Wetstone Minimalist

[ngai]

I have some dull kitchen knives that I want to sharpen up and figured it was about time that I learned to do it myself. After doing some research on hones, I keep hearing the recommendations for the King 1k/6k as a good do everything hone for kitchen knives. That for now if my default option.

My newb question is whether I should be looking at a coarser combo stone, something like 600/1000 (does that even exist?)? Since some feel that kitchen knives don't generally need a super-fine edge unless it's for some specialty application like cutting sushi, would 6k be a waste, and is 1k coarse enough? I have no interest (yet) in straights, so it would just be for kitchen and pocket knives.

 

[seattleshaver]

Most sharpening systems for pocket knives and kitchen knives are more like 220-1k. I have several options but my favorite is just an inexpensive tri-hone with 2 Arkansas stones (soft and hard) and for the coarse stone it's synthetic stone. I got it from Amazon in a wooden holder for less than $25.

If you and free-hand sharpen you don't really need more than that. I can shave arm/leg hair with my kitchen (and pocket) knives.

 

[YetiDave]

You don't need 6k, in fact I'd say that you don't even need 1k if you've got a 200/600 (or thereabouts) and a honing steel - I've managed to get an edge that'll shave arm hair using a £2.50 carborundum hone and an old steel. Regardless of what you choose though, you should invest in a good steel if you don't already own one. Using it before and after you use your knives it'll keep them bloody sharp almost indefinitely

 

[inspiringK]

I have limited experience with stones, but own sharpening systems, Arkansas stones, and a few water stones. Overall I think your choice of going the water stone way is usually the best option – I also have a thread where I quickly compare some of the options here.

I think your choice of King 1k and 6k sounds near to ideal if you are looking for a two stone setup. Something more course, like a 220 grit could be handy for bevel setting. But, you can do bevel setting with a 1k, it just takes longer.

The beauty of water stones is that they can get a knife keener than any other system. If you stop at the lower grit levels, you do all the work with none of the glory. Stopping at the 1k mark is the sensible choice and IMHO is the best return on your efforts. The 1k stone is great and really doesn’t ‘need’ another stone to follow. Stopping at the 6k mark adds to the fun.

One other thing to keep in mind, eventually, or maybe right away, you will need to lap the stones. So, investing in a DMT 325 lapping plate or some alternative lapping means is also a good idea to start with.

 

[ouch]

King stones cut on the slow side, which is great for learning but takes a bit of patience. You can get a very nice edge with a 1K/6K combo. If I were to add anything to that, my next move would be to get a coarse stone ~220-400 grit. Those are pretty cheap.

 

[ngai]

Thanks for the input, guys. So on the 1K side of the King combo, I should be able to set bevels, take out small nicks, etc. as long as I take my time and work at it? Is it bad for the stone to do this kind of rough work on a 1k stone? I'd rather err on the side of cutting too slow since it's my first go.

I was planning on lapping with sandpaper on my granite countertop. Is this a bad idea? I believe I have a random piece of marble floor tile in the garage I can use too.

So where's the best place to buy? I'm looking at japanwoodworker, or amazon.

 

[robellison01]

I like a good old trusty carborundum with oil for setting bevels on the really dull knives. Faster than my nortons, and dirt cheap to boot. Then I take them to an arkie or norton 1K, and follow up with a few passes on a barbers hone.

 

[Slash McCoy]

If there is a Harbor Freight near you, get one of their diamond hone sets. About $12. You get a 200, 300, 400 and 600 grit plate. There is a 4-way for the same price. These guys gut fast and the 600 grit is a perfect finish for most knives. I use these for knives and also for edge repair on my razors.

 

[honed]

1/6K King is a great stone, there is also a 800/4K
Like said, above 1K isn't really necessary & most standard non-Japanese knives can'ät even hold such a fine edge as 6K

A 1K stone can do almost anything for you. King is a good brand.

As for coarser work a DMT is excellent, but pricier.
For a good, working solution, yet with a minimal budget I'd go for a cheap carborundum hardware-store stone & then a 1K King
Should stay well under 40 USD & lasts a life time for home use.

 

[seattleshaver]

I don't see how you could beat the various rebranding versions of the Arkansas Tri-Hone for less than $25. You get a soft and hard Arkansas plus a coarse carborundum type. That would be something like 220 grit/600/800 I would guess.

 

[ouch]

Not to sidetrack the thread, but while we're talking about coarse stones, I do have a particular favorite. I must have tried at least a dozen coarse stones, some very good, some utter crap, from Shapton to Naniwa to Suehiro to DMT, and my favorite of all is the Beston 500, available from our very own Dave "Who" Martell. It's one of the few arato stones that's fun to use, it cuts quickly, and is very effective. It cuts as fast as most 220's, and sets a great foundation for further refinement.

 

[thebikingengineer]

My daily (forschener 10" chefs) gets a shapton glass 500/1k progression every few months and does quite well on that. The Japanese blades get the 4k glass stone added on and I've always been happy with the resultant performance. The 500 will set a bevel just fine, but I'd want to go a bit coarser for any repair.