave it away, and bought a Naniwa Chosera 1k, and Shapton HR 4k and 8k. Much happier.
20-40 minute soak usually fills them, depending on existing moisture content, if any. When the bubble stop coming up they're done. Takes a while. Sometimes a loooong while. And then they take like a week to dry out.
dWhey they are taken from their bath, they drip so you can literally never stop having to wet them down. Soaking just sorta slows the need to spritz.
When soaked, my spritz bottle works fine. I prefer to use them under running water on a sink bridge though.
To be totally honest, I don't like them because of all of that plus they're slow and soft and need endless lapping when working on difficult bevel sets. Not my choice of bevel setter, but they do/will work and the price is pretty decent.
dWhey they are taken from their bath, they drip so you can literally never stop having to wet them down. Soaking just sorta slows the need to spritz.
When soaked, my spritz bottle works fine. I prefer to use them under running water on a sink bridge though.
To be totally honest, I don't like them because of all of that plus they're slow and soft and need endless lapping when working on difficult bevel sets. Not my choice of bevel setter, but they do/will work and the price is pretty decent.
- Thread starter
- #14
Does the Naniwa work any better?
- Thread starter
- #15
I soaked it overnight, still no change. Not a big deal, it just behaves differently than my very limited experience with honing stones.
I perma soak my King 800.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
Kings are sponges that have grit in them.
Slow to fill, slow to dry, fast to dish, but they work well. They’re probably better suited to knives than razors, but they do produce good results on razors if they’re flat and saturated with water.
Slow to fill, slow to dry, fast to dish, but they work well. They’re probably better suited to knives than razors, but they do produce good results on razors if they’re flat and saturated with water.
I certainly think it improves them, and I find it convenient because I use on pretty much a daily basis.
I don't actually own the 1k, but from trying it a few times I'm sure it'd react the same as the 800 and 1.2.
Once they stop bubbling, that's it, they're done. Never saw one take more than 45 minutes. Won't change past that point. Soak it for a year and it'll be the same.
These are the OG synth that people got into a long time ago. The binder technology is old; some like it, some say it's outdated. Some hate them others love them. IMO they're a bargain and someone on a budget can make good with them if they put in the effort. I prefer splash/go stones a whole lot more but "horses for courses", they say.
But yeah, King Ice Bear stones are way different than more modern stones for sure. Night & day different.
Try it with King DL - they're weird. Guarantee you'll notice a difference between one soaked for a day vs an hour.
