Originally Posted by
Stanley Covington
Basic information: First, forget Shapton: too little bang for the buck. Big bucks, short lifespan. If, heaven forbid, you do need to dress your stones though, rubbing two hollow-faced stones of the same grit together is a cheap and handy way to flatten both stones at the same time. This method works just as well in the shop
As for stones, a rough carborundum stone is essential.
Next, you need a 1000 grit waterstone. This is the stone you will use the most (time wise) once you learn how to sharpen efficiently. The Imanishi Bester brand stones are the best made nowadays, especially if you can get two that were cooked at the perimeter of the kiln (versus the center) and so tend to be harder lot by lot.While not absolutely necessary, a 2000 grit stone is useful in reducing the sharpening process and saving your more expensive finishing stones.
A 6,000 grit finishing stone is mandatory. In fact, most everything but your best planes and chisels can end with this stone.
A 10,000 grit King Goldstone is a must have.
When you get much more experience, a full-size natural finishing stone is heavenly, even orgasmic, but until you have enough experience (and good enough tools) the $400 or $500 for a top-quality natural stone would be a waste. In fact, without years spent on a Goldstone (or equivalent) you would not even be able to choose the right natural stone if a hundred were lined up in front of you. I would be very hesitant to buy one outside of Japan for that matter. A wide selection at hand is important.
A general rule for woodworking tools (not necessarily for knives or swords) is to use the hardest medium stones and finishing stones you can get, because once you have created a paste/slurry, the stone must function as a flat plane for sharpening a straight (vs rounded) edge. A hard stone stays flat longer, of course. However, hard stones tend to clog and "drag" steel deposits, negating the sharpening effect. So a balance of hard/soft is necessary. The steel in your tools will have a say in this too. But better too hard than too soft.
Stan